The 7 C's of highly effective oral presentations for engineering students

A recent workshop with some Advanced Mechanical Engineering students from Singapore (hi guys!) reminded me of the famous 5 C's which I encountered when I used to teach there a few years back.

C= Credit Card C= Condominium C= Cash C= Car C= Career

When I asked the students to come up with some attributes of what they thought were the hallmarks of effective oral presentations, the C's came to the fore again. Here's what they came up with:

Be Concise and Compress what you need to say:

Nobody wants to sit through a boring speech. Eliminate waffle through rehearsal and careful planning.

Think structure in the same way you would for a piece of written work. Rehearsal will enable you to give your presentation to time.

Sometimes it helps to start with a little anecdote or survey the audience with a quick poll to get them involved. The introduction should address each small section of your presentation in the order in which it comes in your presentation. In the summary, it is good to look to the future: what needs to be done next? What does the future hold? What are some of the implications of what you found.

Clarify:

Explain technical terms well - don't make assumptions of your listener. Use everyday anecdotes and examples to show how what you are doing is linked to industry and 'real life' so that it becomes meaningful for your audience. 'Academese' (dense terminology and convoluted language) bores the listener. Simplifying complex terms and applications shows how clever you really are!

Contrast:

Use a mixture of styles. Sometimes it helps to move from PowerPoint slides to overhead transparencies to little stories which move the audience attention from wall to wall to speaker.

Also, make sure you use plenty of modulation in your voice when you speak. Pause for emphasis and avoid the monotone. This can be achieved by not relying on your PowerPoint slides or transparencies too much.

Courtesy:

A smile is worth a great deal in a presentation. Connect with your audience so that they feel you value them. Create a respectful environment by dressing for the occasion. (Do avoid leaning on the wall/tables etc - I have seen this. It is NOT a good look! :) ) Also, look as though you are actually enjoying yourself!

Criticism:

One of the most often rewarded aspects of academic writing is where the student can point out limitations, weaknesses or areas where the experiment or project could have been 'done better'.

What worked? What was good? What was surprising? What were the limitations or constraints? What needs to be done for the future? What did you learn about yourself or the project as a researcher?

These questions are the stuff of higher order thinking and lecturers are pleased when they crop up.

Conviction:

Once again - avoid the monotone. One way you can convince an audience of your passion for a project is to make eye contact with the audience. Perhaps the most enduring piece of advice I have ever read about oral presentations is to make eye contact with individuals (not walls!)

In conclusion, nerves befuddle even the best public speakers. The first time I ever had to speak in front of a large group of students (around 250 at City West) I was perfectly composed from the waist up. However, I was grateful for the lectern as my legs shook uncontrollably - thankfully out of view of the students!

I think my best tip is for you to prepare well and rehearse. That way you can be quite CONFIDENT that you will do very well.

Do you have any oral presentation stories or tips for other students? You can post anonymously; use your name or log on as a Google Blogger.

Andrea Duff