Oral Presentationsfor MCEN 3027

Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Colorado, Boulder

MCEN 3027

Overview

Logistics: when and where Content: what to talk about Technique: how to appear professional

MCEN 3027

Logistics

When• T/Th Section: 2-5 pm Thursday• M/W/F Section: 3-5 pm Monday

Where• the Active Learning Classroom, ITLL 1B50, or the break-out

rooms How long

• Total time 15 min, (exactly!)• Each team member should plan on speaking 3-5 minutes

Other• Before class, put your presentation in the MCEN 3027

Permanent folder (public folder) on the ITLL server• Presentations will be videotaped• Your grade will be based on student (10%), TA (15%),

instructor evaluations (75%)

MCEN 3027

Presentation Content

Topic is your lab– You will turn in answers to questions– You will turn in the paper originals of your

presentation IN ORDER, STAPLED IN ADVANCE– Print 2 slides per page, 4 copies

MCEN 3027

Structure of Presentation

Opening is most important, catch audience’s attention – Don’t forget to introduce the people in your group

Body of the presentation, need to hold the attention of the audience– Purpose of experiment (introduction)– Experimental description– Results and discussion (together!)

Ending is also important, finish strong with good conclusions

MCEN 3027

How to Hold the Attention?

Opening– try to present one theme, a key message

Body– Don’t say something that will cause loss of attention

(“this is not important, but…”)– Pay attention to how you link phrases (don’t use

“next I want to talk about…”)

Conclusion– Signal end is coming (people will wake up!)– Decide on the message you most want your

audience to remember and deliver with impact

MCEN 3027

Overheads/Slides

Simple, uncluttered, with short phrases Approximately one per minute Horizontal page set-up Very large type 3/4 of your slides should be GRAPHIC

– Schematic, flowchart, sketches, pictures, descriptive

0

10

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1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

EastWestNorth

010

20304050

607080

90100

0 1 2 3 4 5

EastWestNorth

Optical Particle Counter

Sample location

Test Chamber, Vol = 1 L

MCEN 3027

Flowmeters studied

Rotameter: a tube with a bob that shows flowrate

Turbine meter: a rotating wheel that putsout a signal

MCEN 3027

Flowmeters studied

magneticpickup

to counter

Rotameter Turbine meter

Scale

Ball indicatingFlow rate

GRAPHICS

Fancy images don’t make up for BAD content or organization

– Don’t use distracting backgrounds (Powerpoint has many!)

– Use color to emphasize points, distinguish between 2 different measurements

– Keep it simple (K.I.S.S.)– Avoid charts that are redundant and

nondescriptiveHORSE HORSE: Important parts

MCEN 3027

Tell your audience THREE times

Tell them what you are going to tell them

Then tell them Then tell them what you told them Repeat yourself

MCEN 3027

Finally...

PRACTICE as a group (at least once!)– Your audience is your peers and your instructor– Practice in front of them

Direct the audience’s attention– Positioning, where do you stand? Next to the screen– Gestures, no pointing tools, use your hands, be

directive, forceful

Say “Thank You” at end

MCEN 3027

Other Suggestions

Use pictures, bullets, short phrases Avoid tables, complicated equations

– If you use equations, label everything 1 slide per minute Large font size Give essentials only, avoid boring detail Slides should reinforce what you are saying Strict time limit! Give physics of experiment, not JUST equations Show uncertainty with measurements (error bars) State axes when presenting graphs Do comparisons on one figure