Reflect on the Portfolio
Recall your oral presentation and think about these questions. If your Learning Coach recorded your presentation, watch the recording. Write your reflections in your journal.
Was your topic appropriate for your audience? Do you believe that your presentation held the attention of the members of your audience and added to their understanding? If you were to change anything about your claim and findings, what would it be?
In your opinion, did your visuals and multimedia components help your audience, or did they get in the way of your presentation? Explain your thinking.
Dale Carnegie, the author of The Art of Public Speaking, once said, “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” How does the presentation you gave differ from the one you practiced and the one you wish you gave? Why do you think that is true?
Reflecting on my oral presentation, I believe that my topic was appropriate for my audience as it was related to their field of study and sparked discussions and questions afterward. I feel that my presentation did hold the attention of the audience and helped them understand the importance of the topic.
If I were to change anything about my claim and findings, I would perhaps provide more detailed examples and case studies to further support my argument. I think this would have added more depth and credibility to my presentation.
In terms of visuals and multimedia components, I believe they helped enhance my presentation by providing visuals to complement my spoken points. They helped to break up the monotony of speaking and engaged the audience visually. I made sure not to overload the presentation with too many visuals, so they did not get in the way of the content.
I can see how the presentation I actually gave differed from the one I practiced and the one I wish I gave. In the moment, there were nerves and time constraints that may have caused me to rush through certain parts or forget to elaborate on certain points. Looking back, I wish I had been more confident and had taken more time to really explain and emphasize certain aspects of my presentation. This is a common occurrence, as nerves and pressure can affect one's delivery in the moment. It is a good reminder to practice even more thoroughly and focus on maintaining composure and clarity during the actual presentation.