PowerPoint Pointers
Or
Public Speaking:
A Fear Worse than Death
Jennifer Cline and Daniel Linzer
Spring 2009
Freshman Seminar
Today’s Agenda
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Your upcoming presentations
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What we expect
Why so many days
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Writing PowerPoint presentations
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Public speaking basics
How to Get an A
on Your Presentation
Your assignment
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In 7-10 minutes, present
1.
2.
3.

Compelling claim
Distinctive example
Context
Do these things very well
1. Compelling Claims = News
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“So what, who cares, what’s in it for me?”
Here’s how scientists think
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State significance of topic
Tell what we already know
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Keep it relevant
Point out gap
Outline current research
2. Examples are Your Data
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Claim = conclusion you draw based on data
Show us how to interpret your results
Make us trust your data; we’ll buy the claim
3. Context Puts You in
the Debate
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Professional researcher’s work adds to the
body of knowledge
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Remember how scientist’s think …
How does yours?
Writing Presentations
Designing a Talk
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Planning
writing
Revising
Editing
Practice, practice, practice!
Planning the Talk
It’s Not about YOU
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What does your
audience need?
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What it is to not know
Talk to them before
List their questions
Move from what’s
known to what’s new
Take Command of the Tools
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Don’t be a slave to software!
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Reset “auto fit,” etc.
Excel defaults ≠ best practices
Pick a design template carefully
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What image do I want to portray?
What is the room like?
Well-Lit Rooms
Dimly-Lit Rooms
1 in 12 Men and 1 in 20 Women
Many People are Color Blind
Writing Slides
Practical Tips for Success
Five Rules to Prevent PowerPoint Overload
 Signal with clear headlines
 Segment into logical chunks
 Move narrative ↓ so you can talk and show
 Make images and words do double duty
 Tell one story
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Intro, body, and conclusion
Atkinson and Mayer 2004
Write a Story Board,
Not a Script or Outline
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Use headlines
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Clearly signal
what is important
Outline
Preview
Repeat
Plan in Chunks
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Segments help the learner
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Bite sized chunks of info
Use the slide sorter
Moving toward revising, editing …
Reduce Visual Overload
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Use many modes
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Talk to the audience
Move narrative to notes pages
Make slides do double duty
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Work for speaker with cues
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Words and images
Work for audience
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Having both increases learning
Edit Ruthlessly
Murder Your Darlings!
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Too much info
overwhelms
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On each slide
In each talk
Tell one story

Keep only what supports
key message
Does Your Draft Measure Up?
Five Rules to Prevent PowerPoint Overload
1. Signal with clear headlines
2. Segment into logical chunks
3. Move narrative ↓ so you can talk and show
4. Make images and words do double duty
5. Tell one story

Intro, body, and conclusion
Atkinson and Mayer 2004
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Public Speaking Basics
A presentation is a speech
 Opening
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Body
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Get attention, preview, perspective
Simple, not simplistic
Tell a story
Conclusions
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Don’t just stop
Research is Persuasive Rhetoric
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Aristotle’s three forms of persuasion
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Ethos
Pathos
Logos
Aristotle on Ethos
Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's
personal character when the speech is so
spoken as to make us think him credible
We believe good men more fully and more
readily than others: this is true generally
whatever the question is, and absolutely true
where exact certainty is impossible and opinions
are divided. . .
[C]haracter may almost be called the most
effective means of persuasion he possesses
Aristotle, Rhetoric 1.2.1356a.4-2
Ethos is . . .
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Developed in the
message
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Dynamic
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A caused response
Eliciting Positive Ethos
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Be prepared
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Know the logistics
and message
Be natural
Be honest
Be lively
Be appropriate
Appropriate Non-Verbal
Communication
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Appropriate dress and
demeanor
Eye contact = trust
Good posture enhances
breathing and voice
Move or gesture to
underscore meaning
Contained energy
Let’s Practice!
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In 5 minutes, construct a 1-2 minute talk
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Opening
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Body
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Supporting evidence, detail
Conclusion
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Get attention, outline, why “important”
Highlight take home message
Strong finish
Peers keep time, provide 2-3 minutes of
positive feedback on content and style
If You Learn Only 3 Things …
1. Planning is key

2.
3.
Know your message, logistics, and what the
audience needs
End strong
Practice, practice, practice!
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It helps overcome nerves
Hearing it out loud helps revise and edit
Ask a colleague to listen to and critique your talk