Dear Prof. Ramsay
Thank you very much for very useful tips on powerpont presentations. I
would like to a offer a small addendum as follows:
A particular care is necessary for handling the laser pointers that
display red dot on screen. A small movement of speaker's hand holding the
pointer results into large random movement of the dot on the screen. Also,
if the speaker wants to trace a line or circle on the screen, the red dot
is not a very convient follower.
For the speakers, who are not very good at keeping the hand stable, it is
prehaphs better to use a thin wooden or metallic pointer than the laser
pointer.
Deepak
> Dear all
>
> I've been sent the following from John Ramsay with the request that it
> should be posted to Geo-tectonics. I would hope that all of us could
> find some useful advice in this from the doyen of our subject.
>
> John
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS
> I was at an excellent recent meeting of the Tectonics Studies Group of
> the UK. The presentations were mostly good, but some of the those by
> students, academic staff and commercial geologists left much to be
> desired. This got me thinking how people use Power Point and
> especially what should be avoided in such presentations. So I have
> prepared a list of comments based on my experience that I hope might
> improve speaker's communication skills.
> 1. Most spoken presentations today are to be fitted into a 15 or 20
> minute slot which generally includes audience discussion time. It is
> very annoying for the audience if this discussion time is eaten into by
> the speaker, and a period of 5 minutes must be allowed for audience
> discussion. This means that the picture frames to illustrate your talk
> must not exceed a certain number. There is no absolute rule, but if the
> number of frames exceeds the number of minutes that you will talk,
> you are in the danger zone.
> 2. In planning your talk think about the principal points that you want to
> make and avoid extra "asides" that do not relate directly to the principal
> ideas even though you think that they might be of interest. Such
> "asides" always waste valuable time.
> 3. On no account try to get more visuals into each frame by packing
> the overall frame with small boxes (eg showing several field
> exposures, interpretations, stereo-nets etc. in the same frame)
> because these will not be large enough for most of the audience to see
> and you might be tempted to refer to each one individually and so
> infringe the idea behind point 1. This is a particular failing of many who
> use Power Point.
> 4. Keep the information in each frame simple: avoid complicated
> maps, complex groups of stereo- or equal-area nets (no matter how
> beautiful the colours look!) and complicated graphical diagrams.
> Question yourself "Is it necessary to show several stereo-projections
> when one would do?" and, "are projection techniques the best way of
> presenting your data anyway? perhaps a simple map or block diagram
> might be better?"
> 5. Never show poor field photographs. I am often amazed that
> presenters sometimes show out of focus pictures, outcrops with little or
> no colour contrast, outcrops partially covered with vegetation etc. You
> may think that your photograph captures reality, but be hypercritical
> and make sure that it really is worthy of being shown. Poor
> photographic material is guaranteed to put off an audience.
> Remember that Power Point presentations can be used to effectively
> overlay an interpretation on to a photograph (axial planes of folds, fold
> hinge lines, fracture patterns, movement senses on faults etc) and that
> white lines on colour are usually more effective than are black lines on
> colour.
> 6. Avoid making your points with long written sentences. There is
> nothing more tedious for an audience to be expected to read line after
> line of small text while those at the back of the room will have
> difficulty
> of reading any extensive text anyway. Even if you read it yourself to
> the audience, you are wasting valuable presentation time; the spoken
> word is much more informative than the written word. I realise that
> speakers presenting talks in a language in which they are unfamiliar
> may like to have the comfort of a text, but text-laden diagrams are
> always a mistake. If you find it necessary to have some text words
> make sure that they are big enough for the people at the back of the
> room to be able to read and remember that white letters on a black
> background are always easier to read that are black on white in most
> darkened lecture rooms.
> 7. Do avoid the "Logo" background for both text and diagrams.
> Coloured logo backgrounds (no matter how "artistic" you think they
> might be) detract from the material you are trying to show. I find such
> use of thematic background logos one of the most infuriating features
> of many current presentations. You might think it necessary at the
> start of a talk to have a logo list of financial supporters etc, but in my
> opinion University crests and all that junk should be definitely
> scrapped. And, if you show a corporate logo then just once please and
> not throughout the rest of the frames. Don't show "funny" pictures of
> your co-authors to try and lighten the serious nature of your talk, you
> will be wasting time and such photos often fall flat. Don't show scenic
> pictures unless they have a scientific place in your discussion and do
> avoid those sunset pictures to conclude your talk.
> 8. Before your talk find some time to understand the particular frame
> changing device in the lecture room and any special features of the
> lighting system that the speaker is expected to control. Avoid complex
> radio-communication switching systems unless you are really used to
> them. Try out any available laser-pointer device before your talk.
> Before your talk make sure that you are clipped-on to any microphone
> system. Do not ever assume that your voice is sufficiently strong to
> carry to the back of the lecture room without the microphone. If you
> only have a static microphone system on the speaker's table
> remember that you must speak directly to it, and that if you turn to face
> the projection screen your voice will become inaudible or distorted.
> 9. Remember that the Power Point technique is ideal for running short
> film sequences of actual or modelling experiments, but do keep them
> short, and possibly allow time for a repeat run because a second run-
> through is often very valuable for the audience.
> 10. Try out your talk before the meeting at a seminar-type presentation
> to your colleagues and research group, keeping exactly to the timing of
> the meeting to come. Get your colleagues to comment on your
> presentation and listen carefully to what they suggest are good and
> bad points. In fact the leader of any research group should always
> insist on such a pre-presentation no matter how experienced are the
> speakers. It would be a good idea for the leader himself to present a
> similar seminar if he plans to make a public presentation. It is my
> experience that many professors and research team leaders are
> complacent about their speaking talents and consequently give some
> of the worst presentations at public meetings.
>
> John Ramsay, <[log in to unmask]>, 24 February 2006
> ------- End of forwarded message -------
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> +++++
> John Whalley
> Geoscience Pathways Programme Manager
> List owner - geo-tectonics
> (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/geo-tectonics.html)
> Tel +44 23 9284 2247 Fax +44 23 9284 2244
> School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
> University of Portsmouth
> Portsmouth, PO1 3QL, UK Email- [log in to unmask]
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> +++++
>
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