LECTURE NOTES 3

(WEEK 9)

The topics included in this lecture notes are:

 Ending the presentation

 Utilising audio-visual aids
- Designing effective audio-visual aids
- Using concise words and correct language
- Managing audio-visual aids in presentation
 Language
- Constructing effective visual aids with Parallel
structures

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 LPE2301 ACADEMIC INTERACTION & PRESENTATION

SEMESTER 2, 2019/2020

Introduction to Presentation Skills

Ending the presentation

The conclusion of a presentation serves two major functions:

 To let the audience know you are ending the presentation.

 To reinforce the audience’s understanding of, or commitment to the central idea.

Signal the end of the presentation

You can let your audience know that your presentation is ending through these brief cues:

“In conclusion, …”
“My purpose has been…”
“Let me end by saying…”

Reinforce the central idea

There are many ways to do this. Here are the ones you are most likely to use:

 Summarising your presentation –restate the main points.

In conclusion, we have seen that the AIDS epidemic is having a devastating effect on
African society. An entire adult generation is slowly being wiped out. An entirely new
generation of AIDS orphans is being created. Governments in the nations most afflicted
have neither the resources nor the expertise to counter the epidemic. Many African
economies are being crippled by the loss of people in the workplace.
Before it’s too late, the United Nations and developed countries need to increase their
efforts to halt the epidemic and bring it under control. The lives and well-being of tens of
millions of people hang in the balance.
 Ending with a quotation – closing with quotation will give a memorable ending to the
presentation.
None of us have the extra time that we’d like. But whatever time you can spare, you’ll be
making a world of difference in the life of an underprivileged child. In the words of the
poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better
than you dare to think.”

 Calling for action – request the audience to take some kind of actions
With the numerous benefits it can offer, let’s start urban farming at that empty corner of
your home.

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Useful expressions to conclude a presentation
I’d like to conclude by…
In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.
Weighing the pros and cons, I come to the conclusion that…
That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for listening/your attention.
Thank you all for listening. It was a pleasure being here today.
Well, that’s it from me. Thank you very much.

For examples:

Topic: The advantages of organic farming

In conclusion, it is proven that organic farming provides numerous benefits to farmers and
the environment. Hence, I urge all of you to start practising organic farming in Malaysia
to shape a healthy and better sustainable country. Raj Patel, a fellow at the Institute
for Food and Development Policy mentioned that, “Far from being a ‘luxury for the
rich’, organic farming may turn out to be a necessity not just for the poor, but for
everyone. That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention.

Topic: The effects of Advertisements on Children

I’d like to conclude by saying that watching advertisements can cause detrimental effects
on children such as leading to obesity and influencing them with negative contents.
However, parents have the power to reduce these effects by teaching their children to
make wise choices and knowing the value of money. This will ensure their children
will not be harassed by advertisements again. Well, that’s it from me. Thank you very
much.

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 Utilising audio-visual aids: Types of Audio-Visual Aids

There are many types of visual aids that can be used in presentation.

Objects and
models

PowerPoint Photographs
slides and drawings

Types of Visual
Aids

Graphs/
Videos
Charts

i. Objects and models

Various types of physical objects can be used to clarify explanations and help to
maintain listeners’ interests especially if your speech is about the process of
making something. The audience can then watch the whole process step-by-step
to get clearer ideas of the demonstration. The examples of objects are cooking
utensils, paintball equipment etc. As for models, if the speaker is talking about
health, he/she can bring a model of a human anatomy or any related materials to
aid the presentation.

ii. Photographs and drawings

Photographs and drawings can be used to show authentic details of your object or
topic. They can help to make a presentation clearer and make the points more
realistic. For example, you are presenting the topic of Interesting places in
Malaysia, and you can include suitable and beautiful pictures of people and
places of interest in Malaysia. The listeners will appreciate this presentation as
they can witness them with their own eyes rather than just imagining them.

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iii. Graphs/Charts
If you need to present information with figures and statistics, it will be effective if
you use graphs or charts. For example, a bar graph is used to compare rankings.
The bars can be shown either horizontally or vertically in the graph. Another
example is line graph where it can be used to show how a trend has changed
over time. As for charts, pie chart is used to compare percentages by each
category or items, flow chart to explain the sequence of steps in a process and
bullet chart is to list key points.

iv. Videos
Using videos in a presentation can be effective if you want to illustrate your
subject clearly. For example, if you are presenting a topic on how smoke
detectors work, you can show your audiences a video of an accidental fire igniting
in a kitchen, causing the smoke detector to sound to enhance the audiences’
interest.

v. PowerPoint slides
Presentation slides are commonly used to enhance a presentation and to create a
dynamic presentation. This is because, the PowerPoint slides can incorporate the
combination of text, audio, graphics and video to make the presentation
interactive and more appealing.

Utilising audio-visual aids: Designing effective Audio-Visual Aids

Prepare in
advance
Keep slides
simple,
Use image
clear and
strategically
straightforw
ard

Preparing Visual Aids

Visual aids
Use colours
are large
effectively
enough

Use limited
Use fonts
amount of
effectively
text

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 i. Prepare your visual aids well in advance.

ii. Keep your slides simple, clear and straightforward – limit each slide to a
manageable amount of information.

iii. Make sure your visual aids are large enough to be seen by everyone.

iv. Use a limited amount of text – if you are using PowerPoint, use a maximum of 6
lines per slide and 6 words per line.

v. Use fonts effectively – choose fonts that are clear and easy to read; use the same
fonts on all your slides; use 36 to 44 font size for titles and major headings; and have
subheadings and other texts in 24 to 32 font size.

vi. Use colour effectively – some colours do not work well together such as red and
green. Use either dark print on a light background or vice versa.

vii. Use images strategically – only add images to PowerPoint slides when needed and
include captions so that the audience knows what they are viewing.

Utilising audio-visual aids: Using concise words and correct language

Text in presentation slides should be simplified that is by creating keywords and easy to
remember phrases. Besides, the sentences should be list down in parallel structures form.
For example:

The items begin with verbs

Discussion Etiquette
 Do not interrupt unnecessarily
 Do not digress from the topic
 Don’t dominate the discussion.
 Do not be offended if someone disagrees
with you.

The items begin with nouns

Benefits of Studying Abroad
 Learning new cultures
 Adapting to new environment
 Making new friends
 Becoming an independent person

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 Utilising audio-visual aids: Managing audio-visual aids in presentation

iii. Display
ii. Avoid iv. Explain v. Talk to
i. Display only when
passing clearly and the vi. Practice
clearly discussing
visual aids concisely audience
them

i. Display visual aids where the audience can see them clearly
 Check the room that you are going to use ahead of time to decide where you
will display your visual aids.
 Once you have set the visual aids (i.e. model or object) at the best location,
stand to one side of it. If you need to point to it, use the nearest arm.
 If you are using an LCD projector, make sure it functions well.

ii. Avoid passing visual aids among the audience

 Do not pass your hand-outs to your audience before or during the
presentation or else you will lose your audience’s attention.

iii. Display visual aids only while discussing them

 If you are using a model or object, keep it out of sight until you are ready to
discuss it.
 The same principle applies to PowerPoint slides. They should be visible only
while you are discussing them.

iv. Explain visual aids clearly and concisely

 Tell your audience what your visual aids (i.e. charts, graphs, images or
videos) mean.
 Describe their major features.
 Explain the charts and graphs.
 Do not rush over your visual aids.

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 v. Talk to your audience, not your visual aids
 Do not keep your eyes fixed on the visual aids while presenting as you may
lose your audience’s attention.

vi. Practise with your visual aids

 Go through your presentation multiple times: rehearse how you will show
your aids, the gestures you will make, and the timing of your presentation.
 When using PowerPoint, make sure you know when exactly you want each
slide to appear and disappear and what you will say while each slide is on the
screen.

Activity 1
Indicate whether the following statements about PowerPoint slides are True (T) or False (F)
for an academic presentation.

1. You should use only key words or phrases rather than complete sentences. [ T ]
2. Slides should have bright and colourful background to appear attractive. [ F ]
3. You should try to put in as much information as possible into each slide to [ F ]
reduce the total number of slides.
4. You should use a variety of fonts in your slides for creativity. [ F ]
5. Animation can be used to explain complex concepts. [ T ]
6. The text should all be in capital letters to make reading easier for the [ F ]
audience.
7. The font size of your text should be at least 12 points. [ F ]
8. You should use sound effect to add drama to your presentation. [ F ]

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Activity 2
Log on to http://www.slideshare.net/satyajeet_02/how-to-make-effective-presentation to find
out more about producing effective PowerPoint slides for a presentation. Based on the slides
from the website, list down the DOs and DON’Ts of producing effective PowerPoint slides in
the table below.

Effective PowerPoint slides

Dos Don’ts

1. Big texts 1. Small texts

2. Too many colours, fonts, styles and

2. 6 x 7 rule simple data
complicated data

3. Upper and lower case, fonts, use

3. Capital letters, busy fonts, low contrast
numbers, bullets, complementary and
and uncomplimentary colours, wrong size to
contrasting colours, size to show importance,
show importance, no direct attention.
focal point

4. Progressive and focused 4. Too much information

5. Attract not distract 5. Too many distractions