http://skillsforlearning.leedsbeckett.ac.

uk

Presentations

Contents:

Learning outcomes 2
Introduction 2
Know your audience 3
Visual aids 5
Planning: before, during, after 5

1
 Skills for Learning Introduction
What makes a good presentation?
More detailed information on this topic and
many others can be found on the Skills for For the audience, a good presentation occurs
Learning website. The material in this guide is when the presenter speaks fluently on a topic of
adapted from the Academic Communication interest, sharing knowledge and experience so
section of the website. that at the end of the presentation the audience
has become better informed or gained a clearer
understanding about an issue.
To access Skills for Learning: Click on a link to
the Skills for Learning website from the main
University website, Library Online, the Portal or
My Beckett, or go directly to at Learning outcomes
http://skillsforlearning.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/.

After reading this guide you should be able to:

To view most parts of the Skills for Learning
website you must be logged in. The first time  Outline the stages involved in preparing
you click to access one of these pages you will for a presentation
be asked to enter a username and password.  Recognise visual aids you could use in
Enter your username – this is your ‘c’ number your presentation
(including the ‘c’) written on your ‘Campus  List criteria you could use for self-
Card’. evaluation of your presentation

Staff will have a different username based on

their surname, for example ‘smith06’.

Enter your password – this is the same

password you use for logging in to on-campus
Leeds Beckett PCs, the Portal, and My Beckett.

If you need help with your password, please

contact the Help and Information point in the
Library (0113) 812 1000 or use the ‘Contact us’
link on Library Online to ask for help.

If you would like further help with using Skills for

Learning, or if you have any comments about
the website or this guide, please email us at:
skillsforlearning@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

2
 Activity
Imagine you have been asked to give a presentation to a group of 20. Try and think of 10 things
you would need to consider. List the ideas or draw a mind map that includes your ideas. Add
ideas as you work your way through this topic.
Delivering a good presentation can be daunting – however, with preparation and practise, anyone
can do it! The following sections will help you prepare. Think carefully about the purpose, as this
will provide you with the framework for the presentation. The purpose of most presentations fall
into two categories:
1. Information. 2: Persuasion.

 To provide information to your fellow  To persuade your fellow students to take a

students particular course of action
 To outline some new procedures  To present ideas so that the audience can

In either case, the purpose of any presentation is to communicate an idea, an issue, a solution
which your audience can understand and take away and use.

Know your audience

Knowing your audience will help you decide how much or how little information to present. It will
also help you organise and present the information.
If you are presenting to other students you will have agreed with your tutor how formal this should
be. You will probably know how the audience is likely to react.
If you are presenting to external employers, trade organisation or professional bodies, you will
have to make different assumptions. For example, speaking to members of a professional body
will assume a certain consensus in terms of the working practices and general profession aim.
In a talk to external employers you would have to be more circumspect in making assumptions
about the aims of their business, their working practices and so on.
In general, think through these questions:
 What information will they already have?
 What concerns may they have in terms of their work practices, their professional
knowledge or the topic as a whole?
 Do they require an overview or detail?
 What common understanding of the issues can I assume?
 Will the audience expect a formal or informal presentation?

Having identified your audience you can consider their expectations. What will they expect? Am I
to persuade them or inform them? Is it to be highly technical or not technical at all? Is my
presentation part of a larger event? In which case, where does it fit in?
Having collected the relevant material, you are ready to organise it. The most important element
is coherence. Whether your aim is to inform or reform, you, as presenter, have to deliver
information clearly and logically. If your audience cannot understand your explanation, you will
neither inform nor persuade. You need to refer to your understanding of the audience, their
expectations and their level of knowledge when deciding how to organise your material.

3
 Visual Aids
Reasons for using visual aids Aids you could use:
 Focus the audience's attention  Powerpoint
 Illustrate your points  Video
 Reinforce your points  Web pages
 Inspire interest  Printed handouts
 Sound

Vision Space Technology

People find it easier to It is important that the room is Do not use any equipment you
remember ideas and arranged appropriately for the are not familiar with, unless you
arguments when they see them presentation, and that have ample opportunity to
on screen and hear them from equipment is delivered early practise using it.
the speaker. these visual cues enough for you to test it out. If equipment has to be ordered
should correspond with what If you have a choice in the and delivered to the room,
you are saying. seating arrangements, then this make sure you order all the
Always bear in mind that visual will help. For example, you necessary items including
effects are there to clarify, not need to ensure that the stands, large screen etc. Try to
impress. audience will be able to see arrange for it to be delivered
Keep one idea per slide/screen and hear you wherever they some time before the
with one major example. If you are seated. They must also be presentation so you can set it
able to see the screen clearly up and check not only that it all
need to provide further
technical detail or explanation, and there should be enough works but also that the kit is
use another slide so that each room for them to take notes placed so as not to obscure the
comfortably. view.
slide is clear and simple, and
allows the audience to absorb For more informal Make sure the lighting in the
that one idea. presentations, a horseshoe room is appropriate – not too
arrangement is recommended dark so the members can't take
If you wish to use graphic
images or sets of statistics, use as the presenter can clearly notes or too bright that they
them to reinforce a point, rather see the whole audience and can't see either you or the
the audience can see the screen. Likewise, heating and
than for effect.
speaker and the screen; this ventilation should be adequate.
will help to set up a rapport with
your audience. If the room is too hot or too
cold your audience will spend
more time thinking about how
hot or cold they are. If you can
make adjustments to these, do
it before you begin your talk.

Model Outline for a Presentation

 The introduction should state clearly what the issue is and how you are going to deal
with it. The introduction should grasp the audience's attention to want them to listen to
what you have to say.
 This should then be followed by the main points of the argument so that each of your
objectives are covered. Suitable examples may be provided along the way as further
support for your argument.
 The conclusion should re-state the case simply and clearly.
 Do not over-run – make sure you can make your case within the allotted time.

4
 Planning
Before
 Nervous? Then practise. pause long enough for your audience to read
 Practise anyway! and absorb the contents and reflect on what
 Have notes prepared you have said.
 Anticipate questions that may be asked Build rapport
afterwards.
 Respond to the audience actively.
Respond to questions positively. Allow the
During audience to ask questions throughout the
Timing
presentation—even if that does mean
Practise your presentation first to get this right. saying you will come back to respond at
You could arrange to do the presentation with a the end. Ask for questions afterwards and
video or audio recorder running, or ask two provide follow-up links or contact details, if
sympathetic friends/colleagues to listen to your appropriate.
performance, or even talk to yourself in a mirror!
After
Whichever method you use, ask yourself these
questions:  Audience evaluation
 Self evaluation
 Do I know my subject?
 Will the audience find my arguments So how successful was it? It is useful to reflect
persuasive? on how you performed and whether you
 Is my presentation clear and coherent – achieved your aims and objectives. This is how
will the audience understand? you can improve your presentations and gain
 Is it interesting – all the way through? confidence in the future.
 Do I have any irritating mannerisms? If you have a sympathetic fellow student or
As you will be the focus of attention you need to colleague in the audience, ask them the
think about your personal appearance. Aim to following questions:
be neat and tidy - not too flamboyant, as this  Was it interesting?
will distract the audience.  Was there too much or too little content?
Delivering the presentation  Was it coherent?
 Was I convincing?
 Welcome the audience, introduce yourself  Was my voice clear?
and the topic of your presentation.  Was the audience interested and
 As you deliver your talk, try to keep still but involved?
relaxed.  Was the Powerpoint useful?
 As you speak, you need to keep looking at  Do I have any irritating mannerisms?
the audience – this ensures that your  Did I handle the questions well?
voice carries to them and is not buried in
your feet. It also allows you to establish a Alternatively you could arrange for the
rapport with them. You do not necessarily presentation to be recorded. Another way of
have to look each member of the group in improving your performance is to critically watch
the eye, though. other presentations. Learn from others what
 If you use notes, try not to read directly works and what doesn't. As you gain more
from them as your voice will drop to the experience in giving presentations and have to
floor. If you have prepared your rely less on your notes, you can consciously
presentation properly and know your engage with your audience to gauge at each
subject thoroughly, you should be able to stage how well each point is being absorbed
glance at the notes as you move from and accepted. At this stage you will be able to
slide to slide – this comes with practice. respond to the audience reactions as you go
 Try to speak slowly and clearly enough for along adapting your style and focus to ensure
your audience – don't gabble! that you are achieving your aim with this
 As you display each slide and speak to it, particular audience.