CMPT 880/890
Giving presentations
The message
 Have a goal and a message in every talk you give.
Once you have those, everything else is easy.
Outline
 Types of presentations
 Basic elements of presentations
 Goal
 Message
 Content
 Context
 Speaking style
 Visuals
But first
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXILI9Q1jIw
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZoPdBh8KUs
Types of presentations
Types of presentations
 Elevator speech
 Conference talk
 Thesis defense talk
 Class presentation
 Lecture
 Job talk
 Department seminar
 Invited talk
 Keynote address
 Pitch to investors
Basic elements of presentations
 What is your goal?
 What is your message?
 What content will you present?
 How will you provide context?
 What is your speaking style?
 What visuals will you use?
Your goal
 Why are you giving the presentation?
 Set up the presentation to achieve your goal
Your message
 What do you want people to remember?
 Set up the presentation so that people remember
your message
Your message
 What do you want people to remember?
 Set up the presentation so that people remember
your message
 It’s an Argument
 Who’s your audience?
Content
 Which stuff?
 How much?
 What order?
Content
 Which stuff?
 How much?
 What order?
 What fits the story you want to tell?
 What fits your argument?
 What supports your message?
Methodology
 22 participants
 Mean age 26.3
 From computer science and psychology
 9 women, 13 men
 Design
 Full factorial within-participants design
 Latin square for counterbalancing
 Rest breaks
Methodology
 22 participants
 Mean age 26.3
 From computer science and psychology
 9 women, 13 men
 Design
 Full factorial within-participants design
 Latin square for counterbalancing
 Rest breaks
Related work
 Glossophobia first studied by Johansen (1962)
 Main symptoms of glossophobia
 Fear [Gudmundsdottir 1977]
 Trembling [Axelson 1978]
 Knocking knees [Rabiyat 1980]
Related work
 Glossophobia first studied by Johansen (1962)
 Main symptoms of glossophobia
 Fear [Gudmundsdottir 1977]
 Trembling [Axelson 1978]
 Knocking knees [Rabiyat 1980]
Basic elements of presentations
 What is your goal?
 What is your message?
 What content will you present?
 How will you provide context?
 What is your speaking style?
 What visuals will you use?
Basic elements of presentations
 What is your goal?
 What is your message?
 What content will you present?
 How will you provide context?
 What is your speaking style?
 What visuals will you use?
Context
 Where are we?
 Where have we been?
 Where are we going?
Basic elements of presentations
 What is your goal?
 What is your message?
 What content will you present?
 How will you provide context?
 What is your speaking style?
 What visuals will you use?
Speaking style
 Voice: volume, pacing, enthusiasm
 Jokes?
 Gaze direction
 Nervousness
 Glossophobia
 Practice
 If in doubt, write it out!
Visuals
 Ah, PowerPoint…
 Who looks bad when your slides don’t show?
 …when your laptop doesn’t work?
 …when there’s no USB port on the computer?
 …when your movie doesn’t play?
 …when your pictures come up black?
 …when the colours are washed out and unreadable?
 …get the idea?
 What’s the solution?
Preparation
 Try everything out beforehand
 With the projector!
 Practice your talk
 Several times if necessary
The message
 Goal: have one!
 Message: drive it home!
The message
 Goal: have one!
 Message: drive it home!
 …and most important of all…
The message
 Goal: have one!
 Message: drive it home!
 …and most important of all…
 say “Thank You”
The message
 Goal: have one!
 Message: drive it home!
 …and most important of all…
 say “Thank You”
 so your audience knows when to clap