Baker’s presentation, titled ‘Elsa, the tiger and the Speech Sound Disorder’, focused on her research into phonological awareness intervention, a method that helps children with phonological disorders— the struggle to produce sounds correctly. This is achieved through strengthening their understanding of sounds and parts of words, which is critical to developing language, literacy, and communication skills.
The 3MT competition, held in October and marking the 10th annual event, challenges doctoral students to condense their research into a three-minute presentation for a non-specialist audience.
The judges commended Baker for her ability to explain this complex topic in a clear and engaging way, pairing her presentation with original cartoons to illustrate her thesis.
The national competition saw 850 participants from across the UK, with entries being gradually narrowed down from 65 to 6 finalists. The winners were chosen by judging panel and a public vote.
The Judges’ Choice Award, received by Baker, is one of three honors presented. Other finalists were recognised with the People’s Choice and Editor’s Champion Awards.
Originally developed by the University of Queensland, the 3MT competition has grown to attract over 900 universities globally. In the run up to this year’s event, Newcastle University hosted communication training, one-on-one coaching and support to students research throughout the competition stages.
Jo Baker’s impressive win not only highlights her dedication to research, but also it’s social impact and the importance of raising awareness of language challenges in children— a sector crucial in driving positive change in both healthcare and education.
