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GOOD QUALITY TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS

Prof K P MohandasDean Academic, MES College of Engg, Kuttippuram(email: kpmdas@ieee.org)

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Different types of presentations Seminar presentations in a class Paper presentations in conferences Project presentations as part of class work Project presentations for research grants Research updates or reviews Thesis presentations (oral examinations)

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Why presentations ?

Effectiveness of visual presentationsIt is estimated that we can retain or remember

Hardly 20% of what you HEAR Nearly 40 to 50% of what you SEE Almost 70-80% of what you DO

It is not always possible to make others DO, so next choice is to SHOW or use VISUALs

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Remember !!!

TELL ME , I WILL FORGET !

SHOW ME, I WILL REMEMBER !!

INVOLVE ME , I WILL LEARN !!!

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A presentation has

Content : information that listeners need to hear.

Structure : It has a logical beginning, body and end. It contains only information that can be understood within the time.

Packaging : It must be well prepared Human Element: A good presentation will be

remembered because it has a person attached to it

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Being an oral presentation take care of the voice : The voice has

Volume : loud enough to be heard, voice modulation helps in better attention and avoids monotony

Tone: The Characteristics of a sound, a voice that contains fear can frighten the audience, one that carries laughter can make them smile

Pitch : High or low voice , medium preferred Pace: How fast the sound lasts, not too fast, not

too slow either Colour: If you overact and mix emotions in

presentation, sometimes it works wonders;

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If you want to improve your voice Listen to it: practice listening to your voice

while walking, working etc To really listen: Cup your right hand around

your right year and gently pull the ear forward.

Next cup your left hand near your mouth and speak. This will make you hear your voice like others hear it

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HOW TO PRESENT THINGS?

Printed or typed text Tables of data Charts Graphs , Pie charts, line graphs Pictures Video clips etc

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Tables of data – avoid it

co

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Graphs Line graphs

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0

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Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Bar graphs

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Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

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Pie charts

Sales

1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

4th Qtr

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Why use tools?

Easy to use different types of features Automatic size of letters and formats Titles and subtitles choice of proper sizes Easily Incorporate figures and graphs Include Animations and special effects Links and moving forward and backward in

slides Colour choice – artistic effects or esthetics

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Body Language

Eye contact: Helps communication and so never loose eye contact with listeners

Facial expressions: Smiling transmits happiness, friendliness and warmth

Gestures: Some gestures can avoid boredom Posture and orientation: Moving while talking

helps, bending (leaning) forward shows you are more approachable, receptive and friendly

Proximity: Not too close or too far Voice : Modulation helps avoid boredom

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Steps in preparation

1. Choose a topic or area of interest 2. Search for relevant material in text

books, encyclopedias ,journals, internet etc3. Prepare a write up on the topic in your own language after understanding the contents

4.Logically arrange the sequence of presentation

5. Rehearse thoroughly monitoring time

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How many slides ?

Time available for presentation Content and depth of the topic Nature of materials to be presented like

mostly text material ortext and numerical data and tablestext, tables and graphspictures and videos

Maximum 2 minutes for each slide

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Good quality slides

Good visuals can strengthen your presentation significantly , but they are rare.

The keys to good visuals are: 1. FEW just enough to illustrate the points 2. BIG so that they are easy to see and read 3. SIMPLE , so that they are easily

understood

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Contents of each slide

Not too many lines of text ( 7-8 lines) Size of letters big enough to see for all Not too many equations (?) Use plenty of graphs rather than tables Use pictures with proper titles and legends Animations and special effects should not be

too distracting

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Language in presentation

Simple and precise Not pompous or flowery language The audience wants to understand the

technical contents, not the beauty of the language

Liberal use of figures, pictures or even videosto illustrate the points

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Things not to be done

Never read from the slides or depend totally on the slides. The displayed slides are for the audience to follow your seminar not for you

Never use light colours for text and figures since this will not be visible for those who sit in the back

Choose proper font size (at least 18 point) so that it can be read easily.

Do not give complete derivations, only highlight the significance of terms and equations

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Not to be done (contd) Do not overcrowd the page with lot of text or

figures Do not make slides by photocopying directly

from printed books or journals as letters will be too small

Choose different types of letters, bold, italics, capitals etc to emphasize points.

Letter size not less than 18 point or more

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Preparation for presentation

Rehearse as many times as possible Note the time taken and keep it within the

allotted time strictly Allow some time for discussion Respond to questions after hearing it fully Repeat the question loudly for others to hear Answer clearly if you know the answer If not use your ingenuity in coming out of the

situation Accept mistakes pointed out by audience Never get into an argument with the questioner

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Inter personal communication tips Never loose EYE CONTACT with audience Talk loudly and clearly Never turn your back to the audience When responding to questions wait for the

questions to be completed Repeat the question for the audience Answer clearly, if necessary using board . If you don’t know the answer, you can request

any one else to answer or get out of it using your ingenuity

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Active listening Active listening is NOT the same as hearing!

Hearing is the first part and consists of the perception of sound.

Listening, the second part, involves an attachment of meaning to the aural symbols that are perceived.

Passive listening occurs when the receiver has little motivation to listen carefully.

Active listening with a purpose is used to gain information, to determine how another person feels, and to understand others.

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Some good traits of effective listeners are Spend more time listening than talking (but of course, as a

presenter, you will be doing most of the talking). Do not finish the sentence of others. Do not answer questions with questions. Aware of biases. We all have them. We need to control

them. Never daydream or become preoccupied with their own

thoughts when others talk. Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the

conversation. Plan responses after others have finished speaking...NOT

while they are speaking. Their full concentration is on what others are saying, not on what they are going to respond with.

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Feedback is important

1. Evaluative: Makes a judgment about the worth, goodness, or appropriateness of the other person's statement.

2. Interpretive: Paraphrasing - attempt to explain what the other persons statement mean.

3. Supportive: Attempt to assist or bolster the other communicator

4. Probing: Attempt to gain additional information, continue the discussion, or clarify a point.

5. Understanding: Attempt to discover completely what the other communicator means by her statements.

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Always remember

You are speaking to an audience The presentation is for them It is absolutely essential to: Keep them interested in your talk Make them understand what you speak Get them involved in the process Get their response and react to them

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Are you nervous?

The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness.

The presentation becomes "canned" as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.

First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation

instead of focusing in on being nervous

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Use some relaxation methods

Before the presentation: Lie on the floor. Your back should be flat on the floor. Pull your feet towards you so that your knees are up in the air. Relax. Close your eyes. Fell your back spreading out and supporting your weight. Feel your neck lengthening. Work your way through your body, relaxing one section at a time - your toes, feet, legs, torso, etc. When finished, stand up slowly and try to maintain the relaxed feeling in a standing position.

If you cannot lie down: Stand with you feet about 6 inches apart, arms hanging by your sides, and fingers unclenched. Gently shake each part of your body, starting with your hands, then arms, shoulders, torso, and legs. Concentrate on shaking out the tension. Then slowly rotate your shoulders forwards and the backwards. Move on to your head. Rotate it slowly clockwise, and then counter-clockwise.

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Relaxation

Mental Visualization: Before the presentation, visualize the room, audience, and you giving the presentation. Mentally go over what you are going to do from the moment you start to the end of the presentation.

During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body, and then return to the presentation saying to your self, "I can do it!"

You do NOT need to get rid of anxiety and tension

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Start and beginning

Give an overview of the presentation in the beginning ( one slide)

Give a summary in the end (one slide)Some references for better communication:1.www.allaboutcommunication.com2.Today’s Engineer IEEE, USA

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Prepare well or fail

Remember

If you fail to prepare

You are preparing to fail

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