Poster Presentation: Assignment
Using PowerPoint or Google Slides, design a short, highly-visual, research-poster style presentation that tells the audience about the information from your Recommendation Report. The presentation will inform first-year students interested in your field about how the kind of writing you researched works, so that they can learn more about the day-to-day work in your industry.
To understand more about the connections among the Major Projects, read How the Major Projects Connect.
Research Poster Scenario
Your department has asked you to create a presentation for first-year students interested in the field and career you are studying. You will present your information during a digital poster session, designed by your department to help students decide if the field is right for them. Others from your major will present on other kinds of writing and tasks that people in your field do.
Your department has asked that you meet this specific list of requirements in your digital research poster:
- Present the recommendations on the kind of writing as a solution to a problem and specifically discuss how it solves the problem.
- Use this structure for your poster (p. 474 of Markel and Selber):
- Introduction
- Problem Discussion
- Solution(s)
- Conclusions & Recommendations
- Works Cited
- Rely on fully-documented research (using quotations, paraphrase, and/or summary) to support your recommendations.
- Use visuals that help clarify the information in the presentation, which can include photos, illustrations, charts, tables, and graphs.
TIP: Avoid clipart (which typically looks unpolished or unprofessional), and use only graphical elements that directly relate to the information in the presentation.
- Include a bibliography that provides documentation for all of the resources you have consulted. You may use the bibliographical format that is appropriate for your field. Here are some tools if you are unsure what to use:
- EasyBib online citation builder Links to an external site. is a web-based tool that creates MLA-format for free.
- Son of Citation Machine Links to an external site. is a web-based tool that creates MLA, APA, and Chicago citations for free.
- Cite This For Me Links to an external site. is a web-based tool that creates several styles, including IEEE, for free.
- Mendeley Links to an external site. is free citation manager software (available online or as a download) that creates every style.
- Zotero Links to an external site. is free citation manager software (available online, as a browser extension, or as a download) that creates every style.
Check These Sources
From Technical Communication:
- A Problem-Solving Model for Recommendation Reports, Figure 18.1, on page 474.
- Ethics Note: Presenting Honest Recommendations, on page 477.
- Analyzing the Speaking Situation, on page 583.
- Characteristics of an Effective Slide, on page 587–589.
- Using Language To Signal Advance Organizers, Summaries, and Transitions, on page 600.
- Guidelines: Using Memorable Language in Oral Presentations, on page 601.
- Speaker’s Checklist, on page 610.
From Other Sources:
- Checklist for Preparing and Presenting an Effective Research Posters [sic] (starting on page 326 of Miller)
- Best Practices for Effective Scientific Posters
Project Requirements
Your Final, Finished Draft must meet these requirements in order to earn a B or better in this course:
- Focuses on the kind of writing examined in your Recommendation Report.
- Meets all of the requirements listed in the Scenario section above.
- Is a slide show/presentation created in PowerPoint or Google Slides, made up of 6 to 12 slides, including one for each of the following sections:
- Title
- Introduction
- Problem Discussion
- Solution(s)
- Conclusions & Recommendations
- Works Cited
- Includes Speaker Notes that accomplish the following:
- Reminds you (the presenter) of key points or stories to include.
- Helps build transitions between slides.
- Focuses on short notes (NOT a word-for-word script).
- Uses professional design and formatting that does the following:
- Makes a good first impression as a polished, professional presentation.
- Uses appropriately-sized headings and text (24 pt minimum).
- Makes information easy for readers to find and read.
- Emphasizes important information.
- Uses well-integrated, well-designed visuals to clarify the information (p. 592).
- Has presentation graphics that meet these five characteristics:
- They present clear, well-supported claim(s). (p. 587)
- They are easy to see. (p. 587)
- They are easy to read. (p. 588)
- They are simple. (p. 589)
- They are correct. (p. 589)
- Uses accurate/appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, linking, and formatting.
Activities Making Up This Major Writing Project
The following activities will all contribute to your Poster Presentation. You can complete all of them, or you can pick and choose. *Remember that the Final, Finished Draft is required in order to earn a B or better in this course.
Week of October 28
- Complete an Audience Profile Sheet (100 points)
- Outline Your Project (75 points)
- Create a Project Plan (50 points)
- Design Principles Scavenger Hunt (100 points)
- Evaluate a Speaker (50 points)
- Designing a Presentation, from LinkedIn Learning (100 points)
Week of November 4
- Integrating Graphics and Text on a Presentation Slide (50 points)
- Analyzing a Poster’s Use of Design Principles (75 points)
- Introducing Your Presentation (50 points)
- Create Speaker Notes for Three Slides (100 points)
- Evaluating Acclaim Presentation Slides (100 points)
- Poster Presentation: Rough Draft (200 points)
Week of November 11
- Poster Presentation: Make Your Pitch (50 points)
- Poster Presentation: Present Information Visually (50 points)
- Poster Presentation: Concluding Your Presentation (50 points
- Poster Presentation: Final, Finished Draft* (400 points)
Credits
Photo: wocintech (microsoft) - 220 by WOCinTech Chat on Flickr
Links to an external site., used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.