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Study Techniques

Presentations

A presentation is a piece of work which is shown and explained to an audience. There are a number of ways to create a presentation using programs such as: PowerPoint, Prezi, Sway, and others.

PowerPoint can be used to create slideshows that include:

  • Text, pictures, sound and movies.
  • Custom animations to make text fade in or out, move or flash.
  • The slideshow can be controlled so that the slides appear automatically, or with the click of the mouse or button.

Prezi is a presentation tool that allows people to present in a non-linear format, which effectively allows the audience to direct the presentation by offering each slide as an option to discuss instead of a definitive order. The presentation is ordered like a mind-map with the overarching theme in the middle and related concepts branching from this and can be created using their templates or by importing a PowerPoint. The basic package of Prezi is free and should allow you to deliver a suitable academic presentation.

Sway is a Microsoft Office product and is available for students at the University of Derby through Office 365 (which can be found on UDO). It allows you to produce presentations that include media and text simultaneously. Sway is great to use if you are completing a reflective presentation, as it can be laid out in story format, but if you're presenting information that is data driven, for example using graphs and charts, PowerPoint my be a more appropriate tool. 

Academic Posters

Academic posters are used to communicate your ideas and knowledge in a visual, creative and direct way. They are often looked upon as short essays however, they are not just a chopped-up essay. Academic posters could be seen as closer to an extended abstract with all the information available at a glance; the poster allows the information to be presented in a way that is not merely left to right, in paragraphs. And, as the name suggests, the poster is an academic one, it still needs to be correctly referenced!

A poster can be created on PowerPoint or Publisher. Or, Canva is another option, it is a graphic design site with thousands of custom templates, stock images, and easy-to-use editing features. The library MFDs can print up to A3 size, larger than this will require professional printing. This can be done by submitting files online via the Derby Digital Hub but please allow at least a week to 10 days turnaround for work to be completed.

Below are a few tips for creating a poster:

  • When using images, ensure they come from copyright zero sources and make sure they are relevant to the text.
  • Use graphs, charts and tables to demonstrate numerical data.
  • Sans-serif fonts, such as Calibri and Ariel are easier to read. Use bold or italic to emphasize text.
  • Your title should be readable from a distance. Text should be readable from 1m.
  • Use 2-3 colours at most and be consistent.
  • Do not forget to include a reference list!
  • Print on quality paper
  • Prepare to be questioned about the content

Delivering Presentations 

Presentations are daunting for everyone, especially if it is something you don't have to do regularly. Below are some pointers for delivering presentations.

A great talk:

  • begins with a statement;
  • concentrates on the key points;
  • is concise, with an even balance of material;
  • links the discussion to the presentation and main argument;
  • is clearly communicated and has confident body language (e.g. eye contact is made with the audience).

When practicing your delivery, think about:

  • Who the audience are and how big the audience is. The way you chose to deliver your presentation to a small group of children should be different to how you would deliver to a lecture hall of postgraduate students.
  • Have you stayed on topic?
  • How long do you have?
  • If you're speaking as part of a group, do you cover different content? 

Dealing with Questions

When delivering a presentation you may have to answer questions at the end. Here are a few pointers to help with dealing with questions:

  • Address the entire audience and not just the asker;
  • Clarify the meaning if you don't understand;
  • Don't be afraid of saying 'I don't know', as you are not expected to know everything and it may be noticed if you are improvising;
  • Sometimes repeating questions may give you time to formulate your answer and allows for anyone who hasn't heard the question to understand what you're answering;
  • Try not to say 'Has that answered your question?' or 'Is that OK?' at the end of your answer;
  • Your presentation has been well researched, you probably know more than you think;
  • Get others to create mock questions beforehand.
  • Try to take a breath before answering questions and consider your response, there is no pressure on you to reply immediately.
  • Ensure that you link your answer back to the question.

Further Reading