Communication skills are critical for academic success. The presentations skills learned in educational career provide long term benefits in every walk of life.
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In today’s academic scenario, presentations are a routine matter in every type of educational pursuit. Throughout the session, students are asked to make presentations, about topics of course material. These presentations are either merely oral or require audiovisual and multimedia support as well. In this hi-tech educational scenario, where digital class rooms and internet technologies are playing a vital role in education, students are increasingly learning presentation skills.
The presentations are made to a group of audience, mainly comprised of fellow students, teachers and sometimes administrators as well. The presentation skills are not confined to academic life only as these are now considered as the mandatory employability skills as well. So the skills learned during educational journey keeps benefitting students in their work life also. In this article, we are going to deliberate on the importance of presentations in classrooms. Let’s check out some major benefits and purposes of presentations in class rooms:
Improves language skills:
When a student is asked to make a presentation, he is required to explain things and concepts orally to the audience with the purpose that messages are communicated effectively. The student knowing the importance of importance of spoken language in presentations tries to make his oral presentations concise and clear as possible. This requires a lot of practice and it definitely polishes his language skills. Students find appropriate words and phrases to communicate concepts effectively.
Improves communication skills:
The presenter gains immense benefits through presentations made in classroom in the area of communication. These skills relate to verbal and non-verbal communication. He knows the art of keeping the audience engaged. He also learns the art of presenting complex information in the simplest possible ways. Preparing presentations require written and oral communication because students first gather information and organize the material in meaningful written form and then practice to deliver this verbally.
Besides impressive language skills, presenters need to acquire non verbal skills like gestures, eye contact and body or hand’s movements also to enhance the effectiveness of presentation and make the audience understand content and concepts in an n easy manner.
Ability to work in teams and groups:
Team work and working in groups is an important professional skill. The presentation often requires team work. Many a times presentations are not a solo affair and teachers ask a group of students to give a presentation. This provides ample opportunity to all the participants for sharpening their team work skills and having deliberations and group discussions.
While working in groups and teams, students learn the art of listening and eventually become patient listeners. This helps them personal, social and work life.
Mastery over topic:
Besides benefiting audience, presentations create a major positive impact on presenter himself, because while making presentations, he must go through all the material and supporting stuff himself in order to have a command over subject. This gives him much conceptual clarity and he definitely gets an edge. The simple reason why presentations benefit presenters more is the fact that the person who gives presentation has to remain ahead of others and keep his understanding level higher, because he might confront questions from audience, which have to be answered satisfactorily.
Boosts confidence level:
The most important benefit achieved through presentation skills is the confidence, which presenter gains through public speaking exercises and confronting divergent audience. Confidence and self belief obtained from presentations are gifts which help improving psychological persons and benefit in career life ahead where, group discussions and interviews are routine.
Improves time Management skills:
To mange time is critical for a successful presentation. The ultimate aim of a good presentation is to present all the required topics and concepts effectively within stipulated timeline. Nothing important should be left out and no topic should take unnecessarily long time. Likewise audience should not feel that a topic has not been given enough time and has been covered in haste.
Presenter learns how to tackle with time limit constraint. This skill also gives long term benefits both in academic as well as work life.
Conclusion:
From the discussion above it is evident that presentations in class rooms benefit students both in short and long term. On the one hand it improve s academic performance while on the other hand, it benefits for preparedness of work life ahead. It stimulates confidence and boosts morale, which helps in tackling career pressures and other social pressures. Last but not the least, presentations improve communication skills which give great edge to presenters as he can effectively communicate messages to audience in business, social circles and at work place.