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CAD Faculty Help Center
Seminar Presentation Skills
All students in CAD courses have practiced the skills involved in leading
an academic seminar. These seminars are based on a reading text of up
to 15 pages in length, in dense, academic language, covering relevant
thinking and organizational skills. Some seminars are led by a group,
and some are done individually.
Preparing for the Seminar
Students read the text in advance and make notes on it. They are encouraged
not to repeat verbatim from the text. They are asked to select from
the text that
- which is of interest to them
- which is new information
- which they believe will help their classmates understand the lesson
better
- which can lead to a discussion
This selection process requires critical thinking, audience awareness
and a perspective on distinguishing the known from the unknown.
Leading the Seminar
The student(s) leading the seminar introduce the text with a brief
summary. They may continue to develop points raised in the text, or
they may ask for further application of the key ideas in the text. They
are encouraged to ask questions of the audience about points in the
text they feel merit discussion. They may also raise points about which
there may be some confusion.
The teacher's role is to listen carefully, to question misinterpretations,
and to help the class understand the key issues of the text's meaning.
The teacher learns where the problem points of the text are from the
students' perspective when listening to their discussion.
After the Seminar
The teacher may wrap up the discussion by mentioning any forgotten
points, or asking for implications that the discussants may have missed.
In CAD courses, the teacher gives the seminar leader(s) a score and
feedback to assess their performance.
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