Introduction to Oral
Presentation Skills
Components of Oral Presentation
Presentation Objective
Organization
Preparation
Supporting materials and visual aids
Delivery
Listening
Evaluation
Presentation Objective
What is the Purpose of the Presentation?
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Technical Briefing
Proposal
Formal Presentation
Who is it for?
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Technical audience
Non-technical audience
Team presentation
Organization
Beginning

Create attention and interest
Body

These are the facts
Conclusion
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Tell them what you want them to remember summarize
Closing
 Thank you
 Ask for job, etc.
Organization – another way to
look at it
“Tell ‘em what you’re gonna to tell ‘em”
“Tell ‘em”
“Tell ‘em what you told ‘em”
Preparation
Know time limits
Know where you will be presenting
Are notes allowed or advisable?
Outline presentation
Prepare opening and closing statements

Write them out/Memorize
Determine if support material is needed
Supporting materials and visual
aids
What is really needed?
Keep materials focused
Consider PowerPoint carefully
Consider models or props if appropriate
Delivery
Timing – how long do you have
Practice – out loud and all the way
through, several times
Dress – appropriate for occasion
(Formal Presentation)
Voice projection
Eye contact
Gestures
Delivery
Ah, like, you know, um!
Double clutches or restarts
Nervousness

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Know your topic well
You know more that the audience
Relax – It gets easier every time you
rehearse it.
Listening
Someone spent a lot of time preparing
Listen carefully

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Is Organization Clear
Is Speech Informative
Could I Follow the Development?
Was There a Summary and Conclusion?
Listening (Con’t)
Content

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What did I learn?
Was it correct?
Could I ask an intelligent question?
Always be prepared to ask a question
Evaluation of Oral Presentation
This is a personal response


It is your reaction to the quality of a
presentation
It is not a argument to change the
speakers position
Address strengths and items done well
Suggest improvements
Evaluation of Presentation(Con’t)
When you evaluate, you are speaking for
yourself –

“We”, “The audience …”, “They say”, don’t belong
Avoid judgment

“Good speakers don’t ..”
Do have opening and conclusion
Don’t repeat points
Not all presentations are perfect, but you
should try to give your best evaluation every
time.
For This Talk …
Formal Presentation on Your
Research Topic
Presented to technical audience
Audience has some familiarity with topic
What do you present?

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What was your Research Question?
What did you find about the Question?
Combining everyone’s work, What did you
find significant
How can you bring all that together into a
coherent presentation?
Team Presentation
Coordinate the speech

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How do you introduce speakers
How do you maintain continuity and transitions
Support main message

stay on task
Consider visual aids carefully
Make wrap-up convincing
How do you handle questions
Time limit – 5 min/team

4 minute presentation
 Each Person should speak about the same amount of time

1 minute Q&A
PowerPoint
Just because it is possible doesn’t
mean it is preferable
PowerPoint
Examples
Of
What
You
Might
Not
Want to do
During the Rest of Class
Get together with your group
Discuss what each of you did
Find common ground
Discuss an approach to topic
Divide work evenly
Start Working on the Details of your
Presentation
(end)