The elevator pitch is a good way for students to give a brief story in which they convince the audience. You first give students a question to answer in one or two minutes.
- Activity goal
- Exchange knowledge | Practice skills
- When
- In class
- Where
- Offline | Online
- Duration
- < 30 minutes
- Group size
- Small
Step-by-step
Step 1
Draft a question for students to answer in two minutes. Make students think about the persuasive element of their answer.
Step 2
Give students time to formulate their answer.
Step 3
Let students give their pitch to the rest of the group!
Tip 1
It may help to formulate any answers to the question yourself to see if it can actually be answered there in two minutes.
Tip 2
You can also give this assignment in advance or afterwards and ask students to submit a video as a homework assignment.
Tip 3
Students can also practise the pitch in smaller groups when a large group exceeds ten people.
Step-by-step
Step 1
Draft a question for students to answer in two minutes. Make students think about the persuasive element of their answer.
Step 2
Give students time to formulate their answer.
Step 3
Let students give their pitch to the rest of the group. Make sure students are able to share their screen if they use a PowerPoint or poster. You can do this in the plenary session, of put students in break out rooms.
This activity can be conducted online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Always use (generative) AI tools that are GDPR-compliant. Refer to the usage guidelines for Generative AI and the theme page about AI in education as well.
The Practice Partner
Students can use AI to practice their elevator pitch by engaging in a conversation with AI.
Prompt
You are going to practice an elevator pitch with AI. This is a short, powerful presentation in which you convincingly present yourself, your idea, or your service in a maximum of 60 seconds. Provide the information below so AI can tailor the exercise to your needs:
- What is the goal of your pitch? (E.g., introducing yourself for a job interview, pitching a startup idea, promoting a product, etc.)
- Who is your target audience? (E.g., a recruiter, investor, potential customer, networking contact, etc.)
- What are the key points you would like to convey?
- Do you want AI to play a specific role? (E.g., a critical investor, an interested customer, an HR manager, etc.)
- Do you want immediate feedback, or would you like to practice multiple times?
See AI strategy 'The Practice Partner' for more information and a step-by-step plan on how to apply this in practice.
