Chapter 6
Giving Dynamic Presentations
Faculty Development Series
Madigan Army Medical Center
Tacoma, Washington 98431
Giving Dynamic Presentations
Chapter Contents
Group Leader Check List
Faculty Needs and Resources Assessment
Attendance Sheet
Evaluation Form
Example Eight Steps
Handout
Preparation and Delivery of Dynamic Presentations
Tips on Delivering This Presentation
Supporting References
Check List for the Group Leader
Before the Session:
___ 1.
Write out your own seven steps and 4 I’s for the presentation
___ 2.
Review the Suggestions to Group Leader at the beginning of this workbook.
___ 3.
Review the Background Information to learn more about the topic.
___ 4.
Duplicate and distribute Needs Assessment to faculty.
___ 5.
Have faculty return the Needs Assessment at least 5 days before the session.
___ 6.
Review the faculty Needs Assessment prior to the session.
___ 7.
Review the PowerPoint slides and notes as well as the handout in this chapter.
___ 8.
Review the sample speaking script for ideas on presentation flow
___ 9.
Based on #6 and #7 above, determine best approach to this session.
___ 10. Duplicate the appropriate number of copies of the following:
attendance roster, faculty evaluation forms, and handouts.
During the Session:
___ 11. Have each participant sign in using the attendance roster.
___ 12. Distribute the handout(s) to the participants.
___ 13. Conduct the session based on #9 above.
After the Session:
___ 14. Collect the evaluation forms from the faculty.
___ 15. Keep the attendance roster for the session in your department.
Faculty Needs Assessment
Please complete the following needs assessment for the upcoming seminar on Giving Dynamic
Presentations as part of your faculty development program.
The seminar will consist of an introduction by your group leader, a short PowerPoint presentation,
several short video clips, several group activities and a discussion period.
The purpose of this needs assessment is to determine your learning needs and interests, so that the
seminar is most useful for you. This needs assessment should also stimulate you to think about dynamic
lectures before the seminar begins. We need your enthusiastic participation now, and in the seminar. It
will be fun, and at the end of it, we'll be asking for your feedback!
Please turn this in to your group leader (______________) no later than (_____________).
1. Have you had any formal training in giving presentations? YES NO
2. What do you already know about giving dynamic presentations? Answer briefly below:
a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the lecture format?
b. What characteristics make for an outstanding presentation?
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
4.
8.
c. What are the characteristics of an outstanding visual aid?
d. What are the characteristics of an outstanding handout?
3. Think about presentations given in your program. Who does them? Are they engaging? Critique your
own lecture style, visual aids, and handouts – what are their strengths, and which areas need
improvement? Be prepared to share your thoughts with the group during the seminar.
4. What 3 things do you most want to learn or discuss regarding giving dynamic presentations?
a.
b.
c.
5. Any other comments, concerns, or interests for this topic?
ATTENDANCE ROSTER – Page____of_____Pages
Department: ____________________
Institution:____________________
Title of CME Activity: Faculty Development Series – Giving Dynamic Presentations
Course Content: Didactic and Group Discussion – An introduction to preparing and leading engaging learning
activities
Instructor (Group Leader):____________________________
Date:____________ Time: Began___________ Ended________ Total ___________
Check One
Name
Rank
Staff
Physician
Resident
Physician
Other
Professional
Discipline
Total Number of Learners Attending This Activity: _________
Email Address
Faculty Development Session Evaluation Form
Date
Speaker
Topic
Please rate the speaker using the scale below:
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
Content was relevant to my needs
The speaker conveyed the subject matter clearly
The speaker used active learning techniques to
teach this subject
The speaker gave adequate time for questions
Audiovisual / handout material added to the
presentation
Overall, the speaker was effective
List one thing that you learned from this presentation:
Please add your comments/suggestion for improving this session on the back—they are VERY helpful
Faculty Development Session Evaluation Form
Date
Speaker
Topic
Please rate the speaker using the scale below:
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
Content was relevant to my needs
The speaker conveyed the subject matter clearly
The speaker used active learning techniques to
teach this subject
The speaker gave adequate time for questions
Audiovisual / handout material added to the
presentation
Overall, the speaker was effective
List one thing that you learned from this presentation:
Please add your comments/suggestion for improving this session on the back—they are VERY helpful
Giving Dynamic Presentations
Example Eight Steps
The eight steps presented below may be used as a guide for your planning.
Modify these steps to meet your specific needs.
Who:
20 faculty learners from the Department of Family Medicine
Why:
Improve presentations skills as part of a required faculty development curriculum
When:
0730-0900 on a Wednesday morning, blocked schedule for faculty development
Where:
Classroom, individual desks, accessible, AV supported, requires own computer
What:
Driven by the LNRA. Will explore which characteristics contribute to excellent,
as well as poor, presentation preparation and delivery. Identify common pitfalls
of delivering presentations and offer solutions to improve faculty skill set.
What For: By the end of this session participants will have






How:
Reviewed presentation preparation using the 7 Steps and 4 I’s
Appraised effective PowerPoint tips
Applied PowerPoint tips to a presentation
Discussed public speaking strategies
Assessed several public speaking examples
Applied speaking strategies to a short presentation
Reviewed tips on preparing effective handouts
General: Active learning: small group activities and discussion, larger group
discussion, using both ideal and poor PowerPoint examples. Video clips will also
be utilized for examples, appraisals, and impact. Room contains individual desks.
Will pre-configure desks into larger half-moon shape. Within larger half-moon
configuration, will group two to three desks in smaller half-moon shape for
multiple groups of two to three learners each. This will facilitate small group
activities followed larger group discussions. The session will take place at 0730,
so will provide breakfast and beverages.
Grabber: Show JFK video; ask audience to reflect upon whether or not video
compliments or detracts from the speech.
Induction Tasks:
1. Began with LNRA.
2. Learners discuss JFK video, it’s strengths, and it’s weaknesses.
Input Tasks:
1. Review Eight Steps and Four I’s of planning and how they relate to preparation
of an effective, dynamic presentation.
2. Present teechniques to enahnce the content of presentations.
3. Present the common pitfalls of PowerPoint presentations and offer tips to
counter them.
4. Present techniques for effective public speaking.
Implementation Tasks:
1. Interview one member of the small group and record several interesting facts
about that individual.
2. Design two to three PowerPoint slides to introduce their group member.
3. Appraise two video clips and discuss as a group the strengths and weaknesses
of each presentation.
4. Develop and deliver a one to two minute speech utilizing techniques from this
session to present the interviewed group member.
Integration Tasks:
1. Challenge learners to apply concepts from this session to enhance their future
presentations.
So What:
Learning: Learners understand effective preparation, content enhancement, and
delivery perils as well as techniques to mitigate them.
Transfer: Learners build upone their current presentation delivery skill set and
use these techniques to design and deliver excellent future presentations.
Impact: Departmental teaching is enhanced, improved learning and success for
residents.
Giving Dynamic Presentations
Handout
"A boring teacher is someone who talks in someone else's sleep."
Overview
Advantages: Compliment a speaker’s presentation by reinforcing key concepts, decreases time
required for taking notes
Disadvantages: If confusing or complicated, the audience may spend the session reading instead
of listening
Preparing Useful Handouts




Tailor it to your audience: Students tend to prefer incomplete handouts that outline the key
concepts but allow room for note-taking. Staff and residents prefer complete, clinically relevant
handouts that can serve as a future reference
Concentrate on critical points of presentation: Be clear, logical and succinct
Include useful reference charts and lists
Use an annotated bibliography: Provides guidance to those who want to learn more
Summary

Techniques that create an engaging presentation
- 3-5 main points
- Maintain eye contact
- Use body language
- Use anecdotes
- Vary inflection & pacing
- Show enthusiasm

Visual aids should follow the 4 R’s
- Readable
- Relevant
- Reliable
- Repetitious

Handouts are an excellent tool for increasing retention of information
Group Discussion Ideas
 Discuss your program’s lectures – Are they engaging? Why or why not?

Critique your own lecture style, visual aids, and handouts discussed in this session
Giving Dynamic Presentations
Handout
Activity One: Preparation
In groups of 2-3, choose a group member to introduce. Develop 3-4 items that you would share
with this audience when introducing that group member. Please write the items you plan to share
below.
 Item #1

Item #2

Item #3

Item #4
Activity Two: Content Enhancement
In your same group of 2-3 table members, design 1-2 PowerPoint slides on your computer that
convey the items you learned about each other in Activity #1. Feel free to use text, images from
the internet, or other creative ideas.
You can use the back side of this handout to draw out ideas for your slides before creating them
or if you don’t have access to a computer with PowerPoint.
Activity Three: Delivery
In your group of 2-3, develop a 1-2 minute speech introducing your table member. Use your
PowerPoint slides as content enhancement aids. Present your speech to the other members at the
table. Please be sure to stand while delivering the presentation.
 Speaking Notes
Remember the 4 R’s of Audio Visual Aids:
Area for Slide Design
Suggestions to Group Leader for Session #6
The 4 R’s of Audio-Visual Aids
Purposes of A-V Aids
 Support and enhance the clarity of the presentation
 Emphasize the important points
 Stimulate the audience’s senses
 Reinforce key concepts
Advantages of using A-V Aids
 Can complement spoken part of presentation and lead to increased retention
 Much learning occurs from visual sources
Disadvantages of A-V aids
 It is easy to rely too heavily on them
 If poorly done, they can become a distraction
Readable




Don’t use a chalkboard when speaking in a 400 seat lecture hall
For text slides, use 6 or fewer lines with fewer than 6 words per line
Ensure that charts and graphs are simple to understand
Be consistent in use of font, text size, and designs
Reliable


Test all your equipment prior to presenting
Develop a back-up plan if audiovisual aids fail
Relevant


Each slide or graphic should deal with one main concept
Make sure that all audiovisual tools support the main objectives
Repetitious


Should repeat main point of the presentation since repetition is the mother of all learning
(Repetitio Est Mater Studiorum)
Also helpful to vary the ways you present the same information (visual, tactile, auditory, and
affective)
Readable
Reliable
Relevant
Repetitious
Preparation and Delivery of Effective and Dynamic Presentations
Background Information
“The art of lecturing takes practice and preparation. Using a few basic oratorical techniques, along with
carefully prepared visual aids, can make the difference between a routine lecture and a dynamic,
engaging presentation.”
Introduction
 Residents have spent hundreds of hours in lecture halls during their training
 Many presentations are helpful
 Other lectures leave students more bewildered than when the talk began
 A few presentations are enthralling and leave the audience with a clear understanding and a
renewed enthusiasm
 What separates average lectures from the exceptional ones is the ability to draw the audience in
 Engaging the audience does not require a flair for the theatrical
 Using a few basic speaking techniques and effective audiovisual aids can transform a
presentation into an interactive learning experience
Advantages of Traditional Lecture Presentations
 Excellent way to synthesize a broad range of research and information
 Provides a coherent framework for material
 Allows for presentation of information that may not be readily available in the literature
 Familiar and economical method that can be given to large audiences
Weaknesses of Lectures
 Does not account for students' individual differences
 Offers little opportunity to judge audience understanding
 Places heavy reliance on students' note taking skills and memory
 Demands sustained listening
 Limits active learner participation
Basic Guidelines for Delivering an Effective Presentation
 Organize the talk around 3-5 main points: Like a good story, have a beginning (intro), a
middle (body), and a conclusion (summary). Don’t try to cover the topic exhaustively – confine
the activity to 3-5 main points.
 Use body language: Emphasize certain points
 Vary inflection and pacing: Avoid monotone delivery
 Maintain eye contact with the audience: Don’t focus on your notes
 Personalize the material: Use humorous or dramatic anecdotes from your own experiences.
Choose your stories well – only use anecdotes that support the point you are trying to make.
 Show enthusiasm for your topic


Create a diverse, interactive environment: The best way to engage the audience is to ask
questions, even if they are only rhetorical. Questions force the audience to think about the
material. Demonstrations are also helpful in clarifying theoretical concepts.
Use audiovisual aids properly: If done correctly, they can enhance a presentation and greatly
improve understanding and retention.
Delivering the Presentation




Specific Techniques for the Dynamic Lecture
Use demonstrations
Provide anecdotes – use to make a point, not substitute for scientific practice
Use metaphors to make examples vivid
(“Bursae function to reduce friction – like holding a partially filled balloon which is covered in
oil between your palms”)
Use questions effectively
- Ask one questions at a time
- Wait for a response for at least 3-5 seconds
- Call on students and encourage participation
Delivering Dynamic Presentations
 Begin with a cordial, friendly line of greeting
 Exhibit enthusiasm
 Talk loud enough
 Stand erect
 Make eye contact - very powerful - makes connections
 Smile - look as if you are happy to be there
 Use movement and gestures - the larger the group, the larger the gestures & voice inflection
should be
 ALWAYS keep within the time limit
 Relax and enjoy the performance
Combat Nervousness
 Be prepared (best defense) - know content of lecture, be familiar with the room
 Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse – “Perfect practice makes perfect!”
 Release – go for a walk or stretch
 Launch - walk up confidently, stand up straight, and smile
 Avoid annoying mannerisms such excessive movement, playing with remote clicker or keys in
pocket, fiddling with hair
 Use coffee cup – helps set an informal atmosphere, provides reason to pause periodically
Using Handouts (Advantages)
 Complements the learning activity
 Reinforces key concepts
 Provides a take home reference
 Lessens needs for audience to take notes
Using Handouts (Disadvantages)
 Audience may focus their attention on handout rather than speaker
Handout Content (The ABC’s of Quality Content)
 Accuracy - data and concepts reflect verifiable information
 Appropriateness - relevant to the needs of the learner
 Arguments - adequately addresses areas of controversy
 Background - covers necessary background information
 Balance - theory and practice are appropriately balanced
 Bibliography - references well outlined and useful
 Currency - information is up-to-date
 Comprehensiveness - broadly comprehensive while appropriately succinct
 Coordination - integrates necessary data of other disciplines
When Should You Provide the Handout?
Prospective
- Given in advance of the lecture
- Allows the audience to read preparatory material or to ponder particular questions
- Allows lecturer to cover more subject material or begin at a higher level
- Often goes unread or not brought to class

Concurrent
- Given at the beginning of class
- Provides a program guide for the lecture
- Allows key points to be highlighted
- Eases the strain of note taking problems
- Encourages daydreaming if audience pays more attention to the handout than
to the speaker

Retrospective
- Given at the end of class
- Note taking becomes more time consuming
Tips on Delivering This Presentation
One approach to this session is as follows:
 Using the Needs Assessment from the faculty, identify which of the three areas discussed above
are most relevant to your audience. If time is limited, focus only on those areas indicated by the
audience.
 Consider using the example speaking script that is included within the slide presentation
associated with this chapter.
 Begin the session by establishing the goals for the seminar, and introduce the topic. Consider
using the included grabber, which is a speech by President Kennedy (“Ask not what your country
can do for you…”) that is coupled with an ineffective and distracting PowerPoint presentation.
This will plant the seed that just because the content is exceptional doesn’t mean that it can’t be
ruined by ineffective audiovisual aids.
 After reviewing the agenda and objectives for the session, review the 7 steps of planning and
share how you applied those steps to teaching this session.
 For the first activity, use the first page of the handout and have the audience work in groups of 23 to prepare a short introduction of one of their group members. They should discover 3-4
interesting facts about that individual and begin to think how they will introduce that person to
the audience.
 The next section will cover content enhancement. You should introduce the 4 R’s of audiovisual
aids (Readable, Reliable, Relevant, and Repetitious) and review examples of each in the
PowerPoint presentation.
 The second activity will allow the audience to apply the 4 R’s to their own PowerPoint slides
that they can use to supplement the introduction of their partner. You should encourage them to
seek out images, use text, or devise other creative ways to share information.
 Next, show the short introduction video by Dick Hardt. This will emphasize that creativity in
audiovisual aid design can be very powerful.
 For the final section on content delivery, start with the Seinfeld clinic about the fear of public
speaking. You can then introduce the London Times poll results showing that public speaking is
the number one fear of many people.
 Solicit feedback from the crowd about what effective speaking techniques they have heard.
 Share the included speaking tips with the audience.
 Show audience two video clips of public speeches. Have the audience evaluate the speakers on
things such as enthusiasm, body language, movement, audience interaction, eye contact, and
speech rhythm and tone.
 For the final activity, have each group present their partner introduction to the group. Encourage
them to stand up and apply some of the lessons learned over the session.
 Close by showing the speech by President Kennedy accompanied by a more effective set of
slides.
 At the close of the presentation, consider having the audience critique the handout they used
through the session. Have them identify what they liked and what they didn’t.
 Throughout the session, ensure that you provide lavish affirmation to those who participate.
This helps to create a safe learning environment and promotes interaction.
 Ask the participants to commit to using what they learned in the session for the next learning
activity they lead.
 Another technique would be to videotape several faculty presenting their lectures and review
those video clips during a separate session. This would allow an opportunity to apply the
learning to a personal and pertinent event.
After the session:
 Review the evaluation forms completed by the participants;
 Reflect on the seminar - how did it go? What was good about it? What could have been better? Is
there a better approach to this topic? Were there needs identified during this session that would
be the basis for future seminar(s) in your program?
 Where will your program go from here based on this seminar?
References
Dynamic Presentations
Whitman N: Creative Medical Teaching. 1st ed. 1990. University of Utah School of
Medicine. A humorous, well-written book on all aspects of teaching medicine.
Whitman N: There is No Gene for Good Teaching: A Handbook on Lecturing for Medical
Teachers.
1982. University of Utah School of Medicine a classic; good, concise overview.
Kroenke K: The Lecture - Where It Waivers. Am J Med 77(3):393-6, 1984. Written by a
military internist, excellent overview with 10 practical rules for giving a great lecture.
Findley LJ, Antczak FJ: How to Prepare and Present a Lecture. JAMA 253(2):246. 1985. Short,
concise commentary on practical lecturing tips.
Irby DM: Preparation and Delivery of Dynamic Presentations. Univ of Washington
Workshop given on 23-4 October 1996. Dr. Dave Irby is one of the gurus in medical
education; much of the Dynamic Lecture talk came from this workshop.
Creative Handouts
MacLean 1: Twelve Tips on Providing Handouts. Med Teacher 13(l):7-12,1991.
Amato D, Quirt I: Lecture Handouts of Projected Slides in a Medical Course. Med
Teacher 12(3/4):291-6, 1990.
Kroenke K: Handouts: Making the Lecture Portable. Med Teacher 13(3): 199-203, 1991.
McLeod PJ, Tenenhouse A: Peer Review of Class Handouts. Med Teacher 10(l):69-73,
1988.
McLeod PJ: How to Produce Instructional Text for a Medical Audience. Med Teacher
13(2):135-44, 1991.