This document provides tips for giving presentations at conferences. It begins by emphasizing the importance of respecting time limits, staying focused, and practicing. It then discusses different presentation materials like PowerPoint, Prezi, and timelines. While PowerPoint and Keynote are commonly used, the document cautions they can be overused or poorly designed. Alternative options like Prezi and digital timelines are presented. The document concludes by advising presenters to prepare for technical problems and remain confident in their expertise on the topic.
2. Basic Tips
Respect the 15-minute time limit
Stay Focused: no lengthy quotes, no literature review
Give road markers
Keep tone conversational & project your voice
Give yourself reminders
“eye contact,” “slow down,” “pause,” “emphasize”
Practice, Practice, Practice!
3. What presentation
materials make sense
for you?
PowerPoint/Keynote
Prezi
Visual Timelines (Dipity, Timeline JS)
Venn Diagrams, Graphs, Maps, Trees
Others?
4. PowerPoint & Keynote
PROS
CONS
Lend visual appeal
Prone to misuse
Organize your points
Unsuitable to task
Enhance clarity
Poorly Constructed
Reinforce message
5. what’s wrong with this
slide?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/27powerpoint.html?_r=2&hp
6. Problems
This image is taken from an article entitled “We Have Met the Enemy, and He
Is PowerPoint,” published in the New York Times on April 26, 2010. It
originated from a presentation to General Stanley A. McChrystal, leader of
the NATO forces in Afghanistan, and “was meant to portray the complexity of
American military strategy.”
The visual aid becomes a confusing, visual nightmare of colors, words,
arrows, and cryptic acronyms that obscures rather than enlightens the
intended message.
Even a distinguished General with expertise in military strategy and wellversed in the language used to describe the complex structures, procedures
and considerations of war was completely baffled by the slide, saying, “When
we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war.”
If you haven’t guessed by now, this slide is yet another example of what NOT
TO DO.
9. The 7x7 Rule
MAX: 7 lines of text
MAX: 7 words / line
Keep it simple
Don’t read from the slides
PP & Keynote are VISUAL
10. Prezi vs. PowerPoint
Pros & Cons of Prezi
The big picture + the
details
Non-linear, graphical
representation of your
presentation
BUT can be distracting
14. Last Tips
Be prepared for problems...
Bring an extra copy of your paper
Save your paper in multiple places
Be prepared to present without visual aids
Be Confident! Remember--you’re the expert!
