Academic Presentation Skills 16 November 2011 Sources: Comfort, Jeremy. 1997. Effective Presentations. Oxford University Press, Sweeney, Simon. 1997. English Business Communication. Cambridge University Press and http://www.iasted.org/conferences/formatting/Presentations-Tips.ppt [accessed 13.10.2008]. Decker Communications http://decker.com/

Contents Before the presentation The structure Introduction Main body Conclusion Bad manners Slides – some tips Outlines Slide Structure Fonts Color Background Graphs Spelling and Grammar Conclusions Questions In conclusion

Before the presentation Audience What are their expectations What do they know  knowledge of your field How many to expect to be present Questions and discussion Clear objective Your knowledge of the field Presentation technique What to include Length and depth Number of key ideas

Before the presentation 2 Structure Sequence (introduction, main body, conclusion) Repetition, summarizing Delivery Style (formal / informal; enthusiasm / confidence) Voice (variety, speed, pauses, emphasis) Body language (eye contact, gesture/ movement, posture) Language: simple and clear, sentence length, structure signals

Before the presentation 3 Visual aids Type / design / clarity; Relevance to the topic Check spelling Simple and clear Practice Time yourself Use a tape recorder Script or notes? Check equipment beforehand (if possible)

The structure: introduction 1 Have a strong introduction to your presentation Give your audience a reason for listening Do not start with crucial information  your listeners might not be ”tuned in” yet

The structure: introduction 2 Points in your introduction: A greeting Your name and position The title of your presentation / your objective (make sure your title is informative) The purpose of your presentation The main parts or points to be covered

The structure: main body Main body of the presentation Organize your main points in a logical order; the way you do it can differ Choose 2-4 main points, which you can divide into smaller sections of information Link your ideas by using linking words and phrases

The structure: conclusion Summarize your key points Conclude your presentation with a dramatic statement or a recommendation, do not just trail off Distribute support information if needed Invite and anticipate questions; be ready to answer them Thank the audience

Bad manners If your presentation lacks structure, you haven’t practiced and show poor slides, the audience won’t understand you and will become impatient with you Do not read directly from your papers or your slides Do not turn your back to the audience

Slides – some tips Outlines Slide Structure Fonts Color Background Visuals Spelling and Grammar Conclusions Questions

Outline Make your 1st or 2nd slide an outline of your presentation Example: previous slide Follow the order of your outline for the rest of the presentation Only place main points on the outline slide Example: Use the titles of each slide as main points

Slide structure - good Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation Write in point form, not complete sentences Include 4-5 points per slide Avoid wordiness: use key words and phrases only

Slide structure - bad This page contains too many words for a presentation slide. It is not written in point form, making it difficult both for your audience to read and for you to present each point. Although there are exactly the same number of points on this slide as the previous slide, it looks much more complicated. In short, your audience will spend too much time trying to read this paragraph instead of listening to you.

Slide structure - good Show one point at a time: Will help audience concentrate on what you are saying Will prevent audience from reading ahead Will help you keep your presentation focused

Slide structure - bad Do not use distracting animation Do not go overboard with the animation Be consistent with the animation that you use

Fonts – good Use at least an 18-point font Use different size fonts for main points and secondary points this font is 24-point, the main point font is 28-point, and the title font is 42-point Use a standard font like Times New Roman, Tahoma or Arial

Fonts – bad CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ Don’t use a complicated font

Color - good Use a colour of font that contrasts sharply with the background Ex: blue font on white background Use colour to reinforce the logic of your structure Ex: light blue title and dark blue text Use colour to emphasize a point But only use this occasionally

Color – bad Using a font colour that does not contrast with the background colour is hard to read Using colour for decoration is distracting and annoying. Using a different colour for each point is unnecessary Using a different colour for secondary points is also unnecessary Trying to be creative can also be bad

Background - good Use backgrounds that are attractive but simple Use backgrounds which are light Use the same background consistently throughout your presentation

Background – bad Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or difficult to read from Always be consistent with the background that you use

Graphs – good Use graphs rather than just charts and words Data in graphs is easier to comprehend and retain than raw data Trends are easier to visualize in graph form Always title your graphs

Graphs - good

Graphs – bad

Graphs - bad

Graphs – bad Minor gridlines are unnecessary Font is too small Colours are illogical Title is missing Shading is distracting

Spelling and grammar Proof your slides for: speling mistakes the use of of repeated words grammatical errors you might have make Have someone else check your presentation, if you cannot see your own mistakes!

How we take information

Therefore…… There are some important conclusions that we can take in from this information: Use visuals (pictures, graphs, tables, props) whenever you can In a speech you are only using 38% of the communication medium Ditch the bullet points 

Achieving your objectives

Conclusion Use an effective and strong closing Your audience is likely to remember your last words Use a conclusion slide to: Summarize the main points of your presentation Suggest future avenues of research

Questions ?? End your presentation with a simple question slide to: Provide a visual aid during question period Avoid ending a presentation abruptly

In conclusion Prepare yourself well (both your oral part and your visuals) Practice out loud  that is the only way to check how long your presentation will last (trust me) If you experience stage fright  relax, breathe deep and remember that you are not alone!