How to Give an Academic Talk Paul N. Edwards School of Information and Dept. of History This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The terms of this licence allow you to remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit me and license your new creations under the identical terms.Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License Quasi-permanent URL: pne.people.si.umich.edu/PDF/howtotalkslides.pdfpne.people.si.umich.edu/PDF/howtotalkslides.pdf 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

The awful academic talk  Speaker sits down  Speaker reads  Monotone  Sentences long, complex, jargon-filled  Exceeds time limit 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Why are so many talks so terrible?  Stage fright  Academic culture(s)  Public speaking skills aren’t taught  Students learn from professors’ bad habits  Most talks aren’t rehearsed 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Listening is hard work  Conference audiences: many talks over many hours  Job talks: many candidates  Limits to human attention span (~40 minutes)  Competing distractions  Other talks  Internet/  Other concerns 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Purposes of public speaking  Communicate arguments and evidence  Persuade audience that they are true 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Structures and contents  A talk is not a paper  Give away your punch line: summarize  Claims and evidence  What matters is why  Focus on main points  What do you want your audience to remember?  What can your audience remember? 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Purposes of public speaking  Communicate arguments and evidence  Persuade audience that they are true  Engage (excite, interest, entertain)  The forgotten purpose  Mistake: equate “engaging” with “superficial” 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Why engage and entertain?  To communicate and persuade…  You need your audience’s full attention  …and your audience needs your help to maintain focus 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Engaging your audience Physical presence  Sitting vs. standing  Be the dominant animal  Talking vs. reading  Moving vs. standing still  Always face audience  Make eye contact!  Or at least look like it  Don’t “side” the room 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Engaging your audience Vocal production  Loud and clear!  Talk to the back row  Breathe!  Use the diaphragm  Speak from the belly, not the head  Belly opens on inhale, contracts on exhale  Use sound reinforcement 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Engaging your audience Vocal technique  Things to watch out for:  Uptalk  Monotone  Like, y’know, ummmm…  The sound of authority: speak at the low end of your range 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Engaging your audience Take control of the environment  Temperature  Light  Noise and distractions 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Using presentation software Less is more  Text: keep it simple  Use images!  Slide backgrounds: simple, bright  Avoid glitzy special effects 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

death by powerpoint

About Powerpoint  Less is more  words per text slide  USE images  USE ability to have many slides  Practice!  Don’t watch screen -- use your laptop or notes  Slide backgrounds: simple, bright  Backup, backup

About Powerpoint  Less is more  words per text slide  USE images  USE ability to have many slides  Practice!  Don’t watch screen -- use your laptop or notes  Slide backgrounds: simple, bright  Backup, backup  Less is more  words per text slide  USE images  USE ability to have many slides  Practice!  Don’t watch screen -- use your laptop or notes  Slide backgrounds: simple, bright  Backup, backup

R s calculated using Fick’s 1 o law of diffusion using Moldrup et al model Critical parameters: CO 2  P  Flux= -D s  C  z D s /D a =  D s  D a     s s= silt + sand  b  m 

R s as a function of T, 

other ways to use powerpoint 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

a word 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

or an image 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

climate change 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

even more radical: 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan don’t use it

Using presentation software Less is more  If you use video: keep it short  Don’t talk to the screen  Use your laptop or notes 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Timing  Respect your audience, and your colleagues: finish on time!!  Use a timer or watch  Know what you can skip…  …and it’s not your conclusions.  Don’t draw attention to mistiming  Create a standard slide length 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Practice, practice, practice!  Rehearsal matters more than slide prep  Time yourself  Improvising? Practice, and account for the time! 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

practice!!!!!

Murphy’s Law: planning for disaster  Use your own laptop  Backup, backup, backup!!  Bring a printout  Imagine (and plan for) the worst possible audience 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Summing up: usually better…  Talk  Stand  Move  Speak loudly  Face the audience  Make eye contact  or fake it  Focus on main arguments  Summarize at beginning and end  Use visual aids  Finish within time limit  Rehearse  Respond to audience 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Today  What public speaking is for, and why it’s hard  How to engage your audience  Physical presence and vocal techniques  Using presentation software  Timing  Rehearsal: the key to success  Troubleshooting: handling difficult situations 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Troubleshooting  Difficult people  Interruptions  Heckling  Difficult vocal problems  High-pitched voices  Quiet voices  Second-language issues 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Troubleshooting  Difficult rooms  Dark  Large, without sound reinforcement  Steep pitch  Difficult audiences  Very small  Not your field  Hostile 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Emulate excellent speakers  Not just what they say —  But what they do 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan

Whatever you practice, you get good at… “How to Give an Academic Talk” (written version): pne.people.si.umich.edu/PDF/howtotalk.pdf 16 June 2015 Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan