Why Students Hate Giving Presentations

Every single person is different. Some flourish under the spotlight, while for some it is the one thing they dread the most. Perhaps the easiest place to observe this is the classroom.

Introverts sitting in the back, extroverts constantly raising their hands, class clowns interrupting the discussion with a joke…

What has become a point of ongoing debate has been how to embrace all character types within the educational system.

There is no doubt that the current system rewards more active and extroverted students due to class participation scores.

The same goes for school projects that involve tasks such as giving presentations. Public speaking is no easy task; in fact, it may be the biggest nightmare for a student with anxiety of glossophobia(fear of public speaking).

How is it that teachers can adjust their expectations from a presentation while appreciating the individual differences of students? Does every presentation need to be as interactive, or as lively? Can a student be penalized for speaking in a lower voice or exhibiting a lack of confidence?

Here's a summary of the pain point we realized during pandemic caused online classrooms.

Decktopus co-founder Noyan İdin has discovered that one of our users have high anxiety before going into the presentation eventhough he worked almost for a night to prepare himself.

While delivering his presentation with a high confidence he has a problem with his teacher about the topic and the way he deliver the presentation. There was a gap of communication between the teacher and student. For this reason he failed while giving presentation with a bad memory.

For this reason Decktopus decided to launch a educational campaign. To read the whole story read this article!

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A case against forcing students to present:

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• Presentations can be especially challenging for people with disabilities or students experiencing intense presentation anxiety.
• Not giving the option to opt out of this task or not providing alternatives may be unfair for students
• Many students fear judgment and mockery in face of giving a bad presentation
• Professors are usually not appreciative of students’ individual differences while grading the presentation
• Matthew Lieberman, a UCLA psychology professor evaluated why some people get really anxious about public speaking by saying: “Our brains crave the positive evaluation of others almost to an embarrassing degree.” Such severe anxieties can even result in panic attacks.

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A case in favor of forcing students to present:

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• Presenting this presentation as a challenge may help students experiencing difficulties with public speaking move out of their comfort zone to improve their condition.
• Public speaking is an important skill for success and practice can help students reduce the panic that they may associate with it.
• Chris Anderson, the head of TED, said: “At a time when the right idea presented the right way can ripple across the world at the speed of light…public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream.”
• Creating a presentation, as opposed to an essay, can be a more collaborative task that can allow students to work together and support each other. Also, if you're having trouble writing an essay, you can try getting help from a college essay writing services.

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Can Decktopus help?

First off, here are some tips and tricks to help you with your last presentation. Just check out our last blog!

For more tips on enhancing your presentation and public speaking skills, here is an amazing thread on Youtube called "Schooled by Kids": an entertaining series of instructional videos lead by kids!

Decktopus offers a variety of features that can alleviate the stresses that come with giving presentations.

Students can easily refer to public speaking tip videos on our website to educate themselves, while using the rehearse options for continuous practice to feel confident about the content.

Decktopus’ easy sharing features allow for students to collaborate on the presentation and create a successful end result together.

Finally, a lot of the issue stems from the presentation being poorly produced. With Decktopus, there are no bad presentations- so there is no need to worry!

Get started on your perfect presentation now and let Decktopus be your helping hand.

Did you get a chance to watch our video on preparing homework presentations? If not, check it out now!

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Read these articles for inspiration:

• Presentation Template Series: Homework Presentations
• Are Presentations Common in College?
• Public Speaking Tips to Deliver the Perfect Presentation

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