Making s u c c e s s Ful Oral Presentations

7/28/2019 Making s u c c e s s Ful Oral Presentations

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MAKING S U C C E S S FULORAL PRESENTATIONSA Guide

1. NIRDOSHLakehead Universi ty Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada P7B 5E l

G ood communication skills are critica l for successfulprofessional per formance in the areas of plant operations, project planning, resea rch, design, management, and sales- the jobs most frequently held by today'sengineers. An engineer must communicate with his subordinates to get things done, with his superiors to get projectsand budgets approved, and with the public to maint ain hiscompany ' s good image. Indu str y' s constant lament is thatthe universities are not developin g adequate communicationskill s in their students.

Skilled communication is an art to be learned and developed through hard work and pract ice . An orator may be born,but a good communicator is made. Many universities nowinclude courses on making oral technical presentation s,I1-3 ] andeven some industries, realizing the importance of communication in getting things done profitably , have started relevanttraining courses for their employee s in interpersonal communication skills and social styles.131

Engineering students at Lake head University take at leastone course in technical writing . Eve n though there is currentl y no requ ired course devoted to ora l communication inthe curriculum, instructors in the Chemical EngineeringDepartment int roduce students to the art o f successfulspeak ing in their courses.

The purpose of requiring oral presentations is to give eachstudent in the class the opportunit y to do original research ina specified area and to collectively exchange knowledge

Inder Nirdosh received his BSc and MSc inchemical engineering from Panjab University (In-dia) and his PhD from Birmingham University(United Kingdom). He joined Lakehead Univer-sity in 1981, and his research interests are in thefields of mineral processing and electrochemicalengineering.

Copyright ChE Division o{ ASEE 199752

through informal discussions. Thi s exercise helps the students develop their powers of communication and persuasion. It not only prepares them for making effective presentations for their final-year undergraduate degree researchprojects (a course requirement), but it a lso helps themacquire co nfidence for their eventual entry in to the main stream work force . The following steps are used to achievethe abo ve objecti ves:

~ Guidance is pro vided fo r making oral pre sentations throughthe use of a Handout (see next page ). The students are askedto present ind ividual and/or group seminars all a lab theyha ve done . Sometimes a list o] top ics relevant to the course isprepared and the students are asked to choose the topic oftheir liking (e.g.. they are encouraged to select all area illwhich they have some pract ical experience through a summerj ob ). Guidance is given Oil how to obta in information/datafrom literature, how to screen the data fo r selecting the mostappropriate info rmati on, and how to present the seminar.

~ Extra time is spent with students who are ext rao rdinarilyshy orfearfu l of the thought of having to f ace WI audience tomake a f ormal presentation (there are occasionally some students who belong ill this ca tego ry}, This usually takes aboutthree to fo ur pra ctice runs bef ore the student becomes COIll [o rt able ill makin g a pre sentation-s-the student is asked to fi rstpresent the seminar to another person (a fr iend or instructor)011 a one- to-o ne basis and more than once if necessary. andthen to group partneris], f ollowed by the fi lial pre sentation illfr ont of the entire clas s.~ Aft er each presentation, detailed written feedback is givento the students Oil the strengths and weaknesses of each presentation. This ass ists them ill maintaining the strengths andworking on the weaknesses fo r imp roving their ove rall semiliar presenta tion skills.The following is the handout given to the students. It is

discussed in detail in class and practica l demonstrations aremade to indicate the effectiveness of different relative fontsizes, bold letters, icons, borders, personal shadows on thescreen depending on the standing position, etc.

Chemical Engineering Education


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Skilled comm unic ation is an art to be learned and develop ed through hard work an d practice.An orator may be born, bu t a good commun icator is made. . . . Even though ther e is curren tly no re quiredcourse devoted to oral communication in the Faculty , instructors in the Chemical EngineeringDepartment introduce stu den ts to th e ar t of successful sp eaking in th ei r courses.

---------------------------------lIANDOUTWritten and oral communication skills are important if one is to succeed as a practicing engineer.

Thi s handout will ass ist you in deliverin g a good seminar.

Please note the following:[J Review the handout ca refully in the ligh t of the demonstrations mad e in class to observe se lection of

proper borders, relativ e fonts, use of pointer, standing position, etc.[J Discuss the draft-slides with me at least two weeks before the sem inar[J If so desired, practice the talk over and ove r by yourse lf. out loud, and then present it to another person (a

fr iend or instructor). This step is strongly suggested.[J After the seminar, you will be given detailed written comments highlighting the strengths as we ll as the

weaknesses of your presentation according to the checklist given at the end of this handout.

Research Acquire suitab le technical information from books, manualsand journ als. Mak e a note of appropriate reference(s) for asubsequent citation .

Exercise j udge ment in choosi ng the most re leva nt data fromthe information co llected.

Review thi s dat a with your gro up members (if appl icable) andwith the instructor.

Prepare informative slides . Ensure that your talk will answer the three main questions: (I )What was done') (2 ) How was it done '? (3) What was thesignificance of the study'?

Preparing Visual Aids (Overheads or Slides) Prepare the ove rheads/s lides in an interesting manner. Preferab ly, box each slide with appropriate borders.

The first slide should contain the tit le of the talk and thename(s) of the speaker(s).

The second slide should give an ol'en'iew of the talk. Thi s slidewill give the introduction to the topic and prepare the audienceas to what to expec t in the seminar.

The second-to-las t slide shou ld describe explicit conclusions. The last slide should give an overall S lIIlI/IIGI) ' of what wasprese nted . (Sometimes, the last slid e may be dedic ated toAckno wledgments .)

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Use different colors to disti nguish di fferent items on the sameoverhead. but do not over-color any slide .

Do not put too much information on anyo ne slide, and avoidovercrowding . Five to eig ht lines per slide should be considered as maximum. (If the audience cannot easily read it. it isnot worth presenting!)

Never photocopy fu ll pages from books or journals. The prin tis too small to be eas ily read .

Use a larger font or big lettering- the writing should be leg iblefrom the back of the room. Print in bold letters. The titles andsubtitles should be in fonts larger than those used for the text.

Arrange various items (e.g.. in a tlowsheet) on the overhead/s lide in the same manner as you would like an interiordesignerto arrange your living room . Your audience shou ld enjoy yourdisplay.

Use appropriate and relevant icons (e.g ., a $ sign when discussing the eco nomic analysis). These make the slide and thepresentation live ly and interesting. Icon s should be used sparingly, however. and on ly if they do not clutier the slide(s) .

Mental Preparaion See yourse lf as a "Specialist" or an "Expert" in the area of yourtalk.

Plan your presentation ca refully . Gi ve ex tra thought to youropening and closing remarks.

Compose an outline and work within its domain.53


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Plan on invol ving the aud ience . Always remember that your purpose is to share inform ation . toinform or to persuade. and not to impress or overwhelm youraudience.

Be confident. Confidence is an automatic by-product of hardwork . Do yo ur best.

Rehearse your talk in your mind . Practice the talk over andove r. out loud. by yourse lf. When confident . make a mockpresentat ion to friend s. Always aim to fini sh the talk 011 time.

Always remem ber that you may have an excellent idea. butunless it is commun icated effectively . its wort h will remainunexplored.

Presenting the Talk Dress up for the role of an " Invited Keynote Speaker" (alwaysdress up for the role you have to play).

Gracefully walk to the podium and take a deep brea th. Feel the crowd so that you ca n wor k with the energy of theaudi ence. Make eye contac t with all and greet them with a smile. Expre ss thanks to the pe rson who introdu ced you and invitedyou to speak.

Stand tall and stra ight and int rodu ce yourself (and your groupmembers if it was not alread y done).

Have your opening remarks committed to memor y and begi nyour talk on a positi ve note such as. "Good Morning (afternoon/evening) ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank youfor coming out today (this eve ning/tonight) to liste n to my(our) presen tation . . ,"

Alway s remembe r to smile (smiling is contag ious). Refrainfrom loo king too se rious or panic-stricken . A cheerful speakeris liked by all. (PIcase note that a certain degree of nervousnessis inevitable, and always remember that your audience is madeup of rea l peop le with sensitivity, emo tions, and fee lings.)

Presen t the talk in your ow n individ ual and innovative manner. Keep the presentation techni ca lly sound and remain enthusiastic about the topic. Maint ain goo d hum or. Do not, however.dilute the gravity of the talk by too much humor. The audienceshould not get the impress ion that you arc frivo lous . Use you rj udgement.

Ma intain good eye contact with the audience . Refrain fromlook ing only at one individual or gro up of individuals in theaudience, or at the walls , the ce iling, or the floor. Look rightinto the eyes of the audience .

Check , and adjust if needed, every display on the screen. Makesure that the display is properly centered on the sc reen. notcarelessly placed at an ang le or partially above or below thescreen, and that it is in perfec t foc us.

Be cautio us of your standing position in relation to the screenand the audie nce. Stand near the screen, on one side. Thisprevents obstructing the view of some audience members.

Give a guided tour of each sl ide. using a pointer (rather thanhand s and finge rs) . so that the audience can understand and

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enjoy it as much as you do. Explain each disp lay with patience. Take your time and do notchange the slides too qui ckly. As a rule of thumb. keep thcdisplay on for at least 50-75 seconds .

While exp laining a graph. first ex pla in the x- and y-axes fully(va riables. dim ension s. range of variation. etc.). fol lowed bythe legend, if any, and then the plous),

If you have finished d iscussing a slide and do not wis h todisplay the next slide right away. sw itch of f the projecto r tobring the foc us of the audience wholly on you.Knoll' the material you arc presenting. Avoid continuous read ing from notes and cue ca rds . Remember that you are prese nting a seminar and are not participating in a paper-readingcontes t. Reading breaks the continuity of the talk. decreaseseye contact with the audience. and g ives thc appearance ofbei ng unprepared. Use your slides as your refere nce text. Youmay. however. make up a keyword outline on one sheet ofpaper to serve as a road map of you r talk. Remember the threego lden rules : practice. practice. practice!

Stat e the conclusions exp licitly. and summarize the talk. Th ank all tho se who helped you in your research and prepara tion .

Clearly ident ify and ack now ledge data obtained from any othcrgro up and thank other members or groups for sharing thei rdata for your presentation .

Remain stan ding whi le answering any questions afte r the seminar. Answering questions while sitting is rude. Whcn answering a quest ion. you should repeat the questions. if necessary,so tha t everyone in the aud ience hears it. Your manner shouldshow that questio ns are welcomed .

Extend a proper invit ation to the nex t speaker from your gro up.when necded. Introduc ing a speaker nicely is a very responsible jo b because it affec ts the way the audience perceives andreceives the spea ker. Know the speaker. his/her schoo l. yea r ofgraduation. expertise. hobbies. achieve ments , and the title o fhis/her talk.

Do Not . . . Leave the proje cto r on without any slide being dis played. Sta nd between the audie nce and the sc reen (blocking the viewof the aud ience) or between the projector and the sc reen (throwing a shadow on the sc rec n).

Speak in a low vo ice or drown the vo ice toward the end of asentence. Co ntinue to read from notes. especially while describing theapparatus or the experimental procedure.

Look at only the audience or only the sc reen -a lterna te attention between the two .

Remove the display too quick ly. Ment ion key numerical va lues of results/data on ly orally without displaying them on the screen (depriving the audience ofthe audiovisual effect).

Prepare some (or all) slides in a hurry. or in freehand.Chemical Engineering Education


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Refrain from smi ling Answer questions while sitting . Forget to organize the slides before the sem inar and fumb leth rough them to find the one you need .

Whi sper to the cha ir, to a gro up-partner. or to anyo ne on thepodium, or pack yo ur papers and slides when someone isask ing a question. Th is not only shows disrespec t to the audience but also poses the risk of yo ur not understanding thequestion fully .

Checklist for Giving Feedback to the Students Personal appearance and approach to the podium Greet the audience and thank the int roducer See to qu ality of ove rheads/s lides Be sure of technical content Check the screen display Readin g from notes Main tain eye contact wi th the aud ience

Invit e and formall y introduce the next speaker Or igina lity of style Voice clar ity Use appropriat e colors Smile Use humor Turn of f projector whe n not in use Use the pointer appropriately Stand thro ughout the presentation and question period Display dat a and numerical values of resu lts Organize slide s Do not whi sper: pay full attention to question s Thank all who helped Avoid any spec ific conspicuous gestures /hab its. such as tapping the table. grinding the feet on the tloor. playin g withobjects such as a pen. a keyri ng , or a poin ter, frequent nervouscoughing , standing still wit h hands clasped behind, etc.-------------------------------

DISCUSSIONThe stude nts work hard and take interest in preparing for

and making a good presentation . The alumni invariably express app reciation for having undertaken this exercise atschoo l, as is evident from the following excerpt from a letterwritten by a for mer student:". . . since I have been working, there is only oneperson who can deliver a presentation properly . .. . . Iam almost tempted to give my notes (to others) so thatI can f ollow what they 're trying to do. . . "The feedback from students has also been encourag ing.

The following are examples of typical comments made bythem:

"Th e comments on 0 11 1' presentations are vel)' helpfu l .There were things I didn 't realize I did , such as hit theove rhead scree n, leaving it shaking. The statement of0 111' good points fo r the presentations were a must andare milch app reciated . . . "". . . oral presentation of the 1V0 rk is a perfect learn ingopportunity . . . it also pro vides an opportunity to learnthe weaknesses and strengths one has . . . "It should be emphasized that a proper "Introduction" and

ef fective "C onclusions" are the two most important sectionsin a presentation . The reade rs are enco uraged to refer toOsborne and Osborne!"! and Peabod y'P' for helpful di rection s on preparing these two sections.CONCLUSIONSThe author feels that train ing in ora l presentations in engi

neering courses should be part of the curric ulum. There areWillieI' / 997

no hard-and-fast rules for how the training should be given,however. It depends on factors such as class size and thenature of the students . In the author 's experience , eve n theshyest student starts feeling comfortable in mak ing an acceptable presentation by the second seminar he or she delivers. Although providing a one-to-one audience is not alwayspossible unless the c lass size is fairly small (as is the cas e atLakehead University), the author has fo und that it goes along way in bringing the students to their best potential.Simil arly, written feedbac k on the students' presentation isquit e helpful to them , but this is also possible only withsmall-size classes. For larger classes, students may be encouraged to practice the tal k on their own, or wi th a friend,and should be advised to keep the checklist in mind in lieu ofwri tten feedback by the instru ctor.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSTh anks are due to the many students who participated in

oral presentations ove r the years and who have helped evolvethe handout.REFERENCES1. Brewst er , B.S., an d W.C. Hecker , "A Course on Making

Or al Technical Presentat ions,"Client. Eng. Ed ., 22, 48 (1988 )2. Hanzevack. E .L., and R.A. McKean , "Teac h ing EffectiveOr al Presentat i ons as Pa rt of t he Senior Design Course ,"Chem . Eng. Ed ., 24, 28 (1990)3. McConica, C., "A Cours e in Communication Skills for th eCorporate Environme nt of th e 1990s ," Chem. Eng. Ed ., 29,158 (1995 )

4. Osbo rn e , M., an d S. Osborne, Publ ic Speak ing , HoughtonMiffiin, Boston , MA (199 1)5. Peabody, G.E., How to Sp eak Effecti vely, 2n d ed., J ohnWiley, London, UK (1950) 055

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Making s u c c e s s Ful Oral Presentations