Notes on Student Presentations

Notes for Students

There are many goals in making a presentation on a scientific topic: 1. First and foremost, you are seeking to present information that is technical. Make sure that your presentation has sufficient technical depth. 2. If you are presenting about a specific discovery or advance, you need to put the contribution in perspective and explain why it is significant. you need to explain the contribution There are Your goals in making a scientific

Making a scientific presentation is a challenge for many students, so it is an important learning experience.

I agree. It’s also to remember that scientific presentations are not the same as class lecture slides, which is something I forget a lot. (That is, I make my lecture slides look like scientific presentations.)

Here are some links:

http://www.craftofscientificpresentations.com

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781441982780

http://writing.engr.psu.edu/courses/presentations.html

Notes for Faculty

What to present

• Have students give presentations early in the course: it helps to integrate the class.
• Have students present a paper
• Have students present final projects

The presentations

• Have students submit their slides at least 4 days before the presentation, so you can offer criticism with enough time for the students to improve them.
• Force students to turn in draft presentations by having a grade assigned for turning them in (1 point)
• Format really doesn't matter.
• Give students a time limit
• Enforce the time limit