Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Technical Presentations

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University How to Give a Technical Talk Preparing your talk –Who is your audience –What is your purpose –Write out your speech –Practice your presentation

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Technical presentation Lecture = presentation ?

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Technical talk Delivering your talk –Consider the elements of delivery –Help the audience to interact –Be ready for questions Evaluate your efforts and improve

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Audience & purpose Who is the audience –Background (education) –Experience level –Category (fellow students, supervisor) Consider your purpose –Write out your report –Have one main theme to a speech

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Write your speech Begin with an outline –Introduction – statement of presentation –Major sections – support for argument –Conclusion – restatement of objectives Write out each point in body of text Consider visual aids you will use –Reserve time for your visual aids (for example playing a video) Write out introduction and conclusion

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Outline of speech Introduction –State objectives –Create friendly atmosphere –Interest the audience –Announce plan of development

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Body –Offer technical support for presentation –Use simple visual aids to add interest –Provide intelligent repetition of topic and subtopics Conclusion –Restate objectives –Give a call for action or an upbeat comment

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Rule of three People often need to encounter something at least three times before it starts to sink in: –Tell them what you are going to tell them –Tell them –Tell them what you told them –In a lecture, this is the case –But you can’t do this in your project presentation, why?

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Visual aids We learn: –1% through taste –1.5% through touch –3.5% through smell –11% through hearing –83% through sight We retain: –10% what we read –20% of what we hear –30% of what we see –50% of what we see and hear Visual aids will help !!!

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Visual aids Nowaday, power point is common visual aid for presentation But there are others –Slides –Overheads –Flip charts and posters –Black and white boards

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Practicing your delivery Reading directly from manuscript (try not to!) Be natural – speaking not reading –Read your speech many times –Practice without reading until it is natural (tape your speech and listen to it) –Write outline, figures, quotes on an index card –Number your slides to match the topics on your outline

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Practice Talking from overheads: –Use the slides as your index cards –Don’t read but paraphase No pain, no gain (your need to more “real” presentation to obtain good results)

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Delivering your talk Consider the elements of delivery –Voice –Movements –Gestures 手勢 –Eye contact

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University voice Project your voice Pronounce words clearly Give an animated delivery Use pauses at suitable time Avoid slang 俚語 and colloquialisms 口語 體

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Movements Pointing finger plus emphatic comment to reinforce a point Sideward step at moment of transition shows shift in thought Step backward indicates conclusion Step forward indicates beginning of a new point

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Gestures & eye contact Gestures –Use natural, relevant gestures –Normal descriptive conversational gestures can indicate length, height, speed, roundness Eye contact –Talk to people, not to windows, floors or yourself –Relax

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Audience interaction Analyze their background Keep your point few, repeating major points through variation Provide interesting examples Interest them through movement and by varying your speech rate, pitch and volume Adjust to audience reactions as you go along

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Questions and answer Be ready for questions –Anticipate questions (write down all possible questions and answers beforehand) –Prepare slides with possible answers Stay clam Shut down your protection mechanism Fielding questions afterwards: –Make sure you understand the question –Keep your answer brief but honest –Admit it when you don’t have the answer –Handle each questioner courteously

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Evaluate your efforts Be aware of errors: –Poor visuals –Lack of movement, enthusiasm –Overuse of notes –Monotonous voice –Poor eye contact –Repetition of certain phrases –Use of slang, colloquialisms

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Improve with practice Work on vocabulary Work on technique –Observe others –Adopt humor –Learn to elicit audience response Turn stage fright to advantage, animating your delivery

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Stay positive –Imagine yourself succeeding –See technical talking as a skill Video tape a practice session

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Evaluate your efforts Positive traits –Enthusiasm –Poise –Interest in subject –Audience interaction –Good use of visuals

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Negative traits Poor eye contact Reading or reciting speech Not on listener’s level Poor use of visuals Poor organization

Electrical Engineering Department, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University End of file