12 ACOUSTICS BULLETIN MARCH / APRIL 2021

INSTITUTE AFFAIRS

o For schools, a run-down of anyactivity instructions/rawmaterials for use by pupils, astep-by-step guide for yourpresentation and a discussion ofoutcomes learned/achievementof educational objectives, aregreatly welcomed by teachers.

3. Stuck for inspiration? Explore thewealth of examples by other STEMAmbassadors, giving a fl avour ofhow and what your presentationcan borrow from. Use the links atthe end of this article as a starter.

o Draw inspiration from othersaround you to shape youronline content. Don’t be afraidto reach out to other creatorsfor advice or collaboration.

4. While we’re all stuck at homeusing our digital devices more thanever, your worldwide audience isnow available 24/7. Platforms like:YouTube, Twitter, Instagram,Facebook etc. allow a quick andeasy means of achieving thefarthest and greatest reach withyour work. They’re also a great wayof fi nding out what your audiencewants, open the fl oor to requestsand respond to them.

5. Head down, reading endlesspresentation notes from your deskwill likely result in a rapid loss ofinterest. Enthusing your audiencewith your passion and transferringthat to your activity/presentation(without resorting to long notes),makes A world of di� erence to youraudience’s reaction andparticipation levels.

o Try to keep technical jargonand equations to a minimum; useyour presentation as an aid toyour speech. Using non-technicalvocabulary is not ‘dumbing down’,it should make your presentationmore accessible.

Top fi ve general tips for remote presentations:1. For schools: make preparationsbefore the day of the event. Liaisewith the teacher(s) in the class youare presenting to, furnishing themwith session notes so they knowwhat to expect over the course ofthe session. Remember thatteachers can act as your ‘eyes andears’ in the classroom without youbeing there, so establishing atwo-way communication to the classis essential.

2. Consider preparing supportingmaterial to generate interest beforeyour session; consider a videodemonstration of a simple acousticsexperiment to do at home/school.

o This acts as a great way ofmarketing your digital platform,exposing them to all yourother content.

3. Open-up with a brief talk aboutyourself and your day-to-dayacademic/professional role. This willhelp put your audience at ease,helping them connect more easily.Your audience will learn about howyour role makes the world a betterplace and instil a sense of inclusivityand diversity.

4. Choose a topic that is dependenton acoustics in some way which youraudience can resonate with, again,avoiding jargon where possible.

Consider topics such as music, sports, arts and nature. For example,highlight the acoustics of a recordingstudio, how acoustics is used todesign the inside of a football stadiumor how marine mammals huntand communicate.

5. Keep the level of scientifi c detailappropriate to your audience.Remember which year group you arepresenting to in schools. This will helpadjust your level of technicallanguage accordingly.

o It is important to link the schools’ curriculum with careers and howthey would use the science in thefuture, as this is a benchmark uponwhich schools are judged in theircareers advice and support (one ofeight Gatsby Benchmarks).

We hope you have found these tips useful but if you’re looking for further information, STEM Learning have produced some insightful ‘how to’ guides, to provide STEM Ambassadors with additional pointers on presenting remote sessions through outreach activities, as well as a host of other online resources, including the IOA’s own blog pages.

The following links can be accessed via the digital version of this article:• IOA Blog: www.ioa.org.uk/ioa-blog• ISVR YouTube Channel:

www.youtube.com/c/isvrsouthampton• Tips and Support from STEM Learning: www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors/supporting-

schools-colleges• Tips from University of the Highlands & Islands: www.thinkuhi.com/stem/page_06.htm• STEM Learning YouTube Channel:

www.youtube.com playlist?list=PLhgK74tFscGXY0C3MVvv9S1MLEhDrK6cF

Below:Nikhil Mistry, IOA STEM Ambassador

Left:While in-person STEM events are on hold, there are still plenty of ways to reach audiences

STEM.indd 12STEM.indd 12 25/02/2021 14:2125/02/2021 14:21