How to Make a Good Presentation
Each presentation should focus on one issue.
Time limit 10 (ten) mins!
Plus 5 mins for discussion.
- Pick one example or a single topic to present -- do not try
to summarize your entire paper -- there will not be enough time!
- Include three parts ...
- background (what is the issue? what species? where?
what procedures?)
- results (data -- graphs, diagrams, maps)
- significance (are there comparisons with other work? conclusions?
suggestions? is the issue resolved?)
- Keep slides simple -- do not include anything (for instance colors,
swirls, decorations, transitions) unless it makes your message easier to
understand
- Make slides graphic -- use pictures, graphs, diagrams, maps
(properly labeled!) -- instead of text
- When you do use text, include only one simple sentence on a slide.
Otherwise your audience will desperately try to read everything instead
of listening to you.
- A trick for making three points in a row -- instead of putting several
points on one slide, use several slides -- show only the first point
(bullet) on one slide, then add the second point on the next slide, and so
forth until you have all the points on a slide
- Use font large enough to read at the back of the room
- Include a title slide (with the title and your name)
- Include references for all graphics not your own and all statements
not common knowledge (a final slide can list your references -- small print is
OK here!)
- During your presentation, tell your audience the point of each slide
before you show them the slide! Otherwise, when you show a
slide, your audience will try to figure out the point instead of listening to
you explain it.
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Most important -- practice your presentation -- and focus!
Good presentations + good audiences = good discussion!
If there is no discussion, something is wrong!
Burn your presentation on a CD, write your name on the CD, and bring it to
class
(or follow instructions on the course web site)!
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