Grad Students Guide to Oral Presentations.
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Courtesy of Writing Resources Center The College of William & Mary
Grading: Your presentations will be graded on the following criteria: Content: accuracy / appropriateness / visual aids such as Power Points Organization: introduction / statement of thesis / points and transitions / conclusion Delivery: vocal style / physical presence / length Preparation: Carefully choose the information that you will include in your presentation. Detailed content is
often less critical in a verbal medium than in a written one. Create an outline and highlight the set of main points which you would like to convey. After each main point, construct a transition, which will lead you to the next step. Note instances where examples, demonstrations, or visual aids will be useful. As a general rule, use one visual aid every two minutes – keep them simple, visible, and attractive.
Time Management: Be sure to consider how much time each step will take – one of the most common
mistakes is speaking too long. If you go over your allotted time you will lose points for your presentation since this is indicative of poor planning and practice on your part.
Organization: The Tell-Tell-Tell method.
1. Tell ‘em what you’re going to say: Start broad; with a one or two sentence overview of what you are going to be telling them. 2. Then say it: Proceed through the body of your talk point by point, being sure to organize facts as they are relevant to your points. Do not repeat facts. 3. Then tell ‘em what you told them: Summarize your major points; Don’t use phrases like “to conclude” or “in summary.”
Delivery: Speak extemporaneously. Don’t read your presentation. Have a brief outline of notes that will keep
you on track. The most important rule of delivery is PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! When you practice, you should time yourself, use your visual aids, and ask a friend to watch and give you feedback.
Fear: Fear is a natural human reaction to situations involving public speaking. The most effective cure for stage
fright is the recognition that EVERYONE has it. In fact, a degree of nervousness can help to promote adrenaline flow which is often necessary for delivery of a dynamic and captivating presentation. View your nervousness as a challenge and be rational – you are all doing this to learn, not to impress one another.
Here are some guidelines
1. Prepare thoroughly – Sound simple? Yes. Does it work? Yes. If you are comfortable and confident in what you are saying you will be a lot less nervous. As an added bonus you will be much more believable. 2. Breathe – Before you begin, breathe deeply. 3. Interact with your audience – Don’t just speak to your audience, communicate with them. Eye contact is vital. 4. Use your Power Points as talking points. Do not merely read them to the audience
Listening: Turn-about is fair play. Be an attentive and respectful audience member. Dr J sez: We are looking for a brief overview of the paper you have written. I emphasize the word brief. You are
not required to speak about every point you made in the paper. It is perfectly fine to make broad statements such as “I looked at the demographics in the 30312 zip code in researching this paper.” Althought the paper may contain a detailed breakout of all the demographics in the Zip code, you are not expected to cover them in great detain in your presentation.
Courtesy of Writing Resources Center The College of William & Mary
Checklist for Student Presentations:
Content
Resources
I used resources that addressed the topic thoroughly.
Organization
I organized ideas in a meaningful way.
Presentation Aids
Presentation aids were used during the speech. time.
Delivery
I maintained eye-contact most of the
I used vocabulary that the audience could understand, or I defined unfamiliar terms.
I used resources that reflected different perspectives.
A clear introduction was present.
Presentation aids were relevant.
I spoke to the entire audience, not just one or two people.
My vocabulary was strong and unambiguous.
I used credible print resources.
The introduction included a statement of the main points.
Presentation aids enhanced the speech or reinforced main points.
My pronunciation was clear and easy to understand.
My rate of speech was not too fast or too I used supportive details. I used credible Internet resources. The audience could predict the presentation's basic structure from the introduction alone. slow. Presentation aids did not distract the audience. My volume was not too loud or too soft.
The information I gave was useful to others.
I used interviews with others as a resource.
The information and arguments were easy to follow.
The body of the presentation contained support for the main points.
Presentation aids were creative.
My body language was not too relaxed or too tense.
Prominent resources were referred to in the speech. I used helpful transitions between main points (e.g.: "First of all ..." or "Similarly ..." etc).
Presentation aids contained no spelling or grammar errors.
My voice varied in pitch; it was not monotone.
I stayed focused; I did not stray off my topic.
I was able to answer questions from the audience.
I used meaningful gestures.
I was well informed on my topic.
Ideas flowed logically from one point to the next.
I used notes sparingly; I did not read from them.
I presented information that others didn't know
I didn't hesitate or lose my place. A strong conclusion was present. I didn't use filler words (uhm, uh, ah, mm, like).
. I was able to answer questions from the audience.
The audience could distinguish the introduction, body, and conclusion.
I met the time allowed for this talk.