Oral Presentations

Overview

Each of you will present two solo oral presentations (no group presentations for this course) during the semester in fulfillment of the O – Oral Communication GenEd:

1. A five-minute Gorgias "paper pitch," that is, a brief preview of your 1st paper, with PowerPoint. It will be on a topic relating to the paper you're writing on Plato's Gorgias. For this presentation you will, in addition to presenting orally, upload to Brightspace both your presentation script and your PowerPoint.
2. A ten-minute epideixis, that is, a speech demonstrating your skill with oral argument, no PowerPoint. Unlike the Gorgias presentation and paper, this can be on almost any topic of a controversial nature. There are, though, restrictions, and you will need to clear the topic in advance with me. For this presentation you will, in addition to presenting orally, upload your presentation script.

Part of the "O" requirement is that students have "ample opportunity . . . to critique presentations" (Oral Communication | General Education | Binghamton University). This you will be doing after each individual presentation. More on all that below. . . .

Adequate rehearsal of each of these two presentations will be crucial, both for timing and for comfort level while presenting.

Here follow specifics as to each of the two presentations, both individually and in general. . . .

First Presentation. Gorgias "Paper Pitch"

This will be a brief and to-the-point introduction to your paper 1 topic. It's not an elevator pitch (60 seconds to introduce yourself to the boss and sell them your idea), but it's not that far off. In five minutes, and with a basic PowerPoint, summarize your paper. Tell us about that aspect of the Gorgias that you're addressing, why it intrigues you, what you expect to argue in your paper 1, and what your main secondary source will be, how it relates.

What follows provides more detailed guidance. . . .

Topic

Because the first oral presentation will be a "pitch" for the topic of your first paper on Plato's Gorgias, this "Topic" section is the same for both the presentation and the paper. Obviously, the presentation, being a preview of the paper, will not involve the same depth of research as will the final product. Conversely, the paper will involve research additional to what you've done for your first presentation. Specific research req's for the presentation are covered on the Oral Presentations page; for the paper, on the Papers page.

For topic, keep it small-scale! You are certainly free, even encouraged, to address some detail pertaining to our exploration of Plato's Gorgias or to either of the two SWA prompts for the dialogue. Or you might want to speak and write on something else having to do with the work. Please avoid, though, any topic, whether connected to an SWA or not, that is overly global or broad in scope. So, for instance, that first SWA, "Does Socrates Treat Rhetoric Fairly" — it was good as a conversation starter. But to address it properly in a paper would require more pages than we have time for in this course. Ditto for the second Gorgias SWA. So, . . .

For the first presentation and paper, speak/write about something, anything relating to the text of Plato's Gorgias, provided that it (a) grabs your interest, (b) has to do with the text and with the topic of persuasion, and (c) concerns no more than a detail of that text: a quotation, a theme that surfaces at a certain point, a brief but key passage, that kind of thing.*

* Please don't try to explain or summarize the whole dialogue or a lengthy section of it. Likewise, avoid topics that are too broad for treatment in five minutes or three pages, as in, "The Meaning of Life in Plato's Gorgias." Finally, avoid statements, whether thesis statements or statements of any kind, that draw sweeping or unwarranted conclusions, for instance, "Socrates' use of the lovers metaphor in section 481d of the dialogue supplies proof positive that Platonic philosophy is god's truth / utterly ridiculous." That has to do with critical thinking.

Part of the critical-thinking dimension of the assignment is that you'll need, at a minimum, to develop an argument. This last could consist of a critique of an argument found in a secondary source or in the dialogue itself; that critique could, in other words, be your topic. Or you could develop an idea of your own regarding Plato's text. Either way, evidence of critical thinking on your part is a must; please review the Critical Thinking page.

I don't require you to clear your topic in advance with me, but I'm happy to talk about it with you; stop by my office during office hours or make an appointment. Still, you'll have a chance to test-drive your topic in your oral presentation. That allows you to retool it if need be.

First Presentation: Various Specifics

Length. For this first presentation, I am asking you to speak for five minutes. In terms of word count, that's about 650 words if presenting at an average pace, or the equivalent of two pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font.

Presenting. Unless you can memorize your text, you will need to read off the page (your script) when presenting. Present from a printout or from your phone or tablet. Do not improvise, whether from notes or off the cuff. Do not use index cards for notes or text.

What to upload. By the date and time given on the assignments schedule, upload both your performance script (a word document) and your PowerPoint (or Google slides).

Overall expectations for this presentation. As mentioned, part of its purpose is to test-drive your first-paper topic. A good-faith effort to do as assigned will be an important criterion. Brilliance and genius in this initial foray will not. Don't be surprised if comments lead you to change or to fine-tune your topic, your approach, your research, or any combination.

Research. At this oral-presentation stage of the project, research expectations are somewhat more modest than they are for the first paper. This is your project at an early stage. You need, though, to get a jump on outside reading; study the Research section of the Papers page.

For now, that is, for this presentation, you need cite no more than two sources:

1. Your primary, that is, ancient text, namely, Plato's Gorgias; see the demo "Works Cited" slide below for what that citation should look like.
2. An outside secondary source, that is a work of modern scholarship, one that you expect will be central to the project, though not a reading assigned for this course. It will be a book, a book chapter, an article, a webpage, something you've found that you think will likely play a big role in your paper. In your presentation, you're going to want to say something about that source and why it matters. For more on research and valid sourcing of research materials, see the "Research" section of the Papers page.
   • You are free to cite anything you feel is pertinent to your topic, nor are you restricted to just two research sources. But the outside secondary source required for this presentation needs to be something not assigned for the course.

You will be submitting to Brightspace your presentation script as a word document, plus your PowerPoint (or Google Slides or similar) presentation file. Format for the script document is flexible (it's your presentation script, not the final paper version), but it has to be legible to me. No need for citations or bibliography in your script, as PowerPoint will include a "Works Cited" slide.

PowerPoint. Your oral presentation will be accompanied by a three-or-more-slide PowerPoint (or Google Slides) presentation. You have access to a demo PowerPoint. What follows offers further explanation and guidance.

PowerPoint look and feel. Try to use a relatively plain and basic template for your presentation. The default template or design theme is ideal. The various themed templates that Microsoft supplies will look like . . . well, themed templates supplied by Microsoft, almost certainly to the detriment of your presentation's effectiveness. ("Why does their presentation have a bunch of circles? Oh, yeah, they're using that 'Future Forward' theme. Very . . . corporate?") Any added images or decoration must not distract from the presentation. If you add images, all must have alt text. If the image is merely decorative (and that can be effective!), alt text should merely say "decorative." If it adds to the substance of your presentation, the alt text must briefly explain.

This is not the kind of presentation where you insert actual content into slides. Save content for what you say aloud.

Specific layout of the presentation:

A title slide with:

• Your presentation's title
• Your name

For the content segment of your presentation, use slides — not many, maybe only one! — where each is dedicated to, basically, a single idea. Use a main title followed by bulleted points, no periods. Bulleted points should employ, preferably, short noun phrases, definitely not sentences. As already mentioned, do not replicate spoken content on slides. (The "fade" animation for bulleted points isn't necessary but can be a nice touch.)

A slide (you'll likely need only one) listing your "Works Cited." The main title needs to say "Works Cited." Entries formatted as for MLA, for which see the Papers page. Note that the example which follows includes correct biblio citing of the Gorgias reading.

Second Presentation. Epideixis

The second presentation will be a ten-minute epideixis. What is an epideixis? It is a "demonstration" (epideixis) of your skill with verbal argument; as such, it is also a demonstration of the techniques of verbal argument — more on the Terms page.

This epideixis will be a speech delivered orally in class, one whose script you will upload to Brightspace. Unless you can memorize your text, you will need to read off the page when presenting it. Do not improvise.

Length. Ten minutes. In terms of word count, that's about 1,300 words if presenting at an average pace, or the equivalent of four pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font.

Presenting. Unless you can memorize your text, you will need to read off the page (your script) when presenting. Present from a printout or from your phone or tablet. Do not improvise, whether from notes or off the cuff. Do not use index cards for notes or text.

What to upload. By the date and time given on the assignments schedule, upload your performance script (a word document).

Topic

For this presentation, please avoid focusing either on Plato's Gorgias or on your second paper topic. Otherwise, there is much flexibility.

What I'd like you to do is to argue for or against something, as if you were taking one or another side (not both sides) in a debate or courtroom trial.

So you need to choose a controversial topic, but what? In order that our class not get side-tracked by heated disputes of the present day (to do so would activate the partisan feelings of your audience, thereby making it difficult for them to evaluate your performance objectively), I'm asking you to take up a controversy unlikely to raise anyone's hackles but your own in today's world. By no means does it have to be related to our subject matter, namely, persuasion in ancient Greece, nor need it be serious; it can be fun. (Gorgias refers to his Helen as a paignion, a "plaything.")

So, for instance:

• The French-versus-Italian-opera controversy of the mid 1700s
• The Sopranos-versus-Wire controversy for best all-time television show
• Who is the greater hero, Odysseus or Palamedes?
• The pork-belly-versus-pork-jowl controversy in the preparation of pasta alla carbonara

The possibilities are endless.

Comprehensibility. There can be, as with the preceding topics, the risk of no one knowing what you're talking about, much less caring about it. Try to make your epideixis comprehensible to non-specialists, try to make them care (note the epanaphora there — "try to . . . try to"). If you're addressing the superiority of, say, East-Coast over West-Coast rap (a debate that raged in the 90s), state briefly but clearly what you're talking about. Do that in any case, whatever the topic. And see if you can use your way with words to make us care.

I do, though, need you to clear your topic with me in advance; see the Assignments page for the deadline for that. (No epideixis can go forward without approval.) I also reserve the right to halt presentations that threaten to offend or provoke.

Structure of Content

Your presentation must present the case you want to make, but must also anticipate or respond to the case made by your imaginary opponent(s). It should also feature tasteful use of rhetorical figures.

I suggest the following format:

1. Introduction (prooimion). Grab your audience's interest, make them sympathetic to you (captatio benevolentiae), but don't overdo it (that would be kolakeia, "abject flattery"). Announce your topic and briefly state why it matters.
2. Tell us about the topic (diēgēsis, "narrative"); present the case you want to make, moving from point to point (diairesis, "division"). Confine yourself to things we need to know.
3. Present your proofs (pisteis). Anticipate / respond to objections, actual or potential (elenkhos, anaskeuē,"refutation"). Remember, yours is but one side to a debate.
4. Bring your speech to a ringing close (epilogos), if possible, with some sort of zinger or notable quotable (gnōmē).

Gorgias' Helen illustrates all of the above except maybe response to objections. (But the whole speech is a response to objections.) The same author's Palamedes illustrates refutation using proof by probability. Pretty much everything (apart from paraphrases) that we have of Gorgias illustrates rhetorical figures.

Epideixis: Demonstrating What?

Sure, you'll be attempting to win us over to your views, but the epideixis is mainly about demonstrating skill with language and with argument.

The skill-with-language thing can be overdone, but try to do something with it:

• Gorgianic figures of speech; see the Gorgias epitaphios section of the Sophists readings
• Figures of thought
  • Metaphor (a comparison without "like" or "as")
  • Simile (a comparison with "like" or "as")
  • Antithesis (a pointed contrast, often pointed out with formulations like, "on the one hand . . . on the other hand")
  • Rhetorical question
• Rhetorical argument, especially pisteis entekhnoi (see the Gorgias Palamedes section of the Sophists readings)

Research

I won't require very much or very deep research for this, but you need to do some; you need to be informed — one primary or secondary source at a minimum. Work your references into the word-flow of your speech. If you're citing studies, say, "Studies show that 90% of . . . ." If you're quoting, "In the immortal words of Snoop Dog, '. . . .'" At the end of your submitted script, and only for my eyes, provide all your references in a form to make it possible for me to find them; this isn't MLA or anything.

Presenting: Practical Pointers

1. REHEARSE AND TIME the presentation multiple times.
2. USER-FRIENDLY EXECUTION. Oral presentation differs from written in a lot of ways. To present orally, don't just read a paper. Rather,
• Try as best as possible to spare us the details. I.e., cut to the chase, limit your quotations in number and length. One good example concisely presented can speak for a hundred.
• Signpost so that your audience doesn't get lost. ("Now we're going to take up the subject of. . . .")
• Look at, and make eye contact with, students, not me.
• Use voice level and inflection, physical gesture, overall pacing to assist your listeners in absorbing the structure of it all.
  • Highlight what needs it
  • Flat presentation can confuse
3. Avoid!!. . .
   1. "Like" as filler/narrative marker ("Like he was like, OMG! And she was like LOL!")
   2. Dead-air fillers or similar:
      • "Um"
      • "Uhh"
      • "OK?"
      • "Right?"
4. PROJECT A "PRESENTORIAL" PERSONA, or ethos, key to all persuasive speaking and teaching, as Aristotle correctly surmised. Project that more engaging, clear-voiced, "public" version of yourself, not the mumbling private one. FACE THE AUDIENCE, ENGAGE THEIR ATTENTION. DON'T BURY YOUR FACE BEHIND YOUR SCRIPT.

Audience Responsibilities

General

Your receptivity as audience to these presentations counts toward your overall class participation grade.

During presentations, please do not interrupt presenters. Jot down thoughts en route; after the presenter finishes, offer comments or questions.

As these presentations will in most cases represent first encounters with novel material, we should be reasonably tolerant on the accuracy front and similar. You are indeed encouraged to offer corrections and / or differing views during post-presentation discussion, but wait and be courteous.

(I may myself chime in, but will try to wait until everyone's had a say.)

Related to that: Please be courteous and kind, but frank. There can sometimes develop a dynamic where it all turns into a mutual admiration society. That helps nobody!

Audience Response Surveys (oral presentation grading criteria)

Immediately after each oral presentation, you will fill out a paper survey. This is to heighten your awareness of challenges associated with oral presentation: what seems to work and what doesn't. Each survey takes the form of a questionnaire mapping precisely to grading criteria used by me for each of the two presentations. The filling out of these surveys forms part of your presentation grade.

When filling out surveys, remember:

• You're not grading presenters, you're educating yourself
• My grading is independent of your comments

Here follow links to those surveys/assessment rubrics:

• First presentation, the Gorgias "paper pitch"
• Second presentation, your epideixis