By Ruth-Anne Klassen, Student Liaison
Since joining Instructional Design & Learning in 2021, I have improved my presentation skills and general communication too. Initially, when I joined IDL, it was because the volunteer coordinator said that the group would be great for me as a student. I joined IDL to practice writing, to receive mentoring, and to meet new people. Funnily enough, I didn’t understand what “instructional design” was, but I was eager to learn and grow with a nice group of people.
Before IDL, I practiced presenting in different school assignments. PowerPoint was a regular part of this, and my early PowerPoint presentations involved image slideshows to accompany music. In university, I explained the significance of a medieval music piece and reviewed the link between calcium supplements and cardiovascular disease. While volunteering with IDL, my presentations have focused on work-related topics like helping different generations to work together in the workplace and training methods.
On one hand, what I like about presenting is sharing my knowledge on a topic I’ve researched. On the other hand, presenting is much more enjoyable when I can own the presentation by familiarizing myself with the topic and my word choice. I like presentations where the presenter talks freely, not just reading off the slides, so I aim to prepare accordingly. When I have questions about what I am presenting, I try to find answers in case the audience has the same questions during my presentation.
I worked with a team to craft a likable presentation for the 2023 Virtual Open House on November 7. I chose the icebreaker of “Anything But a Cup” (i.e., bring a beverage to the meeting but bring it in…) which seemed fun and could inspire creativity and use what people have. Working with other people also elevated the quality of the presentation. Some of us focused on the presentation slides, while others wrote the script. Collaborating with others can mean basic things like confirming how to pronounce a person’s name, and choosing a meeting time that worked for more people (evidently, after the IDL leadership meeting!). Working with more experienced people allowed me to gain insight I would not have developed on my own.
After years of practice and months of preparation, the actual Virtual Open House presentation proved to be a fun experience, either because of enjoyment or mishaps. The “Anything But a Cup” icebreaker allowed people to connect over a relatable topic of beverage (and beverage container) choices. My co-volunteers each spoke on their area of leadership in IDL, which made for a more interesting and varied presentation and allowed people to share what they know best! The presentation wasn’t perfect, mostly when handling the mechanics for presenting a PowerPoint on Zoom, but our group generally presented like pros. As a matter of fact, one member commented that she’d been to many STC Virtual Open Houses, and this one was the best she attended.
Joining IDL has allowed me to practice communication and collaboration, and as a result, I have grown and improved over my time with the group. After giving multiple presentations, it has behooved me to invest time in practicing. I also appreciate all the help others have given me while preparing presentations. I have been blessed by how IDL has given me a chance to improve my presentation skills so that I can, in turn, bless other organizations with presentations.