Memory, can be defined as the psychological process by which knowledge is recorded and stored. When it comes to memorization, one of the greatest practices of that one can learn at Tabor is using your memory to put forward, strong, and concise presentations. Millikin’s business students are encouraged to present on topics they not only fully comprehend the material, but be able to produce that material from their memory. Whether it be a self presentation in an informal setting, like an elevator speech, or a ten to twenty-minute slide show. Tabor strives for students to become the best representatives of themselves and hopefully one-day future employers. Students also practice structuring the content and the visuals of their presentations to create a clean and eligible display of their hard work. A perfect example of a course that puts these concepts to practice at Millikin is CO 242, or better known as Business and Professional Communications.
Business and Professional Communications is a class currently taught by Professor Candice Baker. Prof. Baker mainly spends her time in the communications department teaching var
ious courses, but she, along with the university, have developed a course that not only fulfills the requirements of a public speaking course, but is perfectly tailored to Tabor students to be given a better understanding as to what the standards of presenting in the business world could be.
Throughout the entirety of the course, Prof. Baker works to make sure each individual student is aware of all of the different scenarios possibly seen as ‘professional communication’. One of the first lessons and one of the most vital ones that students learn is how to properly give a brief introduction of yourself, or what most call an elevator speech. Students will quickly be able to identify what is important in what they are saying and what is not. We occasionally identify that talking in large quantities is seen as intellectual but, it’s not always the most beneficial.
As the semester went along we begin to present more and more often varying between speaking in groups on a topic that gives students the opportunity to create, collaborate, and work with others but, also confidently give a presentation. By doing this, students are given many opportunities to present and really put performance learning into practice. Though one of the most beneficial skills you can gain from this course is being able to utilize your memory to have stronger presentation. Business and Professional Communications tests students to see if they can present o
n topics that they understand and are comfortable enough to work from memory. Proving that if you know your presentation and your product well enough from memory, you should almost always present successfully.
Overall, classes like CO 242 are such a great opportunity that Tabor students get to partake in. It not only tests our memory, it also provides standards as to how well students should know and understand the material they are presenting, along with provides a perfect representation of performance learning and the idea that practice makes perfect.