What
Ignite is a presentation format that forces the speaker to get to the point fast. Slides are advancing quickly and automatically which forces speakers to be far more concise and thoughtful than they would be in any other format. Speakers think more in terms of messaging than explanation. Since several speakers follow each other many interesting ideas are shared with the audience very quickly.
Why
The goal for this teaching strategy is two-fold:
- I was looking for a teaching strategy allowing students to practice concise messaging without consuming a lot of time. Students are good at listing and describing but they struggle drawing concise conclusion or extracting a nuanced message from data and facts.
- I’m always looking for unexpected ways to start a class and stimulate thinking and discussion.
I started using the strategy this semester for the first time. Overall, I saw an improvement in designing concise messages. This could be due to the presentation format but also because students learn from each other. Short Ignite presentations at the beginning of the class proved to be a good discussion starter. Students like the fast pace and realize quickly that this type of presentation needs quite a bit of thought and preparation. In coming semesters, I plan on playing with instruction, numbers of slides and slide length to maximize the learning outcome.
How
Originally: Each speaker is allotted 5 minutes and 20 slides. Each slide has one idea. Slides advance automatically every 15 seconds. Speakers follow each other.
Variation for class:- Students design 3 slides, 15 seconds each (white background, no design templates, emailed before class so I can assemble the PowerPoint).
- PowerPoint: In transition Pane uncheck ‘On Mouse Click’, check ‘After’ and set time.
- Between presentation slides I insert a name slide (3 seconds). This allows the currently presenting student to finish and the next student to get ready. Students just stand up and speak after they see their name.
Recommended Resources
Contact Information
Sabine Zempleni, szempleni2@unl.edu, Assistant Professor of Practice, Nutrition and Health Sciences
Pedagogy
Comments
Great idea!
This is really great and I think it would also work really well for Zoom class. Just FYI, there is a way to time and auto advance in Google slides:
https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-time-slides-on-google-sli...
Thank you!
IGNITE student presentations
1. This is great! I would love to try this out with my classes. It incorporates peer-to-peer learning so I would count that as pulling triple duty!
2. Do you assign the same questions/topic to everyone in class, or do you divide up a topic so that each student contributes a portion and you put it together in logical order?
3. Do students know ahead of time in what order they'll be presenting?
4. Do you encourage students to provide feedback to others on content/style?
5. I assume the task is for credit? Any tips on grading?
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