CONTENT 1: Life & Historical Background.  Generally, you are asked to research the life and work of an author and present his/her profile in historical context.  Whereas dates are obviously important, they can be quite abstract.  For example, Boccaccio lived between 1313-1375 C. E., but a reference to Black Death and its effects on Europe will highlight the time period more effectively; Aristotle lived between 384-322 B. C. E, but the mention of Alexander the Great  makes the time period  a little more "tangible;" a Nobel Prize Laureate may be from Sardinia: locate it and put its culture in the context of the 20th-C world.  In other words, if your presentation about a writer makes references to generally known historical events and/or historical figures, elaborate on them:  your classmates will pay attention  because they will share common knowledge with you. (As one student put it, "Basic facts--boring. Spice it up!"). 

CONTENT 2: Author's Work. In addition to listing works by the author you are presenting, you are also required to  select one (usually listed in course syllabus) and present it in greater detail.  Our textbooks have them, so does the library. You can also watch a video/DVD program on your author and/or an adaptation of his/her work to enhance your research. Some students have even selected a 2-3 min. clip to show in class.  Check our Library and local video stores--you'll be amazed at what you'll find.  There are also on-line videos you can link to and show the class a brief selection.

CONTENT 3: Dates vs. Age.  Dates are abstract -- try to add the age of your writer as you take your audience through the events of his/her life.  For instance, you can say that Christine de Pizan, a mother of three, became a widow in 1390, but adding that she was only 25 puts her later life in perspective; Kafka died in 1924, but when you add that he was only 41, that makes an impact; Sigrid Undset received her Nobel for Literature in 1928, but stressing that she was only 46 old adds weight to her achievement.

CONTENT 4:  Quotations.  DO use poems and other quotations to demonstrate writer's theme(s) or style.  Just putting them on the slides is not enough, however: remember to read them out loud to/with your audience and explain what it demonstrates.

CONTENT 5:  Too much text on slides is, well, too much.  Bullet your information and include all the facts/dates that would be important if you were to make a handout for your audience (good practice before you become a sales' rep, a teacher, a lawyer).  Too few words on the slides will make your slides obsolete. Try to balance slide content with the info you offer to class. Good rule to follow: imagine that you will make a print-out handout of your PPt to the class for a quiz.

CONTENT/FORM:  Spelling.  Please, double- and triple-check it!  Some students said that "there is absolutely no excuse for typos" because PowerPoint, like Word, has a spelling and grammar check."  They suggested taking points off for spelling errors and I do so.

Images 1: Sources of Images. If you copy images from websites (pictures of authors, photos of the places they lived, etc.) PLEASE note the source of the image in the bibliography.  And do not distort  your images (points off if you do) by stretching them sideways or vertically -- to enlarge them, drag the corner (ask me to demonstrate).  For scanned images--see below, # 5).

Images 2: Not enough pictures available for your author/topic? Re-use those few images you found by placing them on more that one slide or using them as a background for a series of slides. Consider also including "generic" pictures of French (or Russian, etc) countryside for a French (or Russian, etc) writer.  Maps are always good visuals: show us where your writer was born and where s/he had traveled.

Images 3: Thematic Images.  A rule of thumb is -- use a picture that fits thematically and historically with your topic and that serves a purpose. For example, find images of antiquity for the Ancient Greeks; or pictures of the cities where writers were born, studied or lived; or artistic renditions of Don Quixote's ordeals, etc. (clipart of a businessman won't work for Plato and his opening of the Academy; clipart of a train won't work  for Aristotle's travel, nor will a clip from a TV wrestling show  work to illustrate Don Quixote's fight with  the windmills!  And, no, I didn't make these examples up). 

Images 4: If you have to use clip art (an oxymoron, really), use it wisely and sporadically.  Overuse of clipart will trivialize your topic and distract your audience from the depth of your presentation (thus you will be wise to avoid trying to bank in on the "entertainment" value of your images).  Used judiciously, clipart can be funny and provide a perfect "punch" to a given slide.  My students add that clip art can be too generic; we all grow tired of seeing the same images on everyone's slides.  Others think that clip art can "ruin the whole slide by making it look cheesy." I agree.

Images 5: Scanned Images.  You can scan pictures/photos from the books you use for your research:  You can use scanners at RU Library's Technology in Learning Center.  In the past, my students have praised the staff at the Center as "extremely helpful."  Please, remember to note the sources of scanned images in Works Cited.  Also, make sure that your Research Log elaborates on the scanned images:  I value the extra work that goes into scanning because it requires not only familiarity with picture editor(s), but also extra research to find pictures!  Please, do acknowledge in your log any help you got with scanning.  A word of caution: scanned images can take up a lot of space; you will be wise to save them "for web" with Photoshop and store them on a spacious storage drive. 

FORMAT / DESIGN: Templates and Custom Slides.  You can use a template or you can format your own slides.  Consider "eye-friendly" contrasting colors (white or very pale-colored letters on a dark background or vice versa).  Contrasts to avoid: royal blue letters on fuchsia background, yellow on lime-green, or any such extremes.

FONT: Font.  Make sure you use larger rather than smaller font.  If you are using a special, imported font, be aware that it won't show on our RU computers: the PowerPoint program will go into a default font.  Solution? Have that font on your disk and come to class earlier: we will drop the font into the Windows' font folder ahead of time. 

MEDIA: audio/video clips & music: My former students suggest that you should make every effort to use media clips, either from CDs, as mp3/wave/midi files, or as links to on-line sources.  As you will see, I use media in my own PowerPoint lectures and I will gladly demonstrate how to insert them.  As thematic enhancements --such as Renaissance music for da Vinci, a national anthem of your writer's country, or a reading of a poem-- media add quality to your presentation and show the scope of your research.

DELIVERY and LENGTH:  Please, fit your content on 20-30 slides and time your presentation to last about 14-16 minutes (some of the less successful presentations featured 6-10 slides and lasted barely 5 minutes).  On the note of delivery:

TEAM PRESENTATIONS: If you are paired up for your presentation, please see me for more detailed instructions and suggestions.  (top)

The length and scope requirements  for papers vary from course to course--you will receive handouts with details in each class as to topic suggestions and specific requirements.  

Some Grading Criteria: When I grade your work, I begin by looking for content (is it even there?), organization (how is the content arranged?), and correct language (is it standard  English in terms of grammar and syntax?).   As you proofread your paper—and before you deem it finished —please consider the following points:

Clarity of thesis statement: what is the goal of my paper?  To analyze...(what)?   To argue...(what)?  To discuss/demonstrate...(what)?

Development:  how does each paragraph contribute to that goal?

Transitions: does my argument go smoothly from one part to the next? Why not?

Citations/quotations: do I support/illustrate my points with examples from text(s)?

MLA: have I used the MLA style correctly? (MLA style help).

Syntax & Grammar (or is it "grammer"?): is my English correct?   Do my sentences make sense?   Did I correct all of my fragments?  Comma splices?  Dangling modifiers? Have I put a "?" at the end of my questions? Does every "its" in my paper require an apostrophe? Is there an "it’s" that does not need it? Why have I put an apostrophe where I really meant plural (or a third person?)  Where else do I (do I not) need an apostrophe? Do I trust spellchecker to catch and correct "in" for "on" when I wrote "in" but meant "on?"  And where in the world IS that Writing Center???  Go to THE OWL and click on "Grammar and Mechanics" link for more help. (top)

In  ENGL 201 and in other literature classes, such as ENGL 314 and 470, your midterm test will consists of questions similar quiz questions you take at the beginning of most classes.  In  ENGL 420, you will be tested on concepts/definitions from classical texts of criticism.  There are no multiple choice tests in my courses: either you understand the concept and know the answer, or you don't.

If you attend classes regularly and keep up with your readings--as well as take good class notes--the midterm test should be a breeze. 

To help with reviewing the content of my lectures, I make my PowerPoint presentations available as handouts (and, temporarily, on my website--watch for details during classes). 

If you have to miss the test, you will have to accept the loss of credit, unless you can demonstrate extenuating circumstances (illness, adversity, etc.)  You will have one week to arrange an alternate time to take the test.  Sportspeople and performers usually know about out-of-campus engagements ahead of time: the test can be taken before you need to leave campus, not after you are back. (top)

Depending on the course, your final exam will consist of either a test similar to midterm, but encompassing all of the material covered by the course;  a short essay exam where you will be asked to answer a question about the readings discussed during classes; or  a combination of the two (details for each course's final are discussed towards the end of each semester).  Regular class attendance along with good notes will greatly increase your chances of success.  

If you attend classes regularly and keep up with your readings--as well as take good class notes-- the final exam should be a breeze. 

To help with reviewing  the course content, I make my PowerPoint lectures available as handouts (and, temporarily, on my website--watch for details during classes). 

The finals are administered during the scheduled exam time--no exceptions are allowed, unless you have a (rare) conflict, in which case I follow the University procedure.  For some courses, I allow an earlier take-home component (Part I of your final) which is then supplemented by the in-class test (Part II of your final) administered on the exam day. (top)