1. Presenting on a Panel or Roundtable Student Research Conference, 2015 Erica Litke, HGSE March 23, 2015

2. Agenda  What is the purpose and structure of a Panel/Roundtable?  What will happen? What should my presentation look like?  How can I best prepare?  Your questions! (And my best attempts to answer them). 3/23/15 2 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education

3. What is the purpose/structure of my session? PANEL  Presenting a (finished) research study  Why? FEEDBACK!  3-5 papers total  Each person presents their own work for 10-15 mins.  Followed by discussion/ Q&A from discussant and audience ROUNDTABLE  Presenting a study in progress in some way (early stages)  Why? FEEDBACK!  3-5 people doing the same.  Each person presents their own work for 8-10 mins.  Followed by discussion/conversation about the work from the moderator, participants and attendees. 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 3

4. Panel Presentation  Goal: Share your research findings with interested audience members, receive feedback and answer questions.  How?: Powerpoint (10-15 minute presentation)  And then: Q&A 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 4

5. Panel Presentation* 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 5  Establish A Sensible Slide Format That Is Common Across All Slides:  Make sure each slide has an explicit title that explains what’s on that slide.  Don’t put too much on any one slide.  Use footers and headers to maintain your title, authorship, affiliation, date..  Provide An Attention-Grabbing Opening:  Slide #1:State title, author, affiliation, date, mention your personal interests.  Slide #2:State your research questions, discuss the literature and abiding issues.  Document The Background And Context Of Your Research:  Slide #3:Identify and describe your site.  Slide #4:Identify and describe your dataset.  Slide #5:Describe your sample, include selected descriptive statistics/plots, if possible.  Slide #6:Describe any important procedures used in the design or data collection.  Slide #7:Define your measures – outcome, question predictors, instruments, covariates.  Slide #8:Present your statistical models, by question, identifying critical parameters.  Present Your Main Findings, By Research Question:  Slide #9a:Prepare decent, sparse, well-annotated summary tables, by RQ.  Slide #9b:Create interpretive visuals to accompany answer to each RQ, if possible.  Provide A Memorable Closing:  Slide #10:Discuss your threats to validity.  Slide #11:Provide a “big picture” summary in words, directly addressing the RQs.  Slide #12:Outline the implications of your work for the future.  Prepare Appendices and Supplementary Slides (optional)  Prepare A Handout For Your Audience, Including a Bibliography.  Establish A Sensible Slide Format That Is Common Across All Slides:  Make sure each slide has an explicit title that explains what’s on that slide.  Don’t put too much on any one slide.  Use footers and headers to maintain your title, authorship, affiliation, date..  Provide An Attention-Grabbing Opening:  Slide #1:State title, author, affiliation, date, mention your personal interests.  Slide #2:State your research questions, discuss the literature and abiding issues.  Document The Background And Context Of Your Research:  Slide #3:Identify and describe your site.  Slide #4:Identify and describe your dataset.  Slide #5:Describe your sample, include selected descriptive statistics/plots, if possible.  Slide #6:Describe any important procedures used in the design or data collection.  Slide #7:Define your measures – outcome, question predictors, instruments, covariates.  Slide #8:Present your statistical models, by question, identifying critical parameters.  Present Your Main Findings, By Research Question:  Slide #9a:Prepare decent, sparse, well-annotated summary tables, by RQ.  Slide #9b:Create interpretive visuals to accompany answer to each RQ, if possible.  Provide A Memorable Closing:  Slide #10:Discuss your threats to validity.  Slide #11:Provide a “big picture” summary in words, directly addressing the RQs.  Slide #12:Outline the implications of your work for the future.  Prepare Appendices and Supplementary Slides (optional)  Prepare A Handout For Your Audience, Including a Bibliography. *With MAJOR Thanks to John Willett

6. Some tips:  Keep text on the screen to a reasonable minimum  VISUALS where you can  Don’t read the bullets.  Know your audience (naïve but intelligent)  Keep jargon to a minimum  But explain key concepts  Over-prepare but know you won’t get to it all  Appendices  Know what you will skip if you’re short on time.  You can’t present 36 slides in 10 minutes. I promise! 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 6

7. Roundtable Presentation  Goal: Share your thinking about a research project in progress (even if it is in the early stages) with others interested in related topics for feedback and insight.  How?: Handout (usually). Powerpoint is okay too. 5-10 minute presentation of the work  And then: Discussion/feedback. 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 7

8. Making the Most of a Roundtable  Prepare something for the group  Handout – this could look something like:  Short intro  Research Questions  Context/Background/Theory  Proposed study/Description of the study in progress  Questions you would like feedback on from the group!  Powerpoint is okay too! – see previous slide 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 8

9. What can I do to be ready?  With thanks again to John Willett:  THE THREE P’S  Prepare the presentation  Practice the presentation  Be positive when you present 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 9

10. Practice your Presentation (in the words of John Willett) 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 10  Review Your Visuals Carefully:  Examine them for clarity, clutter and relevance.  Decide, in advance, which slide(s) you’ll skip, if time runs out.  Identify some additional slides you’ll comment on if time allows.  Prepare To Present:  Plan every word you intend to say.  Write your script out in a large font, formatted to emulate spoken phrasing.  Use cautious animation to stage the presentation of each slide.  Rehearse Your Talk:  Videotape a practice run and review your performance with remote control & coach.  Obtain feedback from your coach on:  The strength of your opening & closing.  Your logical flow.  The credibility and clarity of evidence presentation.  The clarity and comprehensibility of your key points.  Your distracting verbal mannerisms and physical ticks.  Check the physical environment in which you’ll present, in advance:  Check that you have everything you need (including a pointer).  Check audience sightlines in advance, moving or removing seats as needed.  Fix your computer so that it doesn’t go to sleep while you’re being introduced.  Make sure that the projected image can be read from the back of the room.  Establish a reasonable surface to place (hide) your notes in plain sight.  Review Your Visuals Carefully:  Examine them for clarity, clutter and relevance.  Decide, in advance, which slide(s) you’ll skip, if time runs out.  Identify some additional slides you’ll comment on if time allows.  Prepare To Present:  Plan every word you intend to say.  Write your script out in a large font, formatted to emulate spoken phrasing.  Use cautious animation to stage the presentation of each slide.  Rehearse Your Talk:  Videotape a practice run and review your performance with remote control & coach.  Obtain feedback from your coach on:  The strength of your opening & closing.  Your logical flow.  The credibility and clarity of evidence presentation.  The clarity and comprehensibility of your key points.  Your distracting verbal mannerisms and physical ticks.  Check the physical environment in which you’ll present, in advance:  Check that you have everything you need (including a pointer).  Check audience sightlines in advance, moving or removing seats as needed.  Fix your computer so that it doesn’t go to sleep while you’re being introduced.  Make sure that the projected image can be read from the back of the room.  Establish a reasonable surface to place (hide) your notes in plain sight.

11. Be Positive about Yourself and Your Research (again, in the words of John Willett) 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 11  Be Positive About Your Talk:  Project a sense that you value your material.  Do NOT read the script, but use your slides as “prompts.”  Be Positive About Yourself:  Be confident, yet relaxed.  Don’t be afraid to acknowledge a mistake, but don’t grovel.  Build Rapport With Your Audience:  Be yourself, be sincere.  Establish and maintain eye-contact with your audience.  Connect your message to what you think their experiences are.  Don’t adopt a “defensive” position -- move out towards, and into, the audience if that is possible.  If you don’t want questions until the end, say so!  If you don’t know the answer, don’t bluster – say “I don’t know the answer to that right not, but I will certainly look into it!”  Hold the Audience’s Attention:  Don’t stand rigidly, gripping the podium with white knuckles.  Have decisive body animation.  Don’t be afraid to direct audience questions back to other audience members (or to the rest of the panel!).  Be Positive About Your Talk:  Project a sense that you value your material.  Do NOT read the script, but use your slides as “prompts.”  Be Positive About Yourself:  Be confident, yet relaxed.  Don’t be afraid to acknowledge a mistake, but don’t grovel.  Build Rapport With Your Audience:  Be yourself, be sincere.  Establish and maintain eye-contact with your audience.  Connect your message to what you think their experiences are.  Don’t adopt a “defensive” position -- move out towards, and into, the audience if that is possible.  If you don’t want questions until the end, say so!  If you don’t know the answer, don’t bluster – say “I don’t know the answer to that right not, but I will certainly look into it!”  Hold the Audience’s Attention:  Don’t stand rigidly, gripping the podium with white knuckles.  Have decisive body animation.  Don’t be afraid to direct audience questions back to other audience members (or to the rest of the panel!).

12. Questions? 3/23/15 Erica Litke, Harvard Graduate School of Education 12 Thank you! Erica Litke egl278@mail.harvard.edu