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Report Guidelines

• Reports should not exceed 50 pages total.  The recommend length is between 25-35 pages. 
• Appendices should be limited and used only if absolutely necessary as supporting documentation.
• Reports are to be submitted approximately two weeks before your scheduled presentation (see " Schedule " webpage). 
• Reports are to be submitted by 4 PM on the due date.
• Email to " [email protected] " as an attachment 
• Chapters are encouraged to highlight the entire academic year in the report.
• Reports should showcase action and results and not focus on future plans.

An extensive guiding rubric has been created that all chapters are encouraged to use.  The rubric covers each metric and rating.  The rubric is not meant as an exhaustive “checklist” but should be used for examples and items to consider when preparing reports and presentations.  Chapters are still encouraged to use organizational values, priorities and requirements in crafting their Accreditation submissions.  To view the rubric, click  here . 

Presentation Guidelines

• Presentations are to be no longer than 40 minutes.  Remaining time will be used for panelists questions (up to 60 minutes total).
• There is no limit on the number of members who may present.  Please note that the entire chapter membership is not required to attend the presentation. 
• The presentation is open to alumni and advisors.
• Chapters are encouraged to use multi-media (PowerPoint, Prezi, Google slides).
• Projector, screen and wireless clicker are provided.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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Unit 6 Final Project

29 Presentation Guidelines

 plan, design, create and deliver a presentation.

Before you create a presentation, it is important to plan and outline the message you wish to convey. When working on a construction project, master carpenters abide by the rule “measure twice, cut once”. Likewise, when it comes to creating a presentation, taking the time to plan and prepare before beginning to create a presentation, will not only make the presentation more enjoyable and effective but will ultimately save you time. Part of this planning is to identify the audience who will be listening to and or watching the presentation and then to choose a medium that is appropriate for conveying the message to this audience. The key to being comfortable and relaxed in front of an audience when you deliver the presentation is preparation . When the content is organized in a logical manner, it is much easier to learn and to deliver.

Defining the Purpose of the Presentation

There are many different types of presentations. For a presentation to be successful, it is necessary to begin by defining the purpose. Before beginning ask yourself – Is the presentation meant:

• to persuade?
• to educate?
• to motivate?
• to entertain?

If the presentation is intended to inform or educate, then the goal of the speaker is to increase the knowledge or ability of the audience by providing new information about an already familiar subject, process, event, or concept.

If the presentation is intended to persuade, sell, or motivate, then the goal of the speaker is to change the attitude, belief, or behaviour of the audience. The speaker may present opposing points of view on a particular subject, product, or issue allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions based on the facts presented. Or, the speaker may present and explore a concept or policy concluding with a recommended course of action. This type of presentation can be much more challenging to create and deliver than one meant to inform or educate because it is often based on controversial subjects important not only to the speaker but also to the audience.

If the presentation is intended to entertain, then the goal of the speaker is to keep the audience engaged, amused, and interested in the content of the presentation.

Identifying the purpose helps to provide a focus for the speaker and ensures that a clear message is conveyed to the audience. Limit the number of related topics in the presentation to avoid confusion in the mind of the audience. Ensure that the main topic is clearly stated and then supported and reinforced throughout the entire presentation.

Developing the Content

To create an effective presentation, you must know your subject. If necessary, you may need to research some components of your topic. Research can enhance your credibility. Knowledge of the latest information in the subject area helps you to anticipate audience reaction and gives you time to prepare ways of dealing with potential controversies. The Internet is one source of current information as well as traditional forms of media including newspapers and magazines. Personal interviews may also be helpful in developing the content of the presentation.

Creating Effective Text Presentations

Once the purpose has been identified and your topic researched, it is time to organize your presentation. The first slide in the presentation should provide an introduction to the topic, and the last slide should provide a conclusion . In between, there should be a natural flow to the presentation. Using PowerPoint ‘ s Outline View is a very effective way to enter and organize the content of the presentation by arranging it into first, second, and third level headings. Each of these remaining slides in a presentation should contain only one main thought or idea. Too many thoughts or ideas on one slide may confuse the audience and cause the speaker to stray from the topic – don’t overwhelm the audience with too much information. Apply the 7 x 7 rule to the content of these remaining slides. This means that each slide should contain no more than seven lines of text and each line of text should contain no more than seven words. This can be achieved by eliminating unnecessary articles, pronouns, and adjectives. Be sure that the grammatical structure of the phrases are parallel to one another and that font sizes are readable.

A good introductory slide can build speaker confidence and help a speaker to relax. It should be designed to:

• gain the attention of the audience
• introduce the topic
• present the purpose
• forecast the main points

An effective concluding slide needs to be more than an opportunity for the speaker to say thank you. The Closing Slide should:

• summarize the main points
• leave the audience with something to remember

The remaining slides in the presentation should:

• contain only one main idea
• maintain a consistent layout
• follow the 7 x 7 rule
• keep phrases parallel

Using Graphics Effectively

There are many reasons to include graphic images in a presentation. Some of these reasons are:

• to present information that cannot be as effectively conveyed in words
• to involve, interest, and motivate the audience
• to increase audience understanding and create a lasting impression
• to build credibility and add a sense of reality
• to provide variety

When choosing a graphic image or picture to add to the presentation, consider the effect it will have on the audience and the part it plays in supporting the topic. Just because clip art and other images are available to use, does not necessarily mean they should be included. Too many graphic images in a presentation can be distracting for the audience creating the opposite effect, detracting from rather than enhancing the message.

Polish Up the Presentation

Now that the text is created and entered and appropriate graphic images inserted, it is time to put on the finishing touches. If not already selected, choose a theme template that will provide an appropriate backdrop to the slides in the presentation. Run the slide show to check how each slide will be presented to the audience, and consider applying transition and custom animation effects to the objects in the presentation.

When applying transition schemes to the presentation, graphic designers recommend that it is best to use no more than two different effects in one presentation. Using more than two can cause the audience to become fixated on the visual effects and lose sight of the content and message of the presentation. The title slide usually has no transition effects applied.

Custom animation effects can be applied to bulleted text or graphic images. When applied to bulleted text, each bulleted paragraph is progressively disclosed to the audience during the running of the slide show . This helps to focus the audience attention on each individual bulleted item as it appears on the screen. If animation effects are applied to bulleted text, like the use of transition schemes it is best to choose and use no more than two different types of effect. This will keep the presentation consistent.

Delivering the Presentation

Though the presentation may be prepared to be delivered online on the Web or perhaps run endlessly in a kiosk, more often than not the presentation is used as a visual tool to accompany a speech in front of an audience. This is the point when it all comes together for you. Some of the following tips may help when delivering the presentation.

Practice Makes Perfect

Be prepared! You cannot bluff your way through a presentation. Practice aloud several times while running the slides and referring to the speaker’s notes. Practice using the equipment and the different software features.

Polish your Delivery

Look at the audience while speaking – make eye contact. This opens up communication and gains credibility for your message. Try not to read verbatim from the speaker’s notes. Speak clearly and try to vary your tone of voice always making sure that the person in the back row can hear you. Try not to stand directly in front of the projector. Stand to the side and face the audience as much as possible.

Arrive Early

This will give you time to check out the equipment and let you gather your thoughts as you set up the presentation. Start PowerPoint and be sure that the show will run and that your notes are with you or on the lectern. Relax and greet people as they arrive. Distribute handouts before or after, not during, the presentation.

Be Flexible and Courteous

Be prepared to adjust to the audience demands. Questions from the audience may require that you return to a previous slide or that you may not be able to cover all slides and so need to advance more quickly.

Following the suggestions for planning, preparation, and delivery outlined above will put you on your way to creating and delivering an effective presentation.

Click the Next Topic arrow to proceed to the Presentation Checklist and then the instructions for completing the Final Project .

Presentation Software Copyright © 2013 by bpayne is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Chapter 10. Designing and Delivering Presentations

In this chapter.

• Strategies for developing professional oral presentations and designing clear, functional slides
• Discussion of what makes presentations challenging and practical advice for becoming a more engaging and effective presenter
• Tips for extending the concepts of high quality presentations to creating videos and posters

Presentations are one of the most visible forms of professional or technical communication you will have to do in your career.  Because of that and the nature of being put “on the spot,” presentations are often high pressure situations that make many people anxious. As with the other forms of communication described in this guide, the ability to present well is a skill that can be practiced and honed.

When we think of presentations, we typically imagine standing in front of a room (or auditorium) full of people, delivering information verbally with slides projected on a screen. Variations of that scene are common. Keep in mind, though, that the skills that make you a strong presenter in that setting are incredibly valuable in many other situations, and they are worth studying and practicing.

Effective presentation skills are the ability to use your voice confidently to communicate in “live” situations—delivering information verbally and “physically,” being able to engage your audience, and thinking on your feet. It also translates to things like videos, which are a more and more common form of communication in professional spheres.  You will have a number of opportunities during your academic career to practice your presentation skills, and it is worth it to put effort into developing these skills. They will serve you well in myriad situations beyond traditional presentations, such as interviews, meetings, networking, and public relations.

This chapter describes best practices and tips for becoming an effective presenter in the traditional sense, and also describes how best practices for presentation skills and visuals apply to creating videos and posters.

Process for Planning, Organizing, and Writing Presentations

Similar to any other piece of writing or communication, to design a successful presentation, you must follow a thoughtful writing process (see Engineering Your Writing Process ) that includes planning, drafting, and getting feedback on the presentation content, visuals, and delivery (more on that in the following section).Following is a simple and comprehensive way to approach “writing” a presentation:

Step 1: Identify and state the purpose of the presentation. Find focus by being able to clearly and simply articulate the goal of the presentation—what are you trying to achieve? This is helpful for you and your audience—you will use it in your introduction and conclusion, and it will help you draft the rest of the presentation content.

Step 2: Outline major sections. Next, break the presentation content into sections. Visualizing sections will also help you assess organization and consider transitions from one idea to the next. Plan for an introduction, main content sections that help you achieve the purpose of the presentation, and a conclusion.

Step 3: Draft content. Once you have an outline, it’s time to fill in the details and plan what you are actually going to say. Include an introduction that gives you a chance to greet the audience, state the purpose of the presentation, and provide a brief overview of the rest of the presentation (e.g. “First, we will describe the results of our study, then we’ll outline our recommendations and take your questions”). Help your audience follow the main content of the presentation by telling them as you move from one section of your outline to the next—use the structure you created to keep yourself and your audience on track.

End with a summary, restating the main ideas (purpose) from the presentation and concluding the presentation smoothly (typically thanking your audience and offering to answering any questions from your audience). Ending a presentation can be tricky, but it’s important because it will make a lasting impression with your audience—don’t neglect to plan out the conclusion carefully.

Step 4: Write presentation notes. For a more effective presentation style, write key ideas, data, and information as lists and notes (not a complete, word-for-word script). This allows you to ensure you are including all the vital information without getting stuck reading a script. Your presentation notes should allow you to look down, quickly reference important information or reminders, and then look back up at your audience.

Step 5: Design supporting visuals. Now it’s time to consider what types of visuals will best help your audience understand the information in your presentation. Typically, presentations include a title slide, an overview or advance organizer, visual support for each major content section, and a conclusion slide. Use the visuals to reinforce the organization of your presentation and help your audience see the information in new ways.

Don’t just put your notes on the slides or use visuals that will be overwhelming or distracting—your audience doesn’t need to read everything you’re saying, they need help focusing on and really understanding the most important information. See Designing Effective Visuals .

At each step of the way, assess audience and purpose and let them affect the tone and style of your presentation. What does your audience already know? What do you want them to remember or do with the information? Use the introduction and conclusion in particular to make that clear.

For in-class presentations, look at the assignment or ask the instructor to make sure you’re clear on who your audience is supposed to be. As with written assignments, you may be asked to address an imagined audience or design a presentation for a specific situation, not the real people who might be in the room.

In summary, successful presentations

• have a stated purpose and focus;
• are clearly organized, with a beginning, middle, and end;
• guide the audience from one idea to the next, clearly explaining how ideas are connected and building on the previous section; and
• provide multiple ways for the audience to absorb the most important information (aurally and visually).

Developing a Strong Presentation Style

Since presentation are delivered to the audience “live,” review and revise it as a verbal and visual presentation, not as a piece of writing. As part of the “writing” process, give yourself time to practice delivering your presentation out loud with the visuals . This might mean practicing in front of a mirror or asking someone else to listen to your presentation and give you feedback (or both!). Even if you have a solid plan for the presentation and a strong script, unexpected things will happen when you actually say the words—timing will feel different, you will find transitions that need to be smoothed out, slides will need to be moved.

More importantly, you will be better able to reach your audience if you are able to look up from your notes and really talk to them—this will take practice.

Characteristics of a Strong Presentation Style

When it comes time to practice delivery, think about what has made a presentation and a presenter more or less effective in your past experiences in the audience. What presenters impressed you? Or bored you? What types of presentation visuals keep your attention? Or are more useful?

One of the keys to an effective presentation is to keep your audience focused on what matters—the information—and avoid distracting them or losing their attention with things like overly complicated visuals, monotone delivery, or disinterested body language.

As a presenter, you must also bring your own energy and show the audience that you are interested in the topic—nothing is more boring than a bored presenter, and if your audience is bored, you will not be successful in delivering your message.

Verbal communication should be clear and easy to listen to; non-verbal communication (or body language) should be natural and not distracting to your audience. The chart below outlines qualities of both verbal and non-verbal communication that impact presentation style. Use it as a sort of “rubric” as you assess and practice your own presentation skills.

As you plan and practice a presentation, be aware of time constraints. If you are given a time limit (say, 15 minutes to deliver a presentation in class or 30 minutes for a conference presentation), respect that time limit and plan the right amount of content. As mentioned above, timing must be practiced “live”—without timing yourself, it’s difficult to know how long a presentation will actually take to deliver.

Finally, remember that presentations are “live” and you need to stay alert and flexible to deal with the unexpected:

• Check in with your audience.  Ask questions to make sure everything is working (“Can everyone hear me ok?” or “Can you see the screen if I stand here?”) and be willing to adapt to fix any issues.
• Don’t get so locked into a script that you can’t improvise. You might need to respond to a question, take more time to explain a concept if you see that you’re losing your audience, or move through a planned section more quickly for the sake of time. Have a plan and be able to underscore the main purpose and message of your presentation clearly, even if you end up deviating from the plan.
• Expect technical difficulties. Presentation equipment fails all the time—the slide advancer won’t work, your laptop won’t connect to the podium, a video won’t play, etc. Obviously, you should do everything you can to avoid this by checking and planning, but if it does, stay calm, try to fix it, and be willing to adjust your plans. You might need to manually advance slides or speak louder to compensate for a faulty microphone. Also, have multiple ways to access your presentation visuals (e.g., opening Google Slides from another machine or having a flash drive).

Developing Strong Group Presentations

Group presentations come with unique challenges. You might be a confident presenter individually, but as a member of a group, you are dealing with different presentation styles and levels of comfort.

Here are some techniques and things to consider to help groups work through the planning and practicing process together:

• Transitions and hand-off points. Be conscious of and plan for smooth transitions between group members as one person takes over the presentation from another. Awkward or abrupt transitions can become distracting for an audience, so help them shift their attention from one speaker to the next. You can acknowledge the person who is speaking next (“I’ll hand it over to Sam who will tell you about the results”) or the person who’s stepping in can acknowledge the previous speaker (“So, I will build on what you just heard and explain our findings in more detail”). Don’t spend too much time on transitions—that can also become distracting. Work to make them smooth and natural.
• Table reads. When the presentation is outlined and written, sit around a table together and talk through the presentation—actually say what you will say during the presentation, but in a more casual way. This will help you check the real timing (keep an eye on the clock) and work through transitions and hand-off points. (Table reads are what actors do with scripts as part of the rehearsal process.)
• Body language. Remember that you are still part of the presentation even when you’re not speaking. Consider non-verbal communication cues—pay attention to your fellow group members, don’t block the visuals, and look alert and interested.

Designing Effective Visuals

Presentation visuals (typically slides, but could be videos, props, handouts, etc.) help presenters reinforce important information by giving the audience a way to see as well as hear the message. As with all other aspects of presentations, the goal of visuals is to aid your audience’s understanding, not overwhelm or distract them. One of the most common ways visuals get distracting is by using too much text. Plan and select visuals aids carefully—don’t just put your notes on the screen, but use the visuals to reinforce important information and explain difficult concepts.

The slides below outline useful strategies for designing professional, effective presentation slides.

• Write concise text. Minimize the amount of reading you ask your audience to do by using only meaningful keywords, essential data and information, and short phrases. Long blocks of text or full paragraphs are almost never useful.
• Use meaningful titles. The title should reveal the purpose of the slide. Its position on the slide is highly visible—use it to make a claim or assertion, identify the specific focus of the slide, or ask a framing question.
• Use images and graphics. Wherever possible, replace wordy descriptions with visuals. Well chosen images and graphics will add another dimension to the message you are trying to communicate. Make sure images are clear and large enough for your audience to see and understand in the context of the presentation.
• Keep design consistent. The visual style of the slides should be cohesive. Use the same fonts, colors, borders, backgrounds for similar items (e.g., all titles should be styled the same way, all photos should have the same size and color border). This does not mean every slide needs to look identical, but they should be a recognizable set.
• Use appropriate contrast. Pay attention to how easy it is to see elements on the screen. Whatever colors you choose, backgrounds and overlaid text need to be some version of light/dark. Avoid positioning text over a patterned or “busy” background—it is easy for the text to get lost and become unreadable. Know that what looks ok on your computer screen might not be as clear when projected.

Key Takeaway

• Create a structure for your presentation or video that clearly supports your goal.
• Practice effective verbal and non-verbal communication to become comfortable with your content and timing. If you are presenting as a group, practice together.
• Use visuals that support your message without distracting your audience.

Additional Resources

Fundamentals of Engineering Technical Communications Copyright © by Leah Wahlin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Chapter 16: Technical Presentations

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One important, but often overlooked, skill in engineering is presenting. From talking with students, I have noticed that a lot of engineering students are intimidated by public speaking. In fact, I have almost a decade of experience lecturing, but I still am a little scared standing in front of a large classroom! It is OK to be a little nervous. I tell students being a little nervous means that you care, and caring is part of successful presentations. This chapter aims to reduce your presentation anxiety by teaching you the skills you need. The main key is to practice, know the format, and be prepared.

Learning Goals

In this chapter we will learn:

• Why it is important to practice and get comfortable presenting technical information.
• What your presentation should entail for the main type of engineering presentations.
• How to present technical information professionally and engagingly.
• What “audience” means and how to use what you know about your audience to your advantage.
• The art of PowerPoint and how to use the features in a non-distracting way.
• What should (and should not) be included in a technical presentation.

Why Learning How to Present Is Important

It is one thing to have a good idea, invent something cool, or develop new technology, but it is a whole other thing to successfully disseminate that information. A lot of people don’t realize that presenting is a skill and like all skills requires practice and study to perfect. It seems like it is easy to slap together a PowerPoint and talk about your project, but if you do not put the time and effort into the presentation to ensure that it impacts your audience, your work will be wasted.

Key Concept: You have to learn how to present in a compelling manner in order to get people to pay attention to your product/idea/report/etc.

For example, I have been an instructor and advisor for several senior design teams. I have seen team projects range from truly impressive to mediocre. I have also seen the impressive teams be dismissed at competitions and the mediocre teams win awards at competitions because of presentation skills alone. What I am trying to convey to you is that presenting can be the “make or break” for a project. No matter how good your project is if you can’t describe to people how good your idea is, no one will care. That being said, the moral of this story is not to do a mediocre project and coast on your presentation skills. Combining a good project with a good presentation should be your goal.

Finally, it should be noted, that engineers have to present a lot . In fact, engineers have to do presentations a lot more than you might think. You might have to present your design idea to your research and development team. You might have to present to the entire company describing how you optimized a system process for efficiency. You might have to present to shareholders the newest technologies your team is working on. You might have to present to future customers on how your technology can improve their productivity. The point is, that engineers are expected to be good presenters and historically, University education in engineering does not explicitly address this skill. Hopefully, this chapter and your subsequent education reverses this.

Presentation Anxiety

Before we jump into some examples and tips, I wanted to take a quick note on presentation anxiety. As I mentioned before, there is no getting around it, you will probably be a little nervous when you present. That is ok! Almost everyone feels a little nervous. However, there are tactics that you can use to reduce your anxiety when stepping up in front of an audience.

One of the biggest keys to reducing your anxiety is preparation . In fact, there is no such thing as “over preparing”. The more you prepare for your presentation the better you will feel because you will be more confident about what you are speaking on.

Here are three tips that should help when it comes to preparation and alleviating anxiety:

Anxiety Reduction Mechanism 1) Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse…

Although it might seem self-explanatory or obvious, rehearsing is the most important step in reducing presentation anxiety. In my experience, this is the step that most students spend the least amount of time on even though it is the most important.

Out of all of the time you budget to create your presentation, the majority of time needs to be spent rehearsing.

The more you rehearse, the smoother your delivery will become and the more confident you will feel. Rehearse in front of your roommates. Rehearse in front of your classmates. Rehearse in front of a mirror. Rehearse to your parents (this is a great idea as it will probably impress them about how far you have come in your education and maybe get a few more bucks thrown on your campus cash card!). Rehearse in front of your grandparents (I am sure grandma would love to hear from you anyway). I think you get the idea. Rehearsing is key and the more that you practice your presentation, the more comfortable you will feel. Rehearsing in front of people that aren’t familiar with the course is even better. It will generate questions and make sure that you are explaining things in an optimal manner.

What I suggest to students is, that they time each of the rehearsals of their presentation. The key is to continue to practice rehearsing and practicing until the group can finish the presentation without making any mistakes and when they can finish within +/- 5 seconds of the same time (if it is a 10-minute limit presentation, the team can finish each practice session in 9:50 seconds to 9:55 seconds every time). As you can imagine, this takes a ton of practice but does reflect the level of polish necessary to feel confident about your presentation.

Anxiety Reduction Mechanism 2) Anticipate questions.

The next key to preparation for your presentation is to anticipate the questions you think the audience will ask, and be prepared with answers to those questions. You can’t anticipate every single question that you may get asked, but you can probably think of a few avenues that your audience members’ minds might wander.

For example, let’s imagine that you are giving a presentation on the efficacy of a vaccine. Depending on your audience, you should be prepared to answer the following questions:

• What is a vaccine?
• Specifically, how do vaccines work?
• Do vaccines cause autism? (Spoiler: NO )
• What types of adverse reactions might there be to the vaccine?
• How long will it take to produce 100 million doses of the vaccine?
• Are there specific storage requirements for this vaccine?

Preparing detailed answers to these questions will strengthen your knowledge of your presentation topic and alleviate your anxiety. Since you anticipated the questions your audience will ask, you don’t have to worry as much about looking like a fool on stage. This is also where rehearsing in front of someone who is not familiar with the course or topic can be very beneficial since it will generate a lot of these types of questions that you may have not considered.

Anxiety Reduction Mechanism 3) No one in the audience cares about you.

Sometimes students interpret this incorrectly. I am not saying that no one cares about you. Lots of people do. Your professor does, you have friends in the class, etc. What I mean by this is that it is important to remember that when you give class presentations, often, your classmates and peers have to give presentations as well.

Think back to the last class you were in where you had to present. Think about sitting in your chair, while another team is presenting, waiting for your turn. Be honest. Were you even listening to them? Or were you anxiously awaiting your turn at the presentation? Well, the reality is, everyone else is only thinking about themselves and their presentation while you are presenting . When you make a tiny mistake, no one notices. The only thing they will notice is if you totally bomb the presentation (which you won’t because you rehearsed so much).

So as part of your preparation, relax . The selfish and narcissistic tendencies of your classmates ensure that they won’t be paying as much attention to you as you think they might. Hopefully, that relieves a little bit of the pressure.

Discussion 16.1: How do you feel about presentation anxiety?

What Your Presentation Should Entail

As an engineer, you will typically be presenting on projects you are proposing or presenting data from projects that you have already completed. All of the advice from this chapter (no such thing as over-preparing, etc) will be helpful in reducing stage anxiety but to make sure that your presentation is well received, you need to make sure that the presentation contains the appropriate material.

You will be expected to have the following sections: title, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. The following example presentation will highlight the most important and standard slides that your presentation should (probably) entail.

To describe each of the required sections (keep in mind that I am showing only one slide for each section but it is likely that you will need multiple slides) I included example slides from a presentation I gave at an American Society for Engineering Education conference in 2019 in which I won the “Best Presentation” award. Note, that the slides shown below are only a subset of the slides that I presented at the conference. For the full slide deck, you can click here.

Title Slide

The title slide is just a place to include the names of all the people that worked on the project and their affiliations. And the title. Duh.

• Keep it simple.

Introduction / Background Slide(s)

The purpose of the introduction slide is to outline your current understanding of the subject. You need to include specific examples of previous work/research.

• Clearly explain the importance of the current project and what the significance of the project will be.
• Justify the merit of your project by presenting significant information.
• End with a specific, clear, and explicit purpose for the project. Some of the projects that you complete during your undergraduate career will be chosen for you. It does not mean that the purpose of the project is “because the professor told me to do it”. Spend some time thinking about the project and what learning outcomes you are expected to gain from it.

Materials and Methods

The purpose of the materials and methods slide is to list the necessary steps for your audience to interpret the results.

• You should include: sample sizes, how the data will be processed, everything that was used in the project, and what statistical tests if any will be used.
• It should be clear how the materials and methods relate to the purpose of the project.
• The audience should feel that presenters fully understand the scope and details of the work (especially if it is a proposal).

The results slide is the place where you describe what you found from your project.

• Present the data from the project. What did you do? What did you find?
• Do not interpret your results yet! Just show what you gathered.
• Visual descriptions of your data are important. Be sure to include figures and tables as appropriate.

Although it might seem like your results are the most important slide, I would argue that it is actually your discussion slide. Whereas in your results section you simply tell your audience what you found, in your discussion section, you need to interpret the results for your audience.

• Interpret the data from the results section.
• Answer the “why” of the data.
• Draw conclusions about the project.
• List any limitations of the project.
• Discuss future work.

Conclusion / Significance

Finally, we get to the conclusion slide. This is another very important slide as it can be an opportunity to reinforce the takeaway message that you want to give your audience.

• Should be a “natural” conclusion. Your presentation should not end abruptly. The audience should feel it coming.
• Summarize the major points from your presentation. Be sure to provide your audience with a take-home message.
• Summarize the weaknesses of the project. It shows that you can critically think about your own work and makes your audience more sympathetic to your position. Admitting what you would change actually strengthens your position.

How To Give a Dynamic Engineering Presentation

There are two main things to worry about when presenting engineering information in a dynamic and interesting way; the content and yourself.

In my opinion, one of the best ways to convey what makes for a dynamic and engaging presentation is to have you look at one of the worst. What follows is one of the worst presentations I could find on the internet. To set the stage for you, it is from a British show in which people pitch their ideas to a group of investors (it is similar to the American show Shark Tank). I chose this particular clip for a few reasons:

It is supposed to be entrepreneurs getting the opportunity of a lifetime to get their dream invested. They should be excited and passionate by default! The following pitch is atrocious but the product is actually kind of an interesting idea. It seems to me that if she had given a more dynamic and engaging pitch, the investors may have been more interested. In fact, one of the investors says as much. With that out of the way, watch the following pitch from Gayle Blanchflower (I couldn’t find out if this spelling was correct). Note: the video should automatically start at 30:12 for you. If it doesn’t you can skip there. Also, be prepared to answer some questions on what you think went wrong with her pitch.

Discussion 16.2: An atrocious presentation

I am truly sorry for putting you through that. However, I hope you agree that it gives you some ideas of what NOT to do when trying to give a dynamic and interesting presentation. Here are some more tips about both the content of your presentations and tips for you.

Know your audience Your audience will dictate what you are presenting. If you are presenting on the efficacy of vaccines to a group of doctors, you can assume that they know what vaccines are and how they work, therefore, you can leave that information out of the presentation. However, if you are giving the same presentation to a group of middle schoolers, it might be a good idea to include that background information. The key is to know your audience and tailor the presentation to their knowledge.

Convey your excitement If you aren’t excited about your project, your audience surely will not be. Get excited and make your presentation exciting the best that you can.

Tell a story This chapter gives you the basic framework (you can think about it like the beginning, middle, climax, end, or a story) but you need to tell it. The more you can make your presentation flow like a story, the better.

Keep it simple (communicate, don’t obfuscate) Every field has jargon and acronyms that make people feel smart for knowing. Don’t lose your audience in the lingo! This is where knowing your audience is critical but in reality, even scientists and engineers appreciate brief definitions of scientific terminologies and processes.

• Set the stage. Clear the podium of distractions. Have whatever tools you need for your presentation ready to go ahead of time.
• Get ready to perform Presentations are performances. Know your subject and know your main talking points. Do not memorize a script! Your rehearsing should have been so extensive you don’t need one anyway.
• Stride up to podium / stage / front of room. Be proud! Don’t sulk.
• Stand tall, keep your chest lifted, and smile. If you aren’t confident by nature, learn to fake it. It goes a long way.
• Pay attention to your teammates when it is their turn to talk. Remember, if you look bored, your audience will interpret that as if they should be bored.
• Speak loudly and project your voice clearly. For some, this is not natural and will take practice. Good thing you rehearsed so much!
• Take your time. A moment or two of silence is a powerful tool.
• Talk to the audience, not the screen.
• Stay on time.
• Rehearse a lot. Remember, there is no such thing as being over-prepared.

PowerPoint Tips

As I stated before for dynamic presentations , I think it is a good idea to look at bad PowerPoint decks to understand what makes the good ones, good. Before moving on, take a look at the slides here: https://www.slideshare.net/Kshivets/...cancer-surgery –4936542. When you have finished looking at those slides, participate in the following discussion prompt before moving on.

Discussion 16.3: A really terrible slide deck

Well after reviewing that horrible slide deck, you should actually probably have a good idea of what makes for a good slide deck. Here are my tips:

• Less is more. Less slides, less text. Trim off the fat and concentrate on the coolest most relevant things.
• Create sections. Title slides to start new sections can help break the presentation into a logical flow. Specifically, you should use the sections that we discussed earlier in the chapter.
• Avoid clutter. 3–5 bullet points per slide at most! Bullets should be keywords, not sentences.
• Make it readable for old people. Sans serif fonts. 28–40 point for headline text, 18–28 point for normal text, and 12–14 point font for references is a good place to start.
• Ensure that there is a clear contrast between the background and all text.
• Use visuals. Steer clear of videos unless completely necessary or exceptionally cool. In my experience, they NEVER work and they take lots of time away from your presentation. Figures are your best bet.
• Triple-check your spelling. A sure-fire way to lose credibility is to have typos in your presentation

Chapter 16: Technical Presentations is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

Presentation Skills

• First Online: 19 November 2023

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• Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh 2 , 3  

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Oral presentations are used to share research ideas or results, but they also include teaching. Effective presentations require careful preparation, from determining a key message and studying the audience to developing a structure that reflects a story. As many presentations use slides, the chapter provides detailed guidelines for designing effective slides. To deliver a presentation well, prepare it both at home and in the presentation room. It also concerns how you speak, body language, dealing with notes, and time management. Many presentations are followed by a Questions and Answers session. Five steps are discussed for dealing well with questions. As research is often presented at academic conferences, the chapter discusses presenting at conferences, attending presentations, and planning conference visits.

The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives . Lilly Walters .

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Coles ( 2022 ).

Abrahams ( 2014 ).

https://www.cbs.de/en/blog/15-effective-presentation-tips-to-improve-presentation-skills/ . Accessed 25 September 2023.

Check the TED Talk of Allan Pease, Body language, the power is in the palm of your hands , TEDx Macquarie University, November 17, 2013 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZ7k8cMA-4 .

Abrahams, Matt (2014), Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques, Stanford Graduate School of Business, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnw168huqA .

Coles, Nicholas A. (2022), Why Lectures Are Like Blind Dates, Nature , 607, 7 July, S3-4.

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Chapter Fourteen – Presentation Aids

“Grifo mágico”  by emijrp.  CC-BY .

“I know you can’t read this from the back there,” the presenter apologizes to a screen so full of words you would think the entire speech had been crammed into one slide. This is just the first of a seemingly endless string of slides I can’t read, charts so full of numbers I can’t decipher the meaning, and clip art so clichéd I can’t help but roll my eyes and sigh. It is not long before I’m presented with an incredibly dense graph I can’t make any sense of since he keeps interrupting my concentration with actual talking. “When is he going to come to the point already?” I think to myself as I start to doodle in the margins of the handout of the PowerPoint slides for the very talk I’m currently sitting through. Why did he even bother with a presentation? He could have just emailed us all of the handout and saved us from this painful, dull spectacle. As he reads from his slides and belabors his statistics, my mind drifts to grocery lists and the upcoming weekend. I can think of a hundred better uses for an hour.

It seems nearly impossible to see a presentation that doesn’t revolve around a lengthy PowerPoint, so much so that you might think it was a requirement for giving a speech. The phrase “death by PowerPoint” was coined in response to the ubiquitous, wordy, and intellectually deadening presentations that focus on the slides rather than the content or the presenter. With the speaker reading directly from the slides, or worse, showing slides with text so small that it can’t be read, viewers are often left wondering what the need for the presentation is at all. A simple handout would convey the message and save everyone’s time. PowerPoint, however, is just one of the visual aids available to you as a speaker. Your ability to incorporate the right visual aid at the right time and in the right format can have a powerful effect on your audience. Because your message is the central focus of your speech, you only want to add visual aids that enhance your message, clarify the meaning of your words, target the emotions of your audience, and/or show what words fail to clearly describe.

A visual image is a simple thing, a picture that enters the eyes. – Roy H. Williams  

“mwdCyborgLenses”  by em den.  CC-BY-NC-SA .

Learning how to create effective visuals that resonate with your audience is important for a quality presentation. Understanding basic principles of how visual information is processed alone and in combination with audio information can make or break your visuals’ effectiveness and impact. Incorporating visuals into your speech that complement your words rather than stand in place of them or distract from them, will set you apart from other presenters, increase your credibility, and make a bigger and more memorable impact on your audience.

Types of Visual Aids

In the past, transparencies displayed with overhead projectors, posters, and flip charts were common visual aids, but these have mostly been replaced with computer technology. For many people, the term “visual aids” for presentations or speeches is synonymous with PowerPoint (often long, dry, painful PowerPoint at that), but this is just one type of visual aid. You should consider all the available options to determine what will be most effective and appropriate for your presentation.

If you wear clothes that don’t suit you, you’re a fashion victim. You have to wear clothes that make you look better. – Vivienne Westwood

Personal Appearance

Some people choose to dress up as part of their presentation, and this can help set the tone of the speech or reinforce a specific point. A speaker may wear a handmade sweater in a talk about knitting in order to inspire others to begin the hobby. Another speaker may opt for a firefighter’s uniform in a speech about joining the local volunteer fire department in an effort to appeal to the respect most people have for people in uniform. As mentioned in the previous chapter, if you’re delivering a speech on sleep deprivation, wearing pj’s  could be appropriate!

If you wear clothes that don’t suit you, you’re a fashion victim. You have to wear clothes that make you look better . – Vivienne Westwood

“Firefighters Onboard Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Edinburgh” by UK Ministry of Defence.  CC-BY-NC .

If you aren’t dressing in relation to your topic, you should dress appropriately for your audience and venue. A presentation to a professional audience or at a professional conference would lend itself to appropriate business attire. If you are giving a presentation to your local Girl Scout troop, more casual clothing may be the best choice. Any time you are doing a demonstration, make sure you are dressed appropriately to give the demonstration. It is difficult for a speaker to show how to correctly put on a rock-climbing harness if she is wearing a skirt the day of the presentation.

Beyond dressing appropriately for your audience and topic, the audience will make judgments about you even before your presentation begins. Your dress, mannerisms, the way you greet the audience when they are arriving, how you are introduced, and the first words out of your mouth all impact your credibility and ability to connect with your audience. Make sure you are calm and welcoming to your audience when they arrive and greet them in a professional manner. Your credibility and professionalism suffer when the audience arrives and you are busy scrambling around attempting to finish your preparations. [1]

Objects and Props

“Honestly I Don’t Remember Much from This Lecture”  by Daniel Lu.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

Objects and props, such as a bicycle helmet for a speech on bike safety or an actual sample of the product you are trying to sell, can greatly enhance your presentation. Seeing the actual item will often make it easier for your audience to understand your meaning and will help you connect with your audience on an emotional level. Props can be used as part of demonstrations (discussed below) or as a stand-alone item that you refer to in your speech.

There are several important considerations for using props in your presentation. If you have a large audience, showing the prop at the front of the venue may mean that audience members can’t see the item. The alternative to this is to pass the item around, though Young and Travis [2] advise caution in passing objects around during your speech, as most people will be seeing the object after you have moved on with your talk. Having your prop out of sync with your presentation, either as it is passed around disrupting your audience’s attention or by having your prop visible when you aren’t talking about it, is distracting to your audience and message. To make the most effective use of props in your presentation, carefully consider how the object will be visible to your entire audience when you are speaking about it, and make sure it is out of sight when you are not.

Demonstration

“A dad teaches his daughter the hula hoop at the 2011 Downton Cuckoo Fair” by Anguskirk.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

A demonstration can serve two different purposes in a speech. First, it can be used to “wow” the audience. Showing off the features of your new product, illustrating the catastrophic failure of a poorly tied climbing knot, or launching a cork across the room during a chemistry experiment are all ways of capturing the audience’s attention. Demonstration should not be gimmicky, but should add value to your presentation. When done well, it can be the memorable moment from your speech, so make sure it reinforces the central message of your talk.

Demonstration can also be used to show how something is done. People have different learning styles, and a process demonstration can help visual learners better understand the concept being taught. Consider for a moment the difference between reading the instructions on how to perform CPR, watching someone perform CPR, and trying CPR on the training dummy. As evidenced by the huge number of online videos illustrating how to do something, there is great value in watching while you learn a new task.

If your presentation includes a process where seeing will improve understanding, consider including a demonstration.

Because you have a limited time to present, make sure your demonstrations are succinct, well-rehearsed, and visible to the entire audience. Be prepared for the demonstration to fail and have a back-up plan in place. It is better to move forward with your presentation than to fret with trying to get your demonstration perfect or fixed. However, if you are providing a demonstration of your new product, make sure it is as error free as possible. If you can’t be positive the product will perform as expected, it is better to skip the demonstration.

Posters and Flip Charts

If you are presenting to a small audience, around a dozen people, you may choose to use a poster rather than PowerPoint. The focus of your poster should be to support your core message and can be left behind to remind those in attendance of your presentation after you have left. Posters should look professional (e.g., not handwritten), be visible to everyone in the room, and follow design rules covered later in this chapter. Before your presentation, you should ask whether posters must be hung or be free standing. For posters that will be hung from a wall, sturdy poster or matte boards will suffice. If your poster is going to be free standing or if you are going to use the same poster for multiple presentations, you should consider using a tri-fold display board.

“Dad’s Jr. Year Science Fair Project”  by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos.  CC-BY-NC-SA .

Other text-based visual aids include white boards and flip charts. Both can be used to write or draw on during the presentation and should be used with several caveats. Writing during your presentation actually takes away from your speaking time, so make sure to factor this into your speaking time. Speaking and writing at the same time can be tricky because the audience will have a difficult time processing what they are hearing when they are also trying to read what you write. Additionally, if you are writing, you need to be careful not to turn your back on your audience, which is makes it harder for them to hear you and for you to connect with your audience. Legible handwriting that can be seen at a distance is of prime importance, so using these kinds of visual aids should be limited to small audiences. While some speakers write and draw to highlight important points, this takes an enormous amount of skill and practice. For those with less developed skills, flip charts are best limited to situations where audience input is necessary for the direction or continuation of the presentation. [3]

The soul never thinks without a picture. – Aristotle

Audio and Video

A large amount of digitized audio and video is now available to be included and embedded in your presentation. Select short clips; Young and Travis [4]  recommend only 10 – 20 seconds, but this will depend in part on the length of the presentation, the purpose of the presentation, and clip content and relevance. You should not have a presentation primarily composed of audio/video clips. Select only clips that reinforce the message or serve as an appropriate segue into your next topic.

When including audio or video in your speech, there are several technical considerations. It is important that the clip be properly cued to start at exactly where you want it to begin playing. It distracts from both your audience’s attention and your credibility when you are fumbling with technology during a speech. It is also important that your file format can be played on the computer you are using. Since not all computers will play all file formats, be sure to test playability and audio volume before your presentation. Again, going back to providing a professional appearance from your first interaction with your audience, you should iron out the technical details before they enter the room. As with a demonstration, if your clip isn’t playing properly, move on rather than attempt to correct the issue. Fumbling with technology is a waste of your audience’s valuable time.

There are many schools of thought on the use of handouts during a presentation. The most common current practice is that the presenters provide a copy of their PowerPoint slides to the participants before or after the presentation. This is so common that some academic and professional conferences require presenters to submit their slides prior to the event, so copies of the slides can be made for each attendee. Despite this prevailing trend, you should avoid using your slides as handouts because they serve different purposes. Using your presentation slides as the handout both shortchanges your slides and fails as a handout.

“Lt. Lydia Battey distributes handouts”  by Kerryl Cacho. Public domain.

Handouts are best used to supplement the content of your talk. If you are providing statistical data, your slide may only show the relevant statistic focusing on the conclusion you want your audience to draw. Your handout, on the other hand, can contain the full table of data. If you need to show a complex diagram or chart, a handout will be more legible than trying to cram all that information on a slide. Since you need to simplify the data to make it understandable on a slide, the handout can contain the evidence for your message in a way that is legible, detailed, complex, and shows respect for the audience’s time and intelligence. [5]

You don’t need to include everything in your talk, and you don’t need to pack all your information into your slides. Write a handout document with as much detail as you want and keep the slides simple. Presenters often feel the need to display all the data and information they have so they will appear knowledgeable, informed, and thoroughly prepared. You can help ease this feeling by creating a handout with all of the detailed data you wish, which leaves your slides open to focus on your key message. [6]

There are many true statements about complex topics that are too long to fit on a PowerPoint slide. – Edward Tufte

Crafting an appropriate handout will take additional time for the presenter but doing so will result in a take-away document that will stand on its own and a slide show that focuses on effective visual content. Duarte (2008) and Tufte (2003) recommend handouts only for dense, detailed information. Reynolds [7]  expands on this idea, noting that your handout needs to be complete enough to stand in your place since you won’t be there to present the information or answer questions.

When to distribute handouts is also heavily debated. So common is the practice of providing handouts at the beginning of a presentation that it may seem wrong to break the convention. It is important to understand, however, that if people have paper in front of them while you are speaking, their attention will be split between the handout, your other visual aids, and your words. To counter this, you might consider distributing handouts as they are needed during the presentation and allowing time for people to review them before continuing on. [8]  This may not be a viable option for shorter presentations, and the interruption in the flow of the presentation may be hard to recover from. Unless having the documents in front of your audience is absolutely critical to the success of the presentation, handouts should be distributed at the end of the presentation.

“Steve Jobs Presentation”  by Ken.gz.  CC-BY .

Slideware  is a generic term for the software used create and display slide shows such as  Microsoft PowerPoint ,  Apple iWorks Keynote ,  Google Drive Presentation ,  Zoho Show  and others. Composed of individual slides, collectively known as the  slide deck , slideware is a de facto standard for presentation visual aids despite criticisms and complaints about the format. In truth, the problem is not with the software but in the use of the software. The focus of much of the remainder of this chapter will be suggestions and best practices for creating effective slide decks that will be high impact and avoid many of the complaints of slideware detractors. Before this discussion, there are two distinct slideware presentation styles that should be mentioned.

A picture is a poem without words. – Horace

Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha  is a method of presenting using a slide deck of 20 slides that display for 20 seconds per slide, advance automatically, and generally contain no text. [9] This method began in 2003 as a way to contain the length of presentations of architects and continues to grow in popularity, but is still reserved mostly for people in creative industries. [10] Because of the restrictive format, Pecha Kucha-style presentations help the speaker practice editing, pacing, connecting with the audience, focusing on the message, and using images in place of words. [11]

While not quite slideware,  Prezi  is digital presentation software that breaks away from the standard slide deck presentation. It requires users to plot out their themes before adding primarily image-focused content. [12]  Instead of flipping through the slide deck, the presenter zooms in and out of the presentation to visually demonstrate connections not available in other slideware. The design of the software lends itself toward more rapidly changing visuals. This helps to keep the viewer engaged but also lends itself to over-populating the blank canvas with images. [13]

Prezi’s fast-moving images and, at times, unusual movement can make users dizzy or disoriented. Careful work is needed during planning and practice so that the point of the talk isn’t the wow factor of the Prezi software, but that your visuals enhance your presentation. The best way to learn more about this emerging tool is to visit the Prezi website to view examples .

If opting to use Prezi in a corporate environment, you should strongly consider one of the paid options for the sole purpose of removing the Prezi logo from the presentation.

Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of presentation aids you could employ during your speech, let’s discuss effective design principles of visual aids.

Design Principles

Slide and slide show design have a major impact on your ability to get your message across to your audience. Research shows that people have trouble grasping information when it comes at them simultaneously. “They will either listen to you or read your slides; they cannot do both.” [14]  This leaves you, the presenter, with a lot of power to direct or scatter your audience’s attention. This section will serve as an overview of basic design considerations that even novices can use to improve their slides.

Figure 13.1  by the Public Speaking Project.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

First and foremost, design with your audience in mind. Your slide show is not your outline. The show is also not your handout. As discussed earlier, you can make a significantly more meaningful, content-rich handout that complements your presentation if you do not try to save time by making a slide show that serves as both. Keep your slides short, create a separate handout if needed, and write as many notes for yourself as you need.

All decisions, from the images you use to their placement, should be done with a focus on your message, your medium, and your audience. Each slide should reinforce or enhance your message, so make conscious decisions about each element and concept you include [15]  and edit mercilessly. Taken a step further, graphic designer Robin Williams [16]  suggests each element be placed on the slide deliberately in relation to every other element on the slide.

Providing the right amount of information, neither too much nor too little, is one of the key aspects in effective communication. [17]  See Figure 13.1 as an example of slides with too little or too much information. The foundation of this idea is that if the viewers have too little information, they must struggle to put the pieces of the presentation together. Most people, however, include too much information (e.g., slides full of text, meaningless images, overly complicated charts), which taxes the audience’s ability to process the message. “There is simply a limit to a person’s ability to process new information efficiently and effectively.” [18]  As a presenter, reducing the amount of information directed at your audience (words, images, sounds, etc.) will help them to better remember your message. [19]  In this case, less is actually more.

Figure 13.2 by the Public Speaking Project. CC-BY-NC-ND .

The first strategy to keeping your slides simple is to include only one concept or idea per slide. If you need more than one slide, use it, but don’t cram more than one idea on a slide. While many have tried to prescribe the number of slides you need based on the length of your talk, there is no formula that works for every presentation. Use only the number of slides necessary to communicate your message, and make sure the number of slides corresponds to the amount of time allotted for your speech. Practice with more and fewer slides and more and less content on each slide to find the balance between too much information and too little.

With simplicity in mind, the goal is to have a slide that can be understood in 3 seconds. Think of it like a billboard you are passing on the highway. [20] You can achieve this by reducing the amount of irrelevant information, also known as noise , in your slide as much as possible. This might include eliminating background images, using clear icons and images, or creating simplified graphs. Your approach should be to remove as much from your slide as possible until it no longer makes any sense if you remove more. [21]

Slide Layout

Figure 13.3  by the Public Speaking Project.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

It is easy to simply open up your slideware and start typing in the bullet points that outline your talk. If you do this, you will likely fall into the traps for which PowerPoint is infamous. Presentation design experts Reynolds [22]  and Duarte [23]  both recommend starting with paper and pen. This will help you break away from the text-based, bullet-filled slide shows we all dread. Instead, consider how you can turn your words and concepts into images. Don’t let the software lead you into making a mediocre slide show.

Regarding slide design, focus on simplicity. Don’t over-crowd your slide with text and images. Cluttered slides are hard to understand (see Figure 13.2). Leaving empty space, also known as  white space , gives breathing room to your design. The white space actually draws attention to your focus point and makes your slide appear more elegant and professional. Using repetition of color, font, images, and layout throughout your presentation will help tie all of your slides together. This is especially important if a group is putting visuals together collaboratively. If you have handouts, they should also match this formatting in order to convey a more professional look and tie all your pieces together. [24]

Another general principle is to use contrast to highlight your message. Contrast should not be subtle. Make type sizes significantly different. Make contrasting image placements, such as horizontal and vertical, glaringly obvious. A general principle to follow: if things are not the same, then make them very, very different, [25]  as in Figure 13.3.

A common layout design is called the  rule of thirds . If you divide the screen using two imaginary lines horizontally and two vertically, you end up with nine sections. The most visually interesting and pleasing portions of the screen will be at the points where the lines intersect.

Aligning your text and images with these points is preferred to centering everything on the screen. [26] [27]  See Figure 13.4. Feel free to experiment with the right and left aligned content for contrast and interest. Sticking with a centered layout means more work trying to make the slide interesting. [28]

Understanding how people view images (and thus slides) can help you direct the viewer’s attention to the main point of your slide. In countries that read text from left to right and top to bottom, like English-speaking countries, people tend to also read images and slides the same way. Starting in the upper left of the screen, they read in a  Z pattern , exiting the page in the bottom right corner unless their vision is side-tracked by the objects they are looking at (as in Figure 13.5).

Viewers’ eyes are scanning from focus point to focus point in an image, so you need to consciously create visual cues to direct them to the relevant information. Cues can be created subtly by the placement of objects in the slide, by showing movement, or more obviously by using a simple arrow. [29]  Make sure all people and pets are facing into your slide and preferably at your main point, as in Figure 13.6. If your slide contains a road, path, car, plane, etc., have them also facing into your slide. When the natural motion or gaze of your images points away from your slide, your viewers look that way too. Being aware of this and addressing the natural tendencies of people when viewing images can help you select images and design slides that keep the viewer engaged in your message. [30]

Backgrounds and Effects

PowerPoint and other slideware have a variety of templates containing backgrounds that are easy to implement for a consistent slide show. Most of them, however, contain distracting graphics that are counter to the simplicity you are aiming for in order to produce a clear message. It is best to use solid colors, if you even need a background at all. For some slide shows, you can make the slides with full-screen images, thus eliminating the need for a background color.

Graphic design is the paradise of individuality, eccentricity, heresy, abnormality, hobbies and humors. – George Santayana

Should you choose to use a background color, make sure you are consistent throughout your presentation. Different colors portray different meanings, but much of this is cultural and contextual, so there are few hard and fast rules about the meaning of colors. One universal recommendation is to avoid the color red because it has been shown to reduce your ability to think clearly. Bright colors, such as yellow, pink, and orange, should also be avoided as background colors, as they are too distracting. Black, on the other hand, is generally associated with sophistication and can be a very effective background as long as there is sufficient contrast with the other elements on your slide. [31]

When designing your presentation, it is tempting to show off your tech skills with glitzy transitions, wipes, fades, moving text, sounds, and a variety of other actions. These are distracting to your audience and should be avoided. They draw attention away from you and your message, instead focusing the audience’s attention on the screen. Since people naturally look at what is moving and expect it to mean something, meaningless effects, no matter how subtle, distract your audience, and affect their ability to grasp the content. Make sure that all your changes are meaningful and reinforce your message [32] .

There are complicated and fascinating biological and psychological processes associated with color and color perception that are beyond the scope of this chapter. Because color can have such a huge impact on the ability to see and understand your visuals, this section will explore basic rules and recommendations for working with color.

Figure 13.7  by the Public Speaking Project.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

Much of what we perceive in terms of a color is based on what color is next to it. Be sure to use colors that contrast so they can be easily distinguished from each other (think yellow and dark blue for high contrast, not dark blue and purple). High contrast improves visibility, particularly at a distance. To ensure you have sufficient contrast, you can view your presentation in greyscale either in the software if available or by printing out your slides on a black and white printer. [33]

Color does not add a pleasant quality to design — it reinforces it. – Pierre Bonnard

As seen in Figure 13.7, warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) appear to come to the foreground when set next to a cool color (blues, grays, purples) which recede into the background. Tints (pure color mixed with white, think pink) stand out against a darker background. Shades (pure color mixed with black, think maroon) recede into a light background. [34]  If you want something to stand out, these color combination rules can act as a guide.

Figure 13.8  by the Public Speaking Project.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

Avoid using red and green closely together. Red-green color blindness is the predominate form of color blindness, meaning that the person cannot distinguish between those two colors (Vorick, 2011). There are other forms of color blindness, and you can easily check to see if your visuals will be understandable to everyone using an online tool such as the  Coblis Color Blindness Simulator to preview images as a color-blind person would see it. Certain red-blue pairings can be difficult to look at for the non-color blind. These colors appear to vibrate when adjacent to each other and are distracting and sometimes unpleasant to view. [35]

With all these rules in place, selecting a  color palette , the group of colors to use throughout your presentation, can be daunting. Some color pairs, like complementary colors or  analogous colors  as in Figure 13.8, are naturally pleasing to the eye and can be easy options for the color novice. There are also online tools for selecting pleasing color palettes using standard color pairings including  Kuler  and  Color Scheme Designer . You can also use websites like  Colorbrewer  to help identify an appropriate palette of colors that are visually distinct, appropriate for the colorblind, and that will photocopy well, should you decide to also include this information in a handout.

I’m a visual thinker, not a language-based thinker. My brain is like Google Images. – Temple Grandin  

Figure 13.9  by the Public Speaking Project.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

There are thousands of fonts available today. One might even say there has been a renaissance in font design with the onset of the digital age. Despite many beautiful options, it is best to stick to standard fonts that are considered screen friendly. These include the serif fonts  Times New Roman, Georgia, and Palatino, and the  sans serif  fonts Ariel, Helvetica, Tahoma, and Veranda. [36]  These fonts work well with the limitations of computer screens and are legible from a distance if sized appropriately. Other non-standard fonts, while attractive and eye-catching, may not display properly on all computers. If the font isn’t installed on the computer you are presenting from, the default font will be used which alters the text and design of the slide.

Readability is a top concern with font use, particularly for those at the back of your audience, furthest from the screen. After you have selected a font (see previous paragraph), make sure that the font size is large enough for everyone to read clearly. If you have the opportunity to use the presentation room before the event, view your slides from the back of the room. They should be clearly visible. This is not always possible and should not be done immediately preceding your talk, as you won’t have time to effectively edit your entire presentation. Presentation guru Duarte [37]  describes an ingenious way to test visibility from your own computer.

Measure your monitor diagonally in inches, display your slides, then step back the same number of feet as you measured on your monitor in inches. For example, if you have a 17-inch screen, step back 17 feet to see what is legible.

Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others. – Orson Welles

In addition to font style and size, there are other font “rules” to improve your slides:

• Don’t use decorative, script, or visually complex fonts.
• Never use the Comic Sans font if you want to retain any credibility with your audience.
• If you must use more than one font, use one serif font and one sans serif font.
• Use the same font(s) and size(s) consistently throughout your presentation.
• Don’t use all upper case or all bold.
• Avoid small caps and all word art, shadows, outlines, stretching text, and other visual effects.
• Use italics and underlines only for their intended purposes, not for design.

While there are many rules listed here, they can be summarized as” keep it as simple as possible.” [38]  See Figure 13.9 for examples of poor font choices.

Nothing is more hotly debated in slide design than the amount of text that should be on a slide. Godin says “no more than six words on a slide. EVER.” [39]  Other common approaches include the 5×5 rule — 5 lines of text, 5 words per line—and similar 6×6 and 7×7 rules. [40]  Even with these recommendations, it is still painfully common to see slides with so much text on them that they can’t be read by the audience. The type has to be so small to fit all the words on the slide that no one can read it. Duarte [41]  keenly points out that if you have too many words, you no longer have a visual aid. You have either a paper or a teleprompter, and she recommends opting for a small number of words.

Once you understand that the words on the screen are competing for your audience’s attention, it will be easier to edit your slide text down to a minimum. The next time you are watching a presentation and the slide changes, notice how you aren’t really grasping what the speaker is saying, and you also aren’t really understanding what you are reading. Studies have proved this split-attention affects our ability to retain information; [42]  so when presenting, you need to give your audience silent reading time when you display a new slide. That is: talk, advance to your next slide, wait for them to read the slide, and resume talking. If you consider how much time your audience is reading rather than listening, hopefully you will decide to reduce the text on your slide and return the focus back to you, the speaker, and your message.

There are several ways to reduce the number of words on your page, but don’t do it haphazardly. As previously discussed, instead of simply abbreviating your message to make it “fit,” consider turning as many concepts as possible into images. Studies have shown that people retain more information when they see images that relate to the words they are hearing. [43]  And when people are presented information for a very short time, they remember images better than words. [44]

An easy way to judge how much time your audience needs to read your slide silently, is to read the slide text to yourself in reverse order.

Figure 13.10  by the Public Speaking Project.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

The ubiquitous use of bulleted lists is also hotly debated. PowerPoint is practically designed around the bulleted-list format, even though is it regularly blamed for dull, tedious presentations with either overly dense or overly superficial content. [45]  Mostly this format is used (incorrectly) as a presenter’s outline. “ No one can do a good presentation with slide after slide of bullet points. No One. ” [46]  Reserve bulleted lists for specifications or explaining the order of processes. In all other cases, look for ways to use images, a short phrase, or even no visual at all.

Quotes, on the other hand, are not as offensive to design when they are short, legible, and infrequently used. They can be a very powerful way to hammer a point home or to launch into your next topic. [47]  See Figure 13.10 for an example. If you do use a quote in your slide show, immediately stop and read it out loud or allow time for it to be read silently. If the quote is important enough for you to include it in the talk, the quote deserves the audience’s time to read and think about it. Alternately, use a photo of the speaker or of the subject with a phrase from the quote you will be reading them, making the slide enhance the point of the quote.

Images can be powerful and efficient ways to tap into your audience’s emotions. Use photographs to introduce an abstract idea, to evoke emotion, to present evidence, or to direct the audience attention, just make sure it is compatible with your message. [48]  Photos aren’t the only images available. You might consider using simplified images like silhouettes, line art, diagrams, enlargements, or exploded views, but these should be high quality and relevant. Simplified can be easier to understand, particularly if you are showing something that has a lot of detail. Simple images also translate better than words to a multicultural audience. [49] In all cases, choose only images that enhance your spoken words and are professional quality. This generally rules out the clip art that comes with slideware, whose use is a sign of amateurism. Select high-quality images and don’t be afraid to use your entire slide to display the image. Boldness with images often adds impact.

When using images, do not enlarge them to the point that the image becomes blurry, also known as  pixelation . Pixelation, (Figure 13.11) is caused when the resolution of your image is too low for your output device (e.g. printer, monitor, projector). When selecting images, look for clear ones that can be placed in your presentation without enlarging them. A common practice is to use images over 1,000 pixels wide for filling an entire slide. If your images begin to pixelate, either reduce the size of the image or select a different image.

Never use an image that has a  watermark  on it, as in Figure 13.2. A watermark is text or a logo that is placed in a digital image to prevent people from re-using it. It is common for companies that sell images to have a preview available that has a watermark on it. This allows you, the potential customer, to see the image, but prevents you from using the image until you have paid for it. Using a watermarked image in your presentation is unprofessional. Select another image without a watermark, take a similar photo yourself, or pay to get the watermark-free version.

You can create images yourself, use free images from places like Pexels, or pay for images from companies like iStockphoto for your presentations. Purchasing images can get expensive quickly and searching for free images is time consuming. Be sure to only use images that you have permission or rights to use and give proper credit for their use. If you are looking for free images, try searching the Creative Commons database  for images from places like Flickr, Google, and others. The creators of images with a  Creative Commons License  allow others to use their work, but with specific restrictions. What is and isn’t allowed is described in the license for each image. Generally, images can be used in educational or non-commercial settings at no cost as long as you give the photographer credit. Also, images created by the U.S. government and its agencies are copyright free and can be used at no cost.

One final consideration with using images: having the same image on every page, be it part of the slide background or your company logo, can be distracting and should be removed or minimized. As mentioned earlier, the more you can simplify your slide, the easier it will be for your audience to understand your message.

Graphs and Charts

As we mentioned in the chapter on support materials, if you have numerical data that you want to present, consider using a graph or chart. You are trying to make a specific point with the data on the slide, so make sure that the point—the conclusion you want your audience to draw — is clear. This may mean that you reduce the amount of data you present, even though it is tempting to include all of your data on your slide.

It is best to minimize the amount of information and focus instead on the simple and clear conclusion. [50]  You can include the complete data set in your handout if you feel it is necessary. [51]  Particularly when it comes to numerical data, identify the meaning in the numbers and exclude the rest. “Audiences are screaming ‘make it clear,’ not ‘cram more in.’ You won’t often hear an audience member say, ‘That presentation would have been so much better if it were longer.” [52]  In some cases you can even ditch the graph altogether and display the one relevant fact that is your conclusion.

Different charts have different purposes, and it is important to select the one that puts your data in the appropriate context to be clearly understood. [53]  Pie charts show how the parts relate to the whole and are suitable for up to eight segments, as long as they remain visually distinct. [54]  Start your first slice of the pie at 12:00 with your smallest portion and continue around the circle clockwise as the sections increase in size. Usea line graph to show trends over time or how data relates or interacts. Bar charts are good for showing comparisons of size or magnitude [55]  and for showing precise comparisons. [56]  There are other types of charts and graphs available, but these are the most common.

When designing charts, one should use easily distinguishable colors with clear labels. Be consistent with your colors and data groupings. [57]  For clarity, avoid using 3-D graphs and charts, and remove as much of the background noise (lines, shading, etc.) as possible. [58] All components of your graph, once the clutter is removed, should be distinct from any background color. Finally, don’t get too complex in any one graph, make sure your message is as clear as possible, and make sure to visually highlight the conclusion you want the audience to draw.

• Duarte, N. (2010).  Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences . Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.  ↵
• Young, K. S., & Travis, H. P. (2008).  Oral communication: Skills, choices, and consequences  (2nd ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.  ↵
• Duarte, N. (2008).  Slide:ology: The art and science of creating great presentations.  Sebastopol, CA : O’Reilly Media.  ↵
• Tufte, E. R. (2003).  The cognitive style of PowerPoint . Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.  ↵
• Reynolds, G. (2008).  Presentation Zen: Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery.  Berkeley, CA: New Riders.  ↵
• Vasile, A. J. (2004).  Speak with confidence: A practical guide  (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.  ↵
• Duarte, N. (2008).  Slide:ology: The art and science of creating great presentations . Sebastopol, CA : O’Reilly Media.  ↵
• Lehtonen, M. (2011). Communicating competence through PechaKucha presentations.  Journal of Business Communication ,  48 (4), 464 – 481.  ↵
• Beyer, A. (2011). Improving student presentations: Pecha Kucha and just plain PowerPoint.  Teaching of Psychology ,  38 (2), 122 – 126.  ↵
• Panag, S. (2010). A Web 2.0 Toolkit for Educators.  Youth Media Reporter , 489 – 91.  ↵
• Yee, K., & Hargis, J. (2010). PREZI: A different way to present.  Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE) ,  11 (4), 9–11.  ↵
• Williams, R. (2004).  The nondesigner’s design book: Design and typographic principles for the visual novice  (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press.  ↵
• Kosslyn, S. M. (2007).  Clear and to the point: 8 psychological principles for compelling PowerPoint presentations.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press.  ↵
• Reynolds 2008  ↵
• Mayer, R. E. (2001).  Multimedia learning . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.  ↵
• Duarte, N. (2010).  Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences.  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.  ↵
• Reynolds 2008  ↵
• Duarte 2010  ↵
• Williams 2004   ↵
• Kadavy, D. (2011).  Design for hackers: Reverse-engineering beauty.  West Sussex, UK : John Wiley & Sons  ↵
• Williams 2004  ↵
• Malamed, C. (2009).  Visual language for designers: Principles for creating graphics that people understand.  Beverly, MA: Rockport Publishers.  ↵
• Duarte 2008  ↵
• Kadavy 2011  ↵
• Duarte 2008; Kosslyn 2007  ↵
• Bajaj, G. (2007).  Cutting edge PowerPoint 2007 for dummies . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing.  ↵
• Kosslyn 2007  ↵
• Kadavy 2011; Kosslyn 2007  ↵
• Weaver, M. (1999). Reach out through technology: Make your point with effective A/V.  Computers in Libraries ,  19 (4), 62.  ↵
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• Tufte 2003  ↵

LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS

• Chapter 13 Design Principles.  Authored by : Sheila Kasperek, MLIS, MSIT.  Provided by : Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA.  Located at :  http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html .  Project : The Public Speaking Project.  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Figures 13.1-13.14.  Authored by : Sheila Kasperek and Tom Oswald .  Located at :  http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html .  Project : The Public Speaking Project.  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative
• Chapter 13 Objectives, Outline, and Introduction.  Authored by : Sheila Kasperek, MLIS, MSIT.  Provided by : Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA.  Located at :  http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html .  Project : The Public Speaking Project.  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Grifo magico. Authored by : emijrp.  Located at :  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grifo_m%C3%A1gico.JPG .  License :  CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• mwdCyborgLenses.  Authored by : emden09.  Located at :  https://www.flickr.com/photos/emden09/16356102352/ .  License :  CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Chapter 13 Types of Visual Aids.  Authored by : Sheila Kasperek, MLIS, MSIT.  Provided by : Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA.  Located at :  http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html .  Project : The Public Speaking Project.  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Firefighters Onboard Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Edinburgh.  Provided by : UK Ministry of Defence.  Located at :  https://flic.kr/p/aijcYa .  License :  CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• Honestly I Don’t Remember Much from This Lecture.  Authored by : Daniel Lu.  Located at :  https://flic.kr/p/58GKQt .  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• A dad teaches his daughter the hula hoop at the 2011 Downton Cuckoo Fair.  Authored by : Anguskirk.  Located at :  https://flic.kr/p/9DRxFa .  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Image of poster presentation.  Authored by : Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL).  Located at :  https://flic.kr/p/dt1umd .  License :  CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Steve Jobs Presentation 2.  Authored by : Ken.gz.  Located at :  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steve_Jobs_Presentation_2.jpg .  License :  CC BY: Attribution

PUBLIC DOMAIN CONTENT

• Image of distributing handouts.  Authored by : Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kerryl Cacho.  Provided by : U.S. Navy.  Located at :  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_070808-N-9421C-143_Lt._Lydia_Battey_distributes_handouts_explaining_the_symptoms_of_tuberculosis_to_local_residents_at_Bunabun_Health_Center_in_Madang,_Papua_New_Guinea.jpg .  License :  Public Domain: No Known Copyright

Principles of Public Speaking Copyright © 2022 by Katie Gruber is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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13.6 Creating an Informative Presentation

Learning objectives.

• Discuss the parts of an informational presentation.
• Understand the five parts of any presentation.

An informational presentation is common request in business and industry. It’s the verbal and visual equivalent of a written report. Information sharing is part of any business or organization. Informative presentations serve to present specific information for specific audiences for specific goals or functions. The type of presentation is often identified by its primary purpose or function. Informative presentations are often analytical or involve the rational analysis of information. Sometimes they simply “report the facts” with no analysis at all, but still need to communicate the information in a clear and concise format. While a presentation may have conclusions, propositions, or even a call to action, the demonstration of the analysis is the primary function.

A sales report presentation, for example, is not designed to make a sale. It is, however, supposed to report sales to date and may forecast future sales based on previous trends.

An informative presentation does not have to be a formal event, though it can be. It can be generic and nonspecific to the audience or listener, but the more you know about your audience, the better. When you tailor your message to that audience, you zero in on your target and increase your effectiveness. The emphasis is on clear and concise communication, but it may address several key questions:

• Topic: Product or Service?
• Who are you?
• Who is the target market?
• What is the revenue model?
• What are the specifications?
• How was the information gathered?
• How does the unit work?
• How does current information compare to previous information?

Table 13.2 “Presentation Components and Their Functions” lists the five main parts or components of any presentation (McLean, S., 2003).

Table 13.2 Presentation Components and Their Functions

You will need to address the questions to establish relevance and meet the audience’s needs. The five parts of any speech will serve to help you get organized.

Sample Speech Guidelines

Imagine that you have been assigned to give an informative presentation lasting five to seven minutes. Follow the guidelines in Table 13.3 “Sample Speech Guidelines” and apply them to your presentation.

Table 13.3 Sample Speech Guidelines

Key Takeaway

Informative presentations illustrate, explain, describe, and instruct the audience on topics and processes.

• Write a brief summary of a class or presentation you personally observed recently; include what you learned. Compare with classmates.
• Search online for an informative speech or presentation that applies to business or industry. Indicate one part or aspect of the presentation that you thought was effective and one you would improve. Provide the link to the presentation in your post or assignment.
• Pick a product or service and come up with a list of five points that you could address in a two-minute informative speech. Place them in rank order and indicate why.
• With the points discussed in this chapter in mind, observe someone presenting a speech. What elements of their speech could you use in your speech? What elements would you not want to use? Why? Compare with a classmate.

McLean, S. (2003). The basics of speech communication . Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Business Communication for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Chapter 12: Developing Presentations

Joseph Williams

Chapter Learning Objectives

• Identify the different methods of presentation delivery.
• Identify key elements in preparing to deliver a presentation.
• Utilize specific techniques to enhance speech delivery.
• Demonstrate how to methodically plan a presentation.

12.1: Introduction and Methods of Presentation Delivery

12.2: from start to finish: an example of planning a professional presentation, 12.3: choosing and refining your topic.

• 12.4: Analyze your Audience

12.5: Creating the Draft

12.6: developing a meaningful introduction, 12.7: developing a meaningful conclusion, 12.8: developing a meaningful slideshow, 12.9: contemplating delivery particulars, 12.1.1: impromptu speaking.

• 12.1.2: Manuscript Preparations

12.1.3: Extemporaneous Presentations

12.1.4: memorized speaking.

Whether you have a marketing presentation coming up for a potential client or a scientific presentation to give to your expert colleagues, you want to be certain your presentation is built on a sound foundation of current concerns and trends your audience will want you to address. As you read this chapter, consider what you might do to win and/or inform a client or supervisor based on your presentation development.

This chapter will help you consider how to organize presentation information and develop a winning strategy for a surefire professional presentation. While knowledge and research on your topic are key to an effective presentation, do not underestimate the importance of organization.

Organization in any presentation is helpful both to you and to your audience. They will appreciate receiving the information presented in an organized way, and being well organized will make the presentation much less stressful for you.

A successful presentation involves flexibility and organization. You know your material. You are prepared and follow an outline. You do not read a script or PowerPoint presentation, you do not memorize every single word in order (though you may memorize some parts), but you also do not make it up as you go along. Your presentation is scripted in the sense that it is completely planned from start to finish, yet every word is not explicitly planned, allowing for some spontaneity and adaptation to the audience’s needs in the moment.

Your organization plan will serve you and your audience as a guide. Your plan will also help you present a more effective speech. Just as there is no substitute for practice and preparation, there is no substitute for organization and an outline when you need it the most: on stage.

Delivery is your unique interaction between you and your audience, and delivery is what you are probably most concerned about when giving presentations. This chapter is designed to help you give the best delivery possible and eliminate some of the nervousness you might be feeling. To do that, you should first dismiss the myth that public speaking is just reading and talking at the same time. Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This policy doesn’t necessarily mean you must wear a suit or “dress up,” but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well-groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well. Lastly, HAVE FUN with your presentation. Looking like you care about the subject matter, you’re comfortable with speaking in general, and you’re comfortable with your audience all make a difference in terms of audience perception.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for flexibility, meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any non-verbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, should provide a more animated message.

Different speaking occasions call for different delivery methods. According to Engineering professor and author Michael Alley (2013), there are four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a presentation.

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m an account manager.” Another example of impromptu presenting occurs when you answer a question such as “What did you think of the report?” Your response has not been preplanned, and you are constructing your arguments and points as you speak. Even worse, you might find yourself going into a meeting and your boss says, “I want you to talk about the last stage of the project…” and you have no warning.

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of their message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu presentation in public:

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak. Avoid making comments about being unprepared, being called upon at the last moment, being put on the spot, or feeling uneasy.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• If you can use a structure, use numbers if possible: “Two main reasons . . .” or “Three parts of our plan. . .” or “Two side effects of this drug. . .” Timeline structures are also effective, such as “past, present, and future,” or geographical structures like “East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast.”
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking (it is easy to “ramble on” when you don’t have something prepared). If in front of an audience, don’t keep talking as you move back to your seat.
• Smile, even if you’re not feeling like it. A smile shows the audience that you’re in control.

Impromptu presentations are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

12.1.2: Manuscript Presentations

Manuscript presentations are the word-for-word iteration of a written message. The speaker maintains their attention on the printed page in a manuscript presentation except when using visual aids. The advantage of reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. In some circumstances, this repetition can be critical. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact.

A manuscript presentation may be appropriate at a more formal affair (like a report to shareholders). Your presentation must be said exactly as written in order to convey the proper emotion or decorum the situation deserves.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript presentations. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the presenter has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures, the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script prevents eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript presentation to hold the audience’s attention, the audience must be already interested in the message and presenter before the delivery begins.

Extemporaneous presentations are carefully planned and rehearsed, delivered in a conversational manner using brief notes that feature “punch” words. Using notes with punch words rather than a full manuscript allows the extemporaneous presenter to establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they understand the presentation as it progresses. Without all the words on the page to read, you have little choice but to look up and make eye contact with your audience.

Presenting extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible since you know the speech well enough that you don’t need to read it. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it engages both verbally and nonverbally, such as through eye contact. It also allows flexibility; you are working from the strong foundation of an outline, but if you need to delete, add, or rephrase something at the last minute or adapt to your audience, you can do so.

The disadvantage of extemporaneous presentations is that in some cases it does not allow for the verbal and nonverbal preparation that are almost always required for a good speech.

Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to present, so be aware that if you want to present a credibly delivered speech, you will need to practice many times. Because extemporaneous presenting is the style used in the great majority of professional presentation situations, most of the information in the subsequent sections of this chapter is targeted toward this kind of speaking.

Memorized speaking recites a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage of memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means moving freely around the stage and using your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs.

First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your delivery style may alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, it will be quite difficult to find your place and keep going if you completely blank out during the presentation. Obviously, memorizing a typical seven-minute presentation takes a great deal of time and effort, and if you aren’t used to memorizing, it is challenging to pull off. Realistically, you probably will not have the time to give a completely memorized speech. However, if you practice adequately, your approach will still feel like you are being extemporaneous.

Congratulations! You have been asked or selected to speak on a topic. Here’s one presenter’s method for creating a professional presentation.

• Use a brain drain or mapping to list the concepts under your main topic. The brain drain serves as a “wish list” that you can discuss in a perfect world where there is enough time.
• Analyze your audience. Who are they? Are they experts, non-experts, or both?
• What does your presentation intend to do: inform, persuade, or both?
• How much time do you have? Do you need to leave room for questions? Create a skeletal outline that features a basic order of your presentation subtopics. Consider placing a number of minutes beside each concept so that you have a rough estimate of how long each subtopic will take you. Remember to leave room for a few minutes of introduction and conclusion!
• Now it’s time to research. What do you need to say about each subtopic? Does your subject matter require primary research, secondary research, or both? Are there special thinkers, professionals, or heavy-hitters that you want to include in some of your subtopics?
• Create a rough draft of your presentation content. You can choose from a chronological pattern, spatial pattern, topical pattern, cause-effect pattern, or problem-solution pattern. Practice your presentation and note the time of each of your sections, whether this includes complete sentences or punch words. Does everything fit where you want it? Is there a natural flow of ideas from one topic to another? If not, feel free to shift content until you get a sense of a natural flow of ideas. Is there any content that does not appear to be inviting to demographic sections of your audience? This is the place for you to objectively remove and replace any content that may be viewed as objectionable or othering.
• Now it’s time to develop your final presentation content. As often as possible, replace complete sentences with punch words so that you rely more on your memory and expertise (as well as your prowess!) on the subject rather than reading your notes. If there is complex material, never fear: Write those full sentences down!
• Choose a slideshow format that you feel comfortable with, such as Google slides, PowerPoint, or Prezi. Adjust your content so that less is more—audiences should listen to your presentation and watch you rather than read long content on your slides.
• Practice until you get the balance right. Then approach friends, colleagues, and family members to try out your material on them. Do they offer recommendations? Consider their advice, but ultimately, you’re the boss of your own show.

Let’s break it down.

First, think about what your audience will already know about your topic. Conversely, think about what your audience does NOT know about your topic to keep your presentation streamlined and concise. Finally, what information do your audiences need to know in order to be properly informed and/or persuaded?

Write a specific purpose statement, which will be the foundation for everything you say in the speech and a guide for what you do not say. This formula, borrowed from Simon, Grimes, and Roch (2018), will help you in putting together your specific purpose statement:

To _______________ [Specific Communication Word (inform, explain, demonstrate, describe, define, persuade, convince, prove, argue)] my [Target Audience (my classmates, the members of the Social Work Club, my coworkers)] __________________ [The Content (how to bake brownies, that Macs are better than PCs)].

Example: The purpose of my presentation is to demonstrate for my coworkers the value of informed intercultural communication.

12.4: Analyze Your Audience

Who will be listening to your presentation? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Will audience members be experts in the subject matter, non-experts, or both? What kind of information must be tailored so that experts AND non-experts can follow along?
• What methods do you intend to use to persuade, inform, or both?
• Will a significant portion of your audience be speakers of English as a second language? If so, avoid overuse of humor, metaphors, two-word verbs (such as shut up, shut in, shut out, shut down), and use of slang.
• What kind of action do you want your audience members to take? What will be your methods to win them over?
• Will audience members be objective, indifferent, or hostile about the subject matter? All of the above? Consider what “moves” you want to make to placate those who are not already onboard with your presentation material so that it will further convince them to take action.

12.5.1: Using Examples and Scenarios

12.5.2: a word about storytelling.

To be successful in your presentation, you’ll need two outlines: a preparation outline and a speaking outline. Preparation outlines are comprehensive outlines that include all of the information in your presentation. A presentation outline will consist of the content of what the audience will see and hear.

Eventually, you will move away from this outline as you develop your materials and practice your presentation. Your speaking outline will contain notes to guide you and is usually not shared with your audience. It will summarize the complete preparation outline down to more usable notes. You should create a set of abbreviated notes for the actual delivery. Your organizational model will help determine how you will structure your preparation outline. However, most, if not all, of the organization models will align with this structure:

• Attention statement : An engaging or interesting statement that will cause your audience to sit up and take notice.
• Introduction : Setting out your general idea statement (LINK) and giving the audience an idea of what to expect.
• Body : This section contains your research, main points, and other relevant information. It will follow your organizational pattern.
• Conclusion : Reiterating your idea statement, and/or includes a call to action—what you want the audience to do or think about following your presentation.
• Residual message : This is an optional section but a powerful one. It is the final message you want the audience to remember.

You can use your presentation outline as a starting point to developing your speaking outline. It’s a good idea to make speaking notes to align with each section’s main points and visuals.

Presenters will often use examples and scenarios to help illustrate their message. The main difference between examples and scenarios is that while both help show the audience what you mean, an example is the thing itself; in contrast, a scenario would include more detail about the sequence or development of events. Scenarios also tend to be longer and more nuanced. An example of a sales target might be: to sell 500 units in 30 days. A scenario might be described as: Company A is selling vacuums to the Atlantic Canada region. They are trying to increase their sales and so have set a target of 500 units in the region in 30 days, using a sales incentive program for employees, and promoting a sale at local stores.

According to Simon, Grimes, and Roch (2018), storytelling can be an effective way to convey your message to your audience. Stories are a fundamental part of the human experience, and if they are well told, they can resonate effectively with listeners. Some of the most inspiring speakers of TED Talks use storytelling effectively in their presentations. You can find out more about how to incorporate storytelling techniques into presentations from the TED Talk speakers directly.

By now you have identified your main points, chosen your organizational pattern, and written your outline, and you are now ready to begin putting your presentation together. But how will you connect your main points together in a relevant manner so that your presentation appears fluid?

Transitions are segues: words, phrases, or visual devices that help the audience follow the speaker’s ideas, connect the main points to each other, and see the relationships you’ve created in the information you are presenting. Transitions are used by the speaker to guide the audience in the progression from one significant concept or point to the next issue. They can also show the relationship between the main point and the support the speaker uses to illustrate, provide examples for, or reference outside sources. Depending on your purpose, transitions can serve different roles as you help create the glue that will connect your points together in a way the audience can easily follow.

Internal summaries: a type of connective transition that emphasizes what has come before and reminds the audience of what has been covered. Examples include: as I have said; as we have seen; as mentioned earlier; in any event; in other words; in short; on the whole; therefore; to summarize; as a result; as I’ve noted previously; in conclusion.  

Internal previews: a type of connective that emphasizes what is coming up next in the speech and what to expect with regard to the content. Examples include: if we look ahead to….; next we’ll examine; now we can focus our attention on; first we’ll look at; then we’ll examine.

Signposts: a type of connective transition that emphasizes physical movement through the speech content and lets the audience know exactly where the speaker is: stop and consider; we can now address; next I’d like to explain; turning from/to; another; this reminds me of; I would like to emphasize.

Time: focuses on the chronological aspects of your speech order. Use of time is particularly useful in a speech utilizing a story, as this transition can illustrate for the audience progression of time: before; earlier; immediately; in the meantime; in the past; lately; later; meanwhile; now; presently; shortly; simultaneously; since; so far; as long as; as soon as; at last; at length; at that time; then; until; afterward.

Compare/contrast: draws a parallel or distinction between two ideas, concepts, or examples. It can indicate a common or divergent area between points for the audience: in the same way; by the same token; equally; similarly; just as we have seen; in the same vein.

Cause and effect or result: illustrates a relationship between two ideas, concepts, or examples and may focus on the outcome or result. It can illustrate a relationship between points for the audience: as a result; because; consequently; for this purpose; accordingly; so; then; therefore; thereupon; thus; to this end; for this reason; as a result; because; therefore; consequently.

Examples: illustrates a connection between a point and an example or examples. You may find visual aids work well with this type of transition: in fact; as we can see; after all; even; for example; for instance; of course; specifically; such as; in the following example; to illustrate my point.

Place: refers to a location, often in a spatially organized speech, of one point of emphasis to another. Again, visual aids work well when discussing physical location with an audience: opposite to; there; to the left; above; below; elsewhere; farther on; beyond; nearby; next to.

Clarification:  restates or further develops a main idea or point. It can also serve as a signal to a key point: to clarify; in other words; to put in another way; this means.

Concession: indicates knowledge of contrary information. It can address a perception the audience may hold and allow for clarification: we can see that while; although it is true that; granted that; while it may appear that; I admit that even though.

Introductions are important so that the audience obtains a concise picture of what the rest of the presentation will be about. Keep the audience’s attention and pique their interest:

• Express details to keep the audience’s attention.
• Put the most important information at the introduction’s beginning. This placement will help to “hook” your audience.
• Involve your audience
• Ask a question that requires audience participation
• Tell a story/anecdote
• Relate a personal experience
• Use humor…if the context warrants it
• Create suspense
• Use a quotation or poem
• Use a visual aid
• Give a startling fact or statistic

Your introduction should be up to 5% of your entire presentation. Once you’ve set the tone and informed your audience what you’ll be discussing, segue to the first part of your presentation body.

Like introductions, conclusions should comprise around 5% of your presentation time. The basic structure of a presentation is not so much linear as it is circular: Speeches should take you in a circle from A to Z. Therefore, your conclusion should take your audience back to the introduction—with an enhanced understanding of the topic. Here are some meaningful cues you can use to signal the eminent closing of your presentation:

• Language cues (“ Now that we have seen that we can solve this problem effectively, we can review the entire situation. ”)
• Movement cues (Physically move back to the center of the room where you began your speech.)
• Paralinguistic cues (Slow your rate of speech and use more pauses.)

Present final appeals to your audience. Depending on the type of presentation you give, you will be asking your audience for something.

• You may be asking them to act in a certain way or to change their attitude toward a certain person or topic.
• You may be asking them to simply understand what you have had to say.
• Leave your audience motivated positively toward you and your presentation topic.
• Stories can make excellent conclusions, as they complete the story that you started in your introduction. You can finish your introduction’s story OR you can retell the story; this time the story will reflect what the audience has learned from your presentation.
• If you decide to use humor, make sure that the humor is relevant to the presentation as well as the audience. A little bit of humor goes a LONG way, so don’t overdo it. Additionally, inappropriate use of humor is a very bad idea.

Knowing your audience will give you a good idea of how to adapt your slideshow design. Additionally, ask yourself, “What is my presentation’s goal?” Is your slideshow meant for training employees, selling a new product, or something else altogether different?

Slideshows should have one clear design; otherwise, the design can contribute to the audience’s lack of attention. Correct formatting should have a legible font from the back of a room, non-distractive themes, proper text and graphic alignment, and consistency.

The best visual aids are images that add context to your presentation topic, images that enhance your audience’s understanding of the topic, and informative graphics that are easy to follow. Your visual aids should complement rather than substitute for your presentation content. Ultimately, they should not be the primary focus of the slideshow.

Animation of your transitions can make or break a presentation and should be used sparingly—less is definitely more (and perhaps none at all). Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this transition animation subtle?
• Does this animation distract from my key points?
• Is this transition animation necessary? Does it enhance my message?

12.9.1: Presentation Space

12.9.2: presentation timing, 12.9.3: presentation clothing, 12.9.4: gestures, eye contact, and paralinguistic features, 12.9.5: pacing and speed, 12.9.6: verbal crutches, 12.9.7: technical issues, 12.9.8: rough audience members, 12.9.9: practice, practice, practice.

So you’re ready for your professional presentation in terms of content and slideshow. McMurrey and Race (2020) provide some topics outside of your presentation to consider for professional delivery.

We have presented in good spaces and not-so-good spaces. You have been given access to the room where you will soon give your presentation. Test it out. Consider the venue of your presentation, whether it is in a large room at an international conference or an 8-seater meeting room in your office. Surely your presentation will be tailored differently depending on size of venue and size of audience.

How would you handle specific problems such as creaky floors, loud projectors, disorganized chairs, and immovable objects that obstruct the audience’s view of your slideshow?

• Walk around your presentation space and see if you detect creaky places where you should avoid stepping.
• You need to project your slideshow, but perhaps it becomes apparent that your own voice will have to compete with the loudness of the projector itself…or a particularly loud air conditioning unit. Acknowledge this issue ONE TIME to your listeners so that the audience understands that you are doing your best.
• If you have time to clean up the presentation room, such as disorganized chairs and trash, go for it.
• One time I delivered a presentation to a 75-member audience, and a massive concrete column was inexplicably placed to my left, thereby impeding the view of my slideshow for 20% of the audience. If space is limited and chairs cannot be moved, ACKNOWLEDGE these audience members: “For those of you who cannot see my slideshow, it is showing X, Y, and Z.…”

Time each section of your presentation and write out the percentage each section takes. Does your presentation add up? Which parts should be edited for a more streamlined, smooth delivery?

You certainly do not want to try on your presentation outfit at the moment you plan to present, as you will already be nervous. This nervousness is natural and indicates that you’re ready to perform! Try on your entire presentation outfit to ensure that you feel comfortable moving and walking effortlessly around in it.

What if you’re in the middle of giving a 40-minute presentation and your shoe breaks? ACKNOWLEDGE it one time, but don’t let it steal your presentation’s thunder. Simply remove your shoes and continue with your presentation. Your audience will be on your side, rooting for you. The show must go on!

Where are you placing your hands? Are you addressing each side of your audience with eye contact? If you want to take more calculated risks, experiment with such paralinguistic features as pregnant pauses, a contrast in pitch, or a contrast in volume. The more presentations you give in which you address these items, the better you will become at adopting them and adapting your delivery.

Sometimes, oral presenters who are nervous talk too fast. All that adrenaline causes them to speed through their talk, making it hard for the audience to follow. Although it’s entirely normal to be nervous, it helps listeners understand you better if you speak a bit more slowly and deliberately than you do in normal conversation. Slow down, take it easy, be clear…and breathe.

Watch out for too much “uh,” “you know,” “okay” and other kinds of nervous verbal habits. Instead of saying “uh” or “you know” every three seconds, just don’t say anything at all. In the days before your oral presentation, practice speaking without these verbal crutches. The silence that replaces them is not a bad thing—it gives listeners time to process what you are saying.

You have begun your presentation, but you soon realize that there are technical problems. Perhaps your projector light burns out or you are suddenly without Wi-Fi during a presentation that requires an online presence. Always have a Plan B, which may include a saved copy of your slideshow on a flash drive or actual handouts of your slide. Alternatively, you can pass out business cards or dictate your email address to your audience, telling your audience before and after the presentation that they can contact you and you would gladly forward them your slideshow and notes. APOLOGIZE ONE TIME. In your career, you will have great presentations and not-so-great presentations. That is part of the process! Muster as much energy and creativity as you can and salvage your technically derided presentation before you eventually close, refer back to your email address, and ask if there are any questions you can answer.

Audiences from both academia and industry comprise mostly of those who wish you to do well. Occasionally, there are those audience members who wish to sabotage your presentation or are simply caught up in their own dramas. Never fear!

• If you have an audience member who interrupts your presentation with asides or questions, thank them and mention that you would happily discuss topics further AFTER the presentation. The same approach can be taken if an audience member intends to tout their own research (and usurp your presentation time).
• If you have a few noisy conversationalists in the crowd, slowly walk up to their table as you continue to address your presentation materials; generally, this simple walk informs these audience members to quiet down.
• If you have an audience member who wishes to embarrass you in front of your audience in some way, do your best with your responses and your source materials. These interactions are not about you—they are about whatever hang-ups or insecurities the obnoxious audience member has.

These types of irritating audience members are fairly rare; however, it is a real possibility that they will be a part of your own audience. It is always better to strategize ahead of time your own course of action: “If A happens, I will do B.” In that way, you won’t have to flail miserably in response nearly as much if/when these tense moments present themselves.

The first time ANY speech is uttered from your lips, content comes out stilted and awkward. The second time you practice your presentation content, delivery becomes a little bit smoother. By the time you arrive to your seventh or eighth round of presentation practice, you will start varying delivery aspects, and ultimately you will master your presentation and its content.

As you prepare your visuals, look at resources that will help you. There are many rules for using PowerPoint, down to the font size and how many words to put on a single slide, but you will have to choose the style that best suits your subject and your presentation style.

The two videos that follow will provide some pointers. As you watch them, make some notes to help you remember what you learn from them.

The first one is funny: Life After Death by PowerPoint by Don McMillan , an engineer-turned-comedian:

You may also have heard about the presentation skills of Steve Jobs. The video that follows is the introduction of the iPhone…and as you watch, take notes on how Jobs sets up his talk and his visuals. Observe how he connects with the audience…and then see if you can work some of his strategies into your own presentation skills. This is a long video; you don’t need to watch it all, but do take enough time to form some good impressions. The following video does not have closed captioning.

Test your Understanding

2. Design three visuals for your topic, including a title page. Use the Styles and Themes feature in PowerPoint to create a consistent theme for a presentation. How do the visuals affect the mood and topics of your presentation?

3. Find a YouTube video or a tutorial online on how to make good presentations. Share it with classmates by teaching some of the main points in group discussion.

4. In small groups, develop a list of “rules” to follow when you have to give an oral presentation…then create a class list.

5. In a memo to your teacher (or in an online discussion forum) share some of your best practices and ideas for getting through a presentation effectively. Also, share some details from the most horrible presentations you’ve ever seen or given. Perhaps you can help a classmate avoid making the same mistakes. (I once watched a presentation in which the presenter demonstrated how to sharpen knives. Although there were no injuries, I was on edge the entire time.)

Alley, M. (2013). The craft of scientific presentations: Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. 2nd edition. Springer.

McMurrey, D., & Race, C. (2020). Open technical communication. 4th edition. Affordable Learning Georgia. CC Attribution 4.0 International License.

Simon, D., Grimes, M., & Roch, S. (2018). Communication for business professionals. eCampusOntario, CC Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Chapter 12: Developing Presentations Copyright © 2022 by Joseph Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Resource Library
• Nebraska Department of Education

Education Standards

Nebraska's college and career ready standards for english language arts.

Learning Domain: Reading

Standard: Acquire new academic and content-specific grade-level vocabulary, relate to prior knowledge, and apply in new situations.

Standard: Evaluate the meaning, reliability, and validity of text considering author’s purpose, perspective, rhetorical style, and contextual influences.

Standard: Analyze and evaluate the relationships between elements of literary text (e.g., characterization, setting, plot development, internal and external conflict, inferred and recurring themes, point of view, tone, mood).

Standard: Analyze the function and critique the effects of the author‘s use of literary devices (e.g., allusion, symbolism, metaphor, personification, epiphany, oxymoron, dialect, tone, mood).

Standard: Summarize, analyze, and synthesize the themes and main ideas between multiple literary and informational works (print, digital, and/or other media).

Standard: Cite specific textual evidence to analyze and evaluate the effects of historical, cultural, biographical, and political influences of literary and informational text written by culturally diverse authors, to develop a regional, national, and international multicultural perspective.

Standard: Construct and/or answer literal, inferential, critical, and interpretive questions, analyzing and synthesizing evidence from the text and additional sources to support answers.

Standard: Build background knowledge and activate prior knowledge to clarify text, deepen understanding, and make connections while reading complex text.

Standard: Self-monitor comprehension and independently apply appropriate strategies to understand complex text.

Standard: Demonstrate an understanding of complex text by using textual evidence to support analysis, reflection, and research via multiple mediums (e.g., writing, artistic representation, video, other media).

Learning Domain: Writing

Standard: Use multiple writing strategies recursively to investigate and generate ideas, organize information, guide writing, answer questions, and synthesize information.

Learning Domain: Speaking/Listening

Standard: Communicate ideas and information in a clear and concise manner suited to the purpose, setting, and audience (formal voice or informal voice), using appropriate word choice, grammar, and sentence structure.

Standard: Demonstrate and adjust speaking techniques (e.g., appropriate eye contact, pacing, nonverbal cues, word choice, intonation) for a variety of purposes and situations, including interpreting text.

Standard: Make strategic use of appropriate visual and/or digital tools to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence for specific audiences.

Standard: Listen, ask probing questions, and consider information to generate new ideas and challenge assumptions to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Learning Domain: Multiple Literacies

Standard: Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from print and digital resources to create new understandings and defend conclusions.

Standard: Demonstrate ethical use of information and copyright guidelines by appropriately quoting or paraphrasing from a text and citing the source using available resources (e.g., online citation tools, publication guidelines).

Foster Chapter Presentation Template

Foster presentation rubric, how to read literature like a professor - chapter presentations.

This lesson was created from a variety of online resources and questions related to Thomas Foster's book How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Although this lesson was created for a semester-long dual credit literature course for 11th and 12th graders, it could also be used for any advanced language arts class.

This lesson was created by Janelle Coady as part of the 2020 OER English Language Arts Workshop by NDE. It is expected that this plan will take approximately two weeks to complete, including the presentations. Students are expected to follow the guidelines and cite all sources used and adhere to the time constraints as well. 

"Book Cover"  by  Mariam Sargsyan 17 ,  Wikimedia Commons  is licensed under  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

This lesson was created from a variety of online resources and questions related to Thomas Foster's book How to Read Literature Like a Professor.  Much like the author recommends in the book, each student is assigned a chapter to read, study, and become the expert on. Then, he/she will teach the content to peers with an engaging presentation, complete with examples from songs, poetry, paintings, film, and television. Each student then becomes the class expert for the semester when applying the knowledge from their chapter to the works read by the class. However, all students will take notes and have a working knowledge of the entire book based on the presentations.

Although this lesson was created for a semester-long dual credit literature course for 11th and 12th graders, it could also be used for any advanced language arts class. It is expected that this plan will take approximately two weeks to complete, including the presentations. Students are expected to follow the guidelines and cite all sources used and adhere to the time constraints as well. 

Each student will be assigned a specific chapter to read in Thomas Foster's book  How to Read Literature Like a Professor (HTRLLP). The idea is for the student to become the "expert" on the chapter and then teach it to their peers. You will do this by creating a presentation answering a series of questions and giving examples to illustrate what the author presents in the chapter. 

You will have approximately one week, or five class periods to read, take notes, and prepare your presentation, to include all citations for sources used. 

Then, students will present their chapter to the class and answer any questions students might have.

While other students are presenting, students will be expected to take notes since all students are responsible for knowing and being able to apply the knowledge discussed in this book throughout the semester.

Presentation Guidelines

Use the following guidelines to take notes over the chapter assigned to you.

Students can use the template provided to start their presentation or simply use it as a guide while designing their own. 

Students are also encouraged to use online resources to find suitable themes for their chapter. A good resource for this is Slides Carnival . 

Students will be scored on their presentation using the rubric provided.