Making Oral Presentations

1. Making Oral Presentations Joe Orlins, P.E., Ph.D. Doug Cleary, Ph.D., P.E. Civil and Environmental Engineering Rowan University

2. Outline • Goals of presentations • Elements of good presentations • Things to avoid • Tips on style • Sample presentation

3. Goals of Presentations • Inform your audience • Tell the world what you’ve discovered! • Compare your findings with others • Especially important for new research • Show your stuff! • You may be speaking to future employers • Your grade may depend on how well you do

4. Elements of Good Presentations • Legible slides • Readable charts & graphs • Use of illustrations & photographs • Good vocalization • Good “presence” • Rehearsal

5. Elements of Good Presentations • Clear, legible slides • Use large typefaces & simple fonts • Bulleted lists summarizing key points • 3-6 items per slide • 32 Point Times New Roman • 28 Point Arial • 24 Point Times New Roman

6. Elements of Good Presentations • Make charts readable • Label axes • Include legend • Use symbols & lines • Interpret for audience • Describe graph • Explain trends

7. Elements of Good Presentations • Include pictures • Add emphasis • Describe key points • Check file sizes • Too big = slow loading • Resolution OK?

8. Elements of Good Presentations • Good vocalization • Speak to the audience • Can person in last row hear you? • Pace yourself • Conversational tone • Don’t speed through slides

9. Elements of Good Presentations • Make eye contact • Don’t fidget • Use pointer wisely

10. Elements of Good Presentations • Rehearse your talk!! • Use built-in timer • Add or reduce number of slides as time dictates • Practice in front of real audience • Ask for constructive feedback

11. Things to Avoid • Cluttered slides • Messiness • Too much text on slides • Tables of raw data • Bells & whistles • Unreadable colors • Lack of illustrations • Rushing through slides to show them all • Poor posture & grooming • “Ten Commandments of Bad Talks”

12. Ten Commandments • Thou shalt not be neat • Thou shalt not waste space • Thou shalt not covet brevity • Thou shalt use many different sounds & animations • Thou shalt not be legible

13. Ten Commandments • Thou shalt not use color • Thou shalt not illustrate • Thou shalt not make eye contact • Thou shalt not skip slides • Thou shalt not practice

14. Tips on Style • Readable colors • Simple backgrounds / layouts • Gesture effectively • Dress neatly

15. Summary • Neat Slides • Clear Illustrations • Good Vocalization • Good Presence • Rehearsal !