coldheart
11-08-2006, 09:39 AM
The group presents its project work for others to see and hear. The project can be presented in various ways. You may use a power point display, a play, a lecture, a debate, a video play, a movie, an overhead projector or an exhibition of your work in an art form. Use your imagination. Be as creative as you wish.
Your presentation should be planned and organized. Your group should spend time rehearsing for it like a performance. Practice your presentations until you feel that all the members of your group know their parts perfectly. Everyone must participate in the final presentation . For further information, use the form at the bottom of this page to contact your teacher.
I have separated the process of preparing a talk into a series of stages. Review each stage in succession, at least on the first time through the tutorial.
Planning
Preparation
Outlining
Important Elements
Practice
Presentation
The Moment of Truth
Handling questions
Initial Planning
This is where you begin to tailor the talk to the situation, and for that reason this stage is very important for a successful presentation. Talk to your host and clarify these points before you spend much preparation time. If the environment and audience are unfamiliar to you, this is a critical stage. You may even want to do a literature search on potential audience members to identify areas of common interest or potential questions which may arise. Begin this stage early - the more lead time you allow yourself, the more time you will have to think up novel approaches to the topic and the more interesting and substantial your presentation will be.
Before you begin preparing the presentation, you'll need to determine:
The type of talk you will be expected to give
Will this be an informal chat, a seminar discussion, or a more formal presentation?
Different talks have different purposes; the intent of a conference presentation is not the same as a job talk. When in doubt, ask for guidance from your host.
The composition of the audience
Will you be speaking to a general audience or specialists?
How many people are expected to attend?
Is this likely to be a friendly audience? An interactive audience?
The time allotted for the talk
the longer the talk, the more freedom you will have to explore the topic
a short talk needs to be very clear and to address the topic directly
Is question time included?
Expectations for information content
Is there a specific purpose for having you give a talk? Clarify the expectations beforehand and plan to address them during the presentation.
Will you be presenting novel concepts to this audience, or building upon their prior knowledge? Either way, make sure you cover the basics clearly, and early in the talk, to avoid loosing the audience.
Preparation
Once you have a general idea of what you want to say, you'll have to decide how to say it. Unlike a conversation or a written document, a talk is a one-shot attempt to make a point. By contrast, a conversation consists of repetitions and clarification's based on questions and immediate feedback, while a written paper allows a reader to puzzle through its contents as often as necessary. It is essential that your talk be well-constructed and tidy, and that your points be presented to the audience both a logical sequence and unambiguously. This all takes a fair amount of preparation. Start early!
Here are a few pointers to get you started:
Start preparing far in advance by thinking through what needs to be said. Collect material which may relate to the topic from unusual sources, and sleep on these ideas. The final product will be more fully-developed and interesting.
Using big letters and a bold pen, write a clear statement of the problem and its importance, and then pin that statement on the wall above your desk.
Develop this theme into one jargon-free sentence that will catch the attention of the audience. Next, identify the issues you plan to address (brainstorm, then trim back; see the portion of this tutorial on outlining).
Arrange these issues in a logical sequence (which may change as you develop the talk). This process is easier if you use index cards to organize your talk, with one idea per card.
Computer-based presentation programs (PowerPoint, Persuasion, etc.) can be wonderful time-savers. The time invested in learning to use these programs is rewarded by the speed with which a presentation can be created, even by a moderately-skilled user. These programs are good tools for organizing your presentation (an electronic version of the index cards idea), they can be used to create visuals for the presentation ( e.g., slides and transparencies), and even project those visuals during the presentation.
Avoid using lists (First ..., Second ...); you may confuse listing systems (First ..., Point B..., and another thing ...), or you may discover later in the talk that you've missed a point entirely, and then you'll be forced to backtrack. Both of these problems tend to distract your audience away from the points you are trying to make, and both give the appearance of poor organizational skills.
Retention of information by the audience is reduced as a talk proceeds, so if you do want to make a series of points, organize them from the most to the least important. That way, the audience is more likely to remember the important points later. You may even find that the less important points become irrelevant to the focus of the talk as you practice.
Determine transition elements which will help your audience to follow the link from one issue to the next. These should be logical, and may be presented by posing a question, or explaining your own discovery of the link's existence.
Use short sentences with simple constructions. The concept will be made clearer, and the sentence structure is more similar to conversational styles.
Run through the talk once, early. Go back and re-think the sequencing. Discard non-essential elements.
Don't assume the audience will be familiar with basic concepts that form the foundation of your talk. Outline these concepts briefly but clearly early in the talk to avoid confusion.
Attempt to identify problems or questions the audience may have and address them in the talk, before the audience has a chance to think of these things themselves.
Determine which elements would benefit by being presented with visual aids. Spend time working out the best way to present the material. Head on over to the accompanying tutorials for information on presenting material in an effective way using visual aids.
Prepare thumbnails sketches of these visual aids, and then run through the talk again. Re-work the most appropriate and essential visual aids and discard the rest. Don't forget to proof-read your visuals! Do so while there is plenty of time to re-print that critical slide with the glaring typo.
The earlier you start on the visuals, the better they will be. On the other hand, avoid fine tuning each visual endlessly; if you find yourself diddling the details, go on to do something more productive instead.
When in doubt about which presentation medium to use (transparencies, slides, videos, multimedia, etc.), choose the format which is the least complex, which remains consistent with both clarity and content of the presentation. Keep in mind that the more technology you use, the more things there will be which can go wrong. These technological difficulties may develop into a gruesome presentation experience, particularly if you are giving the talk in an unfamiliar setting!
If you do need to use multimedia technology in your presentation, call ahead to make sure the technology you require is supported in the room where you'll be talking!
The most important preparation factor is to REHEARSE! Do so in private at first. Then for a real acid test, videotape yourself and watch the results with a critical eye. It's often a painful and humbling experience, but the results will be worth it.
You can then try the presentation out in front of a few colleagues. Ask for feedback, and then act on that information. Select those who know a little about your topic, and not those who know a lot. This will focus your attention on attempting to explain why you did what you did in simple terms, rather than encouraging attention to details only specialists care about.
If you start preparing early, you'll have plenty of time to refine the presentation based on your colleagues' feedback. This is always a useful process.
Don't waste your colleagues' time; if you are sincere about wanting that feedback, don't wait until the night before the presentation to ask for other people's input.
Remember, the shorter the talk, the more difficult it will be to cover the material clearly and completely. Be strict about including only what is essential information for the presentation, and removing all the non-essential tidbits.
Outlining
The primary purpose of a presentation is to provide information which the audience will then remember at a later date. Detailed referencing of material or extensive review of data won't be remembered - and may put the audience to sleep!
One way to maintain interest is to organize and present the material in a novel manner . Using a non-standard ordering of material will help to keep the audience interested. Similarly, organizing your material in a new way (rather than re-working an old talk) will help to keep your own interest in the topic, and will result in a talk which is more fresh and exciting.
The importance of outlining is often stressed in preparing written and oral presentations, but an outline following a linear format (headings, subheadings, etc.) may be restrictive. A list of terms and ideas can be daunting, and tends to focus attention on the final items. Consider creating an 'idea network' as an alternative approach for organizing your presentation (or your written paper).
A question that often is asked at this stage is "Is this enough material for the talk?". Actually, you'll probably find that you have far too much material. It is important to develop a realistic view of how much material is appropriate, and the ability to be ruthless in eliminating non-essential material. These abilities vary widely among presenters, and are important factors in determining the quality of the presentation. Here are a few guidelines for helping determine how much material is enough . . .
Notes
Choose a novel approach
This may be close to heresy, but instead of modeling your presentation after formats associated with scientific papers (the intro/methods/results/discussion sequence) or history texts (as a chronology), consider using formats more often associated with mystery novels. A narrative combined with foreshadowing and flashbacks, and concluding with insightful inductive reasoning is a good recipe for telling your story. This approach allows you to illuminate the logic and insights which lead to successive steps in a more realistic (and interesting) manner, and it will be easier for the audience to become involved in the presentation. A word of caution - don't let your enthusiasm for telling a story obscure the material forming the basis for your presentation!
The Idea Network
The concept of a network of associated items is pretty standard fare in the fields of information processing or systems modeling. This concept has been applied as a method of outlining a presentation, and is summarized below. For more details, see Peter Kenny's book.
Start off with a large sheet of blank paper (or blackboard, etc.). Write a word or two describing the theme of your presentation at the center. Use as few words as possible - they should just be enough to remind you of the essential element or concept. Now write down other concepts, topics, or ideas relating to the central theme. Draw lines between related items. Continue this process until you run out of things to write. Highlight the central theme, and then make several copies of your effort. This is the idea network you'll use for preparing the presentation.
The next step is to decide which of these items are most relevant to your presentation's theme. Take one copy of the network and use a different color to highlight those items which seem to be most related to the central theme. Highlight the links between these items, too. Don't try to include all the items in the network! You'll probably find items which only have a tenuous link to the central theme (most often these are near to the periphery of the network), or which are intimate details of the theme - the sort of details only a specialist knows or cares about hearing. These categories of information should be included only after careful consideration, and should be the first items you discard if you find your practice talks are over-long.
Now, put that copy of the network away. Grab a new copy and repeat the process, using a different color and a new strategy. Use different criteria for selecting items, such as choosing items with a historical relation to one another, or those which share interesting features. Repeat this process several times. These are the various versions of the idea network you may use as options for the structure of your presentation.
Lay out all the copies, and look for common features among the various subgroups you've highlighted. Write these items down on index cards, one item to each card. Sort the cards into a sequence that appears to be logical and interesting. Run through the talk once, and then sort the cards into a more streamlined sequence. Get rid of any card which no longer fits the new sequence. Run through the talk again, and then re-evaluate the card contents and sequence. Finally, go back to the original copy of the network and see if any of those items now may fit your sequence. At this point, you should have a pretty good handle on your presentation.
This, by the way, is a very good strategy for preparing a talk at the last minute. Try as you may to avoid last-minute preparations, this situation may occasionally sneak up on you. Or be thrust upon you...
An example Idea Network
Speaking of bagels, here's a great recipe!
Greg's Bagel recipe
Greg MacKinnan was a friend and freelance photographer working in Nova Scotia while I was completing my graduate degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax. For us geographically-challenged U.S. citizens, Halifax is the capitol city of a Maritime province on the east coast of Canada. This is one of the most beautiful places I've lived - check out those links for a virtual tour!
Bagels
3 Tbsp dry yeast
1/3 cup 115°ree; water
1 tsp honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups 115 degree F; water
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 1/2 cups (approx.) white flour
butter
water(2 quarts or so)
2 Tbsp honey
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, chopped onion, coarse salt...
Note: This recipe makes 20 bagels, but it is better to have at least one other person's help when making this amount.
Mix together yeast, 1/3 C water, and 1 tsp honey. Add 2 C whole wheat flour, 3 C water, and 1/3 C honey. Fold together well. Let stand 5 minutes. Fold in salt. Fold in remaining white flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Knead until elastic. Divide dough into approx. 20 evenly-sized pieces. Use wax paper to cover dough balls. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, flatten it into a thick disk, and knead between palms (hard, using a circular motion) until elastic. Use flour as needed. The outer edge of the disk of dough should begin to swirl towards the center as you knead. Once that disk of dough has been kneaded well, pinch the center of the disk with one finger above the center and your thumb below the center to make a hole like that at the center of a compact disk. Spin the dough on your finger to enlarge the hole a bit. Place on a buttered baking sheet and let rise for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, knead the other pieces of dough, shape the bagels, & let them all rise. Boil water and add honey. Place toppings in dishes slightly larger in diameter than the bagels. Boil each bagel, bottom side down first, for about 2 minutes. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to flip the bagel, and continue to boil for another 2 minutes. Use the handle of the spoon to raise the bagel out of the water, and to lower it into the bowl of toppings top side down. Place the bagel topping side up on an ungreased baking pan. Repeat with all the bagels. Bake the bagels at 350 degrees F; for 30 - 40 minutes.
For salt topping: Use kosher salt or sea salt. Skip dipping the bagel in a topping. Instead, after 15 minutes in the oven, remove the bagels from the oven, brush with a glaze (butter, milk, or an egg white beaten in 1 Tbsp cold water), then sprinkle with salt. Return to the oven and bake until a golden brown.
How much material?
Pre-determining the content in relation to length is always a problem. The magnitude of the task will become more obvious as you begin to practice. Remember that when you make allowances for a new setting and being interrupted by questions, the practice talk will be about 20% faster than the real presentation.
Two ways people try to reduce the length of a presentation are to speak more quickly and to reduce the number of words used . Both produce a false economy - the practice talk will fit in your time frame, but the final product won't.
In fact, one good strategy is to be very selective about what you need to say, and then say only that - and say it clearly with slightly longer pauses between words than normal. Increasing the length of inter-word pauses will force you to enunciate the ending of one word and the beginning of the next word - making it easier for the audience to follow what you are saying. This is a particularly good strategy for people giving a presentation a language that is not their native language. Fewer words, spoken clearly....
Try the following suggestions to get into a good ballpark range:
Estimate a rate of about 100 words per minute (slow! - conversation occurs at about 300 words/minute)
Each statement you make will require an average of 12 words
Each concept will need to be supported by 3 - 4 statements
That means for a 50 minute talk, you should expect to cover only about 90 concepts. One way to facilitate the process is to develop visual aids which illustrate your points clearly. Check out the accompanying tutorials for more details about preparing visual aids. Once again, if you possess idiosyncratic pronunciations ( e.g., an accent) then place the troublesome word in the slide's text and point to that word as you say it - make it easy for the audience to figure out what you mean to say!
False economy #1
By speaking rapidly, you will only loose your audience (imagine a scientific talk given by an auctioneer) by not allowing the audience sufficient time to absorb the information. Although it seems slow, a rate of about 100 words per minute is optimal for a presentation. By contrast, conversation rates run around 200 words per minute. Work on speaking slowly and clearly, and pause frequently to allow your audience time to process information. For instance, give the audience a few seconds to look at a slide after you project it. Don't start speaking right away, since they will still be looking at the slide and not listening to you.
False economy #2
By removing words from your practice talk, your notes will be shortened, but the real talk won't be any shorter. That's partly because you shouldn't be reciting your practice notes verbatim in the final talk ( i.e., reading your notes), so your word choices will be different. You will probably also be speaking in a more conversational manner, so it will be difficult to remain restricted to a script as you interact with the audience.
Important Elements
Keeping these elements in mind as you prepare and practice the presentation will reduce the amount of re-working you'll have to do as it evolves, and will result in a more streamlined and effective end product.
Rate: The optimal rate for a scientific talk is about 100 words per minute. Any faster and the audience can't absorb the additional information. Use pauses, and repeat critical information.
Opening: The opening should catch the interest and attention of the audience immediately, while avoiding trite filler phrases (Thank you for having me . . .) and technical jargon.
Transitions: The link between successive elements of the talk should be planned carefully, smooth, and logical. You should make the relation between successive elements clear to the audience.
Conclusion: Summarize the main concepts you've discussed, and how your work relates to issues you've raised. Aim to help your audience achieve high retention of this final information. Signal that the summary is beginning ("In summary, ..."), but don't begin the summary too soon or else the audience will start to leave before you finish!
Length: Don't run over! Ever! Shorten your talk by removing details, concepts, and information, not by eliminating words. If it becomes absolutely essential to supply details, supplement your presentation with a handout. Make about 10% more handouts than you think you'll need. Always leave time for a few questions at the end of the talk.
Remember that there is no point in giving a presentation if the audience isn't listening. You should make a big effort to help them be interested in what you have to say. It therefore is appropriate to use techniques to retain audience interest, provided these techniques don't detract from the content or professionalism of the talk.
Practice makes perfect
You've probably heard this before, but that doesn't diminish its importance. Practice is the single most important factor contributing to a good presentation. No matter how rushed you might be, make time for at least a few practice runs. The effects of practice will be apparent, and a poorly presented talk reflects upon both you and your attitude towards the material and audience. Don't be fooled by people who claim to be able to throw together a talk at a moment's notice. Generally, their talks fall into two categories - talks which are disjointed and awkward, and talks which have had the rough edges removed by numerous prior presentations ( i.e., dull and unexciting).
One problem is that you can waste a tremendous amount of time by practicing all the wrong parts of your talk. It is necessary to run through the talk a few times to get an idea of how the talk will flow. After that, seek some outside feedback to make sure you are on the right track. Finally, practice all parts of the talk equally. If you always start at the beginning and work until you run into problems, the beginning of the talk will be great, but the final portion of the talk will be relatively weaker. Begin one out of every few practice runs in the middle or at the end of the talk.
Yes, that means running through the talk once or twice isn't enough, particularly if the material is new to you. If the presentation is important, treat it that way. Practice. My own rule of thumb is a minimum of 10 practice runs for any one presentation. This can be a big commitment of time, but consider what's riding on a successful job talk . . .
OK, so here are a few hints on how to manage the practice talks , and how to deal with making and using notes.
Notes
Hints for efficient practice
Read through the text before you begin. For the first few tries, and again for the last few, stand in front of a mirror but far enough back so you can see your head and feet. Work at being relaxed. Stand with feet slightly apart and one foot slightly forward to prevent swaying and weight shifts. Hold your notes in one hand, with the other held naturally at your side. This posture will seem awkward, but looks natural and relaxed. Practice it.
Breathe slowly and deeply, and speak from your diaphragm; project your voice. Practice making eye contact with your imaginary audience, but don't single out one individual (a real person eventually will notice your attention, and end up squirming in their seat).
Don't procrastinate when you actually are ready to practice. Take two deep breaths, and then begin. Avoid looking at your notes when you don't need to do so. Watch your reflection in the mirror as you speak, looking for odd and distracting habits.
Your words will probably be different each time you practice, but do try to stick to the general outline of your notes. Don't attempt to memorize your text; use your notes only as reference points to keep you on track. Think about the ideas, and your words will follow naturally. Speak slowly and clearly, and use gestures.
A tape recorder or videotape is the most useful tools for feedback. Look for variations in speed or tone, or for the dreaded 'um's (and those cousins, the 'er's, 'like's and 'you know's). Again, look for distracting mannerisms - don't pace, twirl your hair, or adjust your clothing. Make sure you are speaking to your audience, not to the floor, ceiling, or projection screen. Don't hide behind the lectern.
What you say should be readily understandable by the audience. Pay strict attention to diction; it is essential that you speak clearly and distinctly. If you have a regional or foreign accent you should be careful to speak even more slowly. Check often to be sure that your audience understands and is following what you are saying. It isn't necessary to attempt to eliminate your accent. On the other hand, rightly or wrongly, there is little room in professional presentations for regional or cultural dialects.
Listen carefully to the words you use, not to what you think you are saying. Are these the best words for making your point? Are they unambiguous? Avoid using jargon whenever possible.
Using notes
A prepared series of notes can be useful, particularly if you get off track during a presentation. Keep in mind that most people find that the notes aren't really needed once you get to the final talk. Poorly constructed notes, on the other hand, can impede a presentation. Here are some hints on preparing effective notes.
Begin by determining the underlying concept of the talk, and then decide on the minimum essential material needed to support that concept. Working from an outline, write out the talk and practice it once or twice. Reorganize the material so the talk flows more evenly, rephrase your statements as needed, and use a pencil to highlight key phrases.
Run through the talk again with a pencil and paper nearby. Refer only to the key phrases to recall the talk's content. If you run into problems, jot down the problem with the pencil and paper, then continue. When finished, review your notes and comments. Rework the talk by incorporating your comments, removing unneeded words (or entire sections), and include comments or symbols to remind yourself of upcoming items (a new slide, a joke, an important item).
Run through the talk again, writing comments as you go. Transcribe the keywords, etc. onto index cards. Write out the first few sentences of your introduction only. If necessary, you can then use these sentences as a springboard to get into the rest of the talk. Otherwise, the cards should contain only the keywords and reminders you've developed for this talk.
Write across the short dimension and on only one side of each card, keeping the bottom 1/3 of the card blank. Use the blank space for later comments or references, and for numbering the cards in a final sequence. Use a subdued color of card instead of a conspicuous white card; they will be less distracting for the audience during the real talk. Practice again a few times making modifications, then punch a hole through the bottom left corner of the card and string the cards in sequence onto a clasp ring. Tape the clasp ring closed!
Presentation
Having spent all that time preparing the talk itself, there are still a few things you can do at the last minute which will help ensure a successful presentation. Or, if you are the nervous type, help fill time . . .
Before the day begins, or last thing the night before, run through your talk once more. Use a mirror or visualize standing in front of an audience as you practice. If you've brought a slide carousel with you (a good idea), check their arrangement. You probably won't have time to do this later. Remember to seat the locking ring properly!
If possible, take a tour the room you'll use for the presentation early in the day. Look for potential problems with line of sight due to furniture, dark spots due to dead overhead lights, intruding sound from ventilation - these all can be fixed with a bit of prior warning and a polite request.
If you need specialized equipment, make sure it is available ahead of time - don't spring that information on your host at the last minute.
Check again to see that your slides are oriented properly in the carousel. Lock that ring!
Make sure the focus switch works, and determine who will be controlling the slide advance. Do the slide advance, reverse, and focus features all work?
It's your show, so ask for help with the equipment if you need it; it's better to ask for help then fumble around during the presentation. Determine who will be controlling equipment for you.
Computer presentations introduce a whole host of potential issues - here are a few to consider:
Is the host software compatible with your presentation? Are the fonts, bullets, colors, etc. the same?
Is there a sound card in the host computer? Is the sound system operational - but not too painfully loud?
Back-up your presentation before you leave using an alternate medium, then bring it with you separately from the one you plan to use ( e.g., packed in a different suitcase), or e-mail it to yourself as an attachment - you may be able to access it from your destination if needed.
Alternatively, e-mail it to your host and ask that her or she download the file and test it on the computer you'll be using - BEFORE you depart for the trip!
Did you include all the required files and resources for your presentation?
You might consider making a set of 35mm presentation slides from your electronic presentation, then bringing the stack of slides along as your fail-safe backup - this strategy may depend upon your degree of compulsiveness and/or paranoia, or how important the presentation is to you.
Keep in mind that failures of technology can be devastating, but that 1) the embarrassment is greater on the part of the host if their equipment is at fault, and 2) the host is usually impressed if you provide an alternate solution to the problem - suggesting you are a proactive and prepared person ...
Irrespective of what your presentation medium might be, letting your presentation slides, disk, CD, etc. out of your sight before the presentation begins can lead to disaster.
If the room is large, or your voice small, use a microphone. Try it out before the audience arrives (blowing into the mike or counting '1-2-3' they have arrived is tacky, so don't do it).
Check to see that accessories are present; chalk, eraser, markers, and especially a pointer. If it is a laser pointer, does it have fresh batteries loaded? Keep in mind that green wavelength lasers DEVOUR batteries!
Avoid standing behind a lectern or desk during the presentation. Stand to one side of the projection screen or blackboard, and closer to the audience if possible.
Moderate movement and hand gestures are OK, but avoid pacing and flapping.
Don't be afraid to insist on a few minutes to yourself prior to the talk; 15 to 30 minutes is standard. If you have an itinerary, check to see that you've had time allotted for preparation. If you are running behind, see if someone is willing to meet with you after the talk, and then use that time to prepare instead. Use this time to double-check your materials, and your introductory and summary statements. Don't allow yourself to be distracted by audience members coming up to chat.
Don't wait until the very last minute to make that run to the bathroom, and remember to check carefully your appearance - including zippers, buttons and other closures - before you reappear.
The Moment of Truth
Gulp. So you are sitting there, about to be introduced. Now what?
Take several deep breaths as you are being introduced (but don't sigh!). Visualize your rehearsed opening statement; don't improvise at the last moment.
State your objectives at start of your talk, then restate them again at the end of the talk. In between, discuss how your material relates to these objectives.
Unless you intentionally have had experience as a stand-up comic, avoid making jokes. The results can be disappointing, and may suggest an unprofessional attitude.
Choose a natural, moderate rate of speech and use automatic, moderate gestures.
Monitor your behavior, and avoid habitual behaviors (pacing, fumbling change in pocket, twirling hair).
Laser pointers are wonderful pointing devices, but remember not to point them at the audience. They are best used by flashing the pointer on and off, so that the place you are indicating is illuminated briefly. Don't swirl the laser around and around one place on the projection screen, or sweep it from place to place across the screen. This is very distracting for the audience, and they will end up watching the pointer and not listening to what you are saying.
Likewise, and for the same reasons, avoid using the cursor as in pointer in your computer presentations.
Also try to avoid pointing things out on the computer's monitor at the podium - although the presenter's natural tendency is to concentrate on the monitor's screen, the audience will be looking over your shoulder at the projection screen and won't be able to see where your finger is pointing. If you find yourself doing this, power-off or disable the monitor to force yourself to concentrate on the projection screen!
Enthusiasm for your topic is contagious, but don't overdo it - you'll alienate the audience.
Converse with your audience. Involve them in the process of the presentation by posing questions and making eye contact. Be patient if you ask a question - answers sometimes take time to formulate.
Keep an eye on your time, and don't run over your limit. Ever.
Be prepared for interruptions (late arrivals, cell phones or pagers, burned out projector bulbs, fire drills, etc.).
If you must turn down the room lights, don't turn them off entirely. Don't leave the lights down any longer than necessary - remember to turn them back up! Of course, the snores from the sleeping audience may remind you to turn the lights back on if you've forgotten.
Don't apologize for any aspect of your presentation. This should be your very best effort; if you have to apologize, you haven't done your job properly.
Don't criticize aspects of the trip, city, facilities, etc. during your talk. This is another way to alienate your audience quickly. For instance, they may or may not have chosen to live in this horrible climate, but it isn't your place to remind them how horrible it is. Remember that you are a guest and it is impolite to exhibit your prejudices publicly.
Strive to have a prepared and memorable summary. If nothing else, the take home message is what the audience will remember after you leave.
When you reach the summary and are about to finish, resist the temptation to add a few last impromptu words. They will be unpracticed, and will be the last thing many of your audience will hear you say. End your talk with the insightful, firm summary statement you have prepared.
Don't be afraid to give yourself credit for your own work, but do remember to give others credit where due. I prefer to do this early; others may prefer doing it later in the talk. If planned for later in the talk, don't forget to acknowledge these people's efforts, even if you have to skip a statement or two to remain within your time frame. The best friend of one of these contributors may be in your audience! If you include slides borrowed from other people, or slides which include other people's data or figures, always give credit to these people right on that slide. This shows a professional attitude, and (better yet) can save you many words of explanation.
Handling Questions
Your presentation doesn't end once you've finished what you have to say. The question period often is the part of the talk which influences the audience the most. After all, you've had time to practice the rest of the talk. This is the part of the presentation where your ability to interact with the audience will be evaluated. Since you can't always predict what you'll be asked, how can you prepare for the questioning? Here are a few guidelines:
Always repeat each question so the entire audience knows what you've been asked.
Before you answer, take a moment to reflect on the question. By not rushing to give an answer, you show a degree of respect for the questioner, and you give yourself time to be sure you are answering the question that actually was asked. If you are unsure, restate the question or ask for a clarification.
Above all, wait for the questioner to finish asking the question before you begin your answer! The only exception is when it becomes necessary to break in on a vague, rambling question; this is your show, and you have only a limited time to make your presentation. It is essential, however, that you break in tactfully. Say something like "So, are you asking ....?" This will focus the question and give you a place to begin an answer. Remember that your ability to interact with an audience also is being evaluated.
If a question is asked during the talk, and it will clarify an ambiguity, answer it immediately.
Postpone questions aimed at resolving specific problems (or arcane knowledge) until the end of the talk, or private discussion. This is particularly important if the answer will distract either you or the audience away from the flow of your presentation.
Avoid prolonged discussions with one person, extended answers, and especially arguments.
If you can't answer a question, just say so. Don't apologize. You then may:
Offer to research an answer, and then get back to the questioner later.
Suggest resources which would help the questioner to address the question themselves.
Ask for suggestions from the audience.
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The following information may be presented elsewhere in these tutorials, but are worth considering again here!
The Question & Answer slide.
This is the slide that follows your conclusions and remains in the background as you answer questions from the audience. A very good idea is to carefully select the most important images from your prior slides, shrink them so they all fit on this slide, then arrange them so that they are up for the audience to see as they Q & A session goes on. This will allow them to consider your data and interpretations without having to recall details, it gives them a chance to reconsider the information after you've delivered the 'big question' answer, and it helps you to guide the content of the Q&A session to meet your own ends.
Avoid:
Turning off the projector (you'll just have to turn it on again - and wait while it warms up).
projecting a blank white (dazzling) or blank black (too dark) slide
Leaving your conclusion slide in place as you answer questions - just not as interesting or as provocative as the strategy I suggest above.
The Acknowledgements slide.
This is an important slide! No one works in a vacuum, nor are many scientists sufficiently wealthy to fund their own research without outside sources! On the other hand, avoid reading a list of names and agencies as this:
takes time
typically is information of little interest to the audience
may give the appearance of 'name dropping' ( e.g., look at all the important people at important places with whom I've worked)
no one will remember names of people they don't know anyway
But, as I said, this is important - particularly if a collaborator's best friend is sitting in the audience! Consider using a collage of photos of your collaborators in their natural settings for this purpose. You may still point out the primary collaborators, but a visual approach is inherently more interesting for the audience. Moreover, at a crowded conference a collaborator is more likely to be recognized in the hallway or at a restaurant if your audience has seen his or her photo during your talk. You should consider carefully the content of the photo, however, if you are presenting it in a professional setting!
Finally, consider presenting the acknowledgement slide at the front end of the talk. You'll need to restrain yourself so you don't spend too much time on this slide, but that seldom is a problem at the beginning of a talk. This is better than not being able to present the information at all if the slide is at the end of the talk and you've run out of time....
THE ORAL PRESENTATION
Massachusetts State Science Fair, Inc.
When you decide to be in a science fair, you must consider your presentation as important as any other part of your project. Practice will make the difference in how well you present yourself to the judges.
Here is a step-by-step approach to constructing our presentation:
1. Introduce yourself. "Hello, my name is ____________."
2. Give the title of your project. "The title of my project is _________."
3. Explain the purpose of your project. "The purpose of my project is _______."
4. Tell the judges how you got interested in this topic.
5. Explain your procedure. 'The procedure that I followed was _________."
6. Show your results. If you have charts, graphs, or a notebook, show them to the judges and explain them. If results are shown on your backboard, point them out.
7. List your conclusions. Explain what you have proven. If you think that you had some problems or error in your experiments, don't be afraid to admit these.
8. Tell the judges what you might do in the future to continue your experimentation. What would you have done differently if you were to do the project again?
9. Of what importance is your project to the world? Explain any applications of your study.
10. "Do you have any questions?" If you do not know the answer to a judge's question, then say, "I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer, but I think it is ________."
11. Thank the judges.
OTHER TIPS FOR PRESENTING
Host science fairs limit the amount of time for your presentation. Therefore, it is very important to use that time well. You will want to impress your judges with your project, your knowledge, and your enthusiasm.
All people are affected in one way or another by the way we look, the way we talk, and the way we act. Adults are usually impressed with good manners and nice clothes.
Here are some tips:
Wear your best clothes. Really dress up.
Stand up straight on both feet. Don't sway from foot to foot.
Look straight into the eyes of your judges. Pay attention to each of your judges.
Stand to the side of your exhibit.
Get the judges involved in your project. Let them hold your research paper, notebook, or apparatus. Point out charts and graphs.
Do not chew gum or candy.
Speak loudly enough to be heard by all of your judges.
Smile.
Be polite.
Public Speaking - The Art of Speech Making
Public Speaking
How do you speak naturally while all those people are watching you?
This document covers hints and tips on public speaking and presentation skill, dealing with public speaking nerves and anxiety, public speaking skills and public speaking techniques, public speaking training.
· Public Speaking Fear
· Public Speaking Anxiety - Why Do We Get It?
· Fear of Public Speaking
· Building Confidence in Public Speaking
· Public Speaking Training
· Public Speaking Hints and Tips
Common Fears of Public Speaking
What happens when you have to speak in public?
Did you know that public speaking tops the list of phobias for most people? Not spiders or heights - public speaking - speech in public!
Well, if you didn't know that, we bet your body does. It will do all kinds of unpleasant things to you when you have to stand up and face a sea of faces with the hope of getting your message across in a compelling and interesting way.
Your hands may sweat and your mouth goes dry. Your knees may shake and a quaver affects your voice. Your heart may race and those well known butterflies invade your stomach.
When all that happens most people don't think of getting their message across in a compelling and interesting way; they just think of getting off the 'stage' as quickly as possible!
Have we frightened you sufficiently yet?
It's normal
We don't really mean to frighten you, just remind you that your body reacts 'in extremis' when put under pressure, and for most people, public speaking is just about the worst pressure they can be put under.
It's normal to be nervous and have a lot of anxiety when speaking in public. In a way, it's less normal not to have nerves or anxiety; in fact, to feel you have a phobia about public speaking.
Why do we get Public Speaking anxiety?
Fight or flight
Our bodies are geared to fight or flight from ancient time - fight that mastodon or get the hell out of the way. We don't have too many mastodons around these days, but the body still reacts as though we do. So, if we have to get up and speak in public, all that adrenalin and noradrenalin goes coursing through our bodies - way more than we need.
We can't run away (well, we could, but we'd be out of job pretty quick if we did it too often), so our only option is to fight. But in terms of speaking in public, it can be hard to define just what we're fighting.
Why does public speaking do this to us?
Good question. You'd think that for most people, being given the opportunity to impress their audience would be a fantastic one. There you are in front of a group of people, the spotlight is on you and for the length of time you've been giving, and the world is yours.
Or is it?
The very fact that the spotlight is you is enough to trigger every fear, anxiety and phobia you've ever had about public speaking.
Here's why
You may be judged by all those people, and judged badly
You may feel like a fool
You might make mistakes and loose your way
You'll be completely humiliated
You'll never be as good as _________ (fill in the blank)
'They' won't like you
'They' won't 'get' what you're trying to say
How to overcome fear of Public Speaking
What good are Nerves
Public speaking may not be comfortable, but take our word for it, nerves are good. Being 'centre stage' is not a good place to feel too comfortable.
Nerves will keep you awake and ensure you don't get too complacent. Hard to feel complacent when your heart is beating so hard you're sure everyone watching you can hear it.
If channeled well, nerves can make the difference between giving a humdrum presentation and giving one that keeps people listening.
Get your attention off yourself
It's very tempting to keep focused on how you're feeling; especially if you're feeling really uncomfortable. You'll start to notice every bead of sweat.
To make your nerves work for you, you need to focus on just about anything other than yourself. You can distract yourself by paying attention to the environment in which you're speaking and seeing how you can make it work for you.
Once you're actually in front of your audience, pay attention to them. If you can, notice how people are dressed, who's wearing glasses, who has on bright colors. There will be dozens and dozens of things you can pay attention to help you trick your mind into not noticing what's going on with you.
Anything will do and you will find that the less you concentrate on how you are feeling and the more you concentrate on other things, the more confident you will feel.
How to build confidence in Public Speaking
Your audience can be your friend
Unless you know you're absolutely facing a hostile group of people, human nature is such that your audience wants you succeed. They're on your side!
Therefore, rather than assuming they don't like you; give them the benefit of the doubt that they do.
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