1. Academic Presentation Skills
16 November 2011
Sources: Comfort, Jeremy Effective Presentations. Oxford University Press, Sweeney, Simon English Business Communication. Cambridge University Press and [accessed ]. Decker Communications

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

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

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

23. 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

24. Graphs - good

25. Graphs – bad

26. Graphs - bad

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

28. 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!

29. How we take information

30. 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 

31. Achieving your objectives

32. 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

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

34. 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!