Alison GreenTikus Little

Stirling Law School

Improving Presentation Skills

“Lawyers attend networking meetings, speak at conferences, give talks to the general public and speak to the media. Every time they speak, they are representing their firm. Their listeners not only judge them by what they say and how they say it, they also make up their minds about the firm and whether or not they want to do business with it. A contract, a successful tender or a referral may depend on a lawyer’s ability to address an audience. It makes sense, therefore, to become skilful at speaking in public.” Moira Beaton Journal of the Law Society of Scotland December 2010

An employer’s view

Possess individual initiative, be confident, have self esteem and the ability to cope with change;

Possess the quality of being an employable graduate, be professional competent and demonstrate ethical practice;

Empowered by the Stirling Experience to reach their full potential, ‘be all they can be’;

Graduate attributes LTQES

2012

Develop a toolkit which can be used across a range of subject areas

Identify and incorporate best practice from across the University

Improve the presentation skills of the cohort chosen for this project.

Aims and Outcomes of

Project

Current practices Current resources in the University

and elsewhereInitial review

Understanding how the voice works

Understanding physical factors Understanding audiences

Skills Day – October 2011

“This week I attended the presentation skills day with Kate Donne. I delivered a five minute presentation and learnt a lot about my style of presenting and how to improve upon it. For example, it seems that my style of presenting lends itself quite well to the use of slides as many of my statements are descriptive and paint a picture for the audience that would have more impact with visual aid. I also have to learn how to control my facial expressions more as I am very expressive and it is a formal legal presentation and may not be the best approach.”

“I have learnt to offer eye contact from this course”.

“After our skills day (on presentation skills) I have learned a lot more about making presentations effectively. I found out sometimes I don’t project enough when speaking, speak too fast and that I’ll occasionally play with my hair. I had criminal class after the skills day and it was the first time I wasn’t told to slow down when giving my pleas in mitigation”.

Student comments

following the Skills Day

lack of confidence in the group Basic vocal volume and clarity was

an issue clear engagement in individuals

challenging themselves to overcome their personal inhibitions

developed skills as reflective learners

Tutor feedback following the Skills Day

Quantitative evidence

Grades 2010/11 2011/12

1A-C 3 16% 10 67%

2A-C 8 42% 3 20%

2D-F 7 37% 1 6.5%

3A-C 1 5% 1 6.5%

FAIL 0

Presentation skills training most effective when experiential and person-focussed

There are pockets of good practice in the University such as in the Housing Department but generally there is a lack of teaching materials available.

Use of external trainers is effective but extremely expensive.

Producing a toolkit which reflects best practice in a range of formats for use across the University

Review of Findings

Toolkit Formats