Organization is Key to a Successful Presentation
Your Team should organize your research into a Concept Map. This map will be graded using the rubric on the Assessment page.
Brainstorming Phase: From your memory, (which you can jog by going through your notes and related course material) identify facts, terms, and ideas that you think are in anyway associated with the topic. Make a list of these items and print them neatly on small Post-It® notes, one per note, in very brief form. This is a brain-storming process, so write down everything that anybody in your group thinks is important and avoid discussing how important the item is. Don't worry about redundancy. Your objective here is to generate the largest possible list you can. You may have more than 50 items.
Organizing Phase: Spread out your concepts (Post-It® notes) on a flat surface so that all can be read easily and, together, create groups and sub-groups of related items. Identify terms that represent those broader categories and add them. Feel free to rearrange items and introduce new items that you omitted initially. Note that some concepts will fall into multiple groupings.
Layout Phase: On a large sheet of paper, try to come up with an arrangement (layout) that best represents your collective understanding of the connections among groupings. Feel free to rearrange things at any time during this phase. Use a consistent hierarchy in which the most important concepts are in the center or at the top. Within sub-grouping, place closely related items near to each other. Think in terms of connecting the items in a simple sentence that shows the relationship between them. Do not expect your layout to be like that of other groups.
Linking Phase: Use lines with arrows to connect and show the relationship between connected items. Write a word or short phrase by each arrow to specify the relationship. Many arrows can originate or terminate on particularly important concepts.
Reviewing the Concept Map: After your group has agreed on an arrangement of items that coveys your understanding, you need to review it. When reviewing your concept map, consider the following:
Using your team Concept Map you should be able to create your presentation.
Brainstorming Phase: From your memory, (which you can jog by going through your notes and related course material) identify facts, terms, and ideas that you think are in anyway associated with the topic. Make a list of these items and print them neatly on small Post-It® notes, one per note, in very brief form. This is a brain-storming process, so write down everything that anybody in your group thinks is important and avoid discussing how important the item is. Don't worry about redundancy. Your objective here is to generate the largest possible list you can. You may have more than 50 items.
Organizing Phase: Spread out your concepts (Post-It® notes) on a flat surface so that all can be read easily and, together, create groups and sub-groups of related items. Identify terms that represent those broader categories and add them. Feel free to rearrange items and introduce new items that you omitted initially. Note that some concepts will fall into multiple groupings.
Layout Phase: On a large sheet of paper, try to come up with an arrangement (layout) that best represents your collective understanding of the connections among groupings. Feel free to rearrange things at any time during this phase. Use a consistent hierarchy in which the most important concepts are in the center or at the top. Within sub-grouping, place closely related items near to each other. Think in terms of connecting the items in a simple sentence that shows the relationship between them. Do not expect your layout to be like that of other groups.
Linking Phase: Use lines with arrows to connect and show the relationship between connected items. Write a word or short phrase by each arrow to specify the relationship. Many arrows can originate or terminate on particularly important concepts.
Reviewing the Concept Map: After your group has agreed on an arrangement of items that coveys your understanding, you need to review it. When reviewing your concept map, consider the following:
- Accuracy and Thoroughness. Are the concepts and relationships correct? Are important concepts missing? Are any misconceptions apparent?
- Organization. Was the concept map laid out in a way that higher order relationships are apparent and easy to follow? Does it have a title?
- Appearance. Was the assignment done with care showing attention to details such as spelling and penmanship? Is it neat and orderly or is it chaotic and messy?
- Creativity. Are there unusual elements that aid communication or stimulate interest without being distracting?
Using your team Concept Map you should be able to create your presentation.