1. No matter what type of projection you use, you must make certain decisions
What format
to choose?
This slide is a transition slide to the second part of the presentation section on designing presentation slides: namely, the discussion of what to include on one’s slides and what to exclude. (CSP, Critical Error 6)
Included
What information
to include?
Excluded

2. Include slides that accent important details
Images
Neptune has three moons
Results
Four warmest
years of century
1988
1987
1983
1981
The world is warming
When first showing this slide, I ask the students the following question: Given that well-designed slides can improve the retention rate of the audience to 50% and given that you have to be selective about which details you place on your slides, what kinds of details should you place onto slides? Usually, after some thought, they will arrive at the two categories above. As the students arrive at the category, I have the information appear. That reinforces the student’s answer. A third category of information to include is on the next slide. (CSP, pages )

3. Include slides that show organization
Beginning
Mapping
Title
Middle
Middle 1
Middle 2
This slide shows an important third category of information that slides should include: namely, information that reveals the organization of the presentation. In general, a speaker should include the following types of slides: a title slide, a slide that maps the presentation, at least one body slide for each main section of the middle, and a conclusion slide. Note that the length of the talk determines how many slides you should have. As a rule of thumb, I suggest that speakers average minutes per slide. That way, the slide is up long enough for the audience to absorb the information. A common mistake that students often make is that they place and remove slides so quickly (particularly the title and conclusion slides) that the audience has no chance to take in the information. The next few slides present a set of slides for a 15 minute technical presentation. Notice how these slides (on their own) present the most important images, most important results, and organization of the talk. (CSP, pages )
Ending
Conclusion

4. Methods to Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Emissions From Coal-Fueled Utilities
Title slide to example talk. The speaker should use this slide to discuss introductory material such as the importance of the talk Notice that having the speaker’s name and institution allows the speaker to begin in a more powerful than just My name is Cynthia Schmidt and I’m from the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Texas. There’s nothing wrong with that opening, but it could be more powerful: Last year, coal-fired utilities emitted more than 21 million tons of sulfur dioxides into the atmosphere. Again, the most common mistake that students make with title slides is that they do not project them long enough. (CSP, pages 69-71, )
Cynthia Schmidt
Mechanical Engineering Department
University of Texas

5. Three classes of methods exist for reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide
post-combustion
methods
combustion
pre-combustion methods
Mapping slide of sample presentation. While most speakers miss an opportunity with mapping slides by just giving the audience a boring and unmemorable vertical list of topics (including the names “Introduction” and “Conclusion”), this speaker couched the list in an image, which was much easier for the audience to remember. In regard to the names “Introduction” and “Conclusion,” every talk has those sections, and the names are not missed. Note also that the speaker grouped her methods into three categories. Groups of two’s, three’s, and four’s are much easier to remember and are not so nearly intimidating as groups of five’s, six’s, and seven’s. This particular slide appears in the textbook. (CSP, pages 74-75, )

6. The most effective combustion method is an atmospheric fluidized bed
separator
air
inlet
cleaned
exhaust
grid
90% removal capability
low capital cost—able to use in existing equipment
high operating cost
ability to use different grades of coal
Slide from the second main category of the sample presentation. Notice the sentence headline. Notice also the images and results in the body. This particular slide appears in the textbook. (CSP, pages 149, 151)

7. Percentage Reduction of SO2
In summary, by using these methods, coal utilities can greatly reduce SO2 emissions
Percentage Reduction of SO2
coal cleaning
coal switching
fluidized bed
absorption
adsorption 25 50 75
40%
80%
90%
95%
Conclusion slide for the sample presentation. This slide summarizes the most important result--namely, the effectiveness of each at removing sulfur dioxides. Notice that the speaker has the opportunity to give additional perspectives in the speech by discussing other criteria for deciding upon these methods and discussing which of the these methods might easily be used in combinations with the others. Also, recommend that your students begin the headline of the conclusion slide with “In summary” or “In conclusion” so that it is clear to the audience that this slide is the last slide. Also, mention that it is more effective to have the word “Questions” appear on this slide rather than have a separate slide with just word “Questions.” Just having the word appear on the conclusion slide allows this slide (usually the most important of the presentation) to remain up during the question period. (CSP, pages )
Questions?

8. Exclude details that the audience does not need or cannot remember
Avoid filler information
Roentgen discovered x-rays
in He found that a
cathode-ray tube produced
fluorescence in a distant plati-
num-barium-cyanide screen.
Avoid long lists
• Corrosion
• Acid rain
• Toxic materials
• Pulsed combustion
• Energetic materials
• Pyrogenic materials
• Smog
Avoid complex images
DEAR-
ATOR
HOT
WELL
RGF A B
While the previous slides have discussed what information include, this slide discusses which information to exclude. Here, I cover up the different categories and ask the students what information should speakers not place on the slides. The students usually come up with most of these categories. On the first one, I usually retell the story given in the text about the manager making the presentation to the Secretary of Energy. (CSP, pages )

9. Presentations can be viewed from three stylistic perspectives
Structure and
Speech
Visual Aids
Delivery
This slide is a repetition of the mapping slide and indicates a transition to the third topic to be discussed: delivery. In a shorter presentation, I often delete this slide. One point worth noting is that in teaching this material, I try to give the students a model for presentation slides that they can use in their own presentations. That is why I am careful to map this presentation. Delivery consists of the speaker’s voice, movements (including eye contact), and stage presence before the audience. Richard Feynman, who was a dynamic speaker, represents this perspective. (CSP, Chapter 5)
Archives, Cal-Tech

10. Delivery is the speaker’s interaction with the audience
Cal-Tech
Stage Presence
Movement
Cal-Tech
Voice
AIP
This slide discusses three key aspects of delivery in a technical presentation. Voice, which is represented by the physicist Chien Shiung Wu, includes such things as speaking loudly enough, not speaking in a monotone, overcoming strong accents, and avoiding filler phrases. Movements, which is represented by Richard Feynman, include stance, eye contact, gestures, and avoidance of nervous movements such as tapping feet or pulling on ties. Stage presence, which is represented by Linus Paulin, includes controlling nervousness, handling disruptions, and fielding questions.
In teaching this aspect of presentations, I have the students use their experience at seeing presentations in their classes to come up with lists of strengths and weaknesses that they have witnessed. The way that I run the class is to divide the class into groups of four and have each group come up with examples of three strengths and three weaknesses of delivery (voice, movements, and stage presence) that they have seen. The rules are that the students must keep the weak examples anonymous. Often I have individual groups concentrate on specific areas of delivery.
After the groups come up with their lists, representatives from each group then makes a presentation to the class demonstrating or explaining the items on those lists. I usually speak at the end to cover important points not discussed. Discussions about these aspects appear in Critical Errors 9 and 10 of CSP.

11. You have several choices for how you deliver your speech
Memorizing the Speech
+ allows eye contact
- difficult for long speeches
- room for precision errors
- no room for improvising
Reading From a Text
+ ensures precision
- does not sound natural
- no room for improvising
- hinders eye contact
Winging It
+ sounds natural
- has much room for error
Speaking From Slides
+ insures organization
+ allows eye contact
+ allows improvising
- some room for error
This slide shows the advantages and disadvantages of four different sources for one’s speech:speaking from slides or notes, memorizing, reading, or winging it. In general, I advocate speaking from presentation slides or from notes. However, I think that it is important to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each source. Moreover, I also think that there is a place for the other sources to some extent in presentations.
For example, I often memorize the first sentence of an important presentation just so that I can deliver that opening in a confident manner. Having the first sentence memorized allows me to make good eye contact around the room. Note, though, that trying to memorize more than a couple of sentences in a presentation is burdensome and impractical for most engineers and scientists who are extremely busy in their jobs.
In pressure situations such as a press conference about an environmental or safety problem, reading a statement is usually better than speaking from notes. In such situations, you want to say exactly what your institution recommends. Another situation in which you might read part of a speech is when you are quoting a law or statute in a presentation and want to be exact.
Winging it is generally not a good idea, but it is one that students should practice because occasions arise (such as in question and answer periods) in which they will be placed on the spot. Having practiced for such situations, they will be in a better position to rise to the occasion. (CSP, Critical Error 2)

12. In summary, another way to approach presentations is to focus on three critical steps for success
This slide is a conclusion slide for a discussion about technical presentations. My concluding discussion occurs in Chapter 6 of The Craft of Scientific Presentations. Linus Pauling, Richard Feynman, and Jane Goodall are shown because they represent so well the respective critical steps for success.
AIP
Cal-Tech
Have an acute awareness of the audience
Be genuinely enthusiastic about the subject
Cal-Tech
Know the subject