assignments ENGL202 Business Writing: PECHA KUCHA
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 ltorda@bridgew.edu www.leetorda.com |
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Overview. Technical & Professional Writing is a broad title that describes a wide range of kinds of writing. In class, we will look at different types of professional writing. We will practice this kind of writing in a variety of short in-class projects. We'll think about about what the qualities are of good technical and professional writing--the roles of author, audience, and message as it plays out in and shapes this genre. We'll look at it from the practical standpoint of what it can mean as a career, and we'll look at what scholars think and write about in the genre.
Details. I am asking you to create a six minute presentation that could play on a website, youtube, or social media. The format we are using is called Pecha Kucha. You can read about it here. Pecha Kucha started in Japan as an antidote to bad powerpoint presentations--essentially, you get 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to tell people pretty much anything you want them to know. You can watch a Pecha Kucha about Pecha Kucha that is pretty good here and here. I think in very different ways and very different styles, each gives you good advice. We'll watch these in class, and you'll have them for reference as you work.
I've done this project in a number of different ways, and I'm going to give you some options as well. I've given it as a assignment where students were given a topic to do their Pecha Kucha on. I've given it as an assignment where students got to pick whatever topic they wanted to do. Both have birthed successes and both have birthed versions that just, well, sort of suck. So I'm going to leave the choice of subject to you.
But the format is determined: Again, 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide. You create the presentation in PowerPoint. I'll show you how to voice record over your slides so it plays like a little mini movie. The thing that is just awful about PowerPoint presentations is that they go on forever, the slides are ugly, and people lose their way. The beauty of the Pecha Kucha is that you have to know your stuff. You can't ramble. You've got to have a point. Also, you have a script. You have your time limits, and there is no getting around them.
During class, we will discuss this set of guidelines to support workshopping the Pecha Kucha presentations. I include it here as a kind of rubric for you to consider as you complete your projects. I will answer these questions for each of your presentations as I evaluate their success.
1. What number of slides can I immediately tell from the visual alone the kind of information I'll be getting?
2. What number of slides have a visual paired with the right information in terms of the voice over?
2. And what number of slides just seem like filler?
3. Is there information that I, as a potential user, feel like I'm still missing from the process after watching the whole video?
4. Am I getting the information I need at the moment when I actually need it?
5. In the end, what do I know about this subject that is cool and interesting and not boring and useless?
Here are specific instructions on how to record in PowerPoint:
Details. I am asking you to create a six minute presentation that could play on a website, youtube, or social media. The format we are using is called Pecha Kucha. You can read about it here. Pecha Kucha started in Japan as an antidote to bad powerpoint presentations--essentially, you get 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to tell people pretty much anything you want them to know. You can watch a Pecha Kucha about Pecha Kucha that is pretty good here and here. I think in very different ways and very different styles, each gives you good advice. We'll watch these in class, and you'll have them for reference as you work.
I've done this project in a number of different ways, and I'm going to give you some options as well. I've given it as a assignment where students were given a topic to do their Pecha Kucha on. I've given it as an assignment where students got to pick whatever topic they wanted to do. Both have birthed successes and both have birthed versions that just, well, sort of suck. So I'm going to leave the choice of subject to you.
But the format is determined: Again, 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide. You create the presentation in PowerPoint. I'll show you how to voice record over your slides so it plays like a little mini movie. The thing that is just awful about PowerPoint presentations is that they go on forever, the slides are ugly, and people lose their way. The beauty of the Pecha Kucha is that you have to know your stuff. You can't ramble. You've got to have a point. Also, you have a script. You have your time limits, and there is no getting around them.
During class, we will discuss this set of guidelines to support workshopping the Pecha Kucha presentations. I include it here as a kind of rubric for you to consider as you complete your projects. I will answer these questions for each of your presentations as I evaluate their success.
1. What number of slides can I immediately tell from the visual alone the kind of information I'll be getting?
2. What number of slides have a visual paired with the right information in terms of the voice over?
2. And what number of slides just seem like filler?
3. Is there information that I, as a potential user, feel like I'm still missing from the process after watching the whole video?
4. Am I getting the information I need at the moment when I actually need it?
5. In the end, what do I know about this subject that is cool and interesting and not boring and useless?
Here are specific instructions on how to record in PowerPoint:
| how_to_record_your_pecha_kucha.docx |
Here is a blank PowerPoint template to use for your Pecha KuchaL
| pecha.kucha.pptx |
And here is a sample pecha kucha that I did for another class.
| pecha.kucha.sample.torda..pptx |
