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Presentation Marking Scale

First Class (marks of 74+)

  • Information: detailed, accurate, relevant; key points highlighted.
  • Structure: rigorously argued, logical, easy to follow.
  • Analysis and Interpretation: extensive evidence of independent thought and critical analysis.
  • Use of relevant and accurate Evidence: key points supported with highly relevant and accurate evidence, critically evaluated.
  • Presentation Skills: clear, lively, imaginative; good use of visual aids (where appropriate).
  • Time Management: perfectly timed, well organised.
  • Group Skills: engages well with group; encourages discussion and responds well to questions.

2.1 Upper Second (62-68)

  • Information: detailed, accurate, relevant.
  • Structure: generally clearly argued and logical.
  • Analysis and Interpretation: attempts to go beyond the ideas presented in secondary literature.
  • Use of relevant and accurate Evidence: most points illustrated with relevant and accurate evidence.
  • Presentation Skills: generally clear, lively; use of appropriate visual aids.
  • Time Management: well organised, more or less to time.
  • Group Skills: attempts to engage with group and responds reasonably well to questions.

2.2 Lower Second (52-58)

  • Information: generally accurate and relevant, but perhaps some gaps and/or irrelevant material.
  • Structure: not always clear or logical; may be overly influenced by secondary literature rather than the requirements of the topic.
  • Analysis and Interpretation: little attempt to go beyond or criticise secondary literature.
  • Use of relevant and accurate Evidence: some illustrative material, but not critically evaluated and/or some inaccuracies and irrelevancies.
  • Presentation Skills: conveys meaning, but sometimes unclear or clumsy.
  • Time Management: more or less right length, but some material not covered properly as a result, OR, significantly over-runs.
  • Group Skills: responds reasonably well to questions, but makes no real attempt to engage with group or promote discussion

Third (42-48)

  • Information: limited knowledge, with some significant gaps and/or errors.
  • Structure: argument underdeveloped and not entirely clear.
  • Analysis and Interpretation: fairly superficial and generally derivative and uncritical.
  • Use of relevant and accurate Evidence: some mentioned, but not integrated into presentation or evaluated; the evidence used may not be relevant or accurate.
  • Presentation Skills: not always clear or easy to follow; unimaginative and unengaging.
  • Time Management: significantly over time; material fairly disorganised and rushed.
  • Group Skills: uncomfortable responding to questions; no attempt at engaging with group.

Fail (0-40)

  • Information: very limited, with many errors and gaps.
  • Structure: muddled, incoherent.
  • Analysis and Interpretation: entirely derivative, generally superficial.
  • Use of relevant and accurate Evidence: little or no evidence discussed; or irrelevant and inaccurate.
  • Presentation Skills: clumsy, disjointed, difficult to follow, dull.
  • Time Management: significantly under or over time; has clearly not tried out.
  • material beforehand; disorganised.
  • Group Skills: poor.