For Vinben

The reading and lecture material this week focuses on presentations. How much experience do you have building presentations? Have you used software other than PowerPoint? Based on the information provided in the class and your own experience, share with the class some of your ideas for designing and delivering a successful presentation. 200 words Due Tuesday at 11pEST

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PresentationsPresentations

The steps required to prepare an effective presentation parallel the

steps you follow to write a document. As with writing a document, determine your

purpose and analyze your audience. Then gather the facts that will support your

point of view or proposal and logically organize that information. Presentations do,

however, differ from written documents in a number of important ways. They are

intended for listeners, not readers. Because you are speaking, your manner of

delivery, the way you organize your material, and your supporting visuals, require as

much attention as your content.

For the Presentation assignment, your purpose is to share information

about your analytical paper. You are addressing an audience assumed to be

unfamiliar with your subject. Also, due to the limitations of the online platform, your

presentation of course will be written. However, you are to adapt a tone of writing

similar to a spoken tone.

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Determining Your PurposeDetermining Your Purpose

What do I want the

audience to know, to

believe, or to do when I

finished the presentation?

Every presentation is given for a purpose, even if it is only to share

information. To determine the primary purpose of your presentation, use the

following question as a guide: “What do I want the audience to know, to believe, or

to do when I have finished the presentation?” Based on the answer to that question,

write a purpose statement that answer the what? and why? questions.

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Analyzing Your AudienceAnalyzing Your Audience

• What is your audience’s level of experience or
knowledge about your topic?

• What is the general educational level and age of
your audience?

• What is your audience’s attitude toward the topic
you are speaking about, and—based on that
attitude—what concerns, fears, or objections
might your audience have?

• Do any subgroups in the audience have different
concerns or needs?

• What questions might your audience ask about
this topic?

Once you have determined the desired end result of the presentation,

you need to analyze your audience so that you can tailor your presentation to their

needs. Ask yourself the above questions about your audience.

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Structuring The PresentationStructuring The Presentation

• Focus on audience.

• Introduction: a brief overview.

• Body: focuses on points, develops
ideas.

• End with a summary of points.

• Call to action (when appropriate).

When structuring the presentation, focus on your audience. Listeners

are freshest at the outset and refocus their attention near the end. Take advantage

of that pattern. Give your audience a brief overview of your presentation at the

beginning, use the body to develop your ideas, and end with a summary of what

you covered and, if appropriate, a call to action.

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The IntroductionThe Introduction

This presentation analyzes three textbooks for us to

consider using in the classroom. Based on a comparison of all

three, I will recommend the one I believe best meets the

needs of our curriculum. To do so, I will discuss the following

five points:

1. Why we need a new textbook [the problem]

2. The basics of the curriculum [general information]

3. The criteria I used to compare the three textbooks
[comparison]

4. The textbooks I compared and why [possible solutions]

5. The textbook I propose we use [proposal solution].

Include in the introduction an opening that focuses your audience’s

attention. This opening should accomplish one of the following: define a problem;

get your audience’s attention (such as a strong statistic); pose a rhetorical question;

recount a personal experience; employ an appropriate quotation.

Following your opening, use the introduction to set the stage for your

audience by providing an overview of the presentation, which can include general or

background information that will be needed to understand any more detailed

information in the body of your presentation. It can also show how you have

organized the material.

The above slide provides an example of an introduction.

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The BodyThe Body

1.Prove your point.

1.Marshal the facts and data that you
need.

2.Present the information using easy-to-
understand visuals.

2.Offer solutions.

3.Anticipate questions and objections, and
incorporate the answers into your
presentation.

If applicable, present the evidence that will persuade the audience to

agree with your conclusions and act on them. If there is a problem, demonstrate

that it exists and offer a solution or range of possible solutions. For example, our

introduction stated that the problem was an outdated textbook. We could use the

above approach.

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The ClosingThe Closing

• Fulfill the presentation goals.

–Prompt action.

–Summarize your thinking points.

–Be strong and persuasive.

–Bring the presentation full circle.

Fulfill the goals of your presentation in the closing. If your purpose is

to motivate the listeners to take action, ask them to do what you want them to do; if

your purpose is to get your audience to think about something, summarize what you

want them to think about. Many presenters make the mistake of not actually

closing—they simply quit talking. Because your closing is what your audience is

most likely to remember, use that time to be strong and persuasive.

The closing brings the presentation full circle and asks the audience to

fulfill the purpose of the presentation, just like a conclusion to any document should

do.

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TransitionsTransitions

Presentation Transition – a sentence or two that

informs the audience of a new topic.

Place a transition:

• Between the introduction and the body.

• Between main points within the body.

• Between the body and the closing.

Planned transitions should appear between the introduction and the

body, between points within the body, and between the body and the closing.

Transitions are simply a sentence or two to let the audience know that you are

moving from one topic to the next. They also prevent a choppy presentation and

provide the audience with assurance that you know where you are going and how to

get there.

When delivering a presentation, it is also a good idea to pause for a

moment after you have delivered a transition between topics to let your listeners

shift gears with you. Remember, they do not know your plan.

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Using VisualsUsing Visuals

• Flip charts. Ideal for small groups, or when brainstorming
with your audience.

• Whiteboard or Chalkboard. Convenient for creating
sketches and jotting notes.

• Overhead Transparencies. You can create a series of
overlays to explain a complex device or system, adding (or
removing) the overlays one at a time.

• Presentation Software. Such as PowerPoint or Corel
Presentations. You can import graphs and charts from
spreadsheet software, or images from the Web. Most
software packages also include templates and
enhancements.

Well-planned visuals not only add interest and emphasis to your

presentation, they also clarify and simplify your message because they

communicate clearly, quickly, and vividly. Charts, graphs, and illustrations greatly

increase audience understanding and retention of information, especially for

complex issues and technical information that could otherwise be misunderstood or

overlooked.

You can create and present the visual components of your

presentation by using a variety of media: flip charts; whiteboard or chalkboard;

overhead transparencies; slides; or computer presentation software.

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Visual ChecklistVisual Checklist

• Use text sparingly in visuals. Use lists, keeping them in
parallel structure and with balanced content. Use numbers
if the sequence is important, and bullets if it is not.

• Limit the number of listed items to 5 or 6 per visual.

• Make your visuals consistent in type style, size, and
spacing.

• Consider the size of the audience when setting type size.

• Use graphs and charts to show data trends.

• Make a sharp contrast between your text and the
background.

• Use no more than 12 visuals per presentation.

• Do not read the text of your visuals word for word.

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Delivering a PresentationDelivering a Presentation

• Practice your presentation with visuals. Practice in front of
listeners, if possible.

• Familiarize yourself with the location of the presentation.

• Prepare a set of notes that will trigger your memory during
the presentation.

• Make as much eye contact as possible with your audience.

• Animate your delivery by integrating movement, gestures,
and vocal inflection into your presentation.

• Speak loudly and slowly to be heard and understood.

• Do not read the text of your visuals word for word; explain
the key points in detail.