Difference between revisions of "Notes on Student Presentations"

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==Notes for Students==
==Notes for Students==
Making a scientific presentation is a challenge for many students, so it is an important learning experience.  
Making a scientific presentation is a challenge for many students, so it is an important learning experience.  
There are many goals in making a presentation on a scientific topic:
# First and foremost, you are seeking to present information that is technical. Make sure that your presentation has **sufficient technical depth**.
# If you are presenting about a specific discovery or advance, you need to ''put the contribution in context''.
# You need to explain its ''significance'', also called the ''contribution'' of the research.


===Basic Things to Remember when Creating Slides===
===Basic Things to Remember when Creating Slides===
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#* Any disclaimers
#* Any disclaimers
#* Slide's permanent URL
#* Slide's permanent URL
# If your slides are reviewing an article, the first slide should also indicate:
# If your slides are reviewing an article, the first slide should also indicate the article's title, author(s), publication venue, and date.
#* The article's title, author(s), publication venue, and date.
# Expand all acronyms on first use.  
# Expand all acronyms on first use.  
# Use the entire slide!
# Use the entire slide!
Line 25: Line 30:
* Lecture on YouTube Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7950IuJ0RHg
* Lecture on YouTube Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7950IuJ0RHg
* Book: http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781441982780
* Book: http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781441982780
===Goals===
There are many goals in making a presentation on a scientific topic:


# First and foremost, you are seeking to present information that is technical. Make sure that your presentation has **sufficient technical depth**.  
==Specific notes for "journal club" events in my classes==
# If you are presenting about a specific discovery or advance, you need to ''put the contribution in context''.  
# Think of your presentation as an emotional event in which you convey scientific information. Your goal is to make people care about this topic by explaining why it is important, and why it is important to you.
# You need to explain its ''significance'', also called the ''contribution'' of the research.
# Minimize the number of slides. You should have no more than 5 or 7 slides.
# The first slide should state the most important issue that you are going to present.  
# Do not read a script.


===References===
==References==




Latest revision as of 08:41, 12 March 2022

Notes for Students

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

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 context.
  3. You need to explain its significance, also called the contribution of the research.

Basic Things to Remember when Creating Slides

  1. The first slide should clearly indicate:
    • Your Name
    • Date of presentation
    • Version number of slide deck
    • Any disclaimers
    • Slide's permanent URL
  2. If your slides are reviewing an article, the first slide should also indicate the article's title, author(s), publication venue, and date.
  3. Expand all acronyms on first use.
  4. Use the entire slide!
  5. Don't use small fonts. A good rule of thumb is don't use a pointsize in powerpoint that is smaller than 24. However, your best bet is to take your slides into the room and try them out several days in advance to verify that they can be seen from the last row in the classroom.
  6. Make your slides high-contrast. Ideally your slides should be black text on a white background, as this is the most legible. You can use colors like red and blue for emphasis. Remember, a significant fraction of the population cannot distinguish the colors red and green.
  7. Your slides should clearly present the information you want to present.
  8. Put a page number on every slide so that they can be referred to.
  9. Your last slide should have your important points. Don't waste it with the word "Questions" and nothing else.

Make your headlines count by using sentence headlines and the Michael Alley's "assertion evidence" slide format. See:

Specific notes for "journal club" events in my classes

  1. Think of your presentation as an emotional event in which you convey scientific information. Your goal is to make people care about this topic by explaining why it is important, and why it is important to you.
  2. Minimize the number of slides. You should have no more than 5 or 7 slides.
  3. The first slide should state the most important issue that you are going to present.
  4. Do not read a script.

References

Good Blogs on Giving Talks

I reviewed more than a dozen blogs about giving talks, and thought that these were the best:

Presentations on Scientific Presentations

For people who don't like reading that much:

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
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