BSc Multimedia Computing and Design
Design, Presentation and Report
Effective Presentations
An essential aspect of any research project is dissemination of the findings arising from the study. The most common ways to make others aware of your work is by publishing the results in a journal article, or by giving an oral presentation. While efforts are made to teach the elements of writing a journal article in many curricula, much less attention is paid to teaching those skills necessary to develop a good oral – even though these arguably are the most common and most rapid ways to disseminate new findings. In addition, the skills needed to prepare an oral presentation can be used in a variety of other settings – such as preparing a seminar at Masters level, organising a dissertation defence, conducting a job interview seminar, or even addressing potential
philanthropic sources!
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:
1.The type of talk you will be expected to give:
(a) will this be an informal chat, a seminar discussion, or a more formal presentation?
(b) 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.
2.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?
3.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?
4.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 losing 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:
1.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.
2.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.
3.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).
4.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 organise your talk, with one idea per card.
5.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 organising 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.
6.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 organisational skills.
7.Retention of information by the audience is reduced as a talk proceeds, so if you do want to make a series of points, organise 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.
8.Determine transition elements which will help your audience to follow the link from one issue to the next. These should be logical, and may presented by posing a question,
or explaining your own discovery of the link’s existence.
9.Use short sentences with simple constructions. The concept will be made more clear, and the sentence structure is more similar to conversational styles.
10.Run through the talk once, early. Go back and re-think the sequencing. Discard non-essential elements.
11.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.
12.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.
13.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.
14.Prepare thumbnails sketches of these visual aids, 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.
15.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.
16.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!
17.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!
18.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.
19.You can then try the presentation out in front of a few colleagues. Ask for feedback, 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.
20.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.
21.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.
22.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 titbits.
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 organise and present the material in a novel manner. Using a non-standard ordering of material will help to keep the audience interested. Similarly, organising 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 . . .
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.
1.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.
2.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.
3.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.
4.Conclusion: Summarise 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!
5.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 more weak. 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.
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 . . .
1.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.
2.If possible, take a tour the room you’ll use for the presentation early in the day.
If you need specialised equipment, make sure it is available.
Check to see that your slides are oriented properly in the carousel.
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.
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′ 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 batteries loaded?
3.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.
4.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, then use that time to prepare. 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.
5.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?
1.Take several deep breaths as you are being introduced (but don’t sigh!). Visualise your rehearsed opening statement; don’t improvise at the last moment.
2.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.
3.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.
4.Choose a natural, moderate rate of speech and use automatic gestures.
5.Monitor your behaviour, and avoid habitual behaviours (pacing, fumbling change in pocket, twirling hair).
6.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.
7.Enthusiasm for your topic is contagious, but don’t overdo it – you’ll alienate the audience.
8.Converse with your audience. Involve them in the process of the presentation by posing questions and making eye contact.
9.Keep an eye on your time, and don’t run over your limit. Ever.
10.Be prepared for interruptions (late arrivals, burned out projector bulbs, fire drills, etc.).
11.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.
12.Don’t apologise for any aspect of your presentation. This should be your very best effort; if you have to apologise, you haven’t done your job properly.
13.Don’t criticise 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.
14.Strive to have a prepared and memorable summary. If nothing else, the take home message is what the audience will remember after you leave.
15.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.
16.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, other 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 contibutors 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 the what you’ll be asked, how can you prepare for the questioning? Here are a few guidelines:
1.Always repeat each question so the entire audience knows what you’ve been asked.
2.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.
3.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.
4.If a question is asked during the talk, and it will clarify an ambiguity, answer it immediately.
5.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.
6.Avoid prolonged discussions with one person, extended answers, and especially arguments.
7.If you can’t answer a question, just say so. Don’t apologise. You then may:
Offer to research an answer, 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.
So…think you can present now?
Posted by Robin Hodge 
Posted by Robin Hodge 
Posted by Robin Hodge 