Effective Presentations This resource is developed and maintained by Study Skills staff at the University of Chester and is for internal use only. © University of Chester, Last Modified 7 th August 2014.

Introduction As a student in Higher Education, you are likely to be asked to give a presentation on a particular topic, either as an individual or as part of a group. Presentations are widely used within the academic community, job selection processes, and in many other professions. Therefore developing your presentation skills may prove beneficial, not only now, but in the future.

Advantages of presenting Address the multiple senses Increase your credibility Effective use of time High profile Persuasive

Things to think about Your audience Planning the structure Organising the content How you will deliver Being well prepared will help you feel confident and less nervous.

Your audience What do you know about your audience? What are they expecting? What is the purpose of the presentation? overview? persuasion? to inform? introduce a new idea?

Planning - the topic – write down some key themes relating to the topic – Research the topic and make notes – keep focussed on the topic. – Collect evidence/examples. – Focus on the main points – it’s important not to swamp the audience with everything you know.

Planning – the timing How much time have you got to give your presentation? If you only have 10 minutes be clear about the central points you want to make. If you have more time you can elaborate on the points. It is useful to divide your material into the essential points that you definitely want to make and extra material that you can use if there is time.

Presentations – Good advice? ‘Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?’ he asked. ‘Begin at the beginning’, the King said gravely ‘and go on till you come to the end: then stop’ Lewis Carroll

Presentation structure First slide – Title of presentation. Introduce yourself first. Second slide – Bullet points indicating topics the presentation covers. Third slide – Start of the first topic you said you were going to talk about. Last slide – Thank your audience and ask “any questions”.

Organising content Use headings to talk about key issues. Keep information logical, as you would in an essay. Stay focused on the topic, keep it relevant.

Preparation Think about your Objectives Conclusion Sequence Timescale Detail vs. Clarity vs. Time The beginning – your hook Visuals Questions

Working in a group? This can be challenging especially when individuals fail to make an equal contribution. Here are some tips to help: Write down what is agreed e.g. who is going to do what Set times when you are going to meet Ensure that you all have each others contact details e.g. student address. Clarify your goals - break down tasks and allocate to group members. – Ideally this should be done by identifying any strengths individuals may already possess, in this way you can utilise individual strengths. Keep workloads fair and equal. Review progress regularly so that any problems can be identified.

What makes a good presentation? The opening Control Interest Watch the audience

What makes a good presentation? Hand-outs (booklet/notes). Slides / presentation of information. Interactive exercises.

Visual aids Decide what visual aids you want to utilise Don’t overuse the technology Make your slides clear and not too detailed Utilise other visual aids such as flipcharts, whiteboards etc. What other methods can you think of?

Practise makes perfect! Prepare thoroughly – if you’re not familiar with your material, your nerves will increase Prepare answers to anticipated questions Breathe deeply Have a drink of water on hand, particularly if it is a long presentation Working in a group? Practise to identify and remedy any repetition and inconsistencies

The delivery Don’t read what you want to say word-for-word – Condense your notes onto flash cards to use as prompts. Number each card, so if you drop them, you can put them back in order Give your presentation standing rather than sitting Don’t apologise for anything you feel could be better. Act as though you are quietly confident, this will help to convince your audience.

Voice Relax Breathe deeply Speak clearly and slower than you would normally Don’t mumble Don’t cover your mouth with your hand

Eye contact  Keep your head up!  Glance at your notes, then look back up  Keep your focus on the audience, but don’t stare – this could make people feel uncomfortable

The right attitude Be positive!  I am happy to be here  I am happy to see the audience  I am interested in the opinions and thoughts of the audience  I am in full control of the situation

Handling questions Know your audience as best you can Recognize influential/expert members of your audience at the outset Paraphrase back to ensure understanding Answer honestly, get back later if necessary Respond in a focused way Check you have answered the query

Top tips Have a back-up plan for audio-visuals If you can’t answer a question about the material you have presented, be honest Try recording yourself presenting

Other resources you might find useful… Have a look at these related study skills topics: Referencing – making sure you give credit to the sources of information you have read. Effective reading for academic purposes - develop strategies to improve your effectiveness in drawing relevant material from your reading. Want more resources? Click here for useful learning resources available on the Portal.Click here Visit us on FacebookVisit us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!follow us on Twitter