The Adventure

In COMM 273: Professional Presentations, we explore key principles that will facilitate your move from competency to excellence in professional presentations. To do this, we emphasize strategy in the planning, creating, designing, and delivery of a variety of realistic presentations in a range of professional settings.

This course is based on the assumptions that people learn by doing—by getting their hands dirty—that learning to learn is a priceless skill in a changing world, and that people thrive in environments where they have autonomy.

The presentations will demand your best, multitasking will be a necessity, and your instructor's expectations for all of you are sky-high. We definitely work hard and play hard.

Course Outcomes

Your goal for this course should be mastery of the concepts so that you will be an outstanding presenter in many settings. During the course, you will do the following:

1. Plan, design and execute a variety of effective, professional-level presentations.
2. Apply principles of information design and cognition to achieve audience attention, comprehension and retention.
3. Demonstrate the ability to analyze and adapt to venue and audience requirements, as well as unexpected circumstances.
4. Demonstrate proficient slide-design skills and slide interaction using industry-standard software.
5. Demonstrate ethical behaviors in the creation of messages and presentations.

Student Commitment

1. Be present and curious about finding answers.
2. Challenge yourself to a higher level of performance.
3. Dress professionally for all presentations.
4. Live worthy to invite the Spirit and maintain an atmosphere of learning.
5. Be prepared. Complete all required reading and assignments by their due dates. Late = great effort, but no credit.
6. Work hard and have fun!!

Instructor Commitment

1. Prepare completely and carefully.
2. Live worthy to invite the Spirit.
3. Teach in a personal manner.
4. Maintain clear and high expectations.
5. Maintain a high level of communication.
6. Provide timely and detailed feedback.
7. Serve with heart.

Textbooks

The following are the two textbooks for this course:

• Resonate by Nancy Duarte  (This book is available as a free on-line book)
• The Naked Presenter by Garr Reynolds (ISBN-10: 0321704452) (This book is available through the BYU–Idaho Library.)
• slide:ology by Nancy Duarte  (ISBN-10: 0596522347) (This book is available through the BYU–Idaho Library.)

Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

Materials

• Access to a laptop
• Access to a webcam
• Access to a digital video and audio recording device (this can be a phone)
• Access to a microphone for your computer
• Access to an AV station, projector, or large TV. Projectors might be available at your church meetinghouse, public library, chamber of commerce or a hotel. Please note that you will likely not be able to use such projectors off-site so you might wish to schedule your presentations that require a projector at a place that has one.
• Access to Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel
• Flash drive
• Any accessories you need to connect your laptop to an AV station or projector (for example, a pigtail for Mac users). You will be responsible to find out what accessories your computer need to work with the projector and how to make it work. Some computers will need to install software in order to make the laptop and the projector work together.
• Access to relevant news, good information, and cool stories (for example, New York Times, NPR, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, etc.)

Getting There

Eight Presentations

During the semester, you will give eight presentations to various audiences in a variety of settings. Venues will include a conference room or meeting room, a lecture hall, and a local organization. You are responsible for deciding where you present and who you will present to. Make sure you give yourself adequate time to accomplish the setup of these presentations. It is recommended that you read the presentation instructions and prepare your venues and equipment right away. Dress professionally for all presentations. Your eight presentations are the following:

Children's Book You will read and record a three (3) to five (5) minute reading lets you practice using vocal and body language techniques to create and reinforce your message. 

Story-to-Make-a-Point You will tell and record a personal 3-minute story. It should be a story that teaches a lesson and can be used in a professional setting. A small audience is optional.

Slide Show This is a problem-solution presentation. You will begin by learning both presentation and slide design principles. You will first design your presentation and then apply it to your slides. It is a stand-alone presentation and will be posted online.

Teach One Another Webinar This is a 3-minute presentation where you teach your group the assigned principle and discuss how you will incorporate passion, proximity, or play into your presentation.

TED (1 of 2) This is a 10-minute presentation that gives you an opportunity to share an idea that will change your world. It should be a topic that you are passionate about. You will deliver your TED to an online audience of 5-10 people. It will be recorded and posted online.

TED (2 of 2) This gives you an opportunity to share an idea that will change the world with an audience of at least 20 people. You will also deliver, record, and post it online.

Business Presentation (1 of 2)- Instructor & Class You will contact a local business of your choice and give a 10-minute presentation on a topic relevant to the business, with an audience of at least 3 people. You will first deliver to a "practice" audience of 3 or present online to your class.

Business Presentation (2 of 2)- Business After receiving feedback, you will prepare, practice, and deliver your final presentation to the business. The business will evaluate you on your level of professionalism. This presentation will not be recorded.

Assignments and Participation

The assignments come in small and large packages and serve as stepping stones in creating presentations. Reading, discussing, and doing are integral components of this course. The real point is to digest, use, and apply resources while developing professional-level skills in content, delivery, and slide design.

There will be several assignments that you will be asked to complete as steps towards completing a larger goal, but you won't necessarily have to turn something in for these smaller steps. You will be held accountable for the outcome of the larger project, instead.

Self and Peer Evaluations

You will complete peer and self-evaluations for each presentation. You will also work in different groups throughout the course to share ideas, give and receive feedback, and teach one another.

Providing honest, accurate, and detailed feedback to your classmates is a critical aspect of the class. It will help your classmates improve their preparation and presentations, plus, it will help you to gain exposure to other ideas and approaches to presentations. Everyone in the class should learn how to give and receive positive feedback as well as suggestions for improvement. Be kind in your feedback, but be honest. Be willing to receive the "gift of feedback" from your classmates.

Quizzes and Exams

You will be assessed on your grasp of presentation and design principles and concepts. You are better able to apply them if you know and understand them!

Group Work

You will share ideas, information, skills, and techniques as a community. This aspect is a vital key to this course. Research on public speaking confirms that gains in skill, as well as gains in being comfortable presenting, are made in a group of supportive friends. Therefore, some group work will be assigned. To facilitate this, the instructor will assign class members into groups. The groups will change often according to the needs of the course. 

Grading

Grading

	Points Available
Activities	395
Quizzes	55
Presentations	500
Total:	950

 

Grading scale

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage Range
A	93%–100%
A-	90%–92%
B+	87%–89%
B	83%–86%
B-	80%–82%
C+	77%–79%
C	73%–76%
C-	70%–72%
D+	67%–69%
D	63%–66%
D-	60%–62%
F	below 60%

Important to Know

Plagiarism: Plagiarism (to steal or pass off the ideas of another as your own without giving credit) of any kind will not be tolerated. Any form of plagiarism, cheating, or attempt to deceive will result in a failing grade and possible university disciplinary action.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course does require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.