Integrated Student Supports Case Study: Preparing Ag students for their live symposium presentations
When Jen, an integrated student support specialist, asked Adriana, an Agriculture (Ag) Technology instructor, how to help her students prepare for their live symposium presentations, Adriana’s eyes lit up.
With one successful collaboration with CTLI to offer integrated student support (ISS) under her belt, Adriana was excited for round two. But this time, Adriana wanted to expand the number of supports for her fourth-year Ag Research students, especially in how they could leverage generative AI.
“There are inherent differences in people’s abilities when it comes to presenting; it’s such a dynamic skill!” Adriana said. “I thought that focused supports in these areas could help my students better prepare for their final projects.”
So, Jen and Adriana cooked up a plan:
- identify gaps in presentation skills
- find the right CTLI experts to build supports
- present these to students to help them upskill and excel
Identifying upskilling opportunities
Based on previous year’s symposiums, Adriana and Jen identified four areas with opportunity to upskill, including how to help students:
- turn research into a story
- leverage generative AI in research
- implement better design for posters
- improve public speaking
With this list of comprehensive improvement opportunities, Jen knew who they needed from CTLI: a band of heroes—we mean experts—to take on the case.
Rylan: Creating an effective research presentation
When presenting research, knowing what to focus on can feel confusing. There is also a real risk of losing your audience’s attention if you don’t have a cohesive throughline.
So, Academic Strategist Rylan gave students a clever solution to help them stay focused: reframe their research as a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
This perspective shift, along with tips on how to plan out PowerPoint slides, offered students a solid strategy for presenting their research and keeping their audience engaged.
A slide from Rylan’s presentation.
Craig: Generative AI for research and assignments
Adriana was intentional about including supports around generative AI in research.
“I wanted my students to have this exposure so they could start to think differently about AI’s strengths and weaknesses,” she said.
Craig, an instructional designer who has been experimenting with generative AI since last year, was happy to step in and offer his perspective. He outlined best practices, provided AI prompting tips, and included the general dos and don’ts of using this technology.
A key point Craig made during his presentation was the importance of transparency, communication, and mutual agreement between stakeholders (students and instructors, instructors and students) in how to use generative AI. Having these conversations can help mitigate potential use-issues as classes move forward.
A slide from Craig’s presentation.
Kiri: Better design for posters
Just like it’s tough to focus on what to say during a presentation, it’s equally challenging to know how to lay out information without overwhelming an audience.
So, Media Specialist Kiri gave Adriana’s students some creative tips and tools for designing posters that would be not just pleasant to look at, but also easy to interpret, including optimizing for disabilities like colour blindness.
Kiri suggested students use free software like Coolors (a colour-palette generator) and Canva (a graphic design tool) to aid in their poster creation—and make designing a little more fun!
A slide from Kiri’s presentation.
Lyle and Tyson: Public speaking through Ovation VR
Public speaking is famously challenging, and Adriana wanted her students to be able to practice this skill in a low-stakes environment.
“Students work so hard throughout the year to gather research, put it all together. But the thought of presenting in front of others can unravel their confidence,” she said. “I wanted to help them get used to those nervous jitters and perform through them.”
To help students practice public speaking in a low-stakes environment, E-Learning Specialist Lyle, and Access Services Specialist Tyson, had the perfect place in mind: Ovation VR. This virtual reality (VR) software is designed to improve public speaking skills.
A student using Ovation VR
Scrutinized by an AI audience
So, Adriana’s students donned VR headsets and were instantly transported before an AI audience, who waited patiently for students to present.
If students performed well (i.e., if they sustained eye contact, spoke clearly, used hand gestures, etc.), their AI audience would react positively (smile, nod, etc.). Likewise, if students looked at their slides too often, used too many ‘ filler’ words, etc., their audience might grow bored, look away, or even start scrolling on their phones.
“It was so funny to see the audience react in such real ways!” Jen said, laughing. “I think students found it helpful for the most part.”
Interestingly, after students concluded their presentations, their AI audience would ask them questions about their findings. Depending on the setting students chose, these questions would vary in difficulty.
Student feedback on integrated student supports (ISS)
After CTLI’s combined ISS efforts concluded, Adriana surveyed her students for feedback.
| Presentation | Impression | Positives | Challenges | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rylan's research presentation | Positive overall | Outline and clarity in presentation planning, sparking ideas | Ambiguity on what content to include (1 mention) | Guidance on effective presentation format and planning |
| Craig's Generative AI in research | Mainly positive, with appreciation for AI and ChatGPT insights | Introduction to AI and ChatGPT uses, plagiarism avoidance | Redundancy for those with prior knowledge (1 mention) | Understanding AI applications, enhancing presentations |
| Kiri's Better Design for Posters | Positive, with emphasis on design importance | Design resources and tips, effective use of Canva | Nothing mentioned | Improved design skills, awareness of visual appeal |
| Ovation VR Public Speaking | Mixed to positive, innovative practice tool | Safe, innovative environment for practice, handling virtual audience questions | Technical issues like readability of slides, awkwardness with VR simulation (5 mentions) | Improved public speaking skills, readiness for questions, reduced presentation anxiety |
| Ovation VR Specific Preparation | Predominantly positive, beneficial for specific preparation | Practicing answering unexpected questions, gaining confidence in presentation content | Preference for practicing in front of real people over virtual simulation (1 mention) | Enhanced preparedness for real audience questions, improved presentation structure |
11 students surveyed
Conclusion
Despite the learning curve of Ovation VR, students found all integrated supports beneficial in helping them prepare for their final research presentations.
Live symposium presentations
When the big day of the symposium finally arrived, Adriana’s students were buzzing with nervous energy. But as each student presented, it was obvious they came prepared.
Most presentations offered a clear, easy-to-follow throughline with clean, eye-catching visuals. If generative AI was used, students clearly stated where and how they did in their references. Finally, most students spoke well, maintained eye contact with the audience, and were able to answer questions on the spot.
“I was so proud of them,” Adriana said, smiling. “They all did so well and seemed to make great use of the supports CTLI provided.”
A student presents in front of the live symposium
A student’s poster showcasing their research—great visual design principles in action!
Integrated student supports for the win
“I think this was a great example of integrated supports going right,” Jen said. “It was so amazing to see CTLI experts come together to help students—and for students to really own their learning and prove it through the symposium.”
Adriana is pleased with the skills her students gained through ISS, and she’s confident these skills will continue to serve her students in their ag industry roles in the future.
And she’s already talking about next year’s iteration.
“There’s still so many ways I can see these supports helping students,” Adriana said. “I’m excited to see what we can do next.”
Do you need integrated student supports?
Integrated student supports (ISS) are specialists, librarians, strategists and advisors who act as a bridge connecting your classroom—whether in-person, online or blended—with student support services and resources.
Based on your wants and needs, ISS could look like:
- In-class presentations and workshops (like those featured in this case study)
- Announcements in Canvas or creating a Canvas presence
- Collaboration or consultation on supports or resources for your course or assignment
Connect with Jen Pierce-Ager to talk about how to integrate student supports into your curriculum!
Adriana Morrell
Agriculture Technology Instructor
Jen Pierce-Ager
Integrated Student Support Specialist
Jordana Gagnon
Writer
