Marking presentations…

As semester 2 reaches the exam weeks, I’ve moved from giving lectures to assessing student presentations. Last week I marked MSc medical physics group student presentations and individual final year BSc talks. Whilst the content of the presentations may be interesting, there can be a lot to do as a marker. In the case of the MSc students I

• chaired the 2 hour session,

• was the timekeeper for each group,

• uploaded the talks,

• facilitated hybrid interaction where needed,

• and asked relevant questions after each presentation.

The MSc students were in teams of 4 and 5 which added extra complexity; a collective group mark was required for content and understanding, but also individual marks for participation and speech. As the marker you may find yourself with a lot of roles to simultaneously juggle! These are tips that have helped me enjoy presentation marking…

Know you marking medium

Sometimes you will be given a paper marksheet, other time maybe an online form or shared electronic spreadsheet. Know in advance how you will be expected to record marks and if you need to print anything out before the session.

Keep track of student names           

Depending on your teaching involvement with the class you may know all the students by name or none of them. If you are unclear on the students name then ask. In student groups you may need to keep track of individual students, so you may need to make a few notes to help track everyone.

Write up your notes promptly

If you are assessing lots of student presentations, you may find you need to scribble down notes fast. Don’t leave it too long to type them up or you may wonder what your handwriting said!

Caroline, Dr CST