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 Activities Presentation of a topic using a graphical representation

Presentation of a topic using a graphical representation

Brief description

This exercise may be used as an alternative to the traditional oral presentation. In the exercise, the students must produce and present a graphical representation of an idea for a topic and a problem in a written assignment of their own choice. The graphical representation may take the form of a poster, a padlet, a mind map, en kort video etc., which they must present to the teacher and their fellow students in the class.

Motivation for the exercise and required outcome

The exercise helps the students to practice their oral communication skills while giving them an opportunity to explore their creative skills. If you schedule the exercise at an early stage in the course, you also ensure that all students consider their topic and problem well in advance and make a plan for how to approach the assignment. Based on a mutual exchange of ideas, the students may subsequently draw on each other’s skills in the writing process.

Performing the exercise

  • You must ask the students to think about and develop a preliminary idea or problem statement for their upcoming written assignment.
  • Before the students begin to produce a graphical representation of their idea, you should give a brief presentation explaining how to go about such a process. Feel free to show examples of good graphical representations to the students.
  • The students must now produce a graphical representation of their preliminary topic and problem statement. This must include considerations concerning topic, method and problem; it must be informative and catchy while creating an overview of the issues.
  • Once the students have completed their graphical representations, they should move physically to different positions in the classroom.
    • Bear in mind that the classroom must be big enough to perform the exercise.
    • Take into account that 5 to 10 minutes of the teaching session will be spent arranging the tables and chairs in the classroom so as to make space to circulate among the stations.
  • Finally, sum up the exercise in a class.
  • Once group 2 has visited all graphical representations, the groups should swap, and group 2 should now present their ideas to the students in group 1.
  • Divide the students into two groups. Group 1 students first stand at their graphical representations and present these to the students in group 2. The discussion at the posters is informal, however it is important that it is relevant to the subjects and constructive.

Variation options:

  • To conclude the exercise, you may ask the students to get together with other students who are considering the same topic, method, or data collection. In the group, the students may exchange ideas with one another regarding specific topics and tasks.
  • You may invite students from another year group to join as “guests” for the presentation of the completed graphical representations in order to add an element of challenge to the dialogue at the poster stations.

 

Activities

    Examples of practice

      You will need:

      • Coloured paper, scissors, glue, writing utensils etc. for the students who wish to create their graphical representation as a poster, a collage, or the like.
      • An introduction to the online tools the students may use for their graphical representation. You may take one of the following three options as your point of departure.

      Worth considering

      • Should the students work on their graphical representation in the teaching session in question, or should they be given a deadline which allows them time to work on it?

      • Do you wish to be available for sparring during the period in which the students are developing their graphical representation?

      • When should the exercise be scheduled during the semester? If it is scheduled too early, it is very likely that the students cannot contribute with many ideas; however if it is scheduled too late, they may already have decided on a topic.

      Revised 06.10.2023
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      AU Educate