oral presentations HOW TO

David A. Patterson
Computer Science Division, University of California-Berkeley (Circa 1983) (with annotations gleaned from Pattersons talk by Mark D. Hill) Ten commandments (with annotations gleaned from Patterson's talk by Mark D. Hill): I. Thou shalt not be neat Why waste research time preparing slides? Ignore spelling, grammar and legibility. Who cares what 50 people think? Thou shalt not waste space Transparencies are expensive. If you can save five slides in each of four talks per year, you save $7.00/year! Thou shalt not covet brevity Do you want to continue the stereotype that engineers can't write? Always use complete sentences, never just key words. If possible, use whole paragraphs and read every word. Thou shalt cover thy naked slides You need the suspense! Overlays are too flashy. Thou shalt not write large Be humble -- use a small font. Important people sit in front. Who cares about the riff-raff? Thou shalt not use color Flagrant use of color indicates uncareful research. It's also unfair to emphasize some words over others. Thou shalt not illustrate Confucius says ``A picture = 10K words,'' but Dijkstra says ``Pictures are for weak minds.'' Who are you going to believe? Wisdom from the ages or the person who first counted goto's? Thou shalt not make eye contact You should avert eyes to show respect. Blocking screen can also add mystery. Thou shalt not skip slides in a long talk You prepared the slides; people came for your whole talk; so just talk faster. Skip your summary and conclusions if necessary. Thou shalt not practice Why waste research time practicing a talk? It could take several hours out of your two years of research. How can you appear spontaneous if you practice? If you do practice, argue with any suggestions you get and make sure your talk is longer than the time you have to present it.

II.

III.

IV. V. VI. VII.

VIII. IX.

X.

Commandment X is most important. Even if you break the other nine, this one can save you. neat, adj. (neater, neatest) tidy and in order; carefully done or arranged riff-raff pl n (disapproving) people with a bad reputation or of a low social class flagrant adj shocking because of being so obvious 10K words - 10K may refer to 10000 goto's Star Wars...

oral presentations HOW TO

Communication Skills - making oral presentations

http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/Dept/Tips/present/comms.htm#Making

Your voice - how you say it is as important as what you say Body language - a subject in its own right and something about which much has been written and said. In essence, your body movements express what your attitudes and thoughts really are. You might like to check out this web page. Appearance - first impressions influence the audience's attitudes to you. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Never read from a script. Rehearse your presentation. Don't talk to the wall. Don't stand in a position where you obscure the screen.

Making the presentation

greet the audience, tell them who you are tell the audience what you are going to tell them then tell them at the end tell them what you have told them

An Outline for your Presentation

INTRODUCTION

What? - overview of presentation (use visual aids if necessary) Why? - purpose of presentation - why subject is important How? - format you will use; what can the audience expect to see & learn Who? - if more than one person, provide introductions and indicate roles - don't expect audience to memorize these

BODY
The following list suggests alternative formats for presenting information: multiple formats can be used within a single presentation: rhetorical - questions and answers logical progression - indicate steps e.g. A then B then C time series - order information from beginning to end, earlier to later, and so on compare and contrast - use same structure to compare different events, individuals or situations problems and solutions; don't present problems without working toward some recommended action simple to complex - use successive building blocks to communicate complex processes or concepts deductive reasoning - moving from general principles or values to specific applications or examples inductive reasoning - from specific applications/examples to reach general principles or conclusions

CONCLUSION

review, highlight and emphasize - key points, benefits, recommendations draw conclusions - where are we? ... what does all of this mean? ... what's the next step?