Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection - Essay Example

Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection The presentation involved thepreparation of a teaching plan and a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation was to be conducted in front of 13 third year students. Adult learning theory (Andragogy) provides assumptions about the learning process of adults. An effective educator must understand the best learning process of adults before preparing and presenting a lesson (Nicklin and Kenworthy, 2000; White and Ewan, 1997). This theory puts an emphasis on the value of the learning process and utilizes problem-based and collaborative learning approaches instead of didactic. In this vein, adults have a tendency of resisting learning when feel the trainer is imposing ideas or information on them. They have to be aware of the benefits they achieve by learning something and the cost of not learning (Cooper and McIntyre, 1996; Hinchliff, 2009). In this case, the presentation was based on the valid needs of the audience. The audience was composed of nursing students who would gain from learning about the BiPAP and Non-Invasive Ventilation. The learning activities were based around real work experiences and the lesson plan contained details of the learning objectives, content, resources, and outcomes. An adult is someone who has a self-concept of his or her own life and is responsible for making life decisions and coping with the consequences (Oneil and Marsick, 2007). Adults develop the need to be seen as being capable of taking responsibility (Rogers, 2002; Hinchcliff, 2004). The trainer should design a self-directed learning situation where the learner is in charge of most of the learning activities. The learning process should incorporate several options for learning such as reading texts and internet resources (Quinn, 2000; Quinn and Hughes, 2007). The presentation had a video that would provide more information on the ventilation mechanisms. Adult learners also apply their experience into the current learning activity. They have a broad experience where they can attach new ideas to give them a richer meaning and the trainer can utilise this experience as a resource. The training activities should be a reflection of the actual work performed by the learners. The trainer should facilitate student readiness for a problem-based learning process. Adult learners are ready to learn when the skills impacted will help them cope satisfyingly with real life problems. The trainer should provide real case-studies or ask questions that motivate inquiry, further research, and reflection. Adult learners have a preference for learning based on their childhood learning patterns. Several learning styles exist based on the senses used to process the information (Bulman and Schutz, 2004; Hawkins and Shohet, 2006). Trainers should conduct an assessment of the student learning styles before embarking on the learning activity. Determining the learning style helps identify the ideal conditions where instructions are most effective (Butterworth, Faugierand Burnard, 1998). Visual learners have to see what they are learning. Images and pictures enhance their understanding of the information presented better than bare explanations. The trainer has to create mental images to help visual learners hold onto the information easily. The instructor can also include a visual aid such as a video presentation about the topic for the sake of visual learners. Auditory learners have the need to hear the instruction or message. The trainer is required to talk them through the learning exercise, instead of reading it to them (Downie and Basford, 1998; Rothwell, 2008). Some of the learners can talk themselves through the exercise and the trainer should give them the freedom to do so if possible. Kinaesthetic learners are practical and have to sense the position of the skill. They prefer active participation in the exercise instead of listening to a lecture or discussion. A good presentation involves a combination of content, structure, packaging, and human element. The information contained must be relevant to the topic (Bradbury, 2006). The content in the BiPAP presentation was relevant to the topic and the facilitator rated it as a very good presentation. The structure refers to the logical beginning, body, and conclusion. A sequential structure is necessary for easy comprehension by the audience. The structure of the BiPAP presentation involved a lesson plan, topic, objectives, use of resources, and the body. The lesson plan was good, the objectives were satisfactory, and the topic presentation was very good. The use of resources to prepare the body of the presentation was also good. Packaging refers to the preparation steps taken by the presenter. The audience relies on the details prepared by the presenter (Atkinson, 2005). In the BiPAP presentation, the packaging was not well done since the video clip had no volume and the student was not prepared to explain its contents. The human element is the most important in a presentation and determines the way it will be remembered by the audience. The student projected his voice well and had a very good sense of time. The body language was very poor since there was minimum eye contact and the arms were folded across the body. Description Gibbs’ reflective cycle is a model of reflection that contains six stages: description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan (Leberman, Doyle and Mcdonald, 2006). This model can be utilised in reflecting upon the BiPAP presentation. The presentation required the student to prepare a teaching session about a nursing topic and present it to an audience of students. The audience was composed of 13 third year students. Part of the requirements was the use of teaching materials and I opted for PowerPoint slides. According to Reynolds (2008), slides are engaging and easy to understand. The slides contained the information and supported and clarified the contents of the topic. The venue of the presentation was LR 359 and I was supposed to last for twenty minutes. I was very nervous and this affected the way I performed the presentation. Tension when making a presentation ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity (Atkinson, 2011). This has a negative impact on the human element of making a good presentation. Nervousness affected my eye contact with the audience as I kept turning away to read the slides. I had to keep the arms folded round the body to counter the shaking I felt and had to keep on turning to the desk where I had kept my notes. Things got worse towards the end when the volume from the video clip failed. The video was meant to supplement my presentation and I was not prepared to explain its content and I turned it off. I engaged the audience by giving them a chance to ask questions before finalising the presentation. A good presentation should have a questioning time that allows the audience to seek further clarification or more information from the presenter. After the presentation, I felt calm and relaxed and I was able to listen to the presentations of other students so that I could give a sensible feedback. This was followed by feedback from the facilitator and the audience. Feelings I felt extremely miserable during the presentation, but had to complete the performance since it was part of the course requirement. I was embarrassed and upset by my inability to maintain an eye contact throughout the performance. I was unable to welcome nerves and focused on being nervous instead of getting on with the presentation. Good presenters and actors recognize the importance of nerves and utilise them to add value to the performance (Etherington, 2006). Welcoming nerves makes the presentation challenging and the presenter becomes better. Allowing nervousness to take over leads to withdrawal from the audience. However, I felt relaxed after completing the presentation and I was able to attentively listen to other presentations. Nervousness left me the moment I left the stage and I was able to participate in the remaining session. I was also uncertain of the feedback I would receive from the facilitator due to failure of the video clip and the poor body language exhibited. This feeling left when I received the feedback,which was better than what I expected. Evaluation The best part of the presentation was the topic presentation, pace and timing, voice projection, and content. Despite being nervous, I was able to remain audible throughout the performance. A good presenter has to remain audible and maintain an acceptable tone and pace. Information is conveyed through the voice and being audible and utilising tonal variations is vital during the presentation. The topic was well covered and the content was relevant. Resource usage was also good and resulted to the excellent content of presentation. I was supposed to take twenty minutes and I was able to observe time. The pace of presentation should be moderate to avoid rushing over the presentation or consuming too much time. The lesson plan was well prepared and contained the important details required for the unit. The aims and objectives were satisfactory and students participated well by asking questions. The biggest flop was in body language because of nervousness. This affected my eye content and I had to keep my hands folded. Analysis The presentation had covered the topic well and did not contain irrelevant content. A good presentation should have content that the audience can understand and comprehend within a short sitting. This was well incorporated since the points contained in the slides were easy to understand by third year students. This translated to a very good score in the facilitator’s feedback. The topic was also well presented and was supported well by the content. The aims of the presentation and the learning outcomes were well outlined at the beginning of the slides and in the lesson plan. Voice projection was also excellent. The voice is the most important tool for the presenter and conveys most of the content received by the audience (Grant-Williams, 2002). The presenter should be heard without shouting and the tone must match the intention of the presentation. The pitch and pace should be moderate to avoid very long or very short syllables (Reynolds, 2008). Other areas that were well delivered were use of resources and the preparation of the lesson plan. A good presenter requires a good sense of time. This avoids long presentations past the allotted time and very short presentations where the presenter rushes over the content (Jasper, 2003). The audience requires enough time to internalise the content and prepare questions in terms of clarifications or more information. This section was well covered since the presentation lasted for the allocated time and the audience had an opportunity of asking questions. Student participation was satisfactory as it depended on the questions asked by the students and my ability to answer them clearly. Active listening is part of a good presentation and helps the speaker determine whether the audience understands the information. I was unable to respond to all the questions due to nervousness and the students did not participate very well, which led to a satisfactory score. The biggest shortcoming was in the body language. The body language portrayed during the presentation was poor according to the facilitator’s feedback. Body language entails eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, orientation, and proximity (Smith and Bace, 2002). An eye contact helps the presenter regulate the flow of communication and indicates interest in the audience. Smiling is important for transmitting happiness, liking, and friendliness. Lack of gestures portrays the presenter as boring and posture and orientation are important for indicating interest and receptiveness. Nervousness affected my body language and I had to fold my hand and avoid an eye contact with the audience. The preparation was affected when the video clip did not work as expected. Some of the information contained in the video was not included in the slides. I had not prepared to give a verbal explanation of its contents, which made me turn off the clip. This affected the supportive cues required during a presentation in order to enhance audience understanding. The aims and objectives of the presentation were also average and received a satisfactory feedback. Conclusion In retrospect, I would perform the presentation differently. I should have downloaded the video clip from the internet and play it from the computer. This would have enabled me test the sound before the actual presentation. Nervousness affected my body language and led to a poor score. I can reduce the tension by performing relaxation exercises before the presentation. This can involve rotating the shoulders slowly, taking a deep breath and a glass of water. Visualizing the presentation, the room, and the audience can help minimise tension. I can also channel the tension into concentration and boost my presentation skills. Another thing that I can improve is the body posture and orientation. This involves using the hands to make gestures instead of folding them round the body. Moving on the stage can also help shake off the tension and attract the attention of the audience. I would also maintain an eye contact with the audience as a way of showing interest and attracting their interest. Action plan I will enrol onto a presentation skills workshop, in order to strengthen my skills and avoid some of the mistakes. The workshop will provide an opportunity to perform some presentations that will enable me overcome nervousness on stage. This will also help me improve other skills required for an effective presentation. Participating in class activities will help improve nervousness while speaking to fellow students. This will involve participating in group presentations and presentation activities for other courses. Cross checking the materials required in future presentation will also be essential. This will avoid bypassing some of the cues such as videos when they develop technical problems. Preparing notes about the video is also important in case the video fails to play. Participating in debates will help me improve my public speaking skills especially the use of body language. These activities require clarity accompanied by the right gestures, tonal variation, and eye contact. The SMART guidelines can be used to write the learning outcomes (Nygaard, Holtham and Courtney, 2009). The objectives should be specific as to what the student will obtain and understand. The outcomes should also be measurable and accurate, and aggressive but attainable. The outcome should focus on the responses and behaviours as part of the results. Learning outcomes should also outline the time frame for achievement. Adult learning theory requires an educator to determine the most effective learning approach depending on the audience. Adults have to feel part of the learning process instead of remaining at the receiving end of instructions. This involves taking part in a result oriented learning process that utilises past experiences as an information resource. Learning styles required depend on the learning abilities of the audience. Auditory learners require verbal information while visual learners require images and visualization and kinaesthetic learners require active participation in the learning process. The Gibbs’ model of reflection can be used to reflect on the presentation experience. The activity involved giving a presentation to 13 students and receiving a feedback from the facilitator and the students. The presentation was affected by nervousness, which affected my body language. However, the content of the presentation and the topic coverage was well covered. Voice projection was okay as I managed to remain articulate throughout the performance. Participating in presentation skills training will be necessary in order to improve future presentations. Making other presentations will also help counter nervousness that affects performance. References Atkinson, J. M. 2005. Lend me your ears: all you need to know about making speeches and presentations. Oxford, Oxford University Press. --------- 2011. Beyond bullet points using Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations that inform, motivate, and inspire. Redmond, Wash, Microsoft Press. Barker, A. 2010. Improve your communication skills. London, Kogan Page. Bradbury, A. 2006. Successful presentation skills. London, Kogan Page. Bulman, C., and Schutz S. 2004.Reflective Practice in Nursing: The Growth of the Professional Practitioner 3rd Edition; Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. Butterworth, T., Faugier, J., and Burnard, P. 1998.Clinical Supervision and Mentorship in Nursing; 2nd Edition; Cheltenham, Stanley Turner. 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