{"id":4513,"date":"2026-06-26T15:24:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T14:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/?p=4513"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:40:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T14:40:04","slug":"building-students-confidence-and-capability-in-oral-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/2026\/06\/26\/building-students-confidence-and-capability-in-oral-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Building students\u2019 confidence and capability in oral communication"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW74839906 BCX8\">How Tariq Shafi, Senior Pre-Clinical Lecturer at <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW74839906 BCX8\">NuMed<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW74839906 BCX8\">\u00a0Malaysia, supports Stage 1 Medicine students to develop oral communication skills through a staged research communication task. The approach combines formative preparation, small-group presentation, peer\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW74839906 BCX8\">questions<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW74839906 BCX8\">\u00a0and immediate feedback to help students build confidence and capability in a supportive environment<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #003f80\"><strong>Our challenge\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Oral communication is an important part of students\u2019 development in Medicine, but students may feel anxious about presenting their work and responding to questions from others. This creates an opportunity to support students as they\u00a0practise\u00a0academic discussion, research\u00a0communication\u00a0and\u00a0giving\u00a0and\u00a0receiving\u00a0feedback.<\/p>\n<p>In the Medicine programme, students complete a range of pass\/fail portfolio\u00a0sign-offs\u00a0as part of their progression. This creates an opportunity to design oral communication tasks that are developmental rather than\u00a0high-stakes, while still making clear that students need to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0key capabilities. Tariq Shafi\u2019s practice shows how an oral presentation task can be carefully scaffolded so that students are prepared,\u00a0supported\u00a0and able to learn from the experience.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">Our approach<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Tariq works with a small mentor group of around 10 students. In Stage 1, students complete a research communication task in three stages. First, they write an abstract based on a research paper. They then develop this into an e-poster. Finally, they present their poster orally to their mentor group and answer questions from their peers and mentor.<\/p>\n<p>The oral presentation is a pass\/fail portfolio sign-off. Students are assessed against two criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">ability to answer questions from an audience;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">ability to present a poster clearly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Students present for around five minutes, followed by approximately two minutes of questions.\u00a0The task takes place in a two-hour mentor-group session, so careful timekeeping is important.\u00a0Students present to a familiar group of peers who they have worked with across the year, helping to make the setting more supportive and less intimidating.\u00a0At the\u00a0point\u00a0the assessment takes place in March, the mentor-groups are very well established.<\/p>\n<p>The task is scaffolded before the oral presentation takes place. Students are invited to share draft abstracts and posters with Tariq, who provides formative comments. This helps students improve the quality of the work they will later present, and means the final oral task is not approached in isolation.<\/p>\n<p>Tariq also\u00a0establishes\u00a0the tone of the session carefully. At the start, he\u00a0emphasises\u00a0that the group\u00a0are\u00a0there to be\u00a0kind and supportive\u00a0and that feedback given will be constructive.\u00a0Students are reassured that the purpose is to help them\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0their capability and develop their skills. This helps create a safe and supportive environment in which students can take the task seriously without feeling overwhelmed by it.<\/p>\n<p>Questions and feedback are built into the session. After each presentation, peers are invited to ask questions before Tariq asks his own. Where needed, Tariq supports the level of questioning so that it is\u00a0appropriate\u00a0and constructive.\u00a0Peer feedback is also structured: rather than asking the whole group for general comments, Tariq nominates individual students to give feedback, rotating through the group.\u00a0This helps ensure that students participate and gives them repeated opportunities to\u00a0practise\u00a0giving feedback within a safe, supportive space.<\/p>\n<p>Tariq uses the BOOST feedback model to guide feedback:<b>\u00a0Balanced,\u00a0Observed, Objective,\u00a0Specific\u00a0and Timely<\/b>.\u00a0Students are introduced to this model early in\u00a0the academic year as they work through their first cases. Tariq\u00a0gives oral feedback during the session and records written feedback in the student\u2019s portfolio at the same time. This means feedback is immediate,\u00a0relevant\u00a0and captured while the presentation is still fresh.<\/p>\n<p>Tariq will\u00a0continue as mentor for the same group of students into\u00a0Stage 2, where this\u00a0task is developed further. Students present for longer, with around eight minutes for the presentation and two minutes for questions, using PowerPoint slides. They also\u00a0complete a\u00a0five minute\u00a0video presentation aimed at a lay audience. This extends the communication challenge by asking students to adapt how they present information\u00a0for\u00a0different audiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">The impact<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The staged approach helps students arrive at the oral presentation well prepared. Because they have already received formative comments on their abstract and poster, they are able to focus on communicating their work and responding to questions.<\/p>\n<p>Students\u00a0generally pass\u00a0the oral sign-off\u00a0first time. Where needed, students can\u00a0resit\u00a0the oral element, reinforcing the developmental purpose of the task. The pass\/fail structure helps keep the focus on whether students can\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0the required capability, rather than on fine grading distinctions.<\/p>\n<p>The approach also supports students to\u00a0practise\u00a0giving and receiving feedback.\u00a0Peer feedback is used to highlight what has been done well, while mentor feedback adds constructive points for development.\u00a0By giving feedback to others in a guided and supportive setting, students also develop their own ability to notice effective practice, frame comments\u00a0constructively\u00a0and contribute to the learning of their peers.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">Lessons learned<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This example shows the value of treating oral communication as a capability that can be developed over time, rather than as a one-off performance. Students are more likely to succeed when the final presentation is connected to earlier formative work and when they understand how each stage prepares them for the next.<\/p>\n<p>The case also highlights the importance of the mentor\u2019s role in shaping the learning environment. Tariq\u2019s approach combines reassurance with clear expectations: students know that they are supported to pass, but they also understand that they need to prepare carefully, communicate\u00a0clearly\u00a0and respond to questions.<\/p>\n<p>Peer participation is most effective when it is deliberately designed. By inviting students to ask questions and nominating individuals to give feedback, the session becomes a shared learning activity rather than a sequence of isolated presentations.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the approach\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0how pass\/fail assessment can still be meaningful and developmental. The focus\u00a0remains\u00a0on capability,\u00a0preparation\u00a0and improvement, while the opportunity to\u00a0resit\u00a0helps\u00a0maintain\u00a0the supportive purpose of the task.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">Tips for colleagues<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To adapt this approach in another context, colleagues could:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">offer formative feedback on the preparatory stages before students present;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">use a small-group setting where students can present to peers as well as the tutor or mentor;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">set simple, transparent criteria for what students need to\u00a0demonstrate;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">have clear guidance on timings for presentation, feedback and complete the formal marking elements within these timings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">give feedback promptly, while the presentation and discussion are still fresh;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">consider whether a pass\/fail format, with a\u00a0resit\u00a0opportunity, would help keep the emphasis on development and capability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">include a question-and-answer element so that students\u00a0practise\u00a0responding to an audience;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">structure peer feedback by giving students specific roles or inviting named students to comment;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\">use a feedback model, such as BOOST, to keep feedback balanced,\u00a0observed, objective, specific and\u00a0timely;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">Skills and attributes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Students were able to develop the following attributes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/reflective-and-self-aware\/\">Reflective and self-aware<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/communication\/\">Communication<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">Education for Life Strategy<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This case study reflects the following aims of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncl.ac.uk\/who-we-are\/education-strategy\">Education for Life strategy:<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fit for the future<\/strong>: To ensure our students are fit for their future, our teaching is fit for the future of our offer, and our colleagues are fit for the future of HE<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc;padding: 10px;margin-top: 20px\">\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80\">Authors<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4514 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/files\/2026\/06\/tariqShafi2-e1782484709926.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top;text-align: left\"><strong>Dr Tariq Shafi<\/strong><br \/>\nSenior Pre-clinical Lecturer<br \/>\nNUMed, Malaysia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Tariq Shafi, Senior Pre-Clinical Lecturer at NuMed\u00a0Malaysia, supports Stage 1 Medicine students to develop oral communication skills through a staged research communication task. The approach combines formative preparation, small-group presentation, peer\u00a0questions\u00a0and immediate feedback to help students build confidence and capability in a supportive environment Our challenge\u00a0 Oral communication is an important part of students\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/2026\/06\/26\/building-students-confidence-and-capability-in-oral-communication\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"sr-only\">Read more about Building students\u2019 confidence and capability in oral communication<\/span>[&hellip;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1008,"featured_media":4514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,280,636,338,654],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-assessment-and-feedback","category-ep","category-newcastle-university-medicine-malaysia","category-small-group-teaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4513"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4518,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4513\/revisions\/4518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}