In-class presentation and essay

In-class presentations should be fifteen to twenty minutes in length. You risk being cut short if you go past twenty minutes.

Ideally, you will talk or lecture to the class (usually, using notes you have prepared for yourself). If you are not comfortable with this, you may read out your presentation to the class. A presentation that is read out should be six to eight pages in length (typewritten, double-spaced), assuming you don’t read too quickly or too slowly.

Please avoid trying to interact with the class during your presentation. As a general rule, we will stay quiet for the duration of your presentation. You may end your presentation with questions for potential discussion, but do not expect discussion during the presentation itself.

An in-class presentation, whether read from a paper or not, is less formal than a term paper. You should ideally have a thesis, but the thesis can be more broad than one for a term paper. Your presentation should have a structure, but the structure does not have to be as rigorous as with a term paper. You should keep in mind that it is always more difficult for your audience to follow your train of thought when listening to you than it would be when reading something you have written: this is even true when you read out a clearly-planned, easy to follow paper.

Remember that we, your audience, will want to enjoy listening to you. You do not have to be funny or put on a show, but you should be able to keep our attention for the duration of your presentation.

Your presentation is centered on summarizing and responding to a theoretical essay (or chapter), the one scheduled for that day. Keep in mind that we all will have read the essay, so a summary of the essay should be brief. You are welcome to try to clarify difficult aspects of the essay.

In your presentation, you will demonstrate a solid understanding of the essay, including what it has to offer to the academic study of digital worlds. Your presentation should briefly summarize the main argument(s) of the essay. You are welcome to discuss how the arguments of the essay relate to texts we have already covered in class or will be covering in class that day; you are also welcome to discuss how the arguments of the essay relate to those of previous essays we have read and discussed in class. Primarily, though, your presentation should respond to the essay. This may involve some criticism of the essay’s argument(s), but should ideally involve building upon the argument(s). You should take what is said in the essay and offer an extension, an alternate perspective, or perhaps a new application of the theories and/or methodologies.

Your presentation should not analyse the text scheduled for that day: your goal is to explain and respond to the theoretical essay. You should, however, be prepared to respond to questions about how the essay might or might not be applicable to the texts we are studying that day.

Your presentation should have a thesis — at least, a preliminary thesis. You should formulate a theory or a critical position about your theoretical essay.

This presentation requires a written component: you must hand in a written version of your presentation one week after you present. The written version can and usually should be a revised version of your presentation: your revisions will usually be a result of reactions to your presentation. The written essay should be no less than four full pages and no more than seven pages in length. It should be a well-structured, well-argued essay. It is a chance to perfect your argument and make your exposition clearer and more precise. Avoid making direct reference to class discussion with phrases such as, “As said in class.”