1. How can I improve my teaching techniques?
Welcome to
How should I engage an audience
when presenting research?
Welcome to GrTS
How can I improve my teaching techniques?

2. How can I improve my teaching techniques?
Welcome to GrTS
Surviving
(eventually excelling at)
Oral Presentations
How can I improve my teaching techniques?

3. We fear public speaking more than death!
Glossophobia (75%)
Sociophobia (8%)
Thanatophobia (68%)
Aerophobia (7%)
Arachnophobia (31%)
Claustrophobia (3%)
Achluophobia (11%)
Agoraphobia (2%)
Arachnophobia (10%)
Brontophobia (2%)
“Look at the bright side. There’s always a chance that a comet will destroy the Earth before you have to give your presentation.”

4. Three general types of presentations:
Oral
(Talk or Speech)
Poster
Radio/TV/Newspaper Interview
(Glossophobia on steroids?)

5. Oral presentation tips:
Know your audience and tell your story
Get your punch line up front
Academic communication is not a mystery novel
Don’t get lost in the weeds
Avoid jargon
Don’t read your talk!

6. Oral presentation tips:
Keep your slides simple and attractive
Make your slides readable
One idea and one minute per slide
Avoid clutter but fill the slide
Minimize text—use pictures and graphics
Need a color therapist?
Avoid cheesy slide transitions and fonts

7. Oral presentation tips:
Other
Room lighting and background color
Monitor color ≠ projector color
8% of males are colorblind
Beware of Mac-PC incompatibilities
PowerPoint or PDF file?

8. Oral presentation tips:
Practice, practice practice!
But not too much.

9. Poster-specific tips:
Hook the poster surfers!
Attractive (not glitzy) poster
Title that says “READ ME!”
Need a color therapist?
Then… ENGAGE! “Hi, can I walk you through my study?”

10. Poster-specific tips:
Tell your story in three columns
Your audience will work from left to right
Use big fonts—readable from 1+ meters away
Minimize the amount of text
Use pictures and simple figures and tables
Posters are great for networking
Make some miniature versions of the poster to give to people
Give people your business card with contact information

11. Interview tips: Microphones and cameras are seldom lethal!
Journalists are just people
Understand what the journalist is after
Ask for questions in advance
Prepare your key points

12. Interview tips: Condense and simplify your message
Avoid jargon—use conversational language
Be yourself
Mentally put yourself sitting with a friend
Avoid filler words—um, ah, you know

13. Two types of practice: For a specific presentation
Practice in front of your lab mates or roommates
To improve general oral communication skills
Acting courses!
Communicating Science courses:
WATS 6400—1 credit Spring (every year)
ADVS 6650—3 credits Fall (even years)
Join ToastMasters
1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Nutrition & Food Science 248A
Contact me at

14. How can I improve my teaching techniques?
Welcome to GrTS
Principles of
Science Communication
How can I improve my teaching techniques?

15. How can I improve my teaching techniques?
Welcome to GrTS
Reaching Out to
News Organizations
How can I improve my teaching techniques?

16. How can I improve my teaching techniques?
Welcome to GrTS
Elevator Pitches
How can I improve my teaching techniques?

17. Where can I find a career outside of academia? Graduate Student Social
Coming up:
January’s GrTS
Where can I find a career outside of academia?
Wednesday, January 25
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Library 101
RSVP at rgs.usu.edu/grts/rsvp
Graduate Student Social
Tuesday, December 13
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Engineering
Logan Country Club
RSVP at rgs.usu.edu/graduateschool/ graduate-student-social

18. How can I improve my teaching techniques?
Welcome to GrTS
Workshop
How can I improve my teaching techniques?

19. Thank you for coming! More questions? Contact: Andrea.Payant@usu.edu