Module I4 Session 10
Presentations (Sessions 10-13)
Summary of the next 3 sessions
Over the next three sessions, we will be working on presentations. During these sessions,
each student will prepare a presentation on a topic of his or her choice.
The presentation should last 15 minutes. At the end of these sessions, students will deliver
their presentations to the class, and their classmates will provide feedback.
These sessions cover:
 Structuring a presentation
 Delivering a presentation
 Presentations in Power Point
Structuring good presentations
Summary
When preparing a presentation, incorporating all the relevant data in a logical and
understandable format may seem daunting at first. However, with careful planning and
attention to structure and audience, it can be done. The goal of a presentation is to pass on
information to your audience. To do this, presentations need to:
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Capture and hold the attention of the audience. It is important to use all the time
needed to convey your material, but not more.
Convey meaning succinctly. Presentations can lose their meaning if they drag on
due to long-winded explanations, or the inclusion of material not necessary to the
comprehension of the presentation.
Be easily understood. Too often, presentations cover the minutiae of exterior
points or terms, which could be readily addressed through a brief summary, or
excluded altogether. Inversely, presentations can quickly become confusing, if
difficult sections or abstract terms are only covered perfunctorily. This problem
can be resolved prior to creating your presentation, by identifying your audience,
and developing a solid structure.
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Learning objectives:
At the end of the session, students will be able to:
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Plan the structure of a presentation
Identify the audience and pitch the presentation accordingly
Incorporate numeric data in an understandable format
Identifying purpose and audience
Before creating a presentation, you should first identify your purpose and audience, which
will help you write clearly and succinctly. Once you have established the purpose of your
presentation, (informing, instructing, guiding) and whom you will be presenting it to, you
can start thinking clearly about the structure. If for example, you wanted to create a
presentation displaying the findings of a recent study to a funding panel, you know that you
must focus your presentation on the key points that the panel will be interested in. You will
also know that terminology familiar to yourself and your colleges may need further
explanation to those outside of your field. Knowing your audience will allow you to gauge
how long your presentation should be, and in what manner it should be delivered to best
capture and maintain the interest of your audience.
Structure
Perhaps more than any other element, this is the one which will decide the impact of the
presentation. Because the audience is only able to listen, it is essential that they have a
clearly defined structure to give them a sense of direction. Later when they want to recall
what was said, this structure will help them to remember and reconstruct parts which they
might otherwise have forgotten. When structuring your presentation, make sure there is a
natural flow to the information that you will be presenting. The following structure is a
good basic model for presentations:
Introduction
 Begin by introducing yourself
 Introduce your presentation and outline what is to come
 Present your main points in a logical order
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Summarise the main points succinctly and clearly
Make final comments
Invite audience to ask questions
This format is similar to that of writing a report, with the addition of self introduction and
questioning portions, due to the fact that you are presenting the material in person.
Incorporating numeric data in an understandable
format
Incorporating numeric data into a presentation can be a valuable tool. Whether written
directly into the text, or through the use of charts, diagrams, tables or graphs, numerical
data can increase your audience’s understanding of the material, and summarise visually
what could otherwise be difficult to understand. However, irrelevant or poorly
incorporated data can be boring and unintelligible, and may lead to your audience
becoming disinterested or confused. Below is a brief guide on how to present numerical
data clearly and effectively.
Pictorial aids
When using charts, diagrams tables or graphs, it is important that the audience be able to
easily understand what is being represented. Clearly defined regions through the use of
colour or scale will help your audience grasp what is being represented. Do not use
dimensional graphs when the information can be presented in one or two dimensions. You
should include clear descriptions of:
 When the data in the pictorial aid was gathered
 What is being measured
 Where the information was attained
Data directly in the text
While inserting data directly into the text can add punch and fluidity to your presentation,
an over abundance of it can yield the opposite result. When including numerical data in
your text remember that:
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Backing up your text with simple numerical facts can strengthen your presentation.
When including numerical data in the text, make sure that it contributes positively
to the point you are describing.
If a numerical representation is a clearer form of description, use it.
Numerical data imbedded directly in the text should be limited to fewer than five
numbers so as not to become confusing.
Activity 1: Handout
Read and discuss the handout
Activity2: Identifying purpose and audience
Identify the purpose and audience for your presentation, and then prepare a structure for
your presentation.
Activity 3:Including numeric data in presentations
Discuss the purpose, audience and structure of your presentation with a classmate,
giving and receiving feedback.
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