Presentation Skills Primer General Considerations Presentation techniques and training activities that require active involvement by the learner and the application of personal experiences are most conducive to effective adult learning. Briefly outline the basic concepts that form the foundation of your presentation clearly and early in the talk to avoid confusion. Distill information into manageable-sized chunks. Build in plenty of rehearsal time into your preparation plan. Practicing your presentation is essential to both its development and delivery. Pay close attention to timing and pace yourself appropriately. If you are using presentation software, allow for no more than one minute per slide. If you are planning for learner participation, plan on speaking for no more than 50% of the time and using 25% for audience interaction activity. Planning Questions Defining Your PURPOSE: Why Am I Delivering This Presentation? What type of presentation are you expected to give? Are you informing, persuading, or transferring knowledge? Why does this group need to hear from you? Will this be an informal chat, a seminar or case discussion, or a more formal presentation? What are the desired outcomes you seek from participants? What behaviors do you want them to change or engage in as a result of your presentation? Understanding Your AUDIENCE: Who Am I Presenting To? How many people are expected to attend? What are the group demographics, including professional disciplines? Will you be speaking to a general audience or specialists? What knowledge base do they have? What is their likely experience with and attitude toward your topic? Are the learning objectives consistent with the actual learning level of the target audience. Is this likely to be a friendly audience? An interactive audience? What perceptions do they bring to the session? Researching and Organizing Your CONTENT: What Do I Need To Cover To Fulfill The Purpose? What is the specific purpose for having you present? What must be said in order to achieve your learning objectives? What must learners do in order to meet the established learning objectives? Will you be presenting novel concepts to this audience, or building upon their prior clinical knowledge? What should be covered? What amount of detail is necessary? What material can be eliminated or withheld but made available for later reference? Knowing Your LOGISTICS: When? Where? How Long? How much time has been allotted for the presentation? How much time for questions will be included? How are you going to deliver your presentation? What equipment, supporting materials, or assistance do you need to effectively convey your message? How big is the room, how will it be arranged, and how is the lighting level? Will you have to wear a microphone? Can you operate a computer and talk at the same time?
Types of Presentation Outlines Chronological Narrative Problem/ Solution Cause/Effect Topical Journalistic Questions Spatial Definition Introduction Conclusion Gives a sequence of events in the order they will, can or did happen Takes audience on a journey through a flowing presentation States a problem, then gives a solution and summary Describes an event and explains outcome(s) Divides general topic into several subtopics Uses some or all of the what, who, where, when, why, and how questions Follows linear logic based on location, direction Set timeline Set stage for the story to be told Set context for problem Describe cause Introduce main topic and list subtopics Ask, or propose short answers to, common questions and state that you will elaborate during the presentation Describe general area to be covered and state some specific milestones End sequence and discuss next steps Summarize main points and leave an impression Recap benefits of solution and discuss action points. Recap cause and effect Recap main topic and briefly summarize Check with audience to make sure all questions have been adequately answered Recap milestones and suggest future directions Effective Communication Tips Language Use precise, specific, concrete language appropriate to audience. Address audience in second person ( you ). Include stories, analogies, metaphors to reinforce key points. Use humor judiciously, sparingly. Avoid jargon, slang expressions and fillers (er, um, like, you know, etc.) Body Language, Expression and Movement Speak directly to audience: avoid talking to ceiling, floor, or screen. Make and maintain appropriate eye contact. Keep hands free in order to gesture; use natural movements to emphasize topics. Avoid excessive hand motions, touching nose or ears, and excessive coughing. Slowly and on occasion, move naturally around the room to draw attention, add interest, engage and increase interaction with all learners. Be respectful of individuals defined levels of personal space. Do not use a pointer, pen, pencil or chalk to point at an individual. Voice Pace Constantly vary pace in order to maintain audience interest: speak more quickly to convey enthusiasm; speak more slowly to emphasize key points or issues. Use breathing and natural pauses to slow down your pace. Projection & Volume Open your mouth fully and speak loud enough to be heard at the back of the room. Take slow, deep breaths, initiated from your abdomen. If you have a quiet voice, always ask for a microphone. Articulation Speak at a slower pace than normal conversational tone. Enunciate clearly; pronounce each letter or sound within a word. Complete every sentence before starting on the next sentence. Pitch Adjust pitch for emphasis and to convey different meanings. Control breathing from your abdomen to alter pitch. Inflection Use upward inflections to ask a question, suggest uncertainty or doubt, and communicate hesitancy. Use downward inflections to give information and convey strength and authority to the audience.
Guidelines for Effective Electronic Visuals General Considerations Simple, direct, concise, easy to read Include only most vital information Keep layouts, page orientation consistent; use design templates w/caution Standardize text, figures and colors Professional language - no jargon, slang Using Slides Effectively LCD projectors change how slides appear: always preview & adjust! Test equipment; have a backup plan! Face audience, not screen Speak louder than usual: visuals compete for learner attention 2 3 Slide Organization and Format Keep content simple: Outlines are best One topic per slide Maximum 6 lines of text Maximum 6 words per line Use key words & bullet points Numbers for rank or sequence only Slide Organization and Format Use titles to focus learner concentration on slide content Titles in same layout format, location Limit graphics to 2 per slide 4 5 Font Size and Style Titles: 40-54pt font and bold Text and bullets: 28-32pt font, not bold Text less than 24pt is unreadable! Really! Plain, easy-to-read fonts Capitalize only first letter of each line Minimize font formatting for emphasis Backgrounds and Color Choose plain, solid backgrounds that create high contrast with text Keep background, color schemes consistent Avoid excessive use of colors: limit 4 Choose easy-to-read color combinations Avoid dark colors on dark backgrounds! 6 7 San Francisco Area AIDS Education and Training Center June 2010
Guidelines for Effective Electronic Visuals Best Colors for Readability Yellow on dark blue White on dark blue Yellow on dark green White on dark green 8 Dark green on white 9 Animation and Transitions Limit use of distracting special effects Use media objects with caution Animation should have a purpose Keep transitions simple and consistent Do not use random transitions 10 Presenting Study Data Non-plagiarized empirical data: Good! I know you can t read this, but. Bad!! Always!!! 11 Suggested Best Practices Data sources disclosure at beginning References slide(s) at end, in handout Limit study data slides to 2 per study Use layout templates for uniform design Create tables & charts in PowerPoint! Print Notes Pages 3-per-page 12 Charts, Graphs and Tables Large, simple, easy to read Key elements clearly labeled Limit to 2 per slide Minimize text on slides w/ graphics Use solid colors instead of pastels or fill patterns Limit colors to 5 per chart or graph Explain significance of all elements 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% HIV/AIDS At-a-Glance: Risk 73% 65% 44% 29% 19% 12% 5% 8% 10% 9% 8% 8% 3% 3% 4% US CA SF MSM MSM-IDU IDU Heterosex Other/Unkown San Francisco Area AIDS Education and Training Center June 2010
Techniques for Making Complex Material Understandable For all, the following conditions apply: 1. Understanding complex material requires mastering prerequisite concepts first. 2. Proper diagnosis of the learning problem is required: Is it the Learner: Is it the Teacher: Is it the Content: Weak in skills or basic knowledge? Remediation required? Weak in content or teaching skills? Poorly organized? Presented badly? 3. There is no standard of what is complex good learner assessment is essential! The more you know about your audience who they are, why they are there, what they need to learn, and how they will be expected to apply it the easier it will be. Teach creative problem-solving and challenge higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) through active learning (case-based methods, cooperative learning, problem-based learning.) Justify: Give learners a reason to listen to you. Why is this material important, and how will they use it? Show relationships that demonstrate how/why the material is important, relevant and useful. Review: Humans cannot remember everything they have learned instantaneously! Link new material to that previously learned to increase understanding and retention: New vocabulary: review, define, give example. Review previously learned content. Review the concepts that are required to understand new ideas, techniques, guidelines. Repeat and Give Examples: People learn through repetition. Complete understanding is gained through ideas shown in a variety of contexts and applications, and connected to as many previously learned concepts as possible. Use a variety of examples that are clear, accurate, interesting, and transferrable: Easy examples show how to grasp concept. Advanced examples show uses of concept in different contexts. Boundary examples show boundary of concept: the point where it no longer applies because a different concept takes over, or because research is currently active in that area. Chunk it: Break complex information down into small, manageable chunks to prevent information overload. Emphasize core concepts. Keeping content segments in easily digested chunks makes information easier to learn: Take a break every 90 minutes; change the pace of instruction every 20 minutes; give them something to do every 8 minutes. Present complex content or instructions, then stop and allow time for processing. Explain difficult concepts: Use analogies to help learners relate an unfamiliar concept to the familiar. Use illustrations: abstract or unfamiliar concepts become more concrete to learners when presented visually photos, diagrams, sketches, cartoons, other graphic images. Use visual displays to depict the relationships betweens facts, terms and/or ideas within a learning task -- flow charts, Venn diagrams, concept maps, timelines, etc. Use learner assessment techniques to check for understanding: Stop and ask for questions at regular intervals. Have learners work in pairs/groups to explain concepts to each other.
Strategies for Transfer of Learning Before Training Collect baseline learning needs assessment data. Involve training participants in program planning. Review training goals of learners and their organizations to understand how learning will contribute to improved performance. Review training content before the training session. Identify actual work issues and examples to use during training. Provide pre-training assignments and time to complete them. Create and provide a positive training/learning environment. During Training Develop application-oriented learning objectives. Incorporate realistic work-related tasks in the form of case studies. Create mnemonic devices (i.e., abbreviations or metaphors) to help trainees remember key concepts. Have trainees complete action plans as a part of training program. Give frequent reinforcement and immediate constructive feedback to learners as they try out new skills. Provide job performance aids (tools that help people perform tasks accurately, such as such as checklists, flow diagrams, reference tables, decision tree diagrams, etc.) Provide adequate time for practice and feedback. Provide frequent opportunities for learners to reflect on what they are learning and plan how they will use their new knowledge and skills on the job. Prevent interruptions and distractions from learning. Utilize a variety of classroom and learner assessment techniques. Conduct training outcome evaluation at the end of the session. After Training Conduct follow-up with participants in a timely manner to assess the usefulness of the training content. Provide trainees with opportunities to apply their new knowledge and skills on the job. Conduct follow-up observation or Live Action Drill. Talk with other trainees about how they are applying the training at work. Network with other learners and trainers for support. Share key learning points with other team members.