Communications Lab

illustration heads with talk bubbles

The HGSE Communications Lab (CommLab) is an educational program within the Harvard Graduate School of Education, founded in Fall 2019. We exist to cultivate and sharpen HGSE master’s and doctoral students’ oral, written, and visual communication skills, with an emphasis on academic and professional presentations, posters, and beyond. Our core offerings include a series of workshops and webinars, in addition to one-on-one and small group appointments. Throughout the academic year, we strive to equip HGSE students with communication skills we believe are essential for both academic and career success in the 21st century. 

Services

The HGSE CommLab offers our master and doctoral students a variety of services and supports related to oral communication. Please take some time to review our service offerings below to see which best meet your acadmeic and professional needs. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to our excellent team of Teaching Fellows. Their contacts can be found under Our Team.

One-On-One Appointments

  • Thirty-minute virtual appointment
  • Practice oral presentations
  • Storyboard and develop a slide presentation
  • Create an “elevator pitch”
  • Organize and develop a conference poster
  • Assistance with other mixed-media communication  

Small Group Appointments

  • One-hour virtual appointment for groups of 2-4 students
  • Practice small group oral presentations
  • Storyboard and develop a slide presentation 

Dissertations & Capstone Defense Prep

  • One-hour virtual appointment 
  • Practice oral defense
  • Receive feedback on slide presentation, including structure, order, and design
  • Tips for using visuals to communicate information and results 

Webinars

  • One-hour interactive workshops providing broad exposure to introductory communication skills and frameworks 
  • Participants will practice relevant skills and receive concrete resources
  • Topics: Developing a Digital Brand, Creating Academic Posters, Delivering an Effective Elevator Pitch and PowerPoint Basics.