Guidelines for giving Effective Presentations

1
Guidelines for giving Effective Presentations

• Elliot Tonkes
• Source "How to Deliver Effective Presentations
  by Terry R. Grimmond"

2
Introduction

• Marking scheme for your talk
• Tips on talks
• Structure of your talk
• How to present technical content
• Answering questions
• Checklists

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Your Honours Talk

• 30 minute timeslot
• 20 minute talk
• 5 minutes questions
• Your seminar is marked according to
• 4 Content (technical competence)
• 4 Presentation (delivery of technical material)
• 2 Responses to questions
• It counts 10 of your honours project

4
The Top 6 Turnoffs

• Poor visuals
• Unclear structure
• Repetitive habits
• Monotone voice
• Reading verbatim
• Disorganised

5
Talk Structure Tips

• Give your talk a snappy title!
• All talks should have
• Introduction tell them what you're going to
  tell them
• Main Body tell them
• Conclusion/Summary tell them what youve told
  them

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Introduction

• The opening should grab attention

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Main Body

• Level of detail should be appropriate to the
  audience
• tell them so that they will understand.
• Give signposts when you go from one point to
  another so audience can follow.
• Involve the audience
• mentally (interesting and effective visuals)
• verbally (questions and comments) or
• physically (activities or discussions)

8
Audience of Mathematicians

• Mathematics is quite area-specific
• Audience from general backgrounds
• 80/20 rule
• 80 general
• 20 specifics
• Motivation and comprehensive introduction helps

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Conclusion/Summary

• Is the "take-home" message clear?
• Perfectly valid to flag future work or possible
  extensions

10
Slide Design Tips

• KISS
• No more than 6 words per line, 6 lines per slide
  is a good guide
• Visual clarity is essential
• Use big and bold text
• Use all of screen
• Ensure consistency of headings, design, colour,
  font size.

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Slide Use Tips

• Talk to audience, not screen. Do not "read"
  slides
• Do not block the audience view
• Point to the screen, rather than the OHP
• You should have about 1 slide per minute (20
  slides)
• Do not change the slides too quickly

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Mathematics on Slides

• Long complex equations are impossible to read
  from the back of the room.
• Give a feel for complex mathematical equations
  with
• animation
• uncovering or
• clumping

13
Dynamic Program
Sample Slide

• Let V E(Pt,S,NA,NB)
• Suppose A is batting, so NB10, 1ltNA?10, dSi ? 0

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Expected Payoff NA1
Sample Slide
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Rehearsing

• Run through at least once before approaching your
  supervisor
• Preferably present a practice run in front of
  your supervisor
• Provide a set of notes to your supervisor in
  advance

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Answering Questions

• Thank the questioner
• Repeat the question so that the people at the
  back know the question
• Professional ethics imply dont know is a valid
  response
• Answer confidently and with a definite conclusion
  to the response

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Structure Checklist

•         Clear introduction and intent
•         Logical flow
•         Clear message
•         Clear summary
•         Confident answers to questions
•         Finish on time

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Visual Checklist

•         Complement not compete
•         Bullet points not paragraphs
•         Clear in meaning
•         Legible, large font
•         Impactful design/colour

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Voice Checklist

•         Clear, confident, interesting
•         Enthusiastic inflection
•         Minimal uhmms
•         No monotone
•         No reading verbatim

20
Body Checklist

•         Good position, posture, language
•         Eye contact (even, regular)
•         Facial expressions match verbals
•         Conveys enthusiasm/warmth/confidence
•         No distracting mannerisms

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Equipment Checklist

•        Knowledge of use
•         Audience sited not blocked
•         Visuals high on screen
•         Visuals occupy width of screen

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Remember

• Be prepared
• Dont cram in too much
• Remember the 80/20 rule