Presentation Anxiety? Help is Available!
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 10, 2012) — For many students, presentations can present the most dreaded part of any class.
The anxiety created by an assignment of a five-minute presentation can be worse than a midterm, a final and a term paper combined. Yet more and more courses require students to produce presentations that combine elements of written, spoken and digital communication. Being able to communicate across disciplines, using a variety of different modes of communication, is increasingly a key factor to success in college and professional life beyond school.
The trick is to be well-prepared, says Alison Stavola, a University of Kentucky sophomore equine science major who works as a peer consultant in UK's Multimodal Communication Consulting Center, or "MC3," a new resource on campus that helps students create presentations.
"If you're prepared, you're going to do well," Stavola says. "You might be able to put off studying for an exam until the night before, but a successful presentation requires practice."
The MC3 was launched last spring to address the specific needs of students who are taking the new two-semester "Composition and Communication" sequence, CIS 110 and 111. However, help is available for any student in any course.
Peer consultants at the MC3 can help students to brainstorm potential oral, written, and visual presentation topics; organize content and develop outlines; use proper APA/MLA style in outlines and papers; develop and use effective presentational aids, including PowerPoint, poster sessions, and Prezi; improve public speaking delivery; and create effective digital texts, including websites and blogs. Additionally, the MC3 will be offering several workshops focusing on various elements of effective presentations and skills.
Located in Room 107A of the Grehan Journalism Building, the MC3 lab has seven undergraduate peer consultants who provide consultation, support and feedback by appointment and on a drop-in basis four days a week.
"At the undergraduate level, our focus is almost entirely on peer consulting," said Jeffrey VanCleave, MC3 director. "Much research in instructional communication has shown the success of peer-based tutoring, so we're going with what works."
The MC3 lab is equipped with all the necessary technology for students to plan, prepare, and practice their presentations, including the ability to record speeches.
"Feedback from a number of sources, including self-evaluation, can be important tools in preparing a presentation," VanCleave said. "By recording their practice runs here in the lab, students can take a copy home with them so they can continue to review their performance and get feedback, beyond what they receive here."
Appointments are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays. Walk-in consultations are also available during the same hours on a first-come, first-served basis. To make an appointment, go to the MC3 website at http://cis.uky.edu/icd/mc3. In addition to offering peer counseling for undergraduates, the MC3 also provides workshops for graduate students, and offers expert consultation for faculty members.
More information about the MC3 is available on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MultimodalCommunicationConsultingCenter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Hautala, (859) 323-2396; keith.hautala@uky.edu.