CS 471 Fall 2025 > Topic Introduction Presentation
CS 471 Fall 2025
Topic Introduction Presentation
General
During the final exam period for this class (Friday, December 12, 10:15 am–12:15 pm), each of the topic introduction groups will make an in-person presentation introducing their assigned topic. This is worth 85 points in the course grade.
Presentations will be made in the classroom. They are expected to be 20 minutes long or very close to that, not including time for questions at the end. Presentations will be recorded and may be viewed by other CS faculty members. The order in which groups will present will be announced in advance.
For Assignment 7, you will turn in a draft version of your presentation slides. This will be worth an additional 40 points.
Formality
This is to be a professional-level formal presentation. Presenters must wear dress shirt, slacks, shoes, and a tie, or a gender-appropriate outfit at the same level of formality.
Delivery, speaking style, terminology used, and so on, are to be those used in a professional context.
Audience
As with previous presentations this semester, the intended audience for each of your presentations is the class. Pitch each presentation at a level that a CS 471 student can understand. You do not need to explain things that every CS 471 student will know, but specialized terminology, abbreviations, etc. must be explained.
Slides
During your presentation, slides (that is, PowerPoint, Google Slides, or similar) must be displayed on the classroom projector. You will turn in your slides twice, both times in the form of a PDF file. First, a draft of your slides will be submitted for Assignment 5. Second, by the day of your presentation, you will turn in the slides that you actually use in your presentation. A spot will be created on the UA Canvas site to allow for this.
Participation
All group members must be involved in the presentation, with each member doing a substantial portion of the speaking.
Content
Your group is assigned a topic relevant to software development, and you must choose a specific example to cover in your presentation. Acknowledging sources is required.
- Give an overview of your assigned topic.
- If your topic has been covered in CS 471 already, then your overview can be brief.
- Otherwise, give your audience enough information so that they will have a good idea of what the topic is all about.
- Discuss the specific example your group has chosen.
- Your presentation needs to be aimed at conveying practical information. Tell your audience what they need to know to begin doing or using your specific example in their software development work.
- If your topic/example involves (or can involve) coding, then show your audience some code, and demonstrate handling it in whatever way is appropriate for your topic.
When you are done, open up the floor for questions or comments. Be clear about when the question period begins.
Grading
Presentations will be graded based on the following criteria. Each student will receive written feedback.
Group
- Organization. Is the presentation well organized? Are the topics presented arranged in an order that facilitates audience learning? Does the presentation fit within the required time?
- Content. Is all necessary information included? Is all information presented relevant? Is the presentation given at the appropriate level, for the audience?
- Communication Aids. Do the slides, or anything else displayed, aid in audience understanding? This includes content, formatting, wording, errors distracting elements, and appropriate use of figured or tables.
Individual
- Delivery. As before: speak up, speak clearly, make eye contact with the audience, and be reasonably animated.
- Approach. Do you explain and elaborate on the slides, rather than merely reading them? Do you fill in gaps of knowledge where necessary, based on the level of understanding of the audience? Is your presentation made at the appropriate level of formality?
Thoughts
The Content section, above, is about what to cover in your presentation. However, it does not dictate how your presentation is to be organized. Think about this. In what order should information be presented to your audience to facilitate understanding? How should slides be titled and formatted? Etc.
Remember to be practical. Suppose your audience wishes to learn enough about your topic that they can begin to use it in their work—at least in a small way. Will your presentation give them the information they need in order to do this?