1 Presenting to an academic audience Associate Professor Jeanne Dawson The Learning Centre

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Presenting to an academic Presenting to an academic audienceaudience

Associate Professor Jeanne Dawson

The Learning Centre

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Some facts about presenting in public:Some facts about presenting in public:

Most people find speaking in Most people find speaking in front of an audience intimidating front of an audience intimidating (not just you!) (not just you!)

In surveys of what people fear In surveys of what people fear most, public speaking is most, public speaking is mentioned more often than any mentioned more often than any other fear (including flying, other fear (including flying, poisonous snakes, or death). poisonous snakes, or death).

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HOWEVERHOWEVER

The individual strategies and The individual strategies and skills involved in presenting in skills involved in presenting in public require no special talent, public require no special talent, just careful planning and just careful planning and practice. practice.

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You can tame the presentation process by You can tame the presentation process by breaking it into three areas:breaking it into three areas:

WHOWHO (engagement with the audience)(engagement with the audience)

WHATWHAT(the content and organisation)(the content and organisation)

HOWHOW(the presentation performance)(the presentation performance)

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1.1. WHO?WHO?

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WhoWho is your audience and is your audience and what are their needs?what are their needs?

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Communicating with an audience –Communicating with an audience –

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academic/peer audiencesWant to hear what you have to say

Have an interest in (and probably some background knowledge of) your topic

Tend to be constructively critical

Don’t have time to waste

Expect to be engaged rather than lectured to

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Communicating with an audience –Communicating with an audience –

Remember that listeningRemember that listening

is not likeis not like

reading.reading.

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Communicating with an audience –Communicating with an audience –

Use your HEADUse your HEAD

andand

your HEARTyour HEART

Cool head,Cool head, warm heartwarm heart

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2.2. WHAT?WHAT?

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Content and structureContent and structureOrganise your content into clear, easy-to-Organise your content into clear, easy-to-

follow sections.follow sections.

Identify a few key points as the framework for Identify a few key points as the framework for your presentation (3 is a ‘magic’ number for your presentation (3 is a ‘magic’ number for balance and retention of ideas and concepts).balance and retention of ideas and concepts).

Too much detail is distracting Too much detail is distracting (use handouts (use handouts for for highly detailed information, figures, or highly detailed information, figures, or statistics, so the audience can study details in statistics, so the audience can study details in more depth after the presentation).more depth after the presentation).

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Content and structureContent and structureFrame your presentation with an Frame your presentation with an

introduction and conclusion. introduction and conclusion.   

Tell them what you’re going to tell themTell them what you’re going to tell them

(introduction)(introduction)

tell them;tell them;

(the body)(the body)

tell them what you’ve told themtell them what you’ve told them

(the conclusion)(the conclusion)

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The introductionThe introductionis briefis briefaims to catch the audience’s attentionaims to catch the audience’s attentionclearly identifies the topicclearly identifies the topicincludes a preview of the presentationincludes a preview of the presentationoffers a ‘roadmap’ of where you will take offers a ‘roadmap’ of where you will take

the audiencethe audienceis your first contact with the audience – use is your first contact with the audience – use

the opportunity to build personal rapport the opportunity to build personal rapport

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The bodyThe body

develops the themedevelops the themeprovides supporting informationprovides supporting informationinforms, persuades, and/or entertains informs, persuades, and/or entertains

the audiencethe audienceneeds to be well-structured and sign-needs to be well-structured and sign-

posted for the audience to followposted for the audience to followneeds to be interesting (never over-needs to be interesting (never over-

estimate the audience’s attention span)estimate the audience’s attention span)

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The conclusionThe conclusioncontains no new materialcontains no new materialrecapitulates what you promised in the recapitulates what you promised in the

introduction and delivered in the bodyintroduction and delivered in the bodyreinforces the main pointsreinforces the main pointsgives the audience a second chance to gives the audience a second chance to

hear ideas presented earlier.hear ideas presented earlier.signals end of the presentation (with signals end of the presentation (with

phrases like ‘in closing’, ‘summarising, phrases like ‘in closing’, ‘summarising, then’, etc.)then’, etc.)

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SignpostingSignposting

Use transition markers to signpost shifts in Use transition markers to signpost shifts in topics and sub-topics.topics and sub-topics.

Example:Example:

‘…‘…that covers the key aspects of the theory. that covers the key aspects of the theory. Now let’s look at how the theory may be Now let’s look at how the theory may be applied and how it operated in practice….’applied and how it operated in practice….’

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TIME TIME MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

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Time ManagementTime Management

Factor the time allowance into initial Factor the time allowance into initial planning.planning.

Never go over the time allowance.Never go over the time allowance.

It’s easier to slow down delivery than to It’s easier to slow down delivery than to speed it up.speed it up.

Allow audience time to process Allow audience time to process audiovisual material.audiovisual material.

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Time ManagementTime Management

Time your presentation when you Time your presentation when you rehearse, then add 20% - presenting to an rehearse, then add 20% - presenting to an audience slows down your delivery audience slows down your delivery (especially if you achieve good rapport).(especially if you achieve good rapport).

Appreciate the power of the pause.Appreciate the power of the pause.

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3.3. HOW?HOW?

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Why is Why is presenting presenting

to peersto peers  

so stressful?so stressful?

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Managing the situation

Define your role.

Give!

Cool head, warm heart.

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All performance is stressful!All performance is stressful!

It’s normal to feel anxiousIt’s normal to feel anxious..

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BUT BUT you can turn anxiety into

EUSTRESSEUSTRESS

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EustressEustress is healthy stress. is healthy stress.

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EUSTRESSEUSTRESS is the sensation is the sensation that athletes experience before that athletes experience before the big race and musicians the big race and musicians experience before the big experience before the big performance.performance.

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EustressEustress is made up of is made up of excitement, anticipation, and excitement, anticipation, and awareness.awareness.

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EUSTRESS helps give you the EUSTRESS helps give you the adrenaline surge to perform at adrenaline surge to perform at your optimum effectiveness. your optimum effectiveness.

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Suggestions for turning Suggestions for turning stress stress into into

‘EUSTRESS’‘EUSTRESS’

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Before the performance Before the performance

Find out about your audience, their Find out about your audience, their interests, level of knowledge, needs.interests, level of knowledge, needs.

Know and Know and believe inbelieve in your topic. your topic.

Rehearse, if possible in the venue where Rehearse, if possible in the venue where you’ll be presenting.you’ll be presenting.

Build in a time cushion.Build in a time cushion.

Check out equipment.Check out equipment.

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Immediately before the performance Immediately before the performance

Take some physical exercise.Take some physical exercise.

Yawn, stretch, roll head, massage Yawn, stretch, roll head, massage earlobes.earlobes.

Meditate. Meditate.

Visualise yourself givingVisualise yourself giving a a brilliantbrilliant presentation!presentation!

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Immediately before the performance Immediately before the performance Take some physical exercise.Take some physical exercise.

Yawn, stretch, roll head, massage earlobes.Yawn, stretch, roll head, massage earlobes.

Meditate.Meditate.

Go to the toilet.Go to the toilet.

Check appearance.Check appearance.

Drink some water. Drink some water.

Stay cool!Stay cool!

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During the performanceDuring the performance

Claim your space – you are entitled to speak. Claim your space – you are entitled to speak.

Establish eye contact with sympathetic or Establish eye contact with sympathetic or interested members of the audience.interested members of the audience.

Use relaxed ‘open’ gestures to connect with Use relaxed ‘open’ gestures to connect with your audience.your audience.

Smile. (This not only encourages reciprocal Smile. (This not only encourages reciprocal smiles from the audience but also reduces smiles from the audience but also reduces facial tension.) facial tension.)

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During the performanceDuring the performance

Remember that the audience do not Remember that the audience do not want you to fail. want you to fail.

Audiences are tolerant of ‘glitches’ in Audiences are tolerant of ‘glitches’ in your presentation – if you make a your presentation – if you make a mistake, apologise, forget about it, and mistake, apologise, forget about it, and move on.move on.

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During the performanceDuring the performance

Remember that as a presenter you are Remember that as a presenter you are acting in a particular role that is acting in a particular role that is separate from your personal self; the separate from your personal self; the audience’s attention is on you as a audience’s attention is on you as a presenter of information, not you presenter of information, not you personally.personally.

Use the audience’s criticism Use the audience’s criticism constructively – there’s no gain without constructively – there’s no gain without pain!pain!

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Final ReflectionFinal Reflection

‘‘Whatever does not kill me Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger.’makes me stronger.’

(Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844 – 1900)(Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844 – 1900)