Participants' Needs and Interests
Presentations are most effective when the content is current and accurate.
Ensure your presentation is accurate and up to date by reviewing recent changes to the law and noting any current or controversial issues related to your topic.
People often come to a presentation with specific questions and concerns.
We suggest you briefly review the outline at the beginning of your presentation and ask the audience for any additions or changes according to the subjects or issues uppermost in their minds.
Many participants have little knowledge about the law.
What seems to be elementary to you may not be to them. Use simple language and pay special attention to defining legal terms and jargon.
Lecturing should be as brief as possible and yet reinforce key concepts.
As with any learning activity, participants begin immediately to forget portions of the content, so it is helpful if key points of each section are repeated and summarized at the end of each section.
Handling Questions.
Since questions are more meaningful when connected to the topic at hand, encourage participants to ask them during or right after each section, rather than waiting until the end. If there are too many, answer a few and defer the rest.
Some participants may prefer to ask questions privately; if possible, consider staying after the session to respond to these one-on-one.
Some participants may want further information on the topic than that covered in the presentation.
When participants raise personal, case-specific questions, provide general legal information only—not advice. Broader answers keep the discussion useful for everyone and consistent with PLEA’s mandate.
You may also suggest ways for participants to find more information, such as reading PLEA materials, consulting a lawyer, or contacting a government agency.
Participants learn best when a presentation uses a mix of techniques, especially those that encourage active involvement.
Below are some simple methods you may wish to use. Choose the ones that best fit your topic and group size.
Finish the presentation on time.
Going over can reduce attention and limit the value of your message, while ending on time leaves participants with a clear, focused takeaway.
Additional Considerations
Prior to the Presentation
- Notify the Coordinator whether you would prefer PLEA supporting materials, if available, to be distributed to the participants before or after the presentation.
- Prepare and gather any display items that you may need:
- Volunteers should present as a public service, not for personal gain. Personal services should not be promoted proactively, though promotional materials can be placed alongside PLEA resources, and business cards may be given if requested.
- Government materials may be shared.
- Wear clothing that is comfortable, appropriate, and gives a feeling of ease and assurance.
After the Presentation
- Please fill out the Presenter’s Feedback Form and send it to the PLEA office. Include any suggestions you may have regarding the course outline. Your feedback will help us to improve the Request a Speaker program.
- Return to PLEA a copy of any material handed out that was not provided by PLEA.
Presentation Techniques
In a presentation on Wills & Estates, the presenter could pose such questions as:
- What types of information should be included in a Will?
- What action is practical or advisable for the lay person to take?
- What obstacles would he face in taking this action?
Questions Posed to the Audience
Suitable for large or small groups.
Participants respond orally either immediately or after all participants have written down their own answer for themselves.
- assists the learners to apply the knowledge they have gained from the presentation
- encourages participants to think creatively about a number of possible answers to a question
- allows the participants to voice their opinions and to hear the comments of others
In a presentation on Child Custody, Access, and Maintenance, the presenter gives a divorce scenario where one spouse plans to remarry someone who will stay at home. Participants are asked whether this should affect custody, after which the presenter explains what the law says.
Case Studies
Suitable for large or small groups.
The presenter outlines a legal case. Participants select or evaluate the court opinion on the basis of their knowledge and ideas about the law.
- permits the participants to apply legal principles taught in the presentation
In a presentation on Older Adults and the Law, the presenter describes an elderly woman with declining capacity and asks participants:
- When should others—family or the courts—step in to manage her affairs, even at the cost of her independence and self-esteem?
Dilemmas
Suitable for large or small groups.
These are similar to case studies, except that dilemmas involve a non-judicial situation. Participants select and evaluate solutions to a life situation involving the law. Usually, there are pros and cons to each potential solution.
- allows for application of legal principles taught in the presentation
- helps participants to identify their own values and attitudes
- helps participants to learn about differing approaches to the situation
In a presentation on Patients’ Rights, the presenter could ask:
Should a patient have the right to inspect his or her medical records which are in possession of the hospital or the attending physician?
__ yes __ no __ undecided
Should doctors have a right to decide who to accept as patients?
__ yes __ no __ undecided
Surveys
Suitable for small groups only.
The presenter either poses one or more oral questions to the entire
audience, or distributes a question sheet to each participant. A tally
of the responses can serve as a basis for discussion.
- establishes a summary of group opinions and attitudes for analysis
- allows participants to think for themselves without being influenced by others
In a presentation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, the presenter gives 15 minutes for the discussion groups to reach a definition of what constitutes sexual harassment.
The presenter then asks each group to describe to the others its definition of sexual harassment.
Discussion Groups
Suitable for large or small groups.
Participants are divided into groups of four to eight people for a given time period. They exchange ideas and opinions on a specific legal topic. The presenter may choose to have each discussion group report back to the whole group.
- provides for an interchange of ideas and for participation by more individuals than is possible in a large-group situation
In a presentation on Residential Landlord and Tenant Law:
Prior to discussing the specific duties of landlords and of tenants, the presenter could give participants five minutes to read that particular section of the PLEA booklet Renting a Home.
Reading
Suitable for large or small groups.
Participants are given 5 to 10 minutes during the presentation to read a portion of the handout material.
- is useful introducing a new topic
- is effective in reinforcing what has been taught
- helps those people who understand and retain information better by reading it rather than by hearing it
In a presentation on Non-Profit Corporations, the presenter could use a PowerPoint slide listing key membership rights, such as:
- The right to elect the directors
- The right to one vote per member at a membership meeting
- The right of access to the corporation’s records
Slide Shows
Suitable for large or small groups.
The presenter prepares his or her own PowerPoint slides for use in the presentation.
- provides a way to list or summarize key ideas
- allows for diagrams or illustrations to be shown to many people
In a presentation on the Court System, the presenter may introduce the topic by showing the video-tape “Law in Saskatchewan: Canadian Court System”, available on loan from the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation office in Saskatoon.
Videos
Suitable for large or small groups.
Depending on the topic, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, or the local library may be able to provide the presenter with audiovisual materials to include in the presentation.
- is useful in introducing a topic for discussion
- is helpful in presenting facts
- is a teaching technique which usually is of high interest for participants
