Creating Effective Power Point Presentations lecture 13 Overview Planning Your Presentation Writing Your Presentation Designing Your

r Presentation Presenting Your Presentation Planning Your Presentation Audience Purpose Topic Presentation Management Writing Your Presentation Designing Your Presentation Presenting Your Presentation Planning Your Presentation Audience Who is your audience? Is your audience a layperson, executive, technician,expert? Or a combination? What are the characteristics and concerns of your audience? How will you meet the needs of your audience? What does your audience want? A presentation that is more than just reading slides A clear idea of what you are talking about Information they can actually use Not so much information that they cant remember Not so little information that they wonder why they even listened to you Slides with enough information, but not too much A lively, interesting presentation that doesnt send them to sleep Planning Your Presentation Purpose Why are you giving the presentation? To inform and increase level of expertise on presented topic My specific purpose is to inform the audience about the role of the two-party system in American politics. To persuade listeners with presented argument My specific purpose is to persuade the audience of the need for stiffer penalties for running red lights. To sell a presented product My desired outcome is to have you buy this product. Planning Your Presentation Topic What is the purpose of exploring this topic? Determine if your purpose is: To provide an overview of a broad topic or related topics To provide an in-depth presentation of a specific subsection of a topic How do you break the topic down? Determine the natural subsections of your topic Delegate tasks/subsections among group members

Planning Your Presentation Project Management

How do you meet your deadline? Create an internal timeline with milestones and reviews Build in time for content reviews, grammar edits, merging document portions, and ensuring format and style guide are applied consistently Consider choosing a facilitator to oversee project management Create checks and balances for completing assignments Notify the instructor of any issues Writing Your Presentation Information Research Selection Organization Information Research Use reputable sources for research such as academic articles, interviews with professionals, books, etc. Document information sources with citation numbers throughout and corresponding reference slides at the end Collect more information than you need for the slides Anticipate questions the audience might have when researching your topic Information Selection Present essential information: not too little Information on slides should be self-explanatory and complete A number, cryptic sentence, or unexplained image is not useful information Slides should clearly present the content of the presentation in an obvious way and develop the basic ideas clearly Present essential information: not too much Leave out minute or insignificant details Limit use of examples and tangential information Exclude unnecessary or contradictory information Writing Your Presentation Information Organization Establish Structure of Content Reinforce Structure Through Slide Composition Strengthen Overall Flow with Transitions Maintain Structure and Flow on Content Slides Organization Establish Structure of Content A presentation with effective organization: Uses structure to organize information logically Presents information in a familiar sequence (such as from general to specific, simple to complex, chronological/sequential, or parts of a whole) Breaks down complex ideas into smaller concepts and addresses them one by one Helps your audience link concepts and provides context Answers your audiences questions before they think to ask them A presentation with effective structure: Uses headings to identify main concepts and create a structural hierarchy of information Leads your audience through the topic and subsections Keeps the audience focused on content through clearly developed slides Keeps audience oriented in the overall presentation and clearly demonstrates how each

part relates to the whole To develop a presentation with effective structure: Develop the structure of the presentation on paper before you create slides Write out information to be presented on slides, paper, post-its, note cards, etc. Arrange, group, and rearrange information for most effective flow and comprehension Cut and paste information in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint to achieve most intuitive structure Group related items together and ensure information flows smoothly from one group to the next Organize and move around groupings until the order becomes clear, logical, and intuitive Organization Reinforce Structure Through Slide Composition Create an overview slide of main headings to outline what you are going to tell the audience Make the 1st slide a title slide and 2nd slide an overview of the presentation with main headings listed Repeat the overview slide at the beginning of each new section if presentation is lengthy to orient viewer Place only main points on overview slides Follow the outline throughout the presentation Orient audience during the presentation by repeating main headings on individual slide titles Title Slide: Contains title of presentation, date, presenter name Overview Slide: Establishes the outline of the presentation and order of concepts Identifies main level headings of the presentation Includes sub-levels headings only if the presentation contains few main level headings Content Slides: Repeats main level heading, if necessary, to keep audience oriented Adds detailed information to the outline Accommodates all necessary information with unlimited number of slides Final Slide: Summarizes content in easy-to-remember bullets for audience Presents a list of pros and cons if appropriate Organization Strengthen Overall Flow with Transitions Build flow into your presentation to lead your audience from: Main topic to main topic Slide to slide Point to point Bullet to bullet Sub-bullet to sub-bullet Transition smoothly between slides Repeat keywords from previous slide to provide transition Title slides to clearly indicate: How the current slide fits in with the structure of the overall presentation The relationship between ideas presented on the slides immediately preceding and following the current one Organization Maintain Structure and Flow on Content Slides Continue principles of organization and flow on individual content slides Order bullets on each content slide in the most intuitive sequence for the audience Make sure bullets are grammatically parallel and are logical sub points of their main point Show relationship of main points to sub-points State your point completely and succinctly in the main bullet

Add 2-3 important details or examples as sub-bullets Use parallel structure to show relationship between bullet point Be mindful of slide density on content slides Write a maximum of 2 lines per bullet, if possible Limit to 6-8 bullets per slide Avoid long sentences Keep slides simple and understandable in a few seconds If a slide contains too much information, split it in two Use grammar and punctuation consistently Avoid abbreviations and acronyms not obvious to audience Eliminate personal pronouns Avoid articles when it makes sense Use whole sentences or fragments, but be consistent Limit punctuation marks and use punctuation consistently Use present tense when possible

Designing Your Presentation Templates Format Font Visuals Templates Choose template carefully Background images and busy templates distract from content Unobtrusive templates showcase content Text should contrast strongly with background Dark text on a light background are easy to read both on the projector and on handouts Choose a color scheme and template that will not empty the toner when you print handouts Use slide master feature for consistent and simple design template Change slide master settings at View Master Slide Master Make changes to the fonts, sizes and look of master slide as needed Add copyright, name, date, and phrases like confidential in slide master footer for company slides Design your own presentation template if you have the time and ability Designing Your Presentation Templates

Format Font Visuals Format Use font, size, and color consistently and parallel in titles, text and bullets Use the same transitions and animations for whole presentation Transitions should be quick and unnoticeable Be aware fancy animations are distracting and become annoying quickly Designing Your Presentation Templates Format Font Visuals Font Use font size 24 - 48 point to make sure slides can be read from the back of the room Font size under 20 is nearly unreadable from a distance Use only sans serif fonts since serif fonts and fancy fonts can be hard to read DONT WRITE TEXT IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS; IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ Be careful with colors Use colors for emphasis but plan well Use as few different fonts and sizes as possible Use sans serif fonts for a clean look and readability Use font size to indicate hierarchy Make the font size of titles larger than text Use a smaller font for sub-bullets or body text Designing Your Presentation Templates Format Font Visuals Uses Types Visuals Uses Use graphics to depict: Objects, parts, or features of an object Actions or movements Orientation or position Concepts or a progression of ideas Summarize and condense information and make it easy to access through a visual Allow international communication

Visuals Generally, you should be able to explain a graph or a table in a few minutes Overly dense graphics are difficult to follow

If necessary, break up into several slides Be sure not to use a font size under 22 points for tables or graphics to keep them readable Tables or graphics imported directly from print material are generally bad for slides Fonts are too small Information is generally too crowded and dense Made for close-up reading, not distant viewing on a screen Visuals Types Flowcharts and other conceptual drawings Graphs and charts Graphics Tables

Use graphs rather than just charts and words Data in graphs is easier to comprehend and retain than raw data Trends are easier to visualize in graph form Always title graphs

Visuals Types: Graphics Use professional photographs, not clipart Make sure images maintain impact and resolution when projected on a large screen

Visuals Types: Graphics Example of a bad graphic:

Visuals Types: Tables Tables organize information for quick comparison

Presenting Your Presentation Rehearsal Testing Interaction Handouts

Rehearsal Use slides as a guide Slides only give audience basic information you fill out orally

Never consider slides a substitute for oral presentation Use the slides as reference, not as exclusive information PowerPoint slides are an aid for the presentation, not the presentation it self Audience wants to hear what YOU have to say on the topic, not just read slides Navigate slides with ease Spend enough time as necessary to explain a slide Split an information dense slide into more than one slide Rehearsal Single Presenter Practice introducing yourself and the topic Synchronize your spoken presentation with your slides If you encourage note-taking, allow audience time to do so and include in timing presentation Plan your presentation to allow time at the end for questions and answers Practice non-linear navigation in PowerPoint to allow jumping ahead or back without paging through all slides Rehearsal Multiple Presenters Combine individual presentations into one before presentation day Determine how to break down total presentation time among presenters and their respective subsections Decide who introduces the group and topic Estimate correctly how long it really takes to cover all information among presenters Practice a smooth transition from one presenter to the next Transfer the controls and move on smoothly without interruption Practice introduction of next speaker and topic Do a practice run of the entire presentation with transitions with all presenters present Ensure all presenters have sufficient time for their portion of the presentation Allow for extra feedback on each presenter individually Allow time for questions Rehearsal Important Navigation Shortcuts Practice shortcuts to make moving around in presentation easy Up, Page Up, Mouse Wheel Up: Previous Slide Down, Page Down, Mouse Wheel Down, Left-Click:Next Slide Type number and press ENTER: go to specific slide. NO visual feedback as number is entered B Blank screen: displays black screen. Useful if you want audience to stop reading W White screen. Displays white screen. Similar to 'B', but less jarring if presentation has a white background A Hide pointer. Makes on-screen arrow cursor go away. Cursor normally disappears if not moved for a few seconds CTRL-P Pen mode. Lets you write on your presentation. Not recommended for many laptop pointing devices E Erase pen marks Esc - Terminate slide show F5 Start slide show

Presenting Your Presentation Rehearsal Testing

Interaction Handouts Testing Test presentation on actual presentation system BEFORE presentation Things can and do go wrong One system may have different versions and requirements and than another system and the presentation cannot run Slides may be unreadable from back seats and have to be changed Unusual fonts may be unreadable on a different system Bring presentation on several media in case one source fails. Use a memory stick or CD Send as an attachment to an online email account Print handouts for audience Presenting Your Presentation Rehearsal Testing Interaction Handouts Interaction Dont read from your slides. Slides are for the audience, not you. Dont read to your slides. Face the audience, not the screen. Dont apologize for your slides. If a slide is hard to read or unclear, dont use it. Dont turn off all lights. Light keeps the audience from falling asleep and lets them take notes if they want. Do interact with and engage your audience. Speak at a comfortable speed. Do not speed up to cover more information! If you have a hard time talking to groups, present to a few members in the audience in different locations of the room. Remember, you know more than your audience and they want to learn from you! Remember that a good presentation is a story Give a brief overview of information at the start Present information Review important points in the conclusion Allow for audience responses and questions Presenting Your Presentation Rehearsal Testing Interaction Handouts Handouts Provide a hard copy of your slides to allow viewers to focus on you, not note taking If you are a knowledgeable and engaging presenter, dont worry that the audience wont listen to you Handouts allow the audience to take notes directly on relevant slides Presentation should still make sense if all the audience has is the handout Effective Persuasion Developing Persuasive Documents lecture 14 Overview

This presentation will cover: The persuasive context The role of the audience What to research and cite How to establish your credibility What is Persuasive Writing? Definition: persuasive writing... seeks to convince its readers to embrace the point-of-view presented by appealing to the audiences reason and understanding through argument and/or entreaty. Persuasive Genres You encounter persuasion every day. TV Commercials Letters to the Editor Junk mail Magazine ads College brochures Can you think of other persuasive contexts? Steps for Effective Persuasion Understand your audience Support your opinion Know the various sides of your issue Respectfully address other points of view Find common ground with your audience Establish your credibility When to Persuade an Audience Your organization needs funding for a project Your boss wants you to make recommendations for a course of action You need to shift someones current point of view to build common ground so action can be taken Understanding Your Audience Who is your audience? What beliefs do they hold about the topic? What disagreements might arise between you and your audience? How can you refute counterarguments with respect? Understanding Your Audience What concerns does your audience face? For example: Do they have limited funds to distribute? Do they feel the topic directly affects them? How much time do they have to consider your document? Help your audience relate to your topic Appeal to their hearts as well as their minds. Use anecdotes when appropriate Paint your topic in with plenty of detail Involve the readers senses in these sections

Researching an Issue Become familiar with all sides of an issue. -find common ground -understand the history of the topic -predict the counterarguments your audience might make -find strong support for your own perspective Find common ground with your audience For example: Point of Opposition: You might support a war, whereas your audience might not. Common ground: Both sides want to see their troops come home. Predict counterarguments Example: Your Argument: Organic produce from local Farmers Markets is better than store-bought produce. The Opposition: Organic produce is too expensive. Researching an Issue One Possible Counterargument: Organic produce is higher in nutritional value than store-bought produce and is also free of pesticides, making it a better value. Also, store-bought produce travels thousands of miles, and the cost of gasoline affects the prices of food on supermarket shelves. Support Your Perspective Appeal to the audiences reason Use statistics and reputable studies Cite experts on the topic Do they back up what you say? Do they refute the other side? Cite Sources with Some Clout Which source would a reader find more credible? The New York Times http://www.myopinion.com Which person would a reader be more likely to believe? Joe Smith from Fort Wayne, IN Dr. Susan Worth, Prof. of Criminology at Purdue University Establish Credibility Cite credible sources Cite sources correctly and thoroughly Use professional language (and design) Edit out all errors Cite Sources Ethically Dont misrepresent a quote or leave out important information. Misquote: Crime rates were down by 2002, according to Dr. Smith. Actual quote: Crime rates were down by 2002, but steadily began climbing again a year later, said to Dr. Smith. Tactics to Avoid Dont lecture or talk down to your audience Dont make threats or bully your reader Dont employ guilt trips Be careful if using the second person, you

Have More Questions? Visit us at the Writing Lab Heavilon Hall 226 4-3723 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/writinglab Visit us online at the OWL http://owl.english.purdue.edu

Writing Engineering Reports- lecture 15 Overview This presentation will cover: Report purpose and planning Report format and organization Headings and language Visual design Source documentation Finishing touches Report Purpose Describe research Explain problem or issue studied Discuss research method Describe data collected Describe research findings Explain implications Report Purpose Inform readers of research results precisely, concisely, and specifically They shouldnt have to read whole report to get essential points Report Planning Before writing, consider: Why you are writing What you hope to achieve Who you are writing for These considerations will determine your reports content, organization, textual and visual design

Report Format and Organization Reports generally include these sections in this order: Abstract Introduction Literature Review Methodology

 Results Discussion Conclusion But be aware that order is flexible in that sections can be combined Some journals combine introduction and literature review Others have the results and discussion combined Report Format and Organization Abstract Always comes first Microcosm of entire paper contains key info from each section Contains essential information only it is brief! Covers research highlights Gives the research problem and/or main objective of the research Indicates the methodology used Presents the main findings and conclusions Abstract Example: A nonlinear finite element procedure for the pre- and postbuckling analysis of thin-walled boxsection beam-columns is presented. The influence of local plate buckling upon the overall ultimate buckling behavior of the member is incorporated in the analysis by adopting a set of modified-stress versus strain curves for axially loaded plates. Factors such as residual stresses, associated with hot-rolled and cold-formed sections, and initial geometrical imperfections are Accounted for in the analysis. A number of examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the method. From Elasto-Plastic Analysis of Box-Beam-Columns Including Local Buckling Effects in Journal of Structural Engineering. Report Format and Organization Background/Introduction Explains the research problem and its context Explains importance of the problem (Why does it matter? Why is more information needed?) Explains reason and goals for study Explains the limitations of the research performed You want your reader to fully understand the significance of your research Report Format and Organization Literature Review Summarizes and evaluates the literature that you have used in your study by considering: How that literature has contributed to your area of research The strengths and weaknesses of previous studies How that literature informs your own research and understanding of the research problem Report Format and Organization Methodology Explains how data was gathered/generated Explains how data was analyzed Assumes reader understands material Does not include explanatory material Is in past tense and passive voice A 1 piece of coil was cut

 The research has been carried out It is the research, and not your activities, that are of interest Report Format and Organization Results Visually and textually represents research findings Visual representation of results: Graphs, tables, diagrams, charts Explanatory text: Text points out the most significant portions of research findings Indicates key trends or relationships Highlights expected and/or unexpected findings Report Format and Organization Discussion Assesses and comments on research results Includes: Explanation for Results Comments on unexpected results, offering hypothesis for them Comparison to literature Does your research confirm previous studies? Deviate from them? Explanation for how info can be applied in broader context Report Format and Organization Summary Discusses: What was learned through research What remains to be learned Weaknesses and shortcomings of study Strengths of study Possible applications of study (how it can be used) Recommendations Organizational Considerations Your audience, purpose, and contents should influence your report organization and format Example: your professor may have very specific guidelines Carefully consider your decisions

Headings and Subheadings Headings and subheadings guide readers attention Can be used to keep track of various parts of project: For example: Making Components, Assembling Components, and Testing Assembly They should be: Specific and helpful Used to break up text and chunk information Used to guide readers attention Example of vague heading:

 The use of some computing technologies in certain engineering classrooms Example of specific heading: Using Matlab in the Freshman engineering classroom Language and Vocabulary Reports should be easily accessible Be straightforward and concise Use simple terms, not jargon and technical terms Keep sentences short and simple (20 words max) Be specific and not general Use concrete numbers and metaphors or similes Visual Design A reports visual design can make or break its communication success Visual Design includes: Use of graphs and other graphics Use of white space Graphics: Should be used to illustrate specific points Should be incorporated in a way that is natural to reports content/context Should be explained fully in text using references such as Fig. 1 shows... Should be cited if taken from a source Graphics a caveat Graphics do not speak for themselves! For this reason, textual information should come before graphics. Visual Design General layout should focus readers on key information Use white space to guide readers attention Created through use of headings, subheadings, and visuals Source Documentation Cite sources whenever you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing work that is not your own Quoting directly is discouraged Sourcesinclude: Books Journal, magazine, or newspaper articles Interviews Conference Proceedings Lectures Source Documentation Citing: Shows your credibility as a researcher Gives proper credit to authors and researchers Protects you from accusations of plagiarism Source Documentation Use APA or other specified format for documentation Check online for style guides http://owl.english.purdue.edu http://www.apastyle.org/

 Check journals for format info Finishing Touches Usability Testing Have a colleague read your report for clarity, organization, and visual design Check your sources for proper citations Proofread carefully or better yet, ask someone to do it for you DRAFTING & REVISING lecture 16 THE PURPOSE OF DRAFTING & REVISION To improve your documents effectiveness To improve your documents quality LEVELS OF EDITING Level 1: Revision global editing . Attention to subject, purpose, readers, and context of use. Level 2: Substantive editing - attention to content, organization and document design. Level 3: Copyediting attention to style for clarity, persuasion and consistency. Level 4: Proofreading attention to grammar, typos, usage problems, and spelling.

LEVEL 1 EDITING - REVISING Subject - need to be narrowed/broadened? Did you stray? Purpose What did you want to achieve? Is purpose still the same? Reader Have you learned more? Secondary, tertiary, gatekeeper concerns addressed? Context of use has this changed? Has your understanding of physical places where document will be used changed or expanded? Has there been a change in circumstances (e.g. political, economic) which are part of the context of use? Has your understanding of the context of use changed? LEVEL 2 EDITING - SUBSTANTIVE Content Search for digressions or gaps in content

Organization Conformance to genre, identifiable introduction, body, conclusion. Design Focussed on the readers and context of use of the document. LEVEL 3 EDITING - COPYEDITING Sentences - are they clear and concise? Are subjects and verbs easy to locate? Are the sentences breathing length? Paragraphs does each paragraph have a clear topic (claim) and adequate support? Headings do they reflect the content which follows and have clear levels? Graphics are graphs and figures accurate and supportive with respect to the text? LEVEL 4 EDITING - PROOFREADING Grammar Punctuation Spelling and Typos Word Usage (see Fig 12.8, p316 of text) How to test your document for USABILITY DOCUMENT CYCLING After you have revised your document, it can be useful to get opinions from colleagues. Send your document around to colleagues and ask them to read it and give you ideas for improvement. Quality feedback loop this feedback must come back to you so that you have a chance to incorporate it (or reject it) as necessary before finalizing the document. USABILITY TESTING Get readers to try out the document to make sure it is useful for them. Informal usability testing Ask other people to look at document and indicate difficult passages. Formal usability testing Testing in a formal environment (usability laboratory) with experiments to test understanding and usage of the document. USABILITY TEST CRITERIA Read-and-locate: Can they find it? Understandability: Can they understand it? Performance: Can they do it? Safety Tests: Is the documented process safe? Measure results against the documents objectives

PROOFREADING- lecture 17 OBJECTIVES To encourage good proofreading habits. To develop good proofreading skills. To learn how to revise your writing to make it more coherent. Proofreading Basics BASICS WHAT IS PROOFREADING Searching your writing for errors.

Grammatical Typographical Ideally, this is done before submitting your work! An assignment To an audience (e.g. manager, client) Proofreading abbreviated to proofing for short GENERAL TIPS Take a break between writing and proofing Plan ahead to leave yourself enough time to proofread Read what youve written aloud how do you sound? Pretend youre the audience MAKE IT PERSONAL What errors do you usually make? Have a look at the feedback you get from me (and other instructors) about your writing. Do you make the same sort of errors regularly? Devise strategies to search for and correct the errors you make more frequently than others Searching for errors you might have made in your writing FINDING COMMON ERRORS SEARCHING FOR ERRORS Spelling Omitted/doubled words Fragment sentences Run-on sentences Subject/verb agreement Mixed construction Parallelism Pronoun Reference/Agreement Apostrophes SPELLING Software spell checkers are not infallible! There are some easy spelling mistakes to make: Words including ei or ie Homonyms (e.g. your/youre, to/too/two, there/their/theyre) As you proof your work, use a pen or your finger to follow the sentence word by word. This can help you spot spelling mistakes!

OMITTED AND DOUBLED WORDS It is easy, especially when typing quickly, to leave out a word from a sentence. It is also easy to double-up a word. Sometimes you can also include a second word which is different from the first but which means the same thing. Easiest to find by reading what you have written out-loud FRAGMENT SENTENCES Each sentence should have a subject. Each sentence should have a complete verb. Each sentence should have an independent clause.

Dependent clause example (avoid this): Which is the reason this sentence is a fragment. RUN-ON SENTENCES Does the sentence include more than one independent clause? If so, are they separated by punctuation? If not, can they be turned into separate sentences or be divided by punctuation? MIXED CONSTRUCTION Make sure your sentence does not start with one structure and end with another: Since I have a lot of work to do is why I cant go to the mall tonight. Keep the same structure throughout: Since I have a lot of work to do, I cant go to the mall tonight. PRONOUN REFERENCE/AGREEMENT Skim your paper, stopping at each pronoun. Search for the noun that the pronoun replaces. If you cant find any noun, insert one beforehand or change it from a pronoun into a noun. If you can find a noun, make sure it agrees in number and person with your pronoun. APOSTROPHES This is a common error by students who are native English speakers too! Plurals do not need apostrophes before the s. Possession requires an apostrophe. Example: Marys books Mary owns the books (possessive apostrophe) There are plural books (no apostrophe) Does this make any sense? REVISING FOR COHESION COHESION Cohesion, with respect to writing, means that your thoughts come together and build on each other. In a cohesive document, each sentence makes sense with respect to the sentence which preceded it. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF Do the sentences hang together? Is it easy to move from one sentence to the next? Are the sentences of a paragraph unified with each other? Is it easy to identify a topic for each paragraph? COHESIVE SENTENCES A sentence should begin with a concept familiar to the reader. By the time the sentence ends, the reader should anticipate how it will end. If the reader is surprised by the ending of the sentence, they have become lost during the sentence. The sentence lacks cohesion.