Designing Academic Presentations Why plan a presentation Design













- Slides: 13
Designing Academic Presentations • Why plan a presentation? • Design – Analysis – Structure • Delivery – Basics – Audience rapport
Communications is the art of responding appropriately to a situation.
Audience (Listener) • • Level of technical/specialist knowledge? Level of skepticism? Emotional attitude? Means of persuasion?
Speaker (You!) • • • Level of technical knowledge Means of establishing credibility? Means of demonstrating knowledge? Confidence level? Experience with presenting?
Presentation • Conventions – Logical evidence for a skeptical audience – Appropriate evidence? – Visual aids? – Clear design that the audience can follow • Spontaneity! – You MUST know your work thoroughly • Sound delivery techniques
Introduction • Background or context – problem or situation (what are you “solving? ”) • Statement of purpose • Definition of your solution, design or innovative feature • How it relates to the problem or situation • Overview of main parts or points
Body • Clear transitions between parts • Logical sequence • Required elements? • A “memory framework” – for you – for the listener
Conclusion • • The audience’s last impression of you! Reiterate purpose and significance Future implications? THANK YOU!
Design • Introduction – Audience motivator (appropriate, integrated) – Preview (clear, complete) • Discussion – Clarity, balance, logical sequence of main points – Transitions (between points – Supporting materials (evidence, examples) – Language use (appropriate, understandable)
Design (continued) • Conclusion – Clear, appropriate – Closing statement (appropriate, integrated • Purpose – Achieved? Clear? • Visual Aids – Appropriate, clear, integrated
Delivery • Non-Verbal – Eye contact – Facial expression – Gestures, movement, posture • Vocal – Loudness/Articulation – Rate & timing – Tonal variety & expression
Delivery (continued) • Overall – Professionalism – Extemporaneous quality (not reading) – Interest, enthusiasm – Confidence
To lose an audience really fast: • Turn your back or talk to the floor. • Speak in a monotone. Better still, whisper in a monotone. • Talk really fast. • Use lots of jargon. • Forget organization: just talk! • Go overtime by at least 20 minutes. • Make your visual aids so small the audience can’t read them. • Include crucial points in your visual aids and don’t explain them.