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How to conduct the presentation and wrap up the rotation:

It is time to present your work to Jamie Matthews and your peers. Your ideas will be heard and challenged and compared to those of the other teams of scientists. Also, you will carefully consider other researchers' ideas in order to propose insightful challenges of your own and to give written feedback.  Finally, you will have an opportunity to reflect on your work in this rotation and discuss your thoughts with others.

Team Presentations

1. During this session, you will give your portion of the team presentation, listen to other people present, and offer feedback to other presenters.



2. Before the presentations begin, download the Presentation Evaluation Form attached to Dr. Matthews’ email and print one copy for each presentation you will be listening to (not including your own).



3. When you are giving your portion of the team presentation:
   
   
   • Dr. Matthews and your classmates are likely to have questions for you and your teammates. Pay close attention to their questions, and answer them as thoroughly as you can, based on the research you completed.
   
   
   
   • If you get stuck when answering questions, try to find a constructive way to handle the situation.  For example, it is sometimes acceptable to honestly say “I don’t know” and explain that you didn’t look into that aspect of the problem.  Try to answer as well as you can, based on what you do know.  Also, you may ask teammates to chime in with help if you know they have information that you don’t.



4. When you are listening to other people present:
   
   
   • Use the Presentation Evaluation Form to guide your analysis of other presentations.  It may be helpful to consider each claim and the supporting evidence the team presents by asking the following questions:
   
   
   
   • Do you understand the claim?
   • Do you believe it?
   • Does the evidence support it?
   • How does it compare to the ideas your team developed?
   
   
   
   • Use the Presentation Evaluation Form to note questions that arise so that you can constructively challenge the presenting team's ideas or ask the presenters to clarify them. Remember that your goal is to ensure that Mr. Clark won't waste his money on a risky or questionable pursuit.  Therefore, if you feel a team’s claims and recommendations are not correct, or if you feel that they have not justified their claims well enough, it is your job to challenge them.
   
   
5. When you are offering feedback to other presenters:
   
   
   
   • Be constructive and not just critical. Some good ways of providing constructive criticism are:
     
     
     • Before offering your feedback, check your own understanding and the presenter's intentions by saying, "Here's what I hear you saying... was that right?" Give the person a chance to respond. This is a non-threatening way to begin. Note that when you clarify in this way, you should not evaluate anything; you should simply state that you have understood. Then after clarifying, pose your question or challenge.
       
       
     • It can be helpful to mention something you liked about the presentation before pointing out weaknesses.  Then do your best to explain why a certain claim worked, while another did not. For example, you might say, "That was not your best possible evidence" or "That did not make a clear connection to your main point."
     
     
   • Consider the question-and-answer session a shared experience for the group.  It should not be an attack on anyone’s ideas or presentation.
     
   
   
   • Be sure to share any positive reaction you may have had after listening to the presentation.
     
     
   • When the presentations are finished, submit any relevant notes to the mentor.

Reflection

Having completed your presentation to Dr. Matthews, you now have an opportunity to step out of your role as research scientist and reflect on your experience.

1. Review the questions in the Reflections section and follow the directions on that page. You will answer the questions individually first and then share ideas with your teammates.
   
   
   • Record your thoughts about the required question for all students.
   
   
   
   • Choose one of the remaining questions and write an individual response to the question in the form of an essay.  Your mentor will provide additional details on the deliverables you are expected to submit.
   
   
   
   • For guidance in writing an essay, refer to the Writing section in the General Skills Resources in the left menu.



2. Participate in a reflection discussion with your team.
   
   
   • Talk through all the questions and reflect on your experience throughout this rotation.
   
   
   
   • Take notes so that you will be able to share your thoughts in the larger cohort discussion, next.

Final Discussion

• To close, participate in a mentor-led discussion of the entire rotation.
  
  
  • This is your chance to share new ideas, thoughts, or concerns with your mentor and other peers. The more you participate, the more you will get out of the experience. Be an active and thoughtful participant in the discussion.
  
  
  
  • Share your thoughts as openly as you feel comfortable, submitting any additional comments with the final evaluation.

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When Presenting

• Do present with confidence and conviction in the research you have completed.



• Do answer questions calmly and to the best of your ability. Someone may throw you a curve ball and surprise you with a question that you were not prepared to answer. Just do your best.



• Do speak clearly and slowly, articulating each point and pausing between thoughts. However, keep your energy up so you don't drone, but rather sound interesting.



• Don’t let nervousness cause you to speed up or to mumble.  If you get flustered, take a deep breath and begin again. Nobody is likely to notice if you take a moment to regroup, but they will notice if you try to rush through to the end.



• Don’t just read the slides; use them as reminders to help you discuss your points.



• Don’t be defensive when you are asked questions. No one is attacking you personally, but they will challenge your ideas and your evidence. Stand firmly on what you know and cite your evidence, but there is no harm in agreeing with a well-reasoned objection or suggestion, admitting that you may have missed an issue.



• Do help your teammates answer questions if they struggle and you think you can help.  However, be sure to give them a chance to think and explain themselves.  Ask them if it is okay before you jump in, and then calmly assist.
  

When Listening

• Don’t forget to pay attention. The presenters need an active audience; they deserve feedback from you on the work they have done. Be an active listener so you can make comments and ask questions about the presentation.



• Do be kind but also constructively critical, voicing any questions you think are relevant and important to Bill Clark’s main objectives.



• Do consider whether the presenters are making a strong case for their position with evidence.



• Do consider whether the scientific evidence is clear. Do the presenters have a strong command of the material and are they able to clearly explain their ideas to the audience?



• Do consider whether the presenters are organized and sharing the presenting role well.



• Don’t attack the presenter with your questions in order to just make yourself feel more important.  You do not need to prove that you are smart or overemphasize the point that there may be room for improvement in the presentation. Aim to help the presenters improve their thinking, reasoning, and arguments.



• Don’t hog the floor during questioning. Ask one or two of your more important questions, but be sure to share the time, leaving room for others in the group to challenge as well. Feel free to jot down anything you did not get to ask and submit it to your mentor.

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There are no new content-specific resources relevant here, but you are always welcome to revisit prior tasks and review any relevant resources you may need.  You may find that the resources in the General Skills Resources link on the left navigation bar are more relevant for this task.