Workshops educational development

Workshops autumn 2026

Speaking in Front of Others – How Can We as Teachers Support Students with Public Speaking Anxiety in Teaching and Assessment?

Date and time: 12 November 2026, 14:00–16:00.
Registration: Will open in the end of August.
Registration deadline is November 3.

Venue: Room 21:239 (Stormen), Blåsenhus Campus

Language: Swedish

Oral communication and presentations are a central part of higher education and occur in many contexts, such as seminars, presentations, and candidate thesis defenses. With the emergence of generative AI, interest in oral forms of assessment has increased even further. At the same time, fear of public speaking is one of the most common sources of anxiety among students. For some, this nervousness is manageable, while for others it can become so severe that it hinders learning and, in the worst cases, leads to students not completing a course or degree program.

In the first part of the workshop, we explore what public speaking anxiety is, how it may manifest itself, and the consequences it can have for those affected. We also discuss connections between public speaking anxiety and various disabilities, as well as the support resources available to students at Uppsala University.

In the second part of the workshop, we focus on pedagogical strategies for preventing and reducing students’ anxiety in oral situations. The aim is to explore practical tools for preventing anxiety, supporting students who experience public speaking anxiety, and creating more inclusive oral learning environments.