Academic Presentations Designing an effective presentation using Power Point
What should an academic presentation look like? Structure of Presentations Use of Power Point Guidelines on design
Structure your presentation Academic presentations should be structured with the same linear flow as academic essays: Title page; Introduction - list main points; Body - at least 3 separate points; Conclusion – sum up points, make recommendations.
Use of Power Point Power Point can be a helpful tool for both the new and the experienced speaker: Makes your presentation easy to follow; Takes the focus off you; Looks professional.
Follow these steps: 1. From File menu, go to “new” then choose a template. 4. Now choose Insert, then New Slide. 7. Go to Slide Show, choose your Slide Transitions. 2. Choose a style for title page. 5. Select a style for each new slide. 8. Go to Slide Show, choose an animation scheme. 3. Save your template immediately! 6. For Bullets, go to Format, choose a style. 9. View Show! (under Slide Show)
Guidelines on design Power Point is full of exciting options to make your presentation stand out, however, at least in academic presentations, use restraint! Make it BIG Keep it Simple Make it Clear Be Consistent
Font Size: The Dilemma 2 considerations: People need to be able to read from the back of the room; Larger font means less text per slide.
Some font size examples What size font is generally used for academic essays? Which of these font sizes is easiest for you to read?
Keep your visuals simple! Point form is easiest to follow; Allow 5 seconds for audience to absorb the point of the slide; Expand on the point with examples, etc.
Restrict the amount of text Spend more time explaining the visuals, don’t rely on text. Do not turn to the screen and read, EVER!
Resist your artistic impulses!
Make it clear All upper case is difficult to read; A normal mixture of upper and lower case is easiest to read.
What type of font? Experiment with different font types. Remember that although Times New Roman is the font type of choice for essays, it doesn’t show well on presentations.
Be consistent Once you’ve selected a font size, type, and color scheme, stick to it! Change is distracting: you want the audience to focus on what you are saying, not the design of your presentation.
Logical Sequencing The audience should clearly understand how successive stages are related to each other, and to the big picture. Begin and end with an identical pair of visuals, which summarize the main points you hope to convey to the audience.
Academic presentations: a summary Structure should follow essay guidelines; Power Point is a user-friendly tool; Design should reflect the four points: Size, Clarity, Simplicity, and Consistency