Midterm: Digital Pecha Kucha Presentation
No one wants to look at boring Powerpoint slides with too much text on them while listening to unplanned presentations. So, for our mideterm presentations, we’re going to embrace a presentation style known as Pecha Kucha, or lightning talks. PechaKucha is the Japanese word for conversation or “chit chat.” Created by two architects in Tokyo who were tired of dreadful PowerPoint presentations, PechaKucha is designed to force speakers to prepare shorter, more creative, and more polished PowerPoint presentations. More importantly, designing a PechaKucha presentation motivates speakers to think about their subjects in very different ways.
What are the characteristics of PechaKucha?
A presentation is created using PowerPoint (or any other presentation software).
Traditionally, presenters are allowed 20 slides and those slides must automatically advance every 20 seconds (thus the “20×20” label). We aren’t PechaKucha pros, though, so I’ve decided that for our class presentations we will use the slightly more relaxed 10×30 model. You have 10 slides and each slide will advance automatically every 30 seconds.
Consequently, presentations should never be longer than 5 minutes.
Because of this format, the PowerPoint slideshow must depend on visuals, rather than text-heavy slides. This is the entire point of the genre. When you know that the information will only be up for 30 seconds, you have to plan ahead. You have to script your presentation. You have to practice your pacing. You have to think deeply about the best way to communicate your topic to an audience in an engaging and concise way.
Presentations are expected to have structure, including an introduction and conclusion and an internal structure (clear main points, transitions) that will guide the audience through the slide show. Make sure that the thesis of your argument is clear.
Presentations are expected to be polished, professional, and engaging. Because of the time constraints, the auto-advancing slides, and the format, speakers should spend more time planning and practicing their presentations.
Audiences are more likely to be engaged. It’s sad, but true—we don’t have a very long attention span. Consequently, speakers need experience presenting their ideas in a short period of time and in a more creative, engaging way.
Assignment
1. Choose one of the big questions listed below.
2. Create a short presentation in the 10×30 Pecha Kucha style that explores this question (you have 10 slides and 30 seconds on each slide). This response should include at least three sources that we have explored in the course. It should only include sources that we have read in the class. The content of the presentation should be written by you using your own human brain. The goal here is for you to integrate information rom the course and use that information to address one of these big questions. If there’s evidence that someone else wrote your script – either human or machine – then as far as I’m concerned you didn’t do the assignment and you’ll get a zero. Just write it yourself, y’all. Come on. This is the point of college.
3. Include your own analysis of the question within your response. Which viewpoint’s evidence do you find the most convincing?
4. Include at least one personal connection, either by including a personal anecdote from your own life or by connecting the research to one of the happiness practice activities that you’ve done for the class.
5. Submit your Pecha Kucha presentation in the designated forum by 11:59 pm on June 16th.
Big Question Options (choose one to focus on*):
How objective, real, or subjective is happiness?
What role does wealth play in happiness?
What role does love and intimacy play in happiness?
What role does pleasure play in happiness?
To what extent can we influence our general happiness by the things we do?
What insights and practices, if any, can I make use of from historical philosophical and religious thought on happiness (Christianity, Hellenistic schools, Yoga, Buddhism)?
If we know so much about happiness, why not use it to guide public policy?
How compatible is happiness with instances or conditions of great sadness in one’s life?
