How to give an oral presentation

View oral presentation as a process of anticipating & overcoming potential misunderstandings –Identify what is the confusion –Identify what is the strategy for explaining the confusion What is a good presentation?

Informing is a poor way of presentation –It is not focused on understanding –Over-emphasis on hooking the audience to gain its attention –Trying to establish its need for information –Too focused on form, Not contingent on material; Not all material is best explained via examples, visual aids, frameworks, charts, it depends on the type of material you present What is a Poor way of Presentation?

Inform –Create awareness of latest information on some topic (E.g., News reports) Explain Improve understanding of something audience is aware of but does not fully grasp Explaining helps deepen understanding or master a skill Explaining vs. Informing

Analyze audience’s source of ‘confusion’ –What can the audience be confused about? –Why the audience might not understand info? Identify good, empirically supported techniques (explanations) for overcoming audience confusion –Rowan article How to explain

Steps to follow to develop your presentation

Read assigned material Is it a idea that is hard to believe? Is it a concept? Is it a process? Classify the aspect Focus on one aspect Examples, counter examples etc. Identify invalid assumptions of implicit theory etc. Model to explain processes or parts

Answer ONE of the following : 1.What does a concept mean? 2.How are two things related? 3.Why are two things not related ? Your short presentations will answer the qs 1 your long presentation may answer qs 1 & 2 OR qs 1 & 3 (depending on support/non support for hypothesis) Focus of Your Presentation

Define concept to be explained by listing its features Give examples of concept Differentiate concept from confusing concept –Give examples of confusing concept that can be mistaken for examples of the concept to be explained –Compare features of the concept to be explained and the confusing concept Steps to follow when explaining a concept….

One example on how to explain concepts

What is a hypothesis –Examples of a hypothesis Frequent giving and receiving boosts productivity and social standing Perceived generosity is positively related to social status Give examples of the concept

A hypothesis is not a variable or a result –Examples A result= The level of frequent giving was high A variable= The level of productivity was low Differentiate concept from confusing concept

Features of a hypothesis –Must be empirically testable –At least two variables must be involved Sekaran, Saks Define concept by listing features

Comparing examples of concept vs. counter concept HypothesisResult Frequent giving & receiving boosts productivity and social standing The instructor’s gender is female The level of productivity is high Frequent giving and receiving boosts productivity and social standing

Comparing features of concept vs. counter concept HypothesisResult A guess about the relationship between two variables An empirical fact about a variable An empirical fact about the relationship b/w two variables

After developing content of your presentation, think about structure and ordering of that content

Structural Aspects of Presentation Slides Have a clear introductory & summarizing component with 3 or fewer points Are well structured & the logic of the organization is clear Have clear & accurate headings & subheadings

Examples of Intro & Summaries IntroductionSummary  What is a hypothesis A hypothesis is a guess about the relationship between two variables

What is a summary? –More like “learning points” –It is a short descriptive review of what you just explained An implication –E.g., Why audience should care about your presentation –E.g., now that the audience knows about your presentation how should they apply it Summary vs. Implication

What’s next…. Had a clear introductory & concluding component with 3 or fewer points Are well structured & the logic of the organization is clear Have clear & accurate headings & subheadings

Titles for entire presentation –Should reflect the question you will answer –Can reflect the agenda (if short) E.g., What makes a good leader? Titles of each slide –Title should reflect the content of the slide –Titles should tell you the connection to the previous slide– REFLECT LOGICAL ORGANIZATION Titles

Titles of slides vs. Headings vs. subheadings Title of slide is an accurate description of the content of the slide Subheadings elaborate on points made in headings Headings

Titles of slides should connect with each other and form the structure of your presentation Another feature of titles of slides

Putting it all together An example of how to explain concepts with examples, counter examples & features, using good titles, headings & subheadings,

What is a Field Study

Examples Field study –Handgun magazine sales & gun related deaths from Guns & Crime Article in Economist –Conference Board study Sample Survey –Gallup Polls –Meta-analysis

Features differentiating research designs Degree to which 1.They Maximize generality of behaviors studied 2.The behavior being studied is independent of the setting 3.Settings are natural to the behavior being studied 4.results are specific of the Systems studied 5.Cause & effect are determined precisely

A tabular display of similarities & differences between field study & sample survey

Differences & Similarities between Field Study & Sample Survey Field StudySample Survey Particular SystemsHiLow Contrived settingLowHigh Setting DependenceHighLow GeneralityLowHigh PrecisionModerate

A graphic display of similarities & differences between field study & sample survey (also serves as summary)

Particular Behavior SystemsUniversal Behavior Systems Obtrusive Operations Unobtrusive Operations Natural Settings Contrived Settings Field Studies Field Experiments Lab Experiments Maximum Context Maximum Precision Maximum Generality Formal Theory Sample Surveys Setting Independent Behavior not measured Computer Simulations Runkel & McGrath, 1972 Experimental Simulations

What you learned so far... How to generate the content of your short oral presentation How to structure the content

Additional types of explanations for Long Presentation Why are the variables in your hypothesis are related Why the variables in you hypothesis are not related

How to explain why two things are related 1.Creating a good general impression 2.Conceptualize parts

Provide a good general impression of phenomenon via…. Graphics/Models Verbal strategies Structure suggesting titles –Five dimensions of personality Organizing analogies –An organization is like a jazz quartet Model suggesting topic sentences –Need fulfillment works like a pyramid Note: Models/analogies should be commonly shared 1 st step to explaining why two things are related

Example explanation of why two things are related Using Previously read abstract on help & productivity

Frequency of Help Productivity Social Status Giving a general impression

Help audience conceptualize parts, processes, inter-relations via Transitional phrases, previews, summaries & explicit statements of relationships that help in refining mental models Do not use short sentences and sacrifice words like “because” and “for example” Repeat/recreate initial comparisons 2nd step to explaining why two things are related

Frequency of Help Productivity Social Status Efficiency in resource exchange Information about others’ interests Liking for helper Example: Breaking down the process

1.Identify reason for hypothesis 2.Identify limitations of reasoning for hypothesis 3.Explain the reason for the counter hypothesis & how that reason is supported with empirical evidence How to explain why hypothesis is not supported

e.g., Participation does not lead more difficult goals being set 1.Identify reason for pro hypothesis – Participation results in more difficult goals being set because subordinates want their supervisors to believe that they are highly capable and therefore choose more difficult goals than those that may be assigned to them by the supervisor Example explanation of counter hypothesis Step 1

2.Demonstrate limitations of reason behind pro hypothesis –Assumes that supervisors do not know the abilities of the subordinates and so assign easy goals Example explanation of counter hypothesis Step 2

3.Explain the reason for the counter hypothesis & how that reason is supported with empirical evidence –When supervisors know the abilities of subordinates, participation does not result in more difficult goals as shown in results of study x.... Example explanation of counter hypothesis Step 3

What you learned today How to generate the content of a presentation of ‘research’ –Define variables –Explain why things are related –Explain why things are not related –How to structure the content