The Impact of Pecha Kucha Presentations in the Assessment of a Translation Studies Unit at The University of Western Australia

Abstract

Results of a case study on the implementation of Pecha Kucha presentations undertaken at The University of Western Australia in 2015 are presented and discussed here. Pecha Kucha, a fast-paced presentation format consisting of 20 slides set to proceed automatically every 20 seconds, was used in the assessment of the unit "Translation Localisation" for two reasons: it is a time-effective method to assess a large number of students in a short time, and it has the potential to teach students whilst also assessing them, thus killing two birds with one stone. Recent studies show that the Pecha Kucha style can improve presenting skills and English speaking skills in general. This has particular relevance when teaching large numbers of international students, such as in "Translation Localisation," where 84% of students spoke English as their second language. The paper ultimately shows how the use of Pecha Kucha presentations in the assessment of a unit carries important pedagogical implications for students of English for Academic Purposes.