Oral Presentations
Preparation
Content/Formatting
Visual Aids
Addressing Questions and Answers
Identify Message
Cater to your audience
Organize
Other slides: Findings of the study
Final Slide: Conclusion
Second Slide: Introduction and Background information
First Slide: Overview of topic
Credit slide: Acknowledgment of fellow contributors
The most important figure or information should be on the core slide
The main question of the study should be clear
Do your parents and grandparents understand the message you are trying to convey?
Scientific audiences will need less introduction, but still start broadly
Emphasis may be different depending on the audience
Overview slide may be necessary for longer presentations
Memorize key points, but use large font notes to refer back to. Try to use outlines for notes, but write out the opening, closing, transitions, and quotations completely.
Practice saying your speech beforehand
Look into different programs
Prepare ahead of time by putting your visual aids and slides in order. Allows for changes to be made.
The font should be standardized like Arial and should be at least 20 points.
Try to maintain about 5 words per bullet point and five bullet points per slide
The color and design should enhance the presentation
If you include figures, do not write a figure caption, only a title. You can verbalize the caption.
The slides should look appealing, but shouldn't be too elaborate
Finally, the figures should not appear cluttered.
Reader's often prefer graphs
Face-to-Face Presentations
Avoid stuttering and filler words like "um" and "uh".
Try to stay within sight of everyone while presenting. You don't want to walk in front of the presentation board either.
Speak loud enough so that everyone can hear you
Maintain eye contact with the audience and try keep the front of your body facing them
Don't speak too quickly or slowly, try to stay within the given limit
Utilize hand gestures to emphasize your points, but not excessively
Use simple wording
Keep your feet on the floor and keep the laser pointer still while you are speaking
Arrive before the scheduled time and dress to impress. Bring copies of your presentation.
Explain all points on a slide completely, including graphs and tables.
Make sure your speech flows well and use transitions like, "Our results show that" or "In conclusion".
Signal the end of the presentation by using a transition like, "In summary" and when you are finish end strongly with "thank you" and stop talking.
Remote Presentations
Ensure that all equipment is working beforehand and that your computer is fully charged.
Engage with the audience using chat windows and discussion boards
Use plenty of visuals and avoid text that is difficult to read
Mute your mic before entry and ensure that the camera shows your whole face. Maintain eye contact with the camera.
Maintain a professional look and an organized mind
Make sure your audio is clear and stick to the time limit. It may be a wise idea to close all other tabs.
Do not make up answers to questions that you do not know
Remember to maintain eye contact
Avoid arguing at all costs
Keep the conversation on topic
Don't get frazzled if you don't know the answer to a question, just maintain a polite expression and tone and make sure that the discussion is continued in private if someone asks a question that is shifting the direction of the conversation
Continue to engage with the audience