Academic Presentation Skills

• This course is designed to help students become more skillful and confident academic presenters.
• Key features of presentations to look out for are: content, design and delivery.

Learning Outcomes

• One needs to be aware of what makes a successful academic presentation.
• Confidence about giving academic presentations needs to be increased.
• Use commonly used words and phrases that make a presentation easier to follow.
• Enhance the delivery of content by using visual aids.
• Be aware of possible language barriers or issues to overcome.

Lecture Outcome

• It is key to recognize anxiety and that it is normal.
• Relaxation techniques can help manage anxiety.
• Features of effective versus ineffective presentations (Do's and Don'ts)

Getting Started

• Fear or anxiety is the number one enemy for any presentation.
• Fear is a normal physiological response.
• Everyone experiences some degree of stage fright.
• It is important to think positively about the event.
• Don’t panic and make sure to prepare well.

Relaxation Techniques

• Prepare in advance.
• Practice the presentation.
• Memorize the opening.
• Pause during the presentation to collect yourself.
• Know your audience.
• Know your venue.
• Smile.
• Visualize your success ahead of time.
• Practice positive self-talk.
• Exercise lightly and breathe deeply before you speak.
• Realize that you probably don't look as nervous as you feel.
• "Claim the three audience truths"
  • Audiences believe you are the expert, so do not say otherwise.
  • Audiences want you to succeed, and are on your side.
  • Audiences don't know when you make a mistake, so don't announce it.

Features of a Bad Presentation

• Slides are too crowded.
• Too many visual aids.
• Speaking too quickly.
• Going off-topic.
• Providing too much detail.
• Not knowing when to stop (especially when answering questions).
• Speaking in a monotone.
• Using filler words, such as "ummmm" and "ahhhhh".

Features of Effective Presentations

• Effective presentations meet their objectives.
• Good presentations are consistent, concise, and interesting.
• They have visual appeal.
• They have a logical flow.
• They have a powerful opening.
• They have a summary.

Important Aspects of a Presentation

• Objectives
• Audience
• Content
• Organization
• Visuals
• Setting
• Delivery

Presentation Objectives

• Determine the purpose of the presentation
  • To inform
  • To persuade
  • To report back
• Determine goals or desired outcomes of the presentation
  • A decision to buy
  • A request for a proposal or bid
  • Assessment Marks

Audience Considerations

• Who is the audience?
• What are their interests, needs, and requirements?
• What do they expect from you?
• What do they value?
• What is their role?

Presentation Content

• Content should be relevant and useful to the audience.
• Content should be relevant and useful to the objectives.

Presentation Organization

• Organization of the presentation in general.
• Organization of the body of the presentation.

Visuals and Design

• Take into account design, font and colors.
• Visual aids should enhance your presentation
  • Engage the audience.
  • Provide additional information.
  • Reinforce key points.
• If a visual aid doesn’t add value, then delete it.

Settings and Logistics

• Seating arrangements
• Lighting and heating
• Size of the room
• Number of people in attendance

Delivery

• Pace of the presentation
• Its organization
• Points of emphasis
• Time frames and allocations
• Portions that can be cut, if necessary
• The roles of each presenter, if more than one presenter is involved

The Four P's of Effective Presentations

• Plan
• Prepare
• Practice
• Present

Presentation Planning Questions

• Audience: who and where?
• Purpose: why and what?
• The audience?
• Where the presentation will take place?
• Why the audience are there?
• Your goal?
• How long the presentation will be?

Consequences of Not Thinking of Your Audience

• They might feel alienated, if you offend their values.
• They might feel insulted if you fail to recognize and acknowledge their existing knowledge.
• They might feel confused if you assume a level of knowledge that they don't have.
• They might feel bored if you fail to relate to them.
• They might feel frustrated if they are not given the opportunity to ask questions.
• "Failing to plan is planning to fail."

Key Steps in Planning

• Know your subject
  • Define your main idea
• List the key concepts and points to convey
  • Consider things to remember
• Start your outline
  • How you can illustrate the key points
• Structure of the presentation
  • Sequence of subjects

Methods for Defining Your Main Idea

• Business Card test
  • Write core idea with a simple sentence on the back of a business card.
• Elevator test
  • Define the key messages the audience should remember
  • Structure your presentation with those messages
  • Sell the message in 30-45 seconds

Examples of Defining the Main Idea

• Global warming
  • What is global warming?
  • Causes
  • Impact
  • Solution
• Summer Training
  • Location and duration
  • Departments of Company
  • Details of training
  • Major gains

Key Concepts to Remember

• Determine what three things you want your audience to remember.

Start your Outline

• Clarify the aim
  • State the aim of the presentation
  • Write it down in bullets
• Determine what you need to cover to fulfill the aim
  • Ensure the content is appropriate towards the audience.
  • Prioritize your material.
• How much time do you have?
  • Define how much time for each item.

Presentation Structure

• Start with introduction
  • Get attention
• Second with main theme
  • Content
• Finish with Summary/Conclusions
  • Key message

Structure of Presentation Breakdown

• Beginning (introduction)
  • Explain the bullet-point main point highlights of your presenation.
• Middle (main theme)
  • Logically present your points in order.
  • Give signposts or summaries of the points.
• End (summary/conclusions)
  • You can give an original introductory summary of main points to summarize.
  • Give a final conclusion.

What to Learn from Experience

• Note what makes presentations very effective.
• Note what makes presentations unsuccessful.
• Think of career and classroom presentations, and/ or visiting professionals.

Planning Presentation Content

• Avoid cut-and-paste of words and illustrations from sources straight onto the slides.
• Slides should support your message.
  • Keep the slides simple.
  • Prioritize your material.
  • Have a clear structure.
  • Focus on the introduction and conclusion.
  • Utilize effective power-point, and use visual aids effectively.

Keeping Slides Simple

• Avoid long bullet lists
• Avoid complex flow charts
• Avoid tables full of fine detail

Having a Clear Structure

• The presentation should flow from Introduction, Overview, Main Body, Summary, and Conclusion.

Prioritizing Material

• Define the main ideas to be presented.
• What you are presenting will lead the type of questions.

Focus on Introduction and Conclusion

• The introduction must be interesting to force the audience to keep listening.
• The conclusion is important because people remember the last thing that they heard referred to as Recency.