During the second and third year each student is expected to produce an individual presentation concerning their placement experience and a group presentation concerning an area of learning that would be beneficial to the group as a whole particularly in the third year when students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and can plan their own agendas for class time.

With regards to the Individual Presentations, they are usually around 30 minutes in length and should concentrate on areas of growth or challenges they have come across within their placement experiences.  The Individual attempts to see these challenges and areas of growth in the light of the tools (models and theories) they have been equipped with in the Christian Ministry Course.  A good presentation will often lead into a period of questions that can then generate a more general discussion. 

In my experience this has helped others in the Group to pick up on key points of ministering to others and also on occasions the tutors will pick out key areas and expound on these in greater detail and so the whole individual placement experience will be a source of learning for the whole group.

With regards to the Group Presentations, they are usually around 60 minutes in length and these are a different kind of challenge.  Do you work with someone you know?  Or with someone who has a certain talent?  Or with someone who has a similar interest?  Or do you work with someone you have never worked with before and maybe who is a different learning style or personality type to you?   The Group sizes are usually around 3 people and the content of the presentation is usually chosen from relevant course material and should aid the learning of the whole Group.  Again a period of questions should lead into encouraging the audience to participate and to generate a more general discussion.

In both presentations the needs of the audience should be taken into account and creativity and flair in presentation can help to keep the audiences attention.

An important learning process in both presentations is that they are self and peer assessed.  The tutor is present during this assessment.  The students have the opportunity to create their own grading criteria and are encouraged to be able to give actual evidence from observation of the presentations to highlight the grading criteria.   The individual or group presenting will award a mark, and each individual member of the audience will award a mark, and the actual mark is decided through the assessment process.  This is usually done by having one nominated facilitator for the session and upon the evidence presented by each individual the marks are adjusted accordingly until all agree with the final grade awarded.   This process of learning to assess against given and accepted criteria is one that will hold you in good stead for evaluating effective working practice in any future ministry.