In this presentation, Tim Holland discusses the use of recording tools such as Screencast-O-Matic as a way to address the problem of having too many students presenting on the same day. In his communications unit this option is usually reserved for students who can’t attend class or who have psychological barriers to public speaking. Tim also reflects on the balanced assessment approach for video screen-captured presentations and in-class presentations and offers his evaluations of this application.

1. Improving assessments with
video-based presentations
Strategy Sessions series
Presenter – Tim Holland

2. Me
I teach a unit called Culture to Cultures at
Curtin College, in Perth, WA. It’s a stage two
unit in the Diploma of Arts and Creative
Industries, and one of the assessments in that
unit is a presentation.

3. Presentation assessment
Students present on an issue relating to the
topics around cultural diversity/interculturality
and Indigenous peoples.

4. Marking Criteria:
• Content, critical analysis and reflection of
unit themes
• Use of scholarly and other research
• Presentation skills and effective
PowerPoint presentation
• Relevant academic skills: academic writing,
referencing, structure, argument and
analysis
• Appropriate cultural protocols.

5. A teaching and learning challenge.
1. Too many students electing to present on
the same day.
2. Limited time to prepare feedback.
3. ESL students display grammar and
pronunciation problems.
4. Insufficient time to seek clarification when
sentence structure or speech is unclear.
5. A low grade average for presenters.

6. Overcoming the challenge with
screencasting.
Screencast-O-Matic is a free screen and
webcam recorder to capture video from your
computer screen and share it on Screencast-O-
Matic.com, YouTube, or save to a video file.

7. LEARNING OUTCOMES
LO1
Reflect on engagement with other cultures, cultural
background/identity and culturally diverse thinking
perspectives.
LO2
Critique cultural positionings and colonial forms of
knowledge.
LO3
Demonstrate awareness of own cultural background
and identify how it impacts on worldview.
LO4
Effectively analyse global media representations, synthesizing
evidence from primary and secondary sources.

8. Curriculum Aligned Table
Unit Learning
Outcome
Assessment %
Media Analysis
(35%, w6)
Assessment %
Presentation
(30%, w9)
Assessment %
Critical
Reflection
(35%, w12)
1 x x
2 x x x
3 x x
4 x

9. Graduate Attributes
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
Assessments/learning
outcomes
DisciplineKnowledge
ThinkingSkills
InformationSkills
CommunicationSkills
TechnologySkills
LearningtoLearn
InternationalPerspective
CulturalUnderstanding
ProfessionalSkills
LO1     
LO2      
LO3    

10. Effective Presentation Skill Criteria
Fail High Distinction
Effective
presentation
skills
Presenter was
disorganised and
confused; speech
too fast or slow,
monotonous or
unintelligible voice,
uncomfortable body
language
The presenter knew
the material, was
confident and well-
practiced; speed and
voice appropriate
and dynamic, body
language engaging

11. What video-screen-capture
presentation affords the examiner
• Elements of blended learning/flipped
classroom.
• Students all have access to webcams and
microphones.
• Buys the examiner time.
• Assessment criteria are not compromised.
• Communication skills are measurable.
• The same unit at Curtin has changed the
assessment to the screencasting model.

12. What video-screen-capture
presentation affords students.
• Confidence in using technology.
• Do not require an audience to rehearse.
• Can review and critically self evaluate.
• Can still direct attention through toggling
and using the cursor.
• Technology improves and enhances
performance potentials.
• Students’ work and grades have improved
(on average).

13. Considerations
• It is recorded. It’s not live. (Video
presentations can be done live of course).
• Students have asked whether they can edit
their presentation video.
• Presentation skill criteria has to be tweaked.
• Students may submit links to videos that do
not play.

14. Considerations
One of the lecturers in the Culture to Cutures
unit expressed that he did not feel that video-
capture presentation is suitable as the nature
of the presentation is altered too drastically.

15. Considerations
Video-capture presentation has been an option
since the unit began, 10 years ago at Curtin
University, but it was usually reserved for
students who could not attend class or who
had psychological barriers to public speaking.
Usually students would have had to submit a
doctor’s certificate affirming that this student
does not cope well speaking in public.

16. Video screen-capture presentations
effectively addresses the tasks of:
• Sustaining assessment criteria for the
presentation assessment.
• Affording the examiner time to properly
consider the merit of each presentation.

17. Reference list
Screencast-o-matic. 2018. https://screencast-
o-matic.com