Group Presentation of a Social Problem: Modification and Adaptation - - PDF document

Group Presentation of a Social Problem: Modification and Adaptation of Matt Reid’s Photo (Visual) Essay of Social Problems Laura M. Krull The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Resource Type(s): Assignment; Presentation Author: Laura Krull, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Subject Area(s): Introduction to sociology; social problems Class level: Any Class size: Any Language: English Abstract: Working in instructor-assigned groups, students collaborate to produce an 8-10 minute presentation in which they use images to present a social problem. The students have previously completed individual photo essays, and now they must synthesize their individual work into a coherent presentation about a broader social problem reflected in each of their projects. The major components are a visual aide including at least four images accompanied by an oral presentation to the class. This assignment builds on Matt Reid’s assignment, Photo (Visual) Essay of Social Problems (#12976) by offering a group component and by providing students the

• pportunity to teach their classmates about their social problem.

Learning Goals and Assessments: Goal 1: Students will demonstrate their comprehension of a social problem and how it impacts different aspects of society (modified from Reid 2016). Assessment 1: Students collaborate to create a presentation documenting and analyzing a social problem. Goal 2: To strengthen collaboration and presentation skills. Assessment 2: Groups must identify a social problem that connects their related

• presentations. Students are assessed together on the cohesiveness, content,

and quality of the presentation and separately on their presentation skills. Goal 3: To draw on sociological concepts and materials to develop a potential solution to their social problem. Assessment 3: Students present their proposed solution in their presentation, and they are assessed on its applicability and feasibility.

Usage Notes: I use this final presentation assignment in conjunction with and as an extension of Matt Reid’s Photo (Visual) Essay of a Social Problem. You can see his resource (TRAILS #12976) for additional information about his assessment, and I provide a brief summary here for the purposes of understanding how I implement the presentation assignment. In their individual photo essays, students must produce six original images, accompanied by six captions that incorporate information from at least two outside resources, and they also write a two-page paper in which they explain the objective and subjective components of the social problem under

• investigation. One strength of this individual assignment is that students frequently connect their
• wn experiences to the social problem more broadly, exploring and discussing very personal,

vulnerable aspects of themselves. However, one weakness is that students do not learn about

• thers’ projects.

I wanted to maintain the privacy of the individual project while creating space for students to learn from other, which led to the development of this final assessment. By having students work in groups, each individual student can select which photo and aspect of their individual presentation to share with the group; thus, they are not compelled to be vulnerable in front of their classmates. I use this assignment as a final assessment in my introduction to sociology course, in lieu of a traditional final exam. Students work in groups of four, so in my introductory class of 48 students, this translates to 12 presentations over a three hour period, which takes about 2.5 hours, including transitions and a short break after 6 presentations. After students submit their individual photo essays, I distribute information about the final presentation. I have found this timing to be helpful, as otherwise students begin to worry about how their project will fit with others’ work, and I want them to first make the photo essay

• f most interest to them. I provide prompt feedback on their individual photo essays, allowing

them to incorporate my feedback into the final presentation. I assign groups based on students’ individual photo essays. For the most part, groups coalesce clearly, but you do risk having students whose projects make them “odd people out.” In these cases, I meet with these students and help them think creatively about how to connect their disparate topics, using concepts and topics from class. I include both a group and an individual grade component to minimize complaints about group work and shared grades. I have found students appreciated clearly knowing when/how they will be assessed jointly versus as individuals. Rather than having students complete peer assessments of each other, I require students to provide a self-assessment in which they detail their own contributions to the project (see page 7). I use the quiz feature on my institution’s course management system for this self-assessment. Because these presentations take the place of the final, when the students are in the “audience” they may not be incentivized or motivated to pay attention. Thus, I created a worksheet that students must complete as part of their individual grade (see page 8). This worksheet compels students to focus on the big takeaways from the presentations. I only require students to address 8 of the 12 presentations in the class so that they do not feel rushed completing each one. Furthermore, students may feel nervous before/after their own presentations, which could lead them to be less focused on the worksheet. One pitfall is that this creates more grading for the instructor. Teaching context. This assessment has been well-received in multiple sections of introduction to sociology in a large, public university in the south. The rubric – which contains

both individual and group components – communicates clear expectations and allows for systematic and efficient grading. I have used this assignment only in classes of 48 students, but it would work well in classes of diverse sizes. However, larger sections may face time constraints; in these situations, the instructor could consider implementing the assignment as final presentations across the last week or two of class. Potential Pitfalls: I recommend also reviewing Reid for his discussion of pitfalls; while I have found that the concerns he raises generally get addressed between the individual project and the final group presentation, they are good to keep in mind. Below, I talk specifically about two potential pitfalls as students moved from individual projects to a cohesive presentation. 1) Students tend to put too many words on their slides. As Reid observes in his TRAILS submission for the individual project, students can sometimes struggle to make the image the main component. A lengthy caption may detract from the image. Although I expected this program to be mitigated when students worked together for a presentation, I found they needed reminders about how much text is appropriate for an oral

• presentation. I take two steps to address this pitfall. First, I emphasize that students will be

speaking, and so they do not need to include all of the information on the slides. Instead, they should consider how their spoken component will complement the written points. Second, I encourage students to edit their presentation, and I specifically suggest that editing/formatting should be seen as a “behind the scenes” task a group member could take on as a way to contribute. 2) Students express concern that they were taking “too heavily” from one particular student’s individual photo essay. Some groups find that they want to use one group member’s presentation of the social problem in the final group product, but they are concerned that this reflects lack of effort. I remind students that this is a collaborative project, so if everyone agrees to incorporate that one student’s

• verarching point, then they should do so.

Works Cited: Reid, Matt. 2016. “Photo (Visual) Essay of Social Problems.” TRAILS. Retrieved January 5th, 2018.

Group Presentation of a Social Problem1 SOCI101 Spring 2019 Working with your assigned group, you will create an 8-10 minute presentation in which you synthesize what you each learned from your individual photo essays into a cohesive analysis. As a group, you must decide the broader social problem that encompasses each of your individual photo essays. This presentation accounts for 10% of your grade. You will receive a group grade (6%) and an individual grade (4%). These presentations will take place during our final exam time: May 7th from 8-11 a.m. Objective: This final presentation should inform the class about your social problem, convince us of its importance, demonstrate its effects and/or prevalence in society, and suggest ways that we can make a difference. Required components: You must accomplish the following in your presentation:

• Explain your social problem
• Why is it important to study?
• What makes it sociological?
• Incorporate at least two outside sources that help contextualize your social problem
• You may draw on sources you used for your individual projects
• Include one picture from each group member that speaks to the larger social problem
• That group member should then articulate how and why this image connects to

your group’s social problem

• Provide one idea for how to address this social problem
• This should be sociological and realistic
• I recommend drawing on materials from class

Thus, I strongly suggest creating 7 slides:

• Title slide with group members’ names
• Introductory slide – what is the social problem?
• 4 slides – one image each
• Concluding slide – what should be done?
• There is room for creativity in here, as long as you include the required components and

remain within the time limit.

1 This assignment is modified from Matt Reid’s Photo (Visual) Essay of Social Problems. Retrieved from TRAILS

• n January 5th, 2018.

Group Evaluation (6%): Everyone in the group will receive the same grade for this component, because you should all be working together to ensure you have a strong, cohesive presentation. You will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5 for each of the following (see attached rubric)

• Explanation of the social problem
• Cohesiveness of the presentation
• Quality of the presentation materials
• Applicability and feasibility of proposed solution

Individual evaluation (4%): In addition to your shared group grade, each person will receive an individual evaluation based

• n their work and their contributions. You will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5 on your ability to

successfully achieve the following (see attached rubric):

• Connect your image to your group’s social problem
• Provide original sociological insight
• Demonstrate clear, strong presentation skills
• Contribute to the overall project – you will complete a self-assessment informing me of

your contributions. Distribution of labor: I expect that each person will talk about his/her/their image. However, I leave it to your discretion to decide how to divide the rest of the presentation. You may want to play into the strengths of your group members. For example, does Person A have really strong design skills? Then maybe they format the final PowerPoint and talk only about their own image. Does Person B prefer to present? Then maybe they share about their image and they introduce the social

• problem. You should decide on a division of labor that feels equitable to everyone. If this

becomes a problem (or better yet, before this becomes a problem), please come talk to me. Food for thought:

• Because this will be a presentation to the class (and not something I read), think about

how to best present any accompanying information on slides

• Hint: copying and pasting your caption from your individual photo essay is not

the best approach

• Think about how to ensure your presentation is sociological
• How can you demonstrate that you understand how to think sociologically about

your social problem?

• You will note that currently there is no grade built in for evaluation of group members.

You are all adults, and I believe that you should be able to accomplish this project with respect and professionalism without extrinsic motivation.

• However, if issues do arise, please communicate with me
• You will lose points from the individual “contribute to overall project” if you

make few or no contributions.

Group Components (6%) Excellent (5) Good (4) Average (3) Poor (2) Incomplete (1) Explanation The explanation of the social problem is sociological, clear, and well-developed. The group fully considers how the social problem manifests in all levels of society. The explanation contains the required elements, but they are not fully developed or applied. Greater attention could be paid to developing the social problem. The explanation is missing one critical element (for example, it focuses only on the individual level). The explanation is missing one critical element and is largely non- sociological. The explanation is brief, incomplete, and non- sociological. Cohesiveness The group has thoughtfully and thoroughly communicated their social problem across their images. The presentation feels like a single project. The social problem is not fully communicated across their images, providing an incomplete

• picture. Overall, the

project still feels like a joint effort. The presentation of the social problem and the photos is

• disjointed. The

presentation feels like separate pieces put together, rather than a cohesive whole. There is little effort to present a single social problem. Photos overlap too much and/or appear to capture different social problems. There is no effort to connect photos to the social problem. There is no evidence of collaboration or effort to make a cohesive project. Quality The presentation slides are visually appealing, with the photos as the main

• focus. Captions are clear

and easy to read. Outside sources are thoughtfully incorporated into the presentation. Overall, the slides are visually appealing, but the captions may be unclear or too lengthy or the outsides sources are not thoughtfully used to support points. The slides are visually appealing, but the captions are too long/unclear and the outside sources are insufficiently applied. The slides are unedited and visually unappealing, with long captions. There is little use of sources. The slides exist, but they are wordy, unclear, and insufficiently developed. Applicability/ feasibility The proposed solution is sociological and feasible; the group clearly communicates how the solution would address at least one component of the social problem, while recognizing potential barriers. The proposed solution is sociological but not feasible, or vice versa. Solution may be too focused on individuals,

• r may propose

sweeping changes to how society is structured. The proposed solution is thoughtfully addressed, but the approach is neither sociological nor feasible. There is little discussion of the proposed solution. Students provide insufficient details. There is no concrete discussion

• f a solution, but

there may be a brief mention of what needs to change.

Individual components (4%) Excellent (5) Good (4) Average (3) Poor (2) Incomplete (1) Connection The student clearly connects their photo to the broader social problem, demonstrating their ability to think sociologically and to explain how their photo reflects the social problem. The student connects their photo the social problem, but they do not fully explain the

• connection. They lack

critical details. The student tries to connect the photo to the social problem, but the connection is not sociological and/or lacks development. The student barely connects the photo to the social

• problem. They

struggle to articulate what element it captures. The student mentions the social problem, but does not actively show how their photos reflects an element

• f that problem.

Presentation skills The student speaks confidently with clarity, with the appropriate volume, and without directly reading notes. The student speaks confidently, but excels in two of the following: clarity, volume, and speaking without notes. The student overall presents well, but excels in one of the following: clarity, volume, and speaking without notes The student is generally hard to understand, perhaps talking too quickly

• r too softly to

follow. The student mumbles and listeners must strain to hear. Contribution (based on student self-assessment) The student describes contributions to the project beyond their own photo. No concerns are raised by group members. The student describes some contributions to the project, but mostly focused on their photo. No major concerns are raised. The student focused

• nly on their photo

and/or a major concern is raised by the group. The student contributes their photo but does not speak about it; group members report serious concerns. The student provides a photo and nothing else. Worksheet The student fully answers the questions for 8 out of the other 11 presentations in the class. Their responses are relevant and thoughtful, showing engagement with the presentations. The student answers the questions for 8 out of 11 presentations, but their responses are not always relevant or fully developed. The student only answers questions for 6 out of 11 presentations. The student answers questions for 4 out

• f 11 presentations

The student answers questions for 2 out of 11

• presentations. Keep

in mind that a 1/5 will result in a maximum grade of 75 on the individual component. Self assessment:

• 1. Describe your contributions to the project. How would you assess your contributions on a scale of 1-5?
• 2. How did your group work together?
• 3. (optional) Is there anything else I should know to assess you and/or your group fairly?

Usage note: Instructors may wish to have students respond to fewer or to more presentations. The instructor may distribute copies of the worksheet in class to minimize computer usage, or she/he/they may want to transform this worksheet into a Google form that students complete for each presentation. Worksheet SOCI101 Final Presentations You must fully answer questions for 8 out of the 11 presentations. You may choose which eight. You do not have to write extensively; rather, focus on providing thoughtful and analytical comments. Name: ______________ #1: Title of presentation: What is one major takeaway you have from this presentation? What is one question you still have? Do you think their proposed solution is feasible and sociological? Why or why not? #2: Title of presentation: What is one major takeaway you have from this presentation? What is one question you still have? Do you think their proposed solution is feasible and sociological? Why or why not? … #11: Title of presentation: What is one major takeaway you have from this presentation? What is one question you still have? Do you think their proposed solution is feasible and sociological? Why or why not?