Students are asked to present a 15 minute talk on a topic of their choice that is closely related to an area covered by the course. Each Professor provides several suggested topics with literature citations to give students some direction. Professors also provide guidance in deciphering the papers chosen as well as how to organize an effective 15 minute presentation. This is a great exercise because it is the ultimate in active learning. Several minutes of discussion typically follows each presentation.
Professors ask probing questions to get students to think critically about what they are presenting.
This exercise is good practice for Graduate Students who will be giving oral presentations throughout their graduate and professional careers. In my experience students at this level have definite academic strengths and fairly well developed interests. The techniques I have discussed here help to identify build upon these. They also identify weaknesses and give students a way to explore new territory actively and at their own pace.