ASSIGNMENT: ORAL PRESENTATIONS AND ABSTRACTS

Overview: This assignment combines the skills of presenting orally and abstracting or summarizing technical data, tasks you will perform frequently in the workplace. We will use Williams and Tollett's Non-Designer's Web Book and Williams' Web Book as our initial source material; supplement those texts with your own research on the topic. Each of you will include online support-good and bad websites for us to visit. Provide an annotated list of the sites as a handout to members of the class.  Each class member will be responsible for at least one chapter in the text. Your job will be to write an informative abstract on the assigned chapter(s), post a copy of the abstract to our class list for review and evaluation by class members, deliver a hard copy of the abstract to me, and present a 6 - 10 minute informative briefing on the chapter(s) to the class.

Abstract: A good summary is a concise, accurate distillation of the original. It communicates the essential message, telling the reader what the original is about, in the same order as the original. Because summaries are economical - they save time, space and energy - they are a preferred type of communication in business. Each type of summary, executive summary, informative abstract, or descriptive abstract, is a "stand-alone" piece. Summaries may also, of course, be portions of a whole; the summary in the body of a memorandum is one example.

The best way to write a successful summary is to begin with a well-written, well-organized report. Then write a summary to meet the reader's needs.

Write an executive summary for managers who neither want nor need a well-written, well-organized report. Then write a summary to meet the reader's needs.

Write an informative abstract for technical readers who need an overview of essential data from the entire report. When abstracting a technical report, include the statement of problem, scope, methods, major results, conclusions and recommendations. When abstracting an article or chapter, using the same chronology as the original, include all hard data., The arrangement will be introduction, body, conclusion. You may use formatting devices, such as bulleted lists, to emphasize key points.

Write a descriptive abstract for any reader who simply wants a description or list of what the report is about. The descriptive abstract duplicates the information in the table of contents.

The executive summary and informative abstract are, typically, between 200 words and one page long; the descriptive abstract should not exceed three sentences.

Remember: often decision-makers read only the summary of the report.

For this assignment, you will write a one page informative abstract of the chapter you are assigned in English Online, deliver a hard copy to me at the beginning of your briefing, post a copy on our class list prior to the briefing.

Oral Briefing/Presentations: Briefings on the assigned chapters will be informative, 6 - 10 minutes long, and useful to your audience. Each briefing will both review key points in the chapter(s) you have been assigned and incorporate online exercises / activities designed to help your listeners process and use the material you present. As examples you may have online sites for class members to visit to demonstrate good and weak Web Pages or samples of netiquette violations and sources of supplementary guidelines.  As the presenter, be well prepared to answer questions on the material; you will become our resident expert on your topic.

Purpose: to instruct and inform

The briefing / presentations will include:

	Introduction
	Arouse listener interest
	State the thesis, point of view, and / or key points.
	Offer background material necessary for the audience to understand the content of the presentation (they will have read your chapter, but provide additional background as needed to help with the supplementary material / activities.
	Body
	Present main points
	Engage audience in activities to supplement understanding of text
	Conclusion
	Sum up main points and leave audience something to think about
	Provide a sense of closure
	Guidelines
	Arouse listener interest
	Tap into needs and issues relevant to your purpose and material
	Emphasize key points
	Avoid information overload
	Engage listeners
	Provide interesting, relevant activities online appropriate to your audience's needs
	Explain benefits

Be on time; all presentations will begin promptly at the beginning of class

Prepare, prepare, prepare 

Briefing outline: (complete, type, and hand in to me before you speak)
(include copy of training exercise you will use as handout)
Tips:
Topic:
Audience:
Purpose:
Outline of briefing: (outline in detail)

1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion

Be on time.  If you are late, you will not be allowed to speak to the group

Dress appropriately

Use visuals as needed; one required:

	Transparencies
	Handouts
	Charts

*Training exercise: handout for participants: must be realistic - you have 15 minutes.

Practice several times prior to class, paying special attention to nonverbal skills

Presentations begin promptly on assigned dates