Honours Thesis Course IDP 4U1
Step 7: Preliminary Oral Defence
Purpose
The
“Preliminary Oral Defence” is in effect, a
“blueprint” that assists students in developing, organizing and articulating a
workable oral defence. Therefore,
students should not feel that the preliminary oral defence
be an "airtight" presentation of their thesis and arguments, but more
an opportunity to receive feedback, examine alternative viewpoints and respond
to critical challenges. This will
provide students with the necessary recommendations to change,
alter or reinforce the thesis and arguments while in the drafting stage of
their paper. Ultimately, the preliminary
defence provides the teacher(s) and the student with
the opportunity to "fine tune" the thesis and framing arguments and
evidence to ensure that the final paper maintains the highest degree of
research integrity.
Criteria
The Preliminary
Oral Defence MUST include
the following in a PowerPoint presentation:
o Overview or background of the topic / study or issue
o Minimum of SIX questions that the paper will
answer (at least one from each of the
following: factual, clarification,
interpretive, inquiry- see step 2)
o Fully developed thesis statement
o Explanation of Main Arguments (3) and overview
of Supporting Evidence / Sources
o Potential Counter-Arguments (3)
o Works Cited
NOTE: You must have a copy of your PowerPoint on CD or Jump drive with you the day of your presentation - absolutely no e-mails!
Format (3 presentations per period)
Part 1. Presentation of Framework of Thesis (Power
point presentation) 7 minutes
Part 2. Open Floor:
Challenges & Responses 13 minutes
TOTAL= 20 minutes
Peer Recorders
Throughout
each Preliminary Oral Defence, specific students will
be selected as “scribes” or “recorders”.
These students will specifically record “Part 2: Challenges” which includes questions or
challenges posed by peers as well as the Presenter’s responses. All notes will be given to Presenter as
feedback after the defence is completed.
Peer
Assessment
As well,
for each Preliminary Oral Defence, randomly selected
students will complete a Peer Assessment comment sheet for the presenter.
Critical
Peer Challenges
Part of
the evaluation in the Preliminary Oral Defence is the
quality and quantity of challenges offered during each presentation. Students are to be critical, yet constructive
in their challenges and will be assessed on the frequency, criticalness and
articulation of challenges and questions posed to the presenter.
RUBRIC:
PRELIMINARY ORAL DEFENCE
|
Criteria |
Level 4 |
Level 3 |
Level 2 |
Level 1 |
|
Knowledge /
Understanding -concrete understanding of topic / arguments / evidence |
-shows a high to very
high degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information on topic |
-shows a
consider able degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information on topic |
-shows
a moderate degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information of
topic |
-shows an
insufficient degree of understanding of
ideas/concepts/ themes/information of topic |
|
Thinking /
Inquiry -responses to
challenges -challenges
given during Open Floor |
-highly
effective use of critical/analytical
thinking skills to respond to challenges / questions using concrete examples,
concepts or analogies -uses
critical listening skills (e.g., identifying main ideas and significant
supporting details; assessing validity of arguments and conclusions; making
inferences; evaluating implicit and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions,
omissions, biases) with a high degree of effectiveness |
-uses effective critical/analytical
thinking skills to respond to challenges/ questions using examples, concepts
or analogies -uses
critical listening skills (e.g.,
identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; assessing validity
of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit and
explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases) with effectiveness |
-uses critical/analytical
thinking skills to respond to challenges/ questions using examples, concepts
or analogies with
moderate effectiveness -uses critical
listening skills
(e.g., identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; assessing
validity of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit
and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases with a moderate degree of effectiveness |
-uses little critical/analytical thinking skills to
respond to challenges / questions -uses critical
listening skills
(e.g., identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; assessing
validity of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit
and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases with little or no effectiveness |
|
Communication -articulation
of ideas |
-applies oral communication skills (e.g., correct grammar and sentence structure; rhetorical devices;
voice projection; gestures; body language; timing) with a high to very high
degree of effectiveness -uses academic theoretical language to articulate ideas with
confidence with a high to very high degree of effectiveness |
-applies oral communication skills (e.g., correct grammar and sentence structure; rhetorical devices;
voice projection; gestures; body language; timing) with a sound degree of
effectiveness -uses academic theoretical language to articulate ideas with
a sound degree of effectiveness |
-applies oral communication skills (e.g., correct grammar and sentence structure; rhetorical devices;
voice projection; gestures; body language; timing) with a moderate degree of
effectiveness -uses academic theoretical language with a moderate degree of
effectiveness |
-uses little application of
oral communication skills (e.g., correct grammar and sentence structure; rhetorical devices;
voice projection; gestures; body language; timing) -does not use academic theoretical language; poor
articulation and lack of confidence in presentation |
|
Application -organization
of ideas and clear connections of arguments / counter arguments and evidence
to thesis |
- organizes researched ideas, arguments , counter arguments and
evidence to thesis coherently with a high to very high degree of effectiveness
|
- organizes researched ideas, arguments, counter arguments and
evidence to thesis coherently with considerable effectiveness |
- organizes researched ideas, arguments, counter arguments and evidence
to thesis coherently with moderate effectiveness |
- organizes researched ideas, arguments,
counter arguments and evidence to
thesis coherently with insufficient effectiveness |
Mark / Comments
Preliminary Oral Defence: Peer
Assessment
NAME OF PRESENTER:
_______________________ TOPIC:
_____________________________
Check the most appropriate
box. Please give constructive comments /
feedback.
|
Criteria |
Excellent
|
Good
|
Satisfactory
|
Poor
|
COMMENTS (use back if necessary) |
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1. Knowledge of Topic |
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2. Quality of Thesis |
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3. Quality of Arguments |
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4. Quality of Supporting Evidence |
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5. Quality of Responses to Challenges |
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6. Articulation of Ideas |
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OVERALL
ASSESSMENT (circle one)
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Preliminary Oral Defence: Peer
Assessment
NAME OF PRESENTER:
_______________________ TOPIC:
_____________________________
Check the most appropriate
box. Please give constructive comments /
feedback.
|
Criteria |
Excellent
|
Good
|
Satisfactory
|
Poor
|
COMMENTS (use back if necessary) |
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1. Knowledge of Topic |
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2. Quality of Thesis |
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3. Quality of Arguments |
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4. Quality of Supporting Evidence |
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5. Quality of Responses to Challenges |
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6. Articulation of Ideas |
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OVERALL
ASSESSMENT (circle one)
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PRELIMINARY ORAL DEFENCE: SCRIBES
Peer
Recorders / Scribes
Throughout
each Preliminary Oral Defence, specific students will
be selected as “scribes” or “recorders”.
These students will specifically record “Part 2: Challenges” which includes questions or
challenges posed by peers as well as the Presenter’s responses. All notes will be given to Presenter as
feedback after the defence is completed.
Instructions
Scribes
(approximately 3) should sit together at the front of the class. Scribes should communicate with each other to
ensure all questions and responses are recorded. It is recommended that one scribe records all the questions and other two
scribes record responses in alternative
order. Scribes should ensure that
all questions and responses are numbered as well as record the name of the peer
who posed the question.