3MT Profile: Martin Lalonde

At our 3-Minute Thesis competition in 2014, Art Education doctoral student Martin LaLonde was chosen to represent Concordia at the National Francophone Competition Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes (also referred to as ACFAS). For those in the process of preparing for this year’s 3MT, here’s Martin on some takeaways from his experience.

Memorable moment? I felt proud to represent Concordia at the provincial level competition during the ACFAS congress. I was impressed that the competitor skill level was very high. Learning about the wide variety of research being conducted in different fields was an interesting experience unique to Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes and the 3MT. More so it was enriching to see which communication strategies had the most impact/success on the audience and jury.

Biggest Learning Experience? Delivering a speech to a big audience in a formal setting has always been an intimidating and nerve-wracking experience for me. The 3MT competition was an opportunity to learn how to manage the pressure of speaking in front of large crowds. Being able to talk clearly and confidently about your work in front of a generalist audience is a hugely important professional skill, for careers in research or otherwise. Gaining practice and fostering these skills will surely create further opportunities. The GradProSkills team was tremendously supportive and provided great resources throughout my prep process - the organizational committee, the workshops, the coaching sessions, everything was done to help, support and encourage all the participants in a very constructive way.

Watch: Martin Lalonde’s 2014 Concordia 3-Minute Thesis Video.

Watch: Martin Lalonde’s Thèse en 180 Secondes Video. In French, it was titled “Technologies mobiles : théories et pratiques pédagogiques en enseignement des arts médiatiques pour l'engagement socioacadémique des jeunes à risque.” You can also read a short interview with Martin on the video page.