The final project will be a multimedia presentation. Imagine that you’re giving this presentation to your colleagues/employees/employers/stakeholders as a way to reach common ground to resolve a problem. Although this is to be completed as a multimedia presentation, you will still need to show a strong use of the Rogerian structure and argument. Ensure this is a Rogerian approach and not an informative speech or a Toulmin argument.
Choosing a topic:
For this project, you’re not trying to take a stance and prove your stance, rather you’re trying to solve a problem within your field of study (or workplace or home or wherever). Focus on what problems need to be resolved. Explore the proposed solutions from various viewpoints. Propose the “best” solution by establishing a common ground for all stakeholders. Much of the challenge with this project is that you must demonstrate you’ve analyzed multiple solutions from multiple perspectives and found a solution that is (cleverly) based on the common ground of those perspectives.
Structure of presentation: Make sure to include the following sections in your presentation:
- introduction,
- argument/presentation objectives,
- claim,
- background,
- body,
- conclusion.
Make sure your presentation includes the following:
- A brief background for your topic and the problem you’re addressing,
- A discussion of the various sides of the debate, including core values or warrants underlying their arguments
- The common ground you’ve identified for those various perspectives
- The proposed solution based on that common ground.
What does Multimedia mean? Any of the following artifacts can be compiled as part of a multimodal project: advertisements, audio files, blogs, collages, comic books, video clips, interviews, phone conversations, lectures, field observations, photos, blogs, posters, presentations, charts, graphs, skits, films, videos, television shorts, websites, performances. You can convey information and images in any way you like to communicate your message. A few apps you might consider using on their own or in combination:
- Powtoon
- Prezi
- Animoto
- Audio Voiceover
- Storbird
- PowerPoint
- Screencast (Jing)
- Google Sites
- Canva
- Smore
Feeling stuck? Here’s some inspiration:
- More app options:
- 20 Great Presentation Apps:
- How to make a Multimodal Presentation:
- How to create a Multimodal Composition:
ExpectationsYour project should in some way incorporate the following, however briefly:
- Engage a minimum of 2 scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources (from APUS library) and 2 sources of your choice (4 sources total).
- Introduce key issues of this problem—why is it a problem? Why has the problem not been resolved already?
- Consider key limitations and barriers to solving the problem.
- Address key voices within the conversation—what has been proposed so far? Why have those proposals not been implemented?
- Address the commonalities of the viewpoints on how to resolve the problem while also addressing the key differences.
- Offer your opinion or impression of the proposed resolutions based on close analysis.
- Tempt your audience through common ground to consider the solution you’re proposing.
Note that all writing in the project should be original; the projects will be run through Turnitin upon submission, and all distinctive matching information caught by Turnitin must be formatted as a quotation. DO NOT copy-paste material without immediately marking it as a quotation and citing it. Any multimedia (art, music) inserted or linked in the presentation should also include full bibliographic information. All projects should have:
- A title slide.
- MLA, APA, or Chicago in-text citations & reference page (choose the style used in your field of study).
- The project’s text should be 500-1000 words long
- There needs to be text in the presentation, but don’t let it dominate the slides. Be choosy about what is displayed on the slides/screen. This is a presentation, not an essay. The majority of your text will be in a typed speech (or a script if you record your speech) to accompany the presentation.
- All presentations must have a separate typed speech to show what you would say to the audience if presenting the multimedia show. The typed speech should be in a separate Word document uploaded with your presentation. Even if you choose to do voice recording with closed captioning, you must upload the speech in a separate Word document.
- See the attached instructions for help with closed captions and other tech considerations.
