Notes for Preparing an Oral Presentation
Preparation Phase PowerPoint Basics Font Using Sans Serif fonts instead of Serif fonts makes it easier for the audience to read the text quickly. Examples of Sans Serif fonts include Arial, Comic Sans, and Trebuchet Type size should be within the range of 18 point to 36 point, except adding references at the bottom Avoid using all capital letters Color The color combination between letters and background should be high contrast A dark blue or black background works best for talks in a large room Dark letters against a light background are best for small rooms or teaching There is no need for a university logo to be on each slide Layout Every slide should have a heading, a simple but purposeful sentence. For more effective headers, consider: Using questions as headers to simulate a “conversation” Using the assertion-evidence structure Limit text blocks to no more than two lines each Lists should contain no more than 3 items, and “unveil” the list one by one Be generous with empty space, especially at the top and the bottom Style Include a simple image on every slide Limit the number of items on each slide; each slide should make just one or two points, and explain the points completely If you’re not going to take the time to explain it, get rid of it Avoid fancy transitions between slides unless you have a good reason Don’t drown the audience with data, less is more Three Functions of Slides Visual repetition of key points: to draw attention to & reinforce key messages Complement spoken text: additional info not said Replace Speaker (temporarily): e.g., a video, show whole paragraph or table & ask audience to read while keeping silent The structure of slides: start broad, get specific, end broad Start with the biggest questions and get progressively more specific In the middle of the talk, go into depth, but use the home slide to make transitions (enable the audience to tune back in) To conclude, reiterate the main conclusions and go back to the big picture During Q&A, put the summary slide back up again Review Each Slide Make sure each slide serves its PURPOSE Each slide has MAIN POINTS thatthe audience must see within 5 seconds Check whether the slide will make the audience LISTEN or spend some time looking at the slide During Presentation Useful Slide Transition Wordings “Now, what are …?” (use of questions) “My next point is …” “Now that I’ve finished talking about …, let’s move on to …” “You’ve just seen …, so we’ll now turn out attention to my second point: …” “In addition to the factors we have discussed, I want to add …” Remind Vocal Dynamics Change pace to emphasize key points Change pitch to create interest Change volume to emphasize contrast Punc-tu-ate syllables and words for emphasis Pause before important information to provide anticipation Avoid Vocal Distracters Vocalized pauses (um.., er.., ah..) Filler words (ok, you know, actually) Breathlessness Voice dropping or rising at the end of a sentence Mumbling /slurring Q&A Session Different types of questions: ...