Fischer: Public speaking in the classroom translates to workplace

By Jonathan Fischer / Columnist

You’re sitting in class, and the professor is reviewing the semester’s syllabus. Expectations, homework assignments and tests are all on the agenda. Without warning, the professor blurts out the word “class presentation,” and the room suddenly turns wide-eyed. It’s as if the word itself ignites fear, causing students to slink to the very rear of their chair in discernible discomfort.

Maybe the aura of public presentation pressure is less dramatic in certain majors, but the bottom line is that classes that involve oral presentations are far more valuable than classes that do not require any type of oral presentation. I feel this is especially true for computer science, engineering and mathematics majors.

But regardless of major, public presentations in a course should be mandatory for many reasons.

Employers demand that graduates have excellent written and oral communication skills. Observing and listening to fellow students can be an incredibly useful way to learn. You can adjust your own communication skills by observing what you felt was a good presentation and what you felt was a bad presentation.

It’s this healthy form of competition between your academic peers that will ultimately enhance communication with your future professional colleagues. The competition doesn’t end in the classroom: Many will take their talents on display to an interview. Did that one student do a great job making eye contact to the audience while he spoke? He will probably do so when interviewing for a job.

When fighting for sometimes scarce jobs, knowing the skills of your competition can help you adjust your own communication to surpass your peers — or to at least remain in competition with them.

Given the value or oral communication, I am shocked when students are not allowed the appropriate opportunity to demonstrate and learn oral skills through class presentations. Real, in-class experience, in addition to introducing a competitive atmosphere, is the only way students can master presentation techniques.

These techniques, while obvious perhaps, are not necessarily intuitive. In a study published in the Journal of Computer Sciences in Colleges, researcher Khaled Alshare found that students and instructors ultimately agreed that “well-organized presentation” and “enjoyable content” were the two most important measures of presentation effectiveness.

Practicing is the only way these skills can be understood.

In a professional sense, no other facet of my college career has assisted me as much as public presentations to peers. This becomes more evident as I continue my education post-undergraduate. There are instances in which having a professional demeanor and presenting in a professional fashion have created rich opportunities in my post-academic career.

I can recall in my information systems analysis class, we were required to make two presentations, each about 10 minutes in length. I had used a piece of software other than PowerPoint to share my presentation. After class, I had a student praise me for the presentation style. Only several weeks later, I had to present a status report of my work’s computer systems. While everyone had presented with PowerPoint, I had used a different type of presentation software. The change of pace and style was appreciated, and I received a number of positive comments regarding the job I did.

This is not something I would have learned without having the ability to give public presentations in class.

Everyone should receive this opportunity. I will go so far as to say that every student, whether presenting in a group or not, needs at least 10-to-20 minutes of time with the class to present. Alshare’s study indicated that 68 percent of polled undergraduates thought this was an appropriate length. This would be a good place to start.

These requirements should also go beyond those already in place. Many departments within the Swanson School of Engineering, for instance, require a public speaking or communications class in order for students to graduate. But this is not enough: Presentations must occur as a substantial component of the learning process, not as an afterthought.

I always value and accept the opportunities I have to give a class presentation, knowing that it’s just as important as any test. All students should be given as many chances as possible to help improve their career prospects through these valuable exercises.

Write Jonathan at [email protected].