Chapter 5 – Academic Skills
5.6 Academic Writing and Presentations
Assess the Task
Begin by clarifying the requirements and goals of the assignment. For academic writing, this means understanding the prompt, required format, word count, and citation style. For presentations, assess the length of time you’ll have, the purpose (to inform, persuade, or demonstrate), and the expectations of your audience. Knowing the parameters helps you set realistic goals and avoid wasting time on irrelevant content or incorrect formats.
For both writing and presentation style assignments, know your audience and understand the assignment. In most cases, you are writing for your instructor, but that may feel intimidating. You may do well to imagine yourself writing for a group of peers who have some basic knowledge of the field but are unfamiliar with the specific topic or argument. Writing assignments can vary dramatically and can include, but are not limited to, argumentative papers, reflection essays, reaction papers, lab reports, blog posts, or project proposals. As a starting point, identify the verb(s) that your instructor uses in the prompt: “compare”, “contrast”, “explain”, and “reflect” are just a few common examples that are used to indicate the kind of thinking and writing you are supposed to do.
If your instructor provides a grading rubric with the assignment, use that to get you started. The rubric will answer questions about their expectations. Does your instructor expect you to outline a clear thesis, use 5 outside resources, articulate various viewpoints and keep your paper to under five pages? Then follow those guidelines in order to maximize points.
All of your assignments should be crafted using formal language. Formal writing tends to include complex sentences, diverse and subject-specific vocabulary, and, unless dictated by the assignment, is written in the third person. When engaged in formal writing, you should avoid using contractions and slang. Informal writing, on the other hand, tends to include short, simple sentences, can be written in first or second person, and tends to include more slang or colloquial language.
As a general rule, err on the side of more formal in all of your assignments and communication in the academic setting unless told otherwise. Formal writing conveys respect for your audience. And no matter what style of writing you are using–reread your work and check for typos or mistakes–this ensures that whatever you have to say can be understood.
Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
Take stock of your current skills and areas for improvement. In writing, you might recognize strong analytical skills but weaker grammar or organization. For presentations, you might be confident in your research but less comfortable with public speaking or using visual aids. Being honest about your strengths and weaknesses allows you to focus on practice and seek targeted support.
By the end of high school, you probably mastered many of the key conventions of standard academic English, such as paragraphing, sentence-level mechanics, and the use of thesis statements. However, college writing assignments require you to apply those skills to new intellectual challenges. Professors assign papers because they want you to think rigorously and deeply about important questions in their fields. This kind of scholarly approach usually entails writing a rough draft, through which you work out a thesis and the scope of your argument. Think about what kinds of gaps you have in your skills or confidence in academic writing and reach out for support from both your instructor and the Writing Center. Both can help you at any stage of the writing process.
Plan the Approach
Map out a process that plays to your strengths while addressing your weaker areas. In writing, this could mean creating a detailed outline, setting mini-deadlines for each section, and scheduling time for revisions. For a presentation, you might plan to create slides early, rehearse multiple times, and gather feedback from a peer before the final delivery. Planning also involves choosing the right tools—such as graphic organizers, citation software, or presentation timers—to support your work.
Considering your audience is critical when crafting both writing assignments and presentations. Whether you’re presenting information, giving a demonstration, creating a poster, or trying to change people’s minds, your goal is to get your message across to your audience. For that reason, it’s important to remember that they may not interpret the information you are presenting exactly as you have. It’s your job to explain your ideas using specific details, succinct and clear wording (avoid jargon), vivid descriptions, and meaningful images. As you organize your presentation, keeping this imaginary audience in mind can help you gauge how much background information and context to provide.
When creating your presentation, the visual aids and media that you use are essential in communicating your message. Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “Death by PowerPoint” to explain that all-too-familiar feeling of being slowly bored to death by a thoughtless presenter who’s droning on and on about boring slide after boring slide. If you’d like to know what the experience is about, and you have time for a laugh, watch the following video, starring stand-up comedian Don McMillan. McMillan pokes fun at bad presentations, but he has some very sound advice about what not to do.
Apply Strategies
Actively engage with strategies that enhance the quality of your work. For writing, this may include drafting in stages, using peer review, and revising based on both structure and clarity. For presentations, strategies might involve practicing aloud, recording yourself to evaluate pacing and tone, and refining visuals to highlight key points rather than overwhelm your audience. This is the “doing” phase, where you implement your plan and stay alert to whether your strategies are working.
In the same way that you should write and rewrite multiple drafts of an academic paper, you also need to practice, revise, and practice again for presentations. This will help you visualize the material and build a routine for it. Additionally, it can help you notice any mistakes, points that you may want to add, or some that you may want to eliminate altogether. If possible, make sure to practice with an audience so you can get comfortable with people listening and watching you. These individuals can also provide feedback, including some mannerisms that you may not realize that you are doing. What if you don’t have anyone available to practice your presentation? Record yourself using your phone or your laptop. It can be very difficult to listen to yourself, but it’s always enlightening to watch and/or listen to yourself present.
Practicing your presentation will help you build confidence and reduce anxiety prior to and during your presentation. Remember the sage advice of Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” Good luck!
Many students have a powerful distaste for truly revising (i.e., actually rewriting) a paper because it feels like throwing away hard-won text. Consequently, when students are invited or required to revise an essay, they tend to focus on correcting mechanical errors, making a few superficial changes that do not entail any rethinking or major changes. Revision is essential if you want to put forth your best effort. As such, time management will play a large role in working through the writing process, as you will need to allow substantial time for drafting, revising, and editing for grammar and clarity.
Reflect
After completing the writing or presentation, evaluate both the process and the outcome. Consider what worked well, what challenges you encountered, and how you might improve next time. For writing, review feedback from your instructor and note patterns in errors or strengths. For presentations, reflect on audience engagement, clarity of delivery, and confidence level. Reflection closes the loop, allowing you to approach the next assignment with greater skill and self-awareness.
Citations
- Guptill, Amy. Writing in College: from Competence to Excellence. OER Commons. https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence/. CC BY 4.0.
- Presentation Strategies. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sacsandbox-collegesuccess/chapter/presentation-strategies/