Annotate PRO: Presentation Skills Edition

The Presentation Skills Edition Library (PSE) helps teachers provide in-depth feedback at the speed of a live presentation. Whether you’re capturing feedback in-person, during a video presentation, or asynchronously via an assignment dropbox like Canvas Speedgrader, AP’s Presentation Skills Edition helps you give specific, actionable advice 10x faster than you could manually.

Individuals can license PSE for $36/year (which includes all AP+ features) or $12 (existing AP+ subscribers). Institutional users should contact us to explore adding PSE to the institution’s shared Commen Libraries.

PSE features 260+ comments focused on:

• Preparation tips
• Webinar presence
• Q&A sessions
• Argument and fallacies
• Outlining

PSE also integrates links to concise articles written by 11trees’ experts to help students develop essential skills like creating a solid argument, designing impactful slides, and having a strong stage presence.

Using AP’s Presentation Skills Edition Library

PSE allows teachers to provide feedback at a level of detail that would be impossible to accomplish manually.

Presentation Skills Edition Library feedback is conveniently divided into different groups and sub-groups to allow for easily locating comments. The groups cover the key aspects of presenting: slide design, voice and tone, handling Q&A, presenting online, introductions and conclusions, body language – PSE is a masterclass in giving professional presentations.

For example, if a student starts off their ten minute presentation with a three minute anecdote, you could send this with a few quick clicks:

Your introduction took too long to present. As a general rule, your introduction should only be 10 to 15% of the presentation’s total length. Try cutting it down to leave more time for your main argument.

Of course you can quickly customize all of PSE’s content to suit your style and pedagogical goals.

Whether you are providing feedback while students are presenting OR commenting on a recording or a slide deck, PSE will help you create coherent, impactful feedback in real time.

Many of the comments in PSE include additional references to the 11guide (forever free and ad-free) which will aid them in developing core presentation skills. We’ve developed and continue to develop articles to help students and professionals alike improve their presentation skills.

You can see PSE and the Feedback Builder in action below – we had a little fun with Elon Musk and his Cyber Truck introduction…

One of dozens of free references in the 11guide:

Online Presentations – An Essential Skill

One of the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is that schools and business that were straggling behind in the realm of online meeting and presentation tools have been forced to make use of them. We believe this is a good thing. Online tools provide greater flexibility and opportunities for collaboration. In-person meetings and presentations aren’t going away, but mastering the skills of presenting in both formats will be crucial for professional success.

However, a successful online presentation requires different skills than a successful in-person presentation. Not only have students had to adapt to presenting online, many teachers have also been thrust into learning how to present online with little to no training. That’s why we’ve created comments and articles [link to tips for online presentations article] guided at helping students and teachers alike to become masters at this modern form of presenting. Unsure of the best way to place a webcam and light yourself? Microphone configuration? Creating a professional looking slide deck? We’ve got you covered.

How to Add PSE to your Annotate PRO account:

New individual subscribers will already have PSE in their list of available Libraries and received a 14-day trial of the content when first signing up. Individuals can license PSE for $36/year (which includes all AP+ features) or $12 (existing AP+ subscribers). Institutional users should contact us to explore adding PSE to the institution’s shared Commen Libraries.

From the AP Chrome Extension or Word Add-in:

• Click Edit
• Click Activate Libraries
• You’ll be logged into the AP web experience and taken to a list of all available Libraries. Scroll down to find “Presentation Skills Edition” and click License Me!

PSE will be added to your account and available for immediate customization and use in Canvas, Blackboard, Microsoft Word, Google Classroom, Schoology, D2L, Microsoft Teams and more. 

Sources & Inspiration:

• Stand up, Speak out The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking (overall guidance for presentations)
• Movin’ On Up: Nine Body Language Dos and Don’ts by Sharon Sayler (guidance on connotation of different body language)
• Gesture’s role in speaking, learning, and creating language by Goldin-Meadow and Wagner Alibali (comments on gestures)
• Blaise Pascal, Letter XVI (quoted in one comment)
• How to avoid death By PowerPoint by David JP Phillips (guidance on slide design principles)
• An Urban Legend Called: “The 7/38/55 Ratio Rule” by Tuvya Thomas Amsel (sourcing for how much of a role body language and gesture play in transmitting information)

FAQ