January 28, 2020

Guidelines for Oral Presentations

Presentations are brief discussions of a focused topic delivered to a

group of listeners in order to impart knowledge or to stimulate
discussion. They are similar to short papers with an introduction, main
body and conclusion. The ability to give brief presentations is a learned
skill and one that is called on frequently in the workplace.

Preparation
Visual Aids
Handouts
Practice
Delivery
Equipment Tips
Delivery Tips
Fear and Nervousness
Role of the Audience
Evaluation

Preparation

Preparation is the key to giving an effective presentation and to

controlling your nervousness. Know your topic well. You will be the
expert on the topic in the classroom. Good preparation and the
realization that you are the expert will boost your self-confidence. After
your research, you will find that you know much more about your topic
than you will have time to present. That is a good thing. It will allow
you to compose a good introduction, to distill out the main, most
important points that need to be made, and to finish with a strong
conclusion.

 Know your topic � become an expert

 Learn as much about the topic as you can to boost your self-confidence
 Have an idea what the background is of your audience is so you will know
how much detail to go into and what kinds of things you may have to define
 Prepare an outline of topic. Bullet or number the main points
 An 8-minute talk is roughly equivalent to 4 double spaced pages in 12-pt. font
and 1� margins - however, never read a presentation. Write out your
presentation if you need to organize your thoughts, but then outline this text
for the actual presentation.
Visual aids

Visual aids (maps, photos, film clips, graphs, diagrams, and charts) can
enhance a presentation.

 Keep visual aids simple and uncluttered.

 Use color and contrast for emphasis but use them in moderation
 Use a font large enough to be seen from the back of the room
 A rule of thumb: slides are readable from the back of a room if they are
readable at a distance of 9 feet from a 15� monitor
 For an 8-10 minute talk use no more than 10 slides or overheads
 If using PowerPoing, strongly resist the temptation to use sound effects and
dramatic slide transitions

Important! If you use PowerPoint, you must send your presentation file as an
email attachment to Dr. Krygier at least 24 hours in advance of your
presentation!!

Important! Dr. Krygier can arrange for transparencies to be printed but, you
must get your original art to him at least 24 hours in advance of your
presentation!!

Handouts

Handouts provide structure. They can provide supplemental material,

references, a glossary of terms, and serve as a record of the
presentation. The handout should be attractively laid out and inviting to
read. Leave enough �white space� on the handout for the listener to
take notes.

A handout should be 1-2 pages long and consist of:

 Your name
 Title of course
 Date of presentation
 Title of your presentation
 Brief abstract (50 word summary of your presentation)
 A brief outline of your presentation including the major points
 A bibliography of references used to inform the presentation

Important! A handout is optional for the Geography111 presentation. If you

would like to provide a handout, Dr. Krygier can arrange for duplicating but you
must get it to him at least 48 hours in advance of your presentation.

Practice

Practice giving your presentation to yourself. Speak out loud and time
yourself. Practice using your visual aids. It is absolutely important that
you adhere to your time limit. Your professor knows that you know
more about your topic than you will have time to share. Your goal is to
inform, not overwhelm. In this case, less can be more.

Delivery

To deliver your presentation you will have to overcome your

nervousness and deal with room conditions. Good preparation should
allay most of your nervousness; realizing that everyone feels nervous
before a presentation should also help. Your presentation will never go
exactly as you think it will � fortunately, they usually go better than you
expect. However, if you are using any kind of technology (overhead
projector or PowerPoint) be prepared for something to go wrong and
have a backup plan.

Equipment tips:

 Workout details with equipment before the day of your presentation

 Know how to operate the equipment you choose to use
 If you are using PowerPoint, have a backup copy on a disk
 Consider making overhead transparencies of your PowerPoint slides in case there
is a problem with the technology
 Consider making print duplicates of your slides or transparencies in case there is a
problem with electricity or bulbs
 Do not expect a network connection to work when you need it. Have any web sites
you hope to show available as offline copies on a disk. Work offline whenever
possible to avoid slow network responseDelivery tips:

 Begin your presentation by telling your audience what your topic is and what
you will be covering. Audiences like to have a guidepost.
 Avoid reading your remarks
 Dress neatly and appropriately. The rule of thumb is to dress one level nicer
than the audience will be dressed.
 Do not wear a hat of any kind
 Speak in a clear, audible voice � loud enough to be clearly heard in the back
row. Never, ever mumble
 Stand up straight, don�t slouch or drape yourself around the podium.
Don�t be afraid to move around the room � moving around is good, it
causes the audience to pay attention
 Don�t rock back and forth on your heels, don�t tap a pencil or play with
pencil or pointer � don�t do things that will distract from your content.
 Never apologize to your audience for the state of your knowledge or your
degree of preparation. The audience wants to have confidence in you � you
are the authority, do nothing to undermine your authority.
 Never mention anything that could have been in your talk but wasn�t
 Make frequent eye contact with the audience. Really look at the audience as
you talk to them. Engaging them directly with your eyes transfers a bit of your
energy to them and keeps them focused on your content. Making eye contact
says that you are in charge of the room and for a presentation � that�s what
you want.
 If you use slides or PowerPoint avoid the tendency to speak to the screen
instead of to the audience. Be so familiar with your visual aids that the only
 reason you look at them is to point something out.
 Never turn your back on the audience and try to avoid walking in front of the
projector
 Adhere strickly to your time limit. Organize your main points and rate of
speech so that you speak for your eight minutes. You will be surprised how
quickly the time goes.
 At the conclusion of your presentation ask for questions. Encourage
questions with your eyes and your body language. Respond to questions
politely, good-humoredly, and briefly. Take a quick moment to compose your
thoughts before responding if you need to � but do not fill the moment with
uh�.
 At the end of your presentation, summarize your main points and give a
strong concluding remark that reinforces why your information is of value.
 Show some enthusiasm

A note on fear and nervousness

Accept nervousness for what it is � part of the preparation for speaking

and it is a good thing. It heightens your senses and gets your blood
pumping. You will think clearly and move faster. Everyone will feel
nervous. A good preparation will increase your self-confidence. Once
you get going, your good preparation will kick in and before you know it,
your presentation will be over.

The role of the audience

Presentations involve both a speaker and the audience. People in the

audience play a role in how well a presentation goes. People in the
audience have an obligation to:

 Listen politely
 Make occasional eye contact with speaker
 Take notes or jot down interesting facts
 Control negative facial expressions
 Control bored body language
 Do not put your head down on the desk or tilt your head back to sleep
 Control the impulse to constantly check watch
 Expect a Question & Answer period to be part of the presentation
 Participate in Question & Answer period � either by listening or by posing a
question.
 Prepare to remain attentive throughout the Q&A � speakers will dismiss their
audience
 Remain seated until the speaker is finished

Evaluation

Presentations always undergo some type of evaluation. You may

receive a grade, you may �make the sale�, or your performance may
be reviewed by your colleagues. The following is a set of evaluation
 criteria (D'Arcy, 1998) that are commonly used. Keeping a possible
evaluation in mind is a good way to prepare for your presentation. Your
goal is to be effective and evaluation criteria can give you a roadmap
for measuring your effectiveness.
A. Organization and Development of Content
Opening statement gained immediate attention?
Purpose of presentation made clear?
Previewed contents of speech?
Main ideas stated clearly and logically?
Organizational pattern easy to follow?
Main points explained or proved by supporting points?
Variety of supporting points (testimony, statistics, etc.)
Conclusion adequately summed up main points, purpose?
B. Delivery
Presenter �owned the space� and was in control?
Held rapport with audience throughout speech?
Eye contact to everyone in audience?
Strong posture and meaningful gestures?
C. Visuals
Visuals clear and visible to entire audience?
Creative and emphasized main points?
Presenter handled unobtrusively and focused on audience?
D. Voice
Volume
Rate (pacing)
Pitch
Quality
Energetic and included everyone in dialogue?
E. Comments
Evaluation criteria from:
D'Arcy, Jan. 1998. Technically speaking: a guide for communicating
complex informaton. Columbus: Battelle Press, p. 160.

This page prepared by

Deborah Carter Peoples
Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries
Last updated November 15, 2001

Last updated on November 15, 2001

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© 2001, Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries

The information on this site is believed to be accurate but it is not guaranteed. The Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries disclaim any liability for errors or
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Guidelines for Oral Presentations

• Dress
Your clothing makes a statement. A business suit is not necessary, but think of what
statement you want to make. Consider the venue, the content of your presentation, and
the impact your attire will have on the audience.

• Eyes
Engage your audience with good eye contact. Make every person in the room feel like
the most important member of the audience.

• Voice
Your voice should comfortably reach the person furthest removed from you. Try to
project without shouting. Avoid a monotone. Expressive intonation will help hold
your audience’s attention.

• Posture
Remain comfortable and relaxed. Speak to your audience, not to your cue cards. Keep
your head up and your eyes in contact with your listeners. You may occasionally
glance at your cue cards, but never read your material aloud to the class.

• Smile
A smile conveys confidence and helps relax yourself and your audience. Before
including comedy, however, try your material on an honest friend. If you are the only
one to recognize the intended humor in your content, save it for yourself.

• Language
Effective speakers avoid nervous expressions. Novice speakers fear silence and try to
bridge their ideas with “connectors.” Purge the following expressions from your
vocabulary: “you know?”, “um”, “uh”, “all right?”, “OK?”, “but…I…uh”.

• Time
Too hurried a pace will not allow your audience to digest your material. Too slow a
pace will leave them bored. Most presentations have a fixed time limit so practice
your talk to be sure to end within a minute of the set time.

• A/V
Any supplementary A/V aids you use should be as carefully prepared to completment,
not replace, your talk. Make sure words on the screen are large enough to read. If you
use Powerpoint, don’t drown the content of your talk with its A/V bells and whistles.

• Content
Everything else is meant to work in the service of getting across the desired content,
so be sure that you have your content well in hand before you begin to put the
presentation together. Keep your talk focused on advancing the content. Be sure to
explain unfamiliar concepts and to clearly present the premises and links in your
arguments.

• Organization
Your presentation should be structured to emphasize the important content. If you
have organized your talk carefully your audience should be able to step on board your
train of thought at the beginning and keep track of the main points along the way until
you take them to the desired destination.

Oral Presentation Evaluation

Element Excellent Good Fair
Dress 3 2 1
Eye contact 3 2 1
Voice projection 3 2 1
Posture 3 2 1
Smile 3 2 1
Language 4 3 1
Time 5 3 1
A/V 6 4 2
Content 10 7 4
Organization 10 7 4