Making Oral Presentations

Joe Orlins, P.E., Ph.D.

Doug Cleary, Ph.D., P.E.Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rowan University

Outline

• Goals of presentations

• Elements of good presentations

• Things to avoid

• Tips on style

• Sample presentation

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

Elements of Good Presentations

• Legible slides

• Readable charts & graphs

• Use of illustrations & photographs

• Good vocalization

• Good “presence”

• Rehearsal

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

Elements of Good Presentations

• Make charts readable– Label axes– Include legend– Use symbols & lines

• Interpret for audience– Describe graph– Explain trends

Elements of Good Presentations

• Include pictures– Add emphasis

– Describe key points

•Check file sizes–Too big = slow loading

–Resolution OK?

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

Elements of Good Presentations

• Make eye contact

• Don’t fidget

• Use pointer wisely

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

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”

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

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

Tips on Style

• Readable colors

• Simple backgrounds / layouts

• Gesture effectively

• Dress neatly

Summary

• Neat Slides

• Clear Illustrations

• Good Vocalization

• Good Presence

• Rehearsal !