Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Chapter 14 - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 14
How to Prepare For Oral Presentations
Delivery of a Face-To-Face Talk
Avoid distracting sounds
Avoid excessive use of filler words like "um," "uh," and "like," as they can distract your audience and make you appear unprepared.
Stay within the presenter’s triangle
Position yourself to the side of the screen to avoid obstructing the projection and the audience's view.
Make sure you can be heard by the entire audience
Avoid speaking too softly or too loudly. A deeper, fuller tone can enhance your voice's quality and overall presentation.
Keep eye contact, and face the audience
To appear confident, maintain eye contact with your audience by facing them and scanning the room, ensuring no section is neglected.
Stick to the time limit, and speak slowly
Pace yourself, speaking clearly and slowly to allow your audience to fully grasp the information.
Use gestures
Use natural gestures to enhance your presentation, but avoid distracting mannerisms like fidgeting or playing with objects. Maintain good posture and keep your hands relaxed.
Use spoken English
Use simple language and avoid reading directly from notes or slides. Speak naturally and confidently, conveying your enthusiasm for the topic while engaging with the audience.
Be conscious of body movement
Position your feet firmly on the floor and avoid pacing. Stay at the lectern unless necessary, and turn towards the screen when pointing out details. Use a laser pointer sparingly and with controlled movements to highlight specific points.
Arrive early, and dress appropriately
Have a backup plan, such as bringing your own computer or printed copies of your slides. Dress professionally and avoid unprofessional habits like chewing gum or flip flops.
Explain everything on your slides
Ensure your verbal explanations align with the visual information on your slides, explaining every detail and highlighting the significance of each figure and table.
Make your talk flow well
Use smooth transitions between slides and sections of your presentation to create a cohesive and engaging flow of information.
Signal the end
On your final slide for your presentation start with "To conclude,..." and end with "Thank you". Stay for questioning, if not gather your items and sit down.
Remote Presentations
Know how to prepare for and give remote presentations
During your presentation
Position the active speaker window below your camera and look at it or your notes to maintain eye contact.
Ask questions, share stories, and check for questions to keep the audience engaged.
Remember you're on camera and maintain a professional demeanor.
Adhere to the time limit for your presentation.
Audio
Make sure you are in a quiet area.
For optimal audio quality, use your computer's audio if your internet connection is strong; otherwise, opt for a headset or earbuds with a microphone.
Before you get started
Mute upon entry to reduce background noise.
Ensure you're well-lit, avoiding backlighting.
Position your camera at face level.
Choose a simple, distraction-free background.
Use a note to remind yourself to look at the camera.
Invest in good audio equipment.
Test your setup in advance.
Set up a dedicated presentation space.
Close unnecessary applications and turn off notifications.
Ensure your laptop is charged or plugged in.
Sharing PowerPoint and similar content
Share your presentation with the meeting participants.
Start your presentation and enter Presentation Mode.
Understand the similarities and differences between face-to-face and remote presentations
Similarities
•Be well organized
•Be geared toward the audience
•Use more visuals than text
•Be displayed in a simple yet attractive way
•Contain text that is easy to read
•Body language, intonation, and eye contact.
Differences of remote presentations from face-to-face
Remote presentations rely heavily on technology. Test all equipment beforehand.
You can manage your background, lighting, and camera angle to optimize the audience's view.
Actively engage the audience to prevent distractions. Use chat windows and discussion spaces for immediate feedback and link sharing.
Remote presentations facilitate real-time interaction through chat windows and discussion spaces.
Designing Effective Slides
Pay attention to color and design
Avoid overly bright colors and color contrasts that may be difficult for color-blind individuals to perceive. Keep slide transitions and bullet point animations minimal to maintain a professional and focused presentation.
Pay attention to font
Ensure text is legible with a minimum font size of 20 points.
Utilize sans-serif fonts for figures and high-contrast color combinations for easy readability.
Use clear, standard fonts and avoid excessive abbreviations.
Use emphasis techniques like larger font size, italics, arrows, or different colors to highlight key points.
Make slides look attractive, but keep them simple
For scientific presentations, use a conference-style format with a balance of text and visuals. Avoid overly complex layouts or relying solely on images.
Limit the amount of text
Keep slides concise with clear, brief bullet points. Aim for around 5 words per bullet point and 5 bullet points per slide.
Think graphically
Visually appealing slides with clear graphs and charts are preferred over text-heavy ones. Recreate and simplify figures from publications, ensuring clarity and focusing on essential information
Give figures and tables a title but no legend or caption
Ensure figures and tables on slides have clear, visible titles. Avoid including figure legends or captions directly on the slides. Instead, verbally explain the details to your audience.
Do not clutter figures and tables
Limit the number of curves in line graphs and bars in bar graphs. Ensure titles are visible and informative. Aim for concise graphs that can be understood within 30-60 seconds.
Question-and-Answer Period
What to Do
Be polite and respectful to all audience members.
Repeat the question to ensure everyone hears it.
If you don't know the answer, admit it honestly.
Ask for clarification if the question is unclear.
Direct your answer to the entire audience, not just the questioner.
Suggest a follow-up discussion after the session for more in-depth questions
What NOT to Do
Avoid interruptions during your presentation.
If you don't know the answer, admit it honestly.
Maintain eye contact with the entire audience, not just the questioner.
Be respectful and avoid arguing with the questioner.
Preparing for a Talk
Know what programs are available to create slides
Popular presentation tools like PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides offer traditional linear formats. Prezi provides a creative, nonlinear approach with zoom-in/zoom-out effects.
Prepare notes in large print, and memorize the opening sentences
Write out full sentences for
Closing
Transitions
Opening
Quotations
Prepare your talk and visual aids well ahead of time
Understand your audience's knowledge level, tailor your content accordingly, and create visually appealing slides well in advance to ensure a polished and impactful presentation.
Practice, practice, practice
Practice helps you stay within time limits, smooth out your delivery, and identify areas for improvement. Some good methods is to record yourself or seek feedback from others to refine your presentation.
Format of a Scientific Talk
Pick out the most important figure for your core slide
Identify a core slide that encapsulates the essence of your presentation. This slide should be clear, visually impactful, and memorable, serving as the foundation of your talk.
Know your audience
Before crafting your slides, it's essential to understand your audience and the talk's goal. The emphasis on various presentation sections will vary depending on the target audience and the talk's nature.
Identify the purpose/question and the take-home message of the study
Clearly state this purpose or question after your introductory slide. Additionally, identify the key takeaway message you want your audience to remember. These two elements will guide the content of your presentation.
Prepare an overview slide for longer presentations
Clearly state your study's purpose and highlight your key findings.
Conclude by summarizing your main points and potentially acknowledging contributions.
Provide necessary background information to contextualize your research.
Organize your talk
First slide includes an overview of the talk (especially for longer presentations).
Next slide includes the introduction and purpose of the study.
A typical format involves an optional title slide.
Final slide includes the conclusions with key supporting points.
Subsequent slides includes the findings combined with the general approach.
Optional credit slide can acknowledge collaborators and funding sources