A Proposal: Replace Some Exams With Presentations

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1. 01Replace Some Exams With Presentations

   Good afternoon, teachers and classmates. I'm the student council representative for our grade. Today, I'd like to propose that we replace one written exam per subject each year with a short presentation.

2. 02The Problem With Only Exams

   Here's the problem as I see it. Most of our grades come from written exams. Many of us memorize information the night before and forget it soon after. And we rarely practice explaining our ideas out loud.

3. 03Why Presentations?

   Presentations would help in three ways. To explain a topic clearly, you have to really understand it. We'd build speaking skills, and those skills are useful in university and almost every job.

4. 04How It Would Work

   The format would be simple. Each student gives a five-minute presentation, then answers two questions from the teacher. Everyone would be graded with the same clear rubric, shared in advance.

5. 05"Isn't It Unfair to Shy Students?"

   Some of you may worry that this is unfair to shy students. That's a fair concern. So we could practice in small groups first, and students who are very anxious could present only to the teacher.

6. 06"Won't It Take Too Much Class Time?"

   Teachers may also worry about time. But this would replace an exam, not add one. With five minutes per student, a class of thirty could finish in about two or three periods.

7. 07A First Step

   I'm not asking for every subject to change at once. As a first step, could we try it in one subject this year, and then ask students and teachers what they think?

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, exams test what we remember, but presentations show what we understand. Let's give both a place in our school. Thank you, and I'm happy to take questions.