RMIT University

OENG1168 – Engineering Capstone

Project Part B
Assessment Task 3: Presentation

School of Engineering

RMIT University

Contact: OENG1168@rmit.edu.au

Please email with your queries. Give as much information as possible.

Explain what the issue is and what you have already done to try to solve it.
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1.0 Description

Presentation - 30.0%

The third assessment task of the Engineering Capstone Project B course is a presentation to be
submitted by the end of week 13.
The quality of a well-structured, clearly and appropriately communicated project presentation shall
be assessed online by independent academic staff.

Elements to be assessed will include:

• The quality of a poster submitted as a pdf
• The quality of a pre-recorded presentation (10 minutes maximum). The quality shall be
assessed on:
o Creative use of multimedia and reference materials (e.g. videos, simulations etc)
o Clarity of the explanation
o Professionalism
o Team participation (if working in a team).

1.1 Presentation pitch and professionalism

In your presentation you need to simply address what you have done in your capstone project. You
can also use this opportunity to create interest in an idea, or product – or in yourself (mastering the
skill will help you with employment). Your presentation should last no longer than 10 minutes.
Those of you working teams will need to ensure that all team members have a chance to present.
For instance, if there are 4 members in a team, each team member should aim to pitch for 2-3
minutes, assuring that the total presentation does not exceed 10 minutes.
The pitch should be interesting, memorable, and succinct. It also needs to explain what makes you –
or your project, product, or idea – unique.
It can take some time to get your pitch right. You'll likely go through several versions before
finding one that is compelling, and that sounds natural in conversation. Follow these steps to create
a great pitch, but bear in mind that you'll need to vary your approach depending on what your pitch
is about. Also, consult your academic supervisor before preparing your presentation.

1. Identify your goal: In this case your goal is to showcase the knowledge that you have gained
during the past year working on your capstone project. You would also like to showcase the
communication skills and the professionalism that you have developed or improved during your
years of engineering studies, which you are about to complete.
2. Explain what you have done: Start your pitch by describing what your team (or yourself in case
of individual projects) have done. Focus on the problems that you solved (or investigated) and
how you helped people (your supervisor or industry partner). If you can, add information or a
statistic that shows the value in what you've accomplished. Ask yourself this question as you start
writing: what do you want your audience to remember most about you/your work? Keep in mind
that your pitch should excite you first; after all, if you don't get excited about what you're saying,
neither will your audience.
3. Put it all together: When you've completed each section of your pitch, put it all together. Then,
read it aloud and use a stopwatch to time how long it takes. You may cut out anything that doesn't
absolutely need to be there. Remember, your pitch needs to be snappy and compelling.
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4. Practice: Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Remember, how you say it is just as
important as what you say. If you don't practice, it's likely that you'll talk too fast, sound
unnatural, or forget important elements of your pitch. Set a goal to practice your pitch regularly.
The more you practice, the more natural your pitch will become. You want it to sound like a
smooth conversation, not an aggressive sales pitch. Make sure that you're aware of your body
language as you talk, which conveys just as much information to the listener as your words do.
Practice in front of a mirror or, better yet, online with your colleagues until the pitch feels
natural. As you get used to delivering your pitch, it's fine to vary it a little – the idea is that it
doesn't sound too formulaic or like it's pre-prepared, even though it is!
5. Appearance: Team member(s) need to look and behave like engineering professionals during the
presentation.

1.2 Presentation recording guidelines

It is suggested that you use Microsoft Teams to record and download your Presentation. You have
access to this application using your RMIT Microsoft account (yourname@student.rmit.edu.au).
This application can be used if you are doing a group presentation or if you are an individual.

Please watch the video provided on Canvas that shows how to set up, record and download using
Microsoft Teams.

If you are more comfortable using another online meeting tool to record your presentation you can
do this as long as you are able to download a video file of the recording to submit.

Things to think about when recording your presentation

Remember your presentation will be assessed for its professionalism so you should consider some
key things when doing the recording:

• Lighting – We need to be able to see your face. If you have a light source behind you
(window, bright lamp etc.) your face may be underexposed and difficult to see.
• Location – What can be seen in the background of your video? You can blur your
background in Microsoft Teams or consider setting up a temporary backdrop if you are
struggling to find somewhere appropriate to record your video.
• Ambient noise – try to record from the quietest place in your house and let
housemates/family members know not to disturb you when you are recording.

2.0 Format
2.1 Presentation requirements
• A formal presentation with a poster (and other materials)
• A pre-recorded video (10 minutes maximum)

3.0 Special Consideration

Students who need an extension for this assessment task need to apply for special consideration.

4.0 Marking guidelines

Your mark for this assessment will be determined by a panel of assessors and will make up 30% of
the final mark. Detailed assessment criteria will be made available via a rubric. Please ensure that
you read the assessment criteria and that your presentation delivers what is required.

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5.0 Plagiarism and Originality

Plagiarism at any level with the University is unacceptable. Students who submit plagiarised work
will be dealt with in accordance with the University's plagiarism policy which can be found here
(Academic Integrity). An originality report from "Turnitin" will be used only as a guide and all
reports will be checked against other sources such as previous RMIT-based project reports, Google
Books, Amazon and various eBook repositories. By agreeing to the online assignment declaration
students state that the submitted work is of their own and hence submitting any plagiarised work
constitutes a breach of this declaration and will be dealt with accordingly.