THIS paper is derived from a project on assessment in American University in Cairo. We are looking at implementing new ways to assess portfolios. I was asked to develop workshops designed to help students learn how to give a presentation at a TESOL convention.
The objectives for the workshop
There were 10 objectives for the workshop. The first was that your talk could not be your paper. The second was awareness of notice the way you were presenting. Third, middle-aged people have bad eyesight.The fourth was never project a quotation without first reading it to the audience. Number 5 was to look at your audience. Number 6 was to read the text only if you had to. This came up over and over again. Number 7 was don't use PowerPoint until you thoroughly understood how to use it. Number 8 was to remember that an academic talk is a diamond. Number 9 was never say "just one more thing." The final objective was try somehow to bring your talk to a powerful conclusion.
The results of the workshop
The results were incredible because our students transformed from being unable to present in front of an audience. The faculty said the students became better at discussions in class. The students told us how much more they enjoyed their class now. Students also developed skills in managing and helping each other. They previously had not because they were not able to project a confident image, and this workshop helped them very much in leading their small groups.
The content and assessment process of the workshop
The students' first task was to analyze the audience carefully before they started. They used a guide to professional presentations, and were given some resources and a "check list" . Finally, they had to videotape themselves.
The assessment process included self-assessment and peer feedback. Students viewed their own videotapes by themselves, then wrote their own self-description based on questions given. Students had the option to revise or redo their presentation at that point, and finally submit the tape and self-assessment as part of his or her portfolio. Peer feedback was a second method of assessment. There was no faculty evaluation of students video tapes, the self-assessment and peer feedback were the only assessment.
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Prof. Liz England：开罗美国大学(American University in Cario)外语教学项目副教授。研究领域：跨文化研究及语言教学研究。
