From Paper To Presentation 01 June 2015 // An Academic

Support Centre Seminar

Today:

• Planning

• Structuring a presentation

• Key phrases

• Visual aids

• Articulating & Projecting

• Using effective body language

• Dealing with nervousness

But first…

Why are good presentation skills important?

Planning: 3Ws + H

Who? What? Why?

How?

+

Structure: same but different?

A presentation is about an IDEA (not a paper)

• Introduction: Greeting & The Hook (1-2 slides)

• Methods: (1 slide)

• Results: 3-5 points with evidence (3-5 slides)

• Discussion: with results? separate slide? • Conclusion: Summary & Significance (TAKE AWAY) (1 slide)

Structure

BEGINNING

MIDDLE

END

• Introduction: Greeting, problem/question, motivation, give

away the ending (?), forecast structure (1-3 slides)

• Methods: (1 slide)

• Results: 3-5 points with evidence (3-5 slides)

• Discussion: with results? separate slide? • Conclusion: Summary & Significance (TAKE AWAY) (1 slide)

Structure

MIDDLE

END

• Introduction: Greeting, problem/question, motivation, give

away the ending (?), forecast structure (1-3 slides)

• Methods: (1 slide)

• Results: 3-5 points with evidence (3-5 slides)

• Discussion: combine with results or separate slide(s)? • Conclusion: Summary & Significance (TAKE AWAY) (1 slide)

Structure

END

• Introduction: Greeting, problem/question, motivation, give

away the ending (?), forecast structure (1-3 slides) • Methods: (1 slide)

• Results: 3-5 points with evidence (3-5 slides)

• Discussion: combine with results or separate slide(s)? • Conclusion: Summary (main result) & Significance

(takeaway!) (1 slide)

Structure

Signposting: verbal punctuation (structure)

(Key phrases handout)

Audience Interest

• Hook • ”You,” ”we,” ”our” • Relevant anecdotes, stories, and examples • Audience involvement • Direct or rhetorical questions • Clarity & conciseness • Attitude • Varied media

“How to give a successful oral presentation.” Catalysis.nl.

Web. March 2013.

Articulation & Projection

• Check pronunciation of key terms

• Articulate numbers and key facts

• Stress important words

• Vary voice quality and show emotion

• Pause (!!!!!)

• “Project” doesn’t just mean “speak louder”

We used the Kuznets curve to see the relationship between economic inequality and economic growth.

• Visual aids can go really wrong. It’s never a good idea that your visual aids trump you as the presenter.

• PowerPoint has, unfortunately, encouraged lots of people to present slides (or worse…just read them) instead of deliver a speech.

• This is not inspiring. • PowerPoint also has many terrible effects, transitions, and

clip art made much too available. Ignore most of these. Actually, never use clip art. Just don’t.

• How do you like reading entire sentences as bullet points? • How do you like my reading entire sentences as bullet points

on the screen that you can read faster than I can speak?

• Hey look! A cat!

Bad slide example from: http://nobullets.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/bad-slide-s2191_epa_analysis-44.jpg

Less is (usually) more

Body Language

Nervousness…

Dealing with Nervousness

Prepare

Practice

Plan

Reframe Visualize Breathe Pause

Be Inspired!

1 2 3

Works Consulted

”Anxiety.” ithinkwell. Australia: ithinkwell.com. 2011. Web.

http://ithinkwell.com.au. 26 Feb. 2013.

”How to give a successful oral presentation.” Catalysis.nl. Web.

http://presentations.catalysis.nl/presentations/presentation.php.

05 March. 2013.

”Oral Presentations: Organizing Your Presentation.” The McGraw

Center. Princeton. 2009. Web. www.princeton.edu/mcgraw.

26 Feb. 2013.

Storz, C. ”Oral Presentation Skills: A Practical Guide.” France:

Institut national de telecommunications. 2002. Print.

Williams, Erica J. Presentations in English. Oxford: Macmillan. 2008.

Print.