TECHNICAL PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT
COMMUNICATION 2201

Prepare an 8-9 minute extemporaneous presentation intended to help the audience understand difficult scientific, engineering, technological, business regulatory, legal, managerial, or social scientific information they will benefit from understanding.

1. Analyze the relationship between your audience and your topic to decide whether the primary obstacle to understanding is (a) a difficult concept, (b) a difficult structure or process, or (c) a counter-intuitive phenomenon.

2. Determine which of the explanatory strategies described in class and on pages 173-175 & 181-182 of your text will be your primary tool in overcoming the obstacle(s) to understanding you’ve identified.

3. Prepare a one-paragraph analysis, to be turned in with your speech outline, that summarizes the specific topic/audience relationship and clarifies the rationale behind your choice of a primary strategy, i.e. (a.) why would this particular group find your subject challenging (b.) what’s the primary strategy you’re using (c) which organizational pattern are you using in the body of the speech

4. Develop the body of your presentation using all the elements of the appropriate strategy (including transitions) described in your text for creating shared meaning.   Remember that you can certainly employ elements of a secondary strategy as well.

5. Develop a Power Point presentation to provide visual support for your explanation.

6. Include an introduction that (a) gains the audience’s attention, (b) justifies the topic, (c) establishes your credibility, and (d) previews the main ideas.  The introduction should also provide, as orientation, any necessary background or context and may include elements of the explanatory strategy.

7. Include a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas, closes the presentation gracefully, and invites questions from the audience.

8. Submit a complete sentence outline, on the day you speak, in hard copy in class and electronically on Moodle.  At the end of the outline provide:
a. correct, complete MLA citations for at least three sources you consulted
b. a copy of your slides in a four or six-per-page format.
c. the audience analysis you prepared as per #3 above
d. your completed checklist (hard copy only)

Note: The goal of the speech must be to create shared meaning about a difficult-to-understand topic.  Speeches that are built on facetious propositions and given with the primary goal of amusing or entertaining us DO NOT fulfill the assignment.