2023-05-04

Three-Minute Research Story

Time and Date: 6/27-7/25, Every Tuesday Morning
Sign up: https://coursemap.aca.ntu.edu.tw/summer/

Course Description

Effective communication is critical for complex graduate research. This course is designed to help graduate students improve their English presentation skills for academic settings, with a focus on Three Minutes Thesis (3MT) presentations. 3MT presentations challenge students to convey their research in just three minutes, using language that is accessible to a general audience.

This course aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to present their research in a clear, structured, and focused manner while managing their time effectively. Students will also develop oral delivery techniques, body language, and confidence through in-class presentation practice. Overall, mastering 3MT presentation skills can help graduate students become more effective communicators and these skills will be applicable to almost all forms of academic or professional presentations.

Course Objectives

Core Competences (CC)
The purpose of this course is to adhere to the NTU and College of Science educational objectives by contributing to students’
CC 1. independent judgment and ability to innovate
CC 2. professional knowledge and skills
CC 3. communicative and team skills

Course Intended Learning Outcome (CILO)
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
CILO 1. demonstrate familiarity with the knowledge and skills in conceiving and designing an academic presentation for a group of intended audience (general or expert audience) based on a focused research topic (CC 1, 2 & 3)
CILO 2. identify and select effective features of academic presentations, and apply them to their presentations (CC 1 & 2)
CILO 3. present more confidently and persuasively in English by choosing appropriate presentation structures and techniques (CC 1 & 2)
CILO 4. analyze their audience to ensure maximum value of their presentation content (CC 1, 2 & 3)

Weekly Schedule

Week 1 06/27 10:20-13:10	From Data to Presentation (1) Introduction to academic presentations (2) Crafting memorable 3MT presentations (3) Designing visual aids
Week 2 07/04 10:20-13:10	From Good to Great Presentations (1) Adopting approaches for structuring your presentation (2) Crafting an engaging presentation introduction
Week 3 07/11 9:10-13:10	Tailoring Academic Presentations to Your Audience (4 hours) (1) Creating compelling presentation titles (2) Adopting an audience-friendly register
Week 4 07/18 9:10-13:10	Effective Communication Strategies (4 hours) (1) Techniques for effective oral delivery (2) The power of body language
Week 5 07/25 9:10-13:10	3MT Presentation Simulation & Peer Feedback (4 hours)

Others

Required Reading
All reading and supplementary materials will be distributed in class.
Extended Readings
(1) Aziz, K. (2008). Presenting to win. Elepar Publishing.
(2) Gabrielle, B. R. (2010). Speaking PowerPoint: The new language of business. Insights Publishing.
(3) Sullivan, J. (2016). Simply said: Communicating better at work and beyond. John Wiley & Sons.
(4) Truby, J. (2008). The anatomy of story: 22 steps to becoming a master storyteller. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
(5) Urech, E. (1997). Speaking globally: Effective presentations across international and cultural boundaries. Kogan Page Limited.

Grading Policy

Types of Assessment	Weighting	Descriptions of Assessment
Attendance and Participation	20%	Students are required to attend all classes; NO MORE THAN TWO weeks of absences are permitted. Students need to contribute their ideas to the class during discussion and feedback sessions.
Final Presentation	30%	Students will deliver an oral presentation during the final week of the course that showcases their skills in public speaking, speech script design, PPT design, and time management. The presentation should effectively demonstrate the techniques and strategies learned throughout the course.
HW Assignments	30%	Students will be required to complete a series of assignments throughout the course, including a 3MT PowerPoint slide, presentation script, speech analysis, and a presentation practice video.
Peer Review Tasks	20%	Students will be graded based on the quality of their feedback towards each other’s assignments and presentations. These feedback tasks may be conducted synchronously (for on-site presentations) or asynchronously (for video submission works).