Post on 13-May-2015
description
Effective Technical Presentations
Why focus on presentations?
First impressions are important
Effective presentations are an “edge” in hiring and promotion decisions
Lack of effective presentations limits job assignments
The satisfaction of a job well done
A process that yields an effective presentation
Step 1: Plan
Step 2: Organize
Step 3: Prepare the Content
Step 4: Practice
Step 5: Get there
Step 6: Speak to the audience
Step 1: Plan
• Who is the audience?– Make the level of the material
appropriate to the audience• What is the message?
– Have a clear point that you want to convey
Step 2: Organize
• How long is the presentation?– Present enough material to convey the
message– Leave time for questions
• Follow the golden rule
The Golden Rule
1) Tell the audience what you’re going to tell them
2) Convey the information
3) Tell the the audience what you’ve told them
An Introduction vs. an Outline
An outline presents a list of topics that the presentation will cover
An outline does not give the audience a reason to listen to you
An INTRODUCTION
Who has done this work?
What work has preceded this? What is the context?
When was the work done?
But most importantly,
Why is this work important?
Give the audience a reason to listen!
Step 3: Prepare the Content
• Where will the presentation be given?– How large is the room?
• Determines minimum font size– What presentation equipment is
available?• Use generally available technology• Take your own equipment
Content: A presentation is NOT:
a technical journal paper
a final report
a book chapter
a medium for conveying fine details
Content:
• A presentation is effective when it uses the visual impact to
• Convey the message
• Keep the audience’s attention
Content: Keep it simple
• A presentation is not effective when slides are verbose and filled with lots and lots of text for the viewer to read. This type of presentation is better suited for publishing a paper or journal article and is not desirable for an oral presentation. Remember what a presentation is and what it is not. This type of slide is a real attention-killer and very difficult for the audience to follow.
Content: Only 2-3 Points per slide
• Avoid clutter
• Emphasize the points you want to make
Content: Present ideas, not details
Applies to• Text• Equations• Graphs, not tables
How many times have you seen this?
Content: Make it readable
12 point 18 point 24 point
32 point 44 point
Match the font size to the presentation room
Content: Appropriate to the medium
Light letters on a dark background are best for projected images
Dark letters on a light background are best for opaque imagesDark letters on a light background are best for opaque images
Technology: ColorAvoid low contrast or dark-on-dark combinations
Avoid the UM red and blue
Avoid the UM red and blue
Light letters on a dark background are best for projected images
Dark letters on a light background are best for opaque images
Ideas, not details:Equations
v
Natural Response of an Unforced Parallel RLC Circuit
“Busy” Equationsv
Natural Response of an Unforced Parallel RLC Circuit
LC
LC
LC
eAeAvt
LCRCRCt
LCRCRC
12RC
1 :dunderdampe
12RC
1 :damped critically
12RC
1 :overdamped
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
22
Equations that convey ideasv
Natural Response of an Unforced Parallel RLC Circuit
damping of degree thedetermines ratio LC toRC the
12
12
1s
distinct andcomplex are and :dunderdampe
equal and real are and :damped critically
distinct and real are and :overdamped
2
1,2
21
21
21
2121
LCRCRC
ss
ss
ss
eAeAv tsts
Conveying resultsGraphs, not tables
vi
V(0)=5v, i(0)=-6 mA
Critical Damping: R= 10, L=0.4 mH, C = 1 F
Underdamping: R= 20, L=0.4 mH, C = 1 F
Overdamping: R= 5, L=0.4 mH, C = 1 F
t*e-4 critical under over 0 5.0000 5.0000 5.0000 0.0000 2.9008 3.7579 1.7268 0.0000 1.4955 2.5801 0.4826 0.0000 0.5774 1.5198 0.0167 0.0000 -0.0018 0.6116 -0.1510 0.0000 -0.3486 -0.1264 -0.2050 0.0000 -0.5384 -0.6902 -0.2160 0.0000 -0.6245 -1.0866 -0.2111 0.0000 -0.6442 -1.3308 -0.2007 0.0000 -0.6230 -1.4429 -0.1888 0.0001 -0.5784 -1.4465 -0.1768 0.0001 -0.5221 -1.3658 -0.1652 0.0001 -0.4617 -1.2246 -0.1543 0.0001 -0.4019 -1.0447 -0.1441 0.0001 -0.3456 -0.8453 -0.1346 0.0001 -0.2941 -0.6422 -0.1256 0.0001 -0.2483 -0.4480 -0.1173 0.0001 -0.2081 -0.2718 -0.1095 0.0001 -0.1734 -0.1199 -0.1022 0.0001 -0.1438 0.0046 -0.0954
t *e-4 critical under over
0.0001 -0.1187 0.1007 -0.0891 0.0001 -0.0976 0.1692 -0.0832 0.0001 -0.0800 0.2125 -0.0777 0.0001 -0.0653 0.2338 -0.0725 0.0001 -0.0532 0.2367 -0.0677 0.0001 -0.0432 0.2253 -0.0632 0.0001 -0.0350 0.2035 -0.0590 0.0001 -0.0283 0.1749 -0.0551 0.0001 -0.0229 0.1427 -0.0514 0.0001 -0.0185 0.1095 -0.0480 0.0002 -0.0148 0.0776 -0.0448 0.0002 -0.0119 0.0483 -0.0419 0.0002 -0.0096 0.0229 -0.0391 0.0002 -0.0077 0.0020 -0.0365 0.0002 -0.0061 -0.0144 -0.0341 0.0002 -0.0049 -0.0262 -0.0318 0.0002 -0.0039 -0.0338 -0.0297 0.0002 -0.0031 -0.0378 -0.0277 0.0002 -0.0025 -0.0387 -0.0259 0.0002 -0.0020 -0.0371 -0.0242
Graphs:
•Label Axes, including units
•Use color and symbol to differentiate plots
•Include a legend
Each graph should be as complete and self-explanatory as possible
vi
Time (0.1 msec)
Nod
e V
olta
ge (
Vol
ts)
Natural Response of a Parallel RLC Circuit
Step 4: Step 4: PRACTICE!PRACTICE!
Practice so that you are comfortable with the equipment
Practice so that the timing is correct
The first time you try something is never your best performance:– Sports– Music– Speaking
PRACTICE!PRACTICE!
Practice as if the result is important:
• Aloud
• Standing
• With the equipment
• Before a friend or colleague
• In the presentation room
Step 5: Get There
• What computer is available?• What projection device?• From here to there
– “Direct cable connection”– Network (HTML?)– Parallel port Zip drive– CD ROM– Notebook computer
Delivery: Computer-based
• Use current technology
• “Just-in-time” presentations
Step 6: Speak to the Audience
Three rules:
Speak to the audience
Speak Audibly
Speak Intelligibly
Summary
• Follow the Golden Rule• Think visually--it’s a presentation• 2-3 points per slide• Concepts, not details• Speak audibly, intelligibly, to the audience• Slides are readable
• PRACTICE!
Web-consciousness
• This presentation is also available at
www.olemiss.edu/courses/EE/ENGR695/Oralpres2000/