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A short guide to understanding your assignmentsA short guide topresentation skillswww.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/asc1
2A short guide to presentation skillsA short guide to presentation skillsDuring your time at university, you will probably be askedto give an oral presentation to your peers, whether as partof an assessment for a module, as a group presentation ina seminar, or during an interview. Presentations require asmuch thought, planning and research as written essays,even though their purpose, style and audience are oftendifferent. For many students, delivering a presentationcan be a nerve-wracking experience, but it does nothave to be! Here are some tips to help you develop yourpresentations and enjoy doing them.
A short guide to presentation skillsPlanning a presentationFive key questions to ask yourself:1What are yourpresentation’s objectives?23?What content areyou going to include?44.5Who is your audienceHow much time do you have?What visual aidswill you use?In each case, your answer should reflect the needs ofyour audience, plus any assessment criteria.3
4A short guide to presentation skillsWriting a presentationScript vs notes: alwayswrite notes eg, on indexcards. Never rely on writingout the whole presentationand simply reading it.Plan out thepresentation to get asmooth flow of ideas.Think extra-hard about anengaging introduction andmemorable conclusion.Using technology Learn how to use PowerPoint ora similar presentation tool, butmake sure your slides are suitableand helpful. For example, makesure your font size is large enoughto be readable.Use pictures and diagramseffectively! Keep your imagessimple. Avoid unnecessary clutteror distracting transitions. Be aware of copyright for images.The ASC Short Guide to usingvisuals in your writing(2015) can help you.Make sure youhave a back-upplan in casetechnology fails.
A short guide to presentation skillsDelivering presentations Practise, practise, and practise!It’s that simple. Why not ask a friendto be your audience so you can getsome feedback?Be enthusiastic. If you appearpassionate and interested in yourtopic, your audience will be too.Body language and posture.Stand with a relaxed but confidentposture to deliver your presentation.Smile and make eye contact withyour audience, and try not to paceor fidget.Your voice is your best tool!Practice will help you learn to speakclearly and project.Watch your pace. Many studentslose marks for nervously racingthrough their presentation. Thishinders understanding. Pause nowand again to drink some water andslow yourself down.Question and answer session Be prepared. Think through inadvance what you might be asked.How do you respond? Practisesome responses. On the day,make sure you listen carefully andgive yourself a moment to consideryour answer.Do not make up the answer ifyou’re unsure! Be honest, and try aphrase such as ‘that’s an interestingquestion that had not occurredto me.’Overcoming nerves Presentation nerves can bepositive! To do the best possiblepresentation, you need some energy,some ‘edge’. Totally nervelessperformances can be flat.Preparation is key! If you haveprepared an interesting presentationwith a clear structure and lots ofexamples, your anxiety will decrease.Think positively. Your lecturer,seminar tutor and your peers all wantyou to do well. Afterwards,you will feel great!Relaxation techniques. Everybodyhas their own way of controllingand channelling nerves. See thereadings on the back page forexamples of relaxation techniques.5
6A short guide to presentation skillsFive Top tips1Let your interest andenthusiasm shine through.23A STRONG introductionand conclusion will focusyour audience.Practise yourpresentation and watchyour timing.45Aim to enjoythe experience!Use PowerPoint and othervisual or technologicalresources, but only if theyadd something.
A short guide to presentation skillsFurther references onpresentation skillsFurther reading and referenceson presentation skillsChivers, B. and Shoolbred, M. (2007)A student’s guide to presentations.London: Sage.University of Birmingham. Academic SkillsCentre. (2016) Short guide to images in yourwriting. Available visuals.pdf(Accessed: 10 January 2016).University of Birmingham. (2016) Presentationskills. Available d: 12 May 2016)University of Leicester. Student LearningDevelopment. (2016) Using PowerPoint .Available s/using-ppt(Accessed: 10 January 2016).7
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2 A short guide to presentation skills A short guide to presentation skills During your time at university, you will probably be asked to give an oral presentation to your peers, whether as part of an assessment for a module, as a group presentation in a
