• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Dr Stephen Overy

• Owning School: School X
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

Students participate in a dissertation conference at the end of the academic year and present their dissertation research. This allows participants to work on a distinct set of skills, which are:

-Encourage students to engage in academic dissemination and public speaking.
-Provide a platform for students to showcase their dissertation research.
-Help students build professional networks and gain exposure in their field.
-Enhance students' skills in communicating complex ideas effectively to an audience.
-Working on presentation materials and formats at professional level.

Outline Of Syllabus

Introduction to Conference Presentations
-Understanding conference formats (poster vs. oral presentations).
-Key elements of an impactful presentation: structure, audience engagement, and storytelling.
-Examples of good and bad presentations.

Designing Visual Materials
-Principles of effective visual design (clarity, simplicity, consistency).
-Tools for creating slides and posters (e.g., PowerPoint, Canva, or LaTeX).
-Avoiding pitfalls: too much text, distracting visuals.

Developing Speaking Skills
-Verbal and non-verbal communication: tone, pacing, body language, eye contact.
-Handling nerves and stage fright.
-Managing time effectively during a presentation.

Engaging the Audience and Managing Q&A
-Techniques for audience engagement (questions, storytelling, relevance).
-Handling Q&A sessions: Responding to tough or unclear questions.
-Reading your audience and adapting on the spot.

Finalizing Materials and Practice Presentations
-Polishing slides/posters: consistency and professional aesthetics.
-Rehearsing full presentations with integrated materials.
-Time management and pacing.

Archiving and Reflection
-Creating a digital archive: slides, posters, recorded presentations.
-Tools for archiving: institutional repositories, personal portfolios.
-Reflecting on the learning experience.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The teaching methods are designed to provide students with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in presenting their research. Workshops offer a structured and interactive environment where students can learn and apply key skills, such as visual design, public speaking, and audience engagement. Practical exercises and peer feedback sessions ensure students can refine their presentations incrementally.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The 30% weighting for archive creation emphasizes the importance of preparing professional-quality materials and reflects students’ ability to organize and document their research effectively. It also encourages reflection and ensures they understand the principles of visual communication. The 70% weighting for conference participation prioritizes the practical application of communication skills, including presenting research clearly, engaging with an audience, and handling Q&A sessions. This balance reflects the module’s focus on experiential learning and real-world skill development.

Reading Lists

• PHI3023's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• PHI3023's Timetable