Genio Launches Presentation Rehearsal Tool that Helps Students Improve Oral Communication Skills While Reducing Anxiety

Genio Present students build confidence through structured, private practice

CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Genio, a provider of learning tools that significantly improve student success, today announced the launch of Genio Present, a guided presentation rehearsal tool designed to help students with oral assessments and develop critical oral communications skills.

While oral presentations play a key role in academic assessment for developing communication skills, students — especially those with learning differences — often face anxiety that prevents them from fully engaging, according to a highly cited 2020 study in the Journal of Further and Higher Education. Even more worrisome, that study found that this anxiety negatively affects the student experience and plays a role in decisions about whether to continue with higher education.

These findings are especially concerning in light of research showing that children born during the COVID-19 pandemic show communications deficits due to less face-to-face interaction, along with the well-known phenomenon of students of all ages falling behind in nearly all subjects and skills over this time period. Moreover, researchers noted that institutions are not providing the additional help that students say they need, such as coaching in more private, supportive environments.

Additionally, as higher education institutions come under growing pressure to provide evidence that students find employment upon graduation, leaders in academia are increasingly concerned about whether institutions are providing students with the skills they need to succeed in the world of work. Recruiters consistently rate communications skills as one of the top three most important skills they seek in candidates.

Genio Present creates a safe, structured environment for students to practice presentations and develop oral communications skills privately at their own pace, providing students with:

• Structured self-reflection tools that help students identify strengths and areas for improvement
• Customizable goal-setting aligned to individual needs, from pacing to content clarity
• AI-powered feedback that provides supportive, actionable insights
• Progress tracking that makes confidence growth visible and measurable
• Optional sharing features for asynchronous feedback from mentors, tutors, or peers
• Downloadable recordings that can be submitted as alternative assessments when needed

Genio Present works seamlessly with any presentation software the student may use, requiring no complex integration or specialized training. Students can focus on building confidence rather than learning new technology. Additionally, Geno Present builds on Genio Notes, a tool that helps students take, organize and study the content of their notes,  to provide a comprehensive system for effectively absorbing, applying and communicating information.

"Academic presentations are used as assessments because they develop critical communication skills students need for life beyond the classroom," said Holly Donohue, chief product officer at Genio. "Genio Present creates a path forward that supports genuine participation and growth, not avoidance. It's about giving every student a fair chance to be heard, helping them build confidence that extends far beyond a single presentation."

Genio Present is available now. For more information about Genio Present, visit https://genio.co/present.

About Genio
Genio's mission is to unlock better learning for everyone, with study tools intentionally designed to support the cognitive work that sets people up for self-directed, lifelong learning. Trusted by more than 1,000 institutions globally, learners in over 1.6 million classes have benefited from Genio, which has empowered 91% of students using Genio's tools to improve and maintain their grades while reducing stress and boosting confidence. Especially as non-traditional students become the new majority learner, Genio helps institutions increase persistence and grow graduation rates. Genio puts learning science at the heart of design, meeting the respected ESSA Level 3 standard for pedagogically-effective EdTech. 

For more information on Genio, visit https://genio.co.

SOURCE Genio