Designing a Student Video Presentation Assignment: Considerations for Minimizing Stress

Oral communication has been identified as a key skill for undergraduate students to master. Presenting results from course projects is a common means to provide students with an opportunity to practice planning a presentation, making slides, and communicating results to their peers. However, with large classes, there may not be enough time to give all students an equal opportunity to present their results. In this study, students produced videos sharing results of their term design project in a senior-level required control systems course at a private STEM-focused institution in the Midwest. In addition to the videos, the traditional question and answer period that accompanies inclass presentations was replaced with an asynchronous online discussion board. This paper focuses on how an assignment can be designed to reduce additional stress caused by a new format for both faculty and students.