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Group Presentations

Group presentations can be frustrating, but here are some tips on how to deliver a successful presentation and get the mark you want.


Get Organized

  • As soon as you have your group, share contact information
  • Communication is incredibly important when it comes to succeeding in any group work, and it is difficult to communicate if you lack a means to do so
  • Create a forum where all members can communicate (a group chat, etc.)
  • Everyone is busy, everyone has different schedules
  • Do your best to figure out a date, time, and location that works for everyone
  • It is also a good idea if a group leader is elected
  • Disclaimer: It is an unfortunate fact that some members may care more than other group members
  • The members who care will make better group leaders
  • At your first meeting, ensure all members understand the topic, thesis, and main points
  • Assign tasks to all members and make sure each member understands what is required and expected of them
  • Make sure tasks are distributed evenly and fairly, paying attention to group member’s strengths

    EX: Member A might be really good at research while Member B is really good at organizing ideas


Coordinate

  • If group members plan to share speaking parts, ensure those transitions between individual speakers occur smoothly
  • Don’t have a transition from Member A to B if there hasn’t been a change in information
  • And practice: Practice, practice, practice. This is how you will ensure the transitions from member to member will happen smoothly


Cooperate

  • Statistically, the group presentations that receive the higher marks are groups who work well together
  • Communicate effectively and be open and sensitive to ideas that are not your own
  • Be open to criticism from other members and try not to take it personally
  • If something a member has researched or written does not make sense or needs more clarification, communicate that with them KINDLY
  • Criticism, if constructive, is a good thing!

Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.