Graduate Research

Seminar Program

Tips For Preparing and Giving

Good PowerPoint Presentations

HPS 2004

Purpose of Presentation
Provide a Framework for Learning
The outline of almost every good talk is the same:

Tell them what youre going to tell them;

Then tell them;
Then tell them what you told them.

E.B. White. Manual of Style.

HPS 2004

Presentation Hints
PowerPoint Presentations
Compelling and persuasive.
Glib and disappointing (PowerPointlessness).
Worst case: PowerPointing a goal in itself;
more attention on special effects
than issues.
Best case: presentation enhances and
communicates larger body of work.
Jamie McKenzie. Scoring Power Points. www.fno.org/sept00/powerpoints.html
HPS 2004

Presentation Hints
PowerPoint Presentations
PowerPoint Poisoning:

Dilbert, August 16, 2000

David G. Brown, PowerPoint-Induced Sleep. Syllabus. January 2001:17.
HPS 2004

Antidotes for PowerPoint Poisoning

Design Artfully

Consider
Audience

Distill
Words

Avoid
Complex
Figures

Choose
Colors
Carefully

Eliminate
Distractions
HPS 2004

Antidotes for PowerPoint Poisoning

Eliminate Distractions
Flashing slides with many different transitions,
dazzling sound effects and gimmicks of various kinds can
distract the audience from the argument being
made or the evidence
being presented.
Students must learn
to settle for a few special
effects
and put most of their
energy in
persuasion. The best presentation is the most persuasive,
not
the most dazzling.
Jamie McKenzie. Scoring Power Points. www.fno.org/sept00/powerpoints.html
HPS 2004

Antidotes for PowerPoint Poisoning

Choose Colors Carefully

Bad

Good

Good

Bad

Bad

Good
So, So
Bad
Worst

Good
Good
Bad
Worst

Slide backgrounds, font sizes and colors

HPS 2004

Antidotes for PowerPoint Poisoning

Response

Avoid Complex Figures

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

ABAD
mutABD

6.25 12.5

25

50

100

A 40, nM

Use only what you need!

Lustbader et al. 2004. Science 304:448-452

Antidotes for PowerPoint Poisoning

Emphasize
Ideas & Logic

Supplement
Slides with
Text & Figures

Provide
Sufficient
Evidence

Maintain
Depth & Complexity

HPS 2004

Antidotes for PowerPoint Poisoning

Deliver Dramatically

Speak
With
Conviction

Maintain
Eye
Contact

Avoid
Reading
Slides

HPS 2004

Purpose of Presentation
Provide a Framework for Learning
The outline of almost every good talk is the same:

Tell them what youre going to tell them;

Then tell them;
Then tell them what you told them.

E.B. White. Manual of Style.

HPS 2004