HCB2033

PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

TECHNICAL PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Losing the Dark Light Pollution

Name : Phua Yun Hock
ID Number : 18295
Programme : Chemical Engineering
Year/Semester : 2
nd
Year 1
st
Semester
Group : Group 27
Lecturer : Dr. Hairuzila Idrus
Date of Submission : 8
th
July 2014




1

TECHNICAL PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Title of Presentation
1. Is it a technical topic? Justify.
My topic of presentation is Losing the Dark - Light Pollution. Technical
presentations are normally related to engineering, science and technology. Yes, my topic is a
technical topic as it conveys the knowledge of light pollution to the audience which involves
scientific knowledge.

Audience
1. How did you determine the knowledge level of your audience?
Before I decided on this topic, I did survey around university campus to check if UTP
students aware of light pollution. Besides, in the beginning of my presentation, I will ask
several questions to the audience to test their knowledge level of my audience.

2. How did this information influence your presentation?
This information can influence my presentation when I understand their knowledge
level regarding the topic. This allows me to know what I should focus more on when
presenting and what examples I should give in order to make it easier for their understanding.
Surprisingly, most of the UTP students do not know anything about light pollution.
Light pollution is seem to be a new stuff to them. From here, I predicted my audience during
my presentation will be new to this topic as well. Therefore I need to simplify my
presentation content as in the scientific terms used so that my audience can understand the
knowledge that I am going to convey to them.

3. How do you plan to gain the audiences attention?
Since it is a new topic for my audience, it is important to grab their attention by
emphasizing how important to know about light pollution to them. I will try to give more
examples which are related to their daily life and experiences. In addition, I will constantly
ask questions to have two ways communication throughout the presentation. This is to make
them thinking and getting involve in the discussion of this topic.

Presentation
1. Introduction
What is the purpose and importance of choosing this topic?
My purpose of choosing this topic is to share and distribute knowledge
regarding the light pollution. It is important to choose this topic because light
pollution should be put as same level of awareness as other types of pollution for
example water and air pollution.
2

How is the topic relevant to the audience?
Light pollution is one of the pollution that is happening around us every day
and brings bad effects to living organisms and to our environment just like water
pollution, air pollution and sound pollution. However, only small number of us aware
of the presence of light pollution.

What do you expect the audience to learn from the presentation (objectives)?
After my presentation, my audience should be able to understand what light
pollution is and its consequences to human, ecosystem and environment. Plus, I hope
this presentation can increase the awareness of audience on the presence of light
pollution and encourage the audience to taking part in reducing light pollution.

What is your thesis statement?
My thesis statement is light pollution causes adverse health effects, disruption
to the ecosystem and deterioration of the present condition of environment.

List the main points that will support your thesis statement.
(i) Causing adverse health effects to humans.
(ii) Disrupting ecosystems by affecting the feeding, sleeping, mating, and
migration cycles of all wildlife
(iii) Wasting energy and worsen the present condition of environment.

How are you establishing credibility?
I was an active member Malaysia Nature Society (MNS) during secondary
school. Since then, I started aware of the seriousness of various environment problems
around me. I have gained knowledge on the environment issue by reading and
participate in camp. Therefore I have a strong foundation to share this topic.

2. Body
Which organizational pattern are you using? Justify your choice.
The organizational pattern I am using is topical. Three of the main ideas are
equally important and it does not affect much if I rearrange their order.

List the supporting ideas for each main point.
(i) Causing adverse health effects to humans.
Health effects are not only due to over-illumination or excessive exposure
of light over time, but also improper spectral composition of light
If humans are exposed to light while sleeping, melatonin production can be
suppressed.
This can lead to sleep disorders and other health problems.
(ii) Disrupting ecosystems by affecting the feeding, sleeping, mating, and
migration cycles of all wildlife
3

Light pollution poses a serious threat on plant and animal physiology.
It can confuse the migratory patterns of animals, alter competitive
interactions of animals, change predator-prey relations, and cause
physiological harm.
The rhythm of life is orchestrated by the natural diurnal patterns of light
and dark
(iii) Wasting energy and worsen the present condition of environment.
With respect to energy wastage, lighting is responsible for at least one-
fourth of all electricity consumption worldwide.
Over illumination can constitute energy wastage
Energy wastage is also a waste in cost and carbon footprint.

How do you ensure that there is coherent transition from one main point to the
next main point?
In order there is coherent transition, I will use transition words, sentences
connectors and redirecting the audience to other main point after finishing the first
main point. I will make sure the points are connected by relating each other to achieve
overall coherence between the points. For example, I will start my first main point
which is related to us as human. Then, it will be extended to second point which is
related to ecosystem and surrounding. Finally, third point is related to earth as whole.

Describe how you are going to summarize each main point.
I will summarize each main point by recalling the main point with rephrasing
and restate the supporting ideas.

3. Conclusion
Describe how you are going to summarize the entire presentation.
I will restate my thesis statement to make sure my audience will remember my
presentation main points. Besides, I will summarize the entire presentation by
showing a short video with a short narration.

Describe how you are going to reiterate the purpose and importance of the whole
presentation to relate it your audience.
I will restate the purpose of the whole presentation before ending my
presentation. I will give some recommendations on how my audience can contribute
in reducing light pollution and importance of taking those actions.

Question and Answer (Q&A) Session
1. List some of the questions that you anticipate from audience.
(i) Why did I never notice there is light pollution happening now? Does it mean
light pollution is not important as compared to other types of pollution?
(ii) Can light pollution be solved completely?
(iii) Is there any law related to light pollution?
4

Practice session
1. How did you practice for your presentation?
Firstly, I practiced in my room for several time with time and recorder. I tried to
amend my flow of presentation to make sure it is smooth. After that, I practiced in front of
my friends and listened to their suggestion to make my overall presentation better.

2. Which area of your presentation needed improvement?
The area of my presentation needed improvement is the pronunciation of words. I
looked into dictionary whenever there is word that I am not sure how to pronounce.
Furthermore, I will forgot my script and face fluency problems.

Did you stay within the time limit?
During my practice, sometimes I exceeded the time limit and sometimes my pace is
too fast and ended with shorter time than expected timing. After a few practice sessions, I am
able to stay with the time limit.