Presentation
Techniques
Road Map
Analyze the Speaking Situation
Organize & Develop Slides
Choose Effective Language
Rehearse & Deliver the Presentation
Slides and Presentation Evaluation
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Analyze the Speaking Situation
Analyzing your Audience and Purpose
 What does the audience know about your
subject?
 What does the audience want to know?
 Purpose: Inform, persuade, or both?
Budgeting your Time
 Cover the points
 Switch between presenters
 Leave time for questions
Observing Room Setting
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Organize & Develop Slides
Self-introduction at the beginning
Thank the moderator or team member
handing off control to you
Stick to general presentation format:
 Tell them what you are going to tell them,
 then tell them,
 then tell them what you told them.
 Thank the audience at the end and ask if
there are any questions.
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Develop Your Storyline
 Standard Approach:
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Problem definition
Related work
Methodology
Results
Recommendation
Short
example
Full
example
 Extraordinary Approaches
 Start with something unbelievable, e.g., iPhone?
 What extraordinary approaches you have seen in
movies?
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Suggested Presentation Contents
 Title slide (Title, Team Name, Names of Presenters,
advisor)
 Outline / Roadmap
 Background/Motivation
 Objectives and Problem Statement
 Related work: Literature review
 Design constraints
 Methodology
 Briefly present design alternatives considered/KTDA
 Describe in detail the final design chosen with rationale
 Initial test results, if any, why worked/did not work
 Plan/Gantt chart, anticipated results, and deliverables
 Summary and Conclusion Remarks
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Importing items from other files
What can be imported (Copied/Pasted)?
Text from Word, Notepad, etc
Excel Tables and diagrams
Photo, sound, video
Screenshot:
 Select a window
 Hold “Alt” key and press “Print Screen”
 You may paste into PPT, or into Paint and
select a part of the picture
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Importing items from other files (contd.)
 Excel files can be imported
in PowerPoint.
Example:
Tire Plot Trend Example
Miles
Driven Percentage
(thous)
Usable
1
2
5
10
20
30
40
50
98.2
91.7
81.3
64.0
36.4
32.6
17.1
11.3
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Importing items from other files (contd.)
 Graphs and plots can be
imported in PowerPoint.
Example:
Tire Plot: Exponential Trend
Percentage Usable
120
100
y = 99.941e-0.0432x
R2 = 0.988
80
60
40
20
0
0
20
40
60
Miles driven
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Importing items from other files (contd.)
 Picture and video files can
be imported or linked in
PowerPoint.
MEDC Sumo-Robot Competition
Las Vegas, 2006
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Font
The chosen font should be the same type
(e.g. Arial , Courier New, Times New Roman)
for each slide title throughout the
presentation for consistency.
Similarly, the font in the text box should
remain the same for each slide in the
presentation.
When the fonts change the presentation looks a bit reckless
and thrown together. (This is Arial Narrow 24 pt.)
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Font Size
This is 14 pt.
This is 18 pt.
This is 24 pt.
This is 28 pt.
This is 32 pt.
This is 36 pt.
This is 40 pt.
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Using Color and Animation
Color is an excellent means of emphasizing
specific words or major points
If using color background, words should
have a sharp contrast or
they won’t be seen very well, like this part of the
slides.
 Animation is a good way to attract attention,
but do not overuse it!
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Dynamic Slides
What is recursive?
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Robot’s discovering treasure in a maze
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Choose Effective Language
Listening to an oral presentation is better
than reading a report;
 Interactive
 Quicker to obtain an overview and important
information
Listening to an oral presentation is more
challenging than reading a report;
 Time is limited: Important Material
 Cannot go back – Presentation must be
Impressive
 Can easily lose attention – Presentation must be
Attractive
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Deliver the Presentation
Calming Your Nerves
It is normal to be nervous -- Most
professional actors admit to be nervous
before a performance;
You are much more aware of you
nervousness than the audience;
You know more on the subject than the
audience;
You are well prepared for the questions
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“Um” and “Ah”: How to avoid
Take a breath
 between each sentence, especially if
you’re nervous.
 If you feel an “um” or “ah” coming
on.
Taking a breath automatically buys your
mind a precious second time to put a
sentence together.
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Using Pointers
Wand pointers are useful if not overused.
Do not slap the screen with them. It is
irritating to the audience.
Laser pointers are useful if not overused.
When used in a circular motion, they are
extremely irritating.
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Good and Bad Presentations
Think of a presentation you have
attended that was really good
 Class, sales presentation, seminar
 What made that presentation “good”?
Think of a bad presentation you have
seen
 What made it “bad”?
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Presentation Dos: Preparation
Know your audience
Keep the talk simple and to the points
Proofread and spell/grammar check slides before
showing. All group members should approve them.
Swap the parts of the presentations among your
team members.
Practice your presentation over and over... and time
it. Stick to the specified time limit.
Prepare for audience questions
Use an outside reader if necessary
(roommate, mom, dad, friend)
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Presentation Dos: Slides
 Rule of thumb: Maximum one (1) slide per
minute of presentation time
 Consider one slide for two minutes
 Use color and other “bells and whistles”
(but careful not to overuse)
 In general, use 24 pt. or higher font size
 Keep font type/size consistent
 Reduce the amount of text on each slide
 Use illustrative diagrams, pictures, charts,
etc.
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Presentation Dos: Style
 Speak so slowly and loudly that you THINK
you sound like you are on a “morphine drip”
 Scan the audience and keep eye contact
with audience (or look just over their heads)
 Vary Gesture
 Not too much movement: Stay off to the
side, out of the way, while your team
member is presenting
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Hearing vs. Listening
Listen: Pay attention
 What is the main point of the speaker?
Ask Questions
 Shows you have paid attention
 Help you to understand further
Provide constructive criticism to the speaker
 “I am not quite clear about….”
 “Would it better, if …”
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Presentation Dos: Dressing
 Dress professionally:
 Hatless
 Nicer shirt, pants
 When in doubt, go conservative
Female:
• Solid color,
conservative suit
• Coordinated blouse
• Moderate shoes
• Neat, professional
hairstyle
Male:
• Solid color, conservative
suit
• White long sleeve shirt
• Conservative tie
• Dark socks, professional
shoes
• Neat, professional hairstyle
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Presentation DO NOTs
Do not prepare the presentation the
night before. Plan for computer
problems.
Do not pace back and forth in front of
the screen during your talk.
Do not interrupt a fellow team member
during his/her talk
 correct any misstatements during the
question period
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Presentation DO NOTs, continued
 Do not play with your hands, the pointer or
jingle change or keys in your pocket.
 Do not read directly from note cards.
Practice it enough that you don’t need
them.
 Do not talk too long (audience loses
interest) or too short (gives impression you
are not thorough or are unprepared)
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Presentation Requirements:
The Minimum and Maximum
Each person in the team must speak about
the same amount of time,
Each person in the team must speak for at
least 3 minutes and no more than 4 minutes.
The group presentation must be between 10
and 12 minutes.
Up to 3 minutes can be used for questions at
the end of the presentation
Answer to each question may not exceed one
minute.
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Presentation Slides Design Grading
Expected Features
Hard copy of this page with signature by given due date
Title Page, Background, Motivation, Related work
Design constraints
Methodology
Plan/Gantt chart, anticipated results, summary and conclusion
Slides clear, neat, readability (size and color), slide numbering
Photos (Must have photos)
Drawings (Must have professional drawing work in the slides)
Animation (Must use animation properly)
Overall slides design and professionalism
TOTAL SCORE
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
50/50
points
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Oral Presentation Grading
 Technical Discussion — 40%
 Presentation Style — 20%
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Eye Contact
Blocking Slides
Using pointing aid
Properly dressed
 Communication — 20%
Clear
Voice Tone
Draw attention
Use effective
language
 Logic flow
 Well understood
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Roadmap / Outline
Problem statement
Literature review
20%
Design alternatives
Detail of the selected design 20%
Plan/Gantt chart, deliverables
Results discussion/interpretation
Conclusions/Summary
 Overall Presentation of Team — 20%
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Coordinated and consistent
Focused and informative
Overall impression
Timing of each team member
and the overall timing
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Peer Evaluation Form
Smart Pathfinder Robot Design
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