Effective Oral Presentations

Terry A. Ring

Chemical Engineering

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Ethos—credibility Pathos—emotional appeal Logos—logical appeal (reasoning &

evidence)

Technical Presentations

Much more Logos (logic) than Pathos (emotion)

Strive for Ethos (credibility)

Course Learning Objective

To produce a professional-quality oral presentation that presents, analyzes, and interprets experimental results logically and which are well organized and delivered.

Planning the Technical Presentation

Identify the purpose and the presentational objectives

Define the audience Select a format and outline the presentation Organize data and information Draft the presentational script Design and integrate effective visuals Practice the presentation

Phase 1: Purpose and Objectives

Purpose– to inform, to teach/train, to persuade, or to sell

Objectives should be Clear and briefly stated Concrete Action oriented (when appropriate) Audience-focused

Phase 2: Audience Analysis

Listeners will differ according to: Informational needs Intended uses of data (of data, information,

recommendations) Knowledge of the topic Range of experience in the topic field Preconceptions of the speaker and presentation Demographics Size

Phase 2: Audience Analysis Cont.

Modify the topic, content, organization, format, and delivery

Anticipate and prepare for potential obstacles

Adjust, adapt, or alter the message during the presentation (This is hard to do!)

Design and include the most appropriate visual aids

Phase 3: Organization

Opening/Introduction Attention-getting component (less important than

Identification) Establish interest

Identification component Establish the topic significance, necessary

background, and main argument Forecasting component

Preview the order of topics

Phase 3: Organization Cont.

Middle/Body Determine and limit the main points Distinguish between main points and supporting

evidence Logically order the main points Decide on the kind and amount of evidence

needed Keep depth and breadth symmetrical Maintain unity and coherence of ideas

Phase 3: Organization Cont.

Examples of organizational strategies: Chronological or sequential Comparison or contrast Cause-to-effect Effect-to-cause Familiar to unfamiliar Geographical location Importance Problem - cause of problem - Solution

Phase 3: Organization Cont.

Conclusion Reiterate the presentation objective Review the main ideas Remind audience of the “so what?” behind your

research

Phase 4: Visual Aids

Advantages of visual aids: Increase the message impact Increase listener retention Save time Attract listeners’ attention Add credibility Strengthen organization, effectiveness, and

efficiency Assist the speaker

Phase 4: Visual Aids Cont.

Prepare appropriately Prepare with specific audience in mind Label drawings, figures, tables Label important features of drawings Show dimensions, measurements of drawings,

figures Use units consistently Cite all outside contributions

gives speaker credibility

Phase 4: Visual Aids— A Special Note on Power Point

Present one major idea per slide Use phrases rather than full sentences Limit words to no more than 8 per line Limit lines on the slide to no more than 8 Use parallel sentence structure

Phase 4: Visual Aids— A Special Note on Power Point

Design consistent slides Use the same colors, fonts, upper- and

lowercase letters, and styling (boldface, underlining, italics) throughout each aid

Phase 4: Visual Aids— A Special Note on Power Point

Utilize appropriate type Sans serif typeface for titles and major

headings, or when only a few lines of text appear

36-point type for major headings, 24-point type for subheadings, and 18-point type for the body of text

Use upper-and lower case type rather than all capitals

Phase 4: Visual Aids— A Special Note on Power Point

Serif Sans Serif

small flourishes or strokes at the tops and bottoms of all letters

Times New Roman Courier New GaramondBook Antiqua

more block-like and linear; they are designed without these tiny strokes

Arial Narrow

Haettenschweiler

Verdana

Century Gothic

Phase 4: Visual Aids— A Special Note on Power Point

Use color wisely Apply color consistently across each aid Use warm colors to highlight Use blues, greens, and neutral colors

backgrounds Use contrasting colors for typeface and graphics Keep the number of colors you use to a

minimum Stay within the same family of hues

Phase 4: Visual Aid Problems

Figure not labeled

Important features of figure not labeled

Dimensions of figure not given

Citation lacking

Phase 4: Visual Aids— A Special Note on Power Point

www.bhi.co.uk/ hints/lathadj.htm

Figure 1: LatheFigure labeled

Important features labeled

Citation presented

Dimensions lacking

Phase 4: Visual Aids Cont.

Use effectively Reveal when appropriate Refer attention when appropriate Maintain audience focus

Phase 5: Rehearsal and Delivery

Rehearse to maximize effective delivery Practice aloud with notes Practice in a room similar to presentation

venue Practice with equipment to be used Practice in front of an audience and/or

record the rehearsal

Phase 5: Rehearsal and Delivery Cont.

Vocal Delivery Rate and pause Pronunciation Enunciation Conversational

tone

Physical Delivery Gestures and

movement Facial expressions Posture Appearance

Phase 6: Question and Answer Sessions

Anticipate questions your audience may ask Bring additional materials to share with

audience if necessary Do not interrupt audience members Keep your answers brief (if possible) Thank your audience for their time and

attention

A Summary of Technical Presentations

Technical presentations must be planned and prepared

Technical presentations must be organized with the audience in mind

Technical presentations should include well-prepared visuals

Technical presentations must be delivered effectively

References

Alley, M. (2003). The craft of scientific presentations: Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. New York: Springer.

Hager, P. J. & Scheiber, H. J. (1997). Designing and delivering scientific, technical, and managerial presentations. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kenny, P. (1982). A handbook of public speaking for scientists and engineers. Philadelphia: Institute of Physics Publishing.

O’Hair, D., Steward, R., & Rubenstein, H. (2004). A speaker’s guidebook: Text and reference, 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

www.bhi.co.uk/ hints/lathadj.htm

Scoring Rubric

Presenter's Name: Score (0 to 5)

12%

Introduction: Title, attention getter, credibility, clearly stated central idea, established interest and credibility, identifies motivation citations given for introductory material.

 

12%

Structure and Organization: Well developed main points, persuasive supporting material, the ideas were ordered logically, kept within the time constraints.

 

25%

Technical Content: Theory introduced is sound and correctly applied to data. The detail in the theory is sufficient to lead an audience familiar with basic chemical engineering concepts to understand the more specialized concepts presented. The relevance of the data presented to the central idea is evident. Data are displayed properly and clearly, with indications of confidence intervals where appropriate.

 

12%

Conclusion: Described the possible the future of this topic. Restated primary findings and central idea. Left audience with a residual message

 

12%

Visual Aids: Appropriate text size, font, and color, general visual appeal, presentation of visual aids, citations given for images. Proper spelling and grammar.

 

12%

Delivery: Appropriate eye contact, movement, rate of speech, volume, enthusiasm, confidence, lack of verbal fillers.

 

15%Overall Quality: Includes impressions of persuasiveness of findings and audience adaptation.

 

For More Information

Stacey Overholt, Communication Consultant– Center for Engineering Leadership

Email: stacey.overholt@utah.edu

Office Hours: by appointment.

Terry A. Ring,

Email: ring@chemeng.Utah.edu

Office: MEB 2290