What teachers and students value in presentation style: towards inclusive oracy practices in Higher Education assessment

Interest in oracy in Higher Education has been growing in recent years. Yet there is a modest number of studies that have investigated what oracy skills are valued in oral presentations in a way that considers implications for inclusivity. Through analysis of 17 individual and group interviews, 1 rating discussion and documentation, this article shares the physical, linguistic, and social & emotional skills valued by 13 teachers and 9 students in oral presentation performances across 7 degree modules at 4 UK universities. How teachers and students could, and do, adjust practices in ways that foster inclusivity in the treatment of presentation delivery is discussed. The study found that teachers foster inclusivity, but also at times overvalue presentation skills such as confident delivery and minimal use of prompts. The paper suggests that staff and students continue to develop a closer understanding of specific oral presentation demands, appraise oracy training on offer and consider a range of practical assessment adjustments and alternatives that accommodate diverse communication needs.