The presentation will take place on September 18th and count for 20% of the overall credit for the project.

The presentation is not eligible for self-certification.

 

Purpose of the Presentation

The purpose of the presentation is to review:

• what the apprentice set out to achieve;
• what they have actually produced in the project;
• the standard of their work;
• how they have approached the work and dealt with any issues arising;
• clarify any questions the university/employer has from their assessment of the project;
• explore aspects of the project work, including how it was carried out, in more detail;
• confirm the demonstration of appropriate interpersonal and behavioural skills.

Each presentation lasts around 30 mins and should include:

• An oral presentation of your project (with slides)
• An assessment of the value of the work based project to the business
• Your assessment of how the project addresses the specialist knowledge and skills within the standard
• An opportunity for questions and answers

 

The presentation will be conducted face to face or in exceptional circumstances via live media.

The initial and primary focus for the presentation is on the work undertaken in the project. However, the presentation assessors can explore your broader experience from the workplace to demonstrate that the skills and knowledge defined in the standard have been met, so be prepared to answer questions from all aspects of your degree programme.

 

Mark Criteria

Your assessors will grade the presentation with reference to the following criteria. The three criteria are weighted equally.

• Technical content:

• • The application of the core and specialism knowledge and skills to meet the outcomes in the standard
  • Innovative analysis and design.
  • Methods and solutions employed.
  • Quality of examples used to demonstrate results.
  • Overall level of technical achievement.
  • Conclusions and suggestions for further work.

• Project management:

• • Well conceived project.
  • Unforeseen problems well detected and overcome.
  • Progress consistent with project specification.
  • All necessary research, analysis and design work completed.

• Communication skills:

• • The application of relevant behaviours from the standard.
  • Care and preparation of visual aids.
  • Quality of oral delivery.
  • Effective use of time and appropriate length.
  • Effective response to questions.

 

Andrew will provide information regarding how the End Point Assessor will be grading the work.

 

Structure of the Presentation

The presentation and questions should last around 30 minutes so I suggest aiming for a maximum of 25 mins for your presentation. Whatever your topic and project type, the general idea is to demonstrate to your assessors:

• the motivation for your project (Why is it worth doing?)
• the necessary background (What is already known? What has been done so far? What are the gaps? How does your project fit into this?)
• your methodology (How did you go about the project?
• your analysis/design/solution/research (the meat of what you actually did in your project)
• evaluation
• both the contribution of your project and the limitations of its scope

• that your project addresses the specialist knowledge and skills within the standard

• that your project has scope for future development/has shown up further questions and directions to explore
• project management
• your understanding of the topic and the wider landscape

 

You may well find you've got a lot to fit in to just 25 minutes. You need to find a balance between a general overview (you must provide a broad picture so your assessors can see what you're trying to do and how it fits in to the scheme of what's already out there) and details (not too much, but we do need to be convinced that you really know what you're talking about and have provided a good technical/critical analysis in your chosen area).

 

Your Audience

You should pitch your talk at an audience of your peers, that is, you can assume a reasonable general knowledge but should not assume any of the "special" knowledge you've gained by doing this project. Don't forget, your assessors may have very little background in the area you're working in.

 

Slide Presentation

You'll be giving a presentation with slides. This is something that can be prepared in advanced - so make them look attractive and professional! Don't try to cram too much onto a single slide. If you've got a stack of 40 slides to present - think again! Here are some useful resources to help you think about what makes for a good presentation.

• Presentation Skills for Students (Palgrave Study Guides), by Lucinda Becker and Joan Van Emden.
• Presentation Skills: The Essential Guide for Students, by Patsy McCarthy and Caroline Hatcher.

 

Mock Presentations

There's nothing like a rehearsal to confirm timings and iron out the problems of giving a presentation. Provide each other with an active (but supportive!) audience who will ask questions and give constructive feedback. Your supervisor will also give you an opportunity to do a mock presentation and get feedback – you should book this using https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/ClaireRocks@livewarwickac.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

 

Unforeseen Problems

Any one project can only achieve so much! Be clear about the limits of your project. Even if you've identified clear boundaries at the start of the project, it's often the case that problems arise during its course which couldn't in all fairness have been foreseen earlier. You should discuss this in the presentation - but no need to be defensive or negative. Turn it into a positive by demonstrating how well the unforeseen problems have been managed!