College Classes Shouldn’t Rely Too Much on Presentation

ILMA ZUHA (30802300003)

Figure. 1

Recent studies show that excessive student presentations can lead to stress, burnout, and shallow understanding of course materials. In many universities today, student presentations have become the main method of learning. While they are useful for improving public speaking and teamwork skills, relying too much on presentations can make learning less effective. Many students end up focusing more on preparing slides than truly understanding the material. Therefore, college classes shouldn’t be all about presentations because they can cause stress, reduce learning motivation, and make understanding the material harder.

A study conducted by Widodo et al. (2002) found that 67% of students from five institutions in Java experienced academic pressure due to excessive presentation assignments. One of the reasons for low learning motivation among students is the heavy burden of presentation tasks, which has affected 32% of students over the past three years. These numbers show that too many presentation tasks can decrease both motivation and the overall effectiveness of learning.

Moreover, student-only presentations are often ineffective because the understanding of the presenters themselves is limited. They usually explain the material based on their own interpretation, which may be incomplete or inaccurate. As a result, their classmates also fail to gain a full understanding of the topic.

While presentations are a good way to practice communication skills, lecturers still play an essential role in guiding, explaining, and providing feedback. With proper direction from the lecturer, students won’t feel like they are guessing their way through lessons. Instead, they can build a deeper comprehension of all the materials, even those presented by their peers.

In conclusion, presentations should not be the only method used in college classrooms. An effective class should balance presentations, discussions, and direct explanations from lecturers. This way, students can learn more thoroughly, gain an accurate understanding, and stay motivated to study.