[Alley, 2013]

Student Slides: Flipping the Classroom

The Craft of Scientific Presentations

Michael AlleyCollege of EngineeringPennsylvania State University

audience

purpose

In preparing a scientific talk, what three constraints should you analyze?

occasion

In preparing a scientific talk, you should analyzeaudience, purpose, and occasion

In preparing a scientific presentation, what are the important questions to ask about audience?

audience

What do they know about your work?

Why your work will interest them?

[Alley, 2013]

Successfully communicating your work is akin to leading the audience up your mountain of work

*

Where to begin?

How to organize?

How much detail to give?

[USGS, 2004]

How to emphasize?

[Alley, 2013]

The scope and depth of a talk are interwoven because only so much time exists to give details

unknown

Scope

Depth

[Alley, 2013]

Success involves defining a valuable scope and a satisfying depth

unknown

Valuable

Satisfying

[Alley, 2013]

From your experience, what is a common problem associated with scope and depth in a scientific talk?

unknown

Valuable

Satisfying

[Alley, 2013]

Many scientific talks fail because the scope is too broad

Scope

Unsatisfyingdepth

[Alley, 2013]

From your experience, what is another common problem associated with scope and depth in a scientific talk?

unknown

Valuable

Satisfying

[Alley, 2013]

Many scientific talks fail because the depth is too deep

unknown

Too narrow

Overwhelming

[Alley, 2013]

An important part of the beginning is selecting an appropriate entry point

[TED.com]

[Alley, 2013]

[Alley, 2013]

What kind of entry point did Rachel Perini chooseand what purpose did it serve?For her entry point, Rachel made a personal connection that generated interest and established authority

Personal story

[Alley, 2013]

[Alley, 2013]

What kind of entry point did Kate Waskiw choose and what purpose did it serve?

Statistics

For her entry point, Kate used statistics to make the problem real for the audience

[Alley, 2013]

[Alley, 2013]

What kind of entry point did Mimi Overbaugh choose and what purpose did it serve?

Example

For her entry point, Mimi used an example to make the audience care about the problem

[Alley, 2013][www. TED.com]

[Alley, 2013]

What kind of entry point did Ballard choose and what purpose did it serve?

[TED.com]

Rhetorical questionand statistic

For his entry point, Ballard provided a rhetorical question and a powerful statistic

Read

Memorized

Planned, practiced, butfashioned on the spot

Impromptu

[TED, 2008]

What are the advantages and disadvantagesof memorizing in a scientific presentation?Memorizing can be effective for short portions of talkssuch as first and last sentences

[Stanford, 2005]

What are the advantages and disadvantagesof reading in a scientific presentation?Reading is sometimes necessary when the audiencewill scrutinize every word

[Wired, 2009]

What are the advantages and disadvantagesof speaking impromptu in a scientific presentation?While not the approach to choose for a planned talk,speaking impromptu is an important skill

[Dr. Cheryl Hayashi, TED.com]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of fashioningwords on spot after planning and practice? To show ownership of the ideas, the best speakers in engineering and science fashion sentences on the spot

[TED, 2010]