Preparing for presentations and handling questions

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Preparing for presentations
&
handling questions
By Titilayo Falade
Associate Scientist
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
Presented at IARSAF Seminar
30 October 2020

2

Outline
1. Types of presentations
2. Tips: Preparing slides for presentations
3. Some mistakes in preparing slides and how to
avoid them
4. Presenting slides
5. Handling questions during a presentation
3

Types of presentations1
4

Poster presentations
Conferences, symposia,
awareness campaigns
• Should tell the story of your
work
• Images help to highlight
points and attract the
reader
• Font size recommended not
to be below 40 pt
Speaking for posters
• Short oral presentations before poster
display
• Talk through the slides 5

Types of presentations: oral
–Part of academic
requirements
–Professional meetings
conferences/symposia,
seminars
• Short presentations: 2 to 5 minutes
(Speed poster presentations, 3-minute thesis
competitions)
• Longer presentations: 10 minutes and above
Oral presentations
Source: pixabay.com
6

Tips: Preparing slides for presentations2
7

Preparing slides for oral presentations
• Content: What do you
want to present?
Audience: Whom are you
presenting to?
Time: How much time do
you have?
8

Tips for preparing slides: organisation
• Title page
– Topic
– Author(s), Affiliation
– Event, Location
– Date
• Outline
– Preview of what you will talk about
• Body of presentation
– Based on outline
• Summary
– Take-away messages
• Acknowledgments
– Those who have contributed to the
work presented: supervisors, funding
institutions…
• Opportunity for questions
Say what you are
going to say
Say it
Say what you have
said
Event
Date
Topic
Author(s), Affiliation
9

Some mistakes and how to avoid them3a
10

General mistakes
Not following stipulated guidelines if any
• Are there guidelines for your department or
institution?
– Template to use
– Sections to include
Copying and pasting your word document in
PowerPoint
• A presentation is not a dissertation/thesis
document
• Summarize using visuals (photos, charts, etc.),
main points 11

Some mistakes and how to avoid them3a
Visual content
Textual content
References
Presenting data
12

Mistakes with presentation of visual content
Aspergillus flavus
Distracting or unprofessional images
Light
reflection
Poor
labelling
Clutter on
the
background
The same image
can be presented
differently
What was done?
1. Cropped out irrelevant areas
2. Labelled with typed font
13

Mistakes with presentation of visual content (cont’d)
Better image qualityPoor image quality
Stretched images (out of proportion) Bad image angle and
distracting background
Area of
focus
scarcely
in view
× ✓
× ×
14

Some mistakes and how to avoid them3b
Visual content
Textual content
References
Presenting data
15

• USING ALL CAPITALS FOR THE CONTENT OF YOUR
SLIDES IS NOT IDEAL. OTHER MISTAKES ARE AS
INDICATED BELOW:
• Using dark text on dark background
• Using light text colours on light background
• Filling your slides with text rather than highlighting
the main points. This makes it less visually
appealing and the audience focuses on the text,
rather than what you are saying.
• Using too many colours or distracting animations
• Including too many slides: exceeding time granted
Mistakes with presentation of text content
16

• Do not capitalize all words
• Use dark text on lighter backgrounds
• Use light text colours on darker background
• Highlight the main points to
– Increase visual appeal
– Help audience focus on discussion
• Limit colour and animation use
• Keep to time: estimate 1 minute for 1 slide
Correcting mistakes with textual content
17

Mistakes with presentation of textual content (cont’d)
Overwhelming slides: Presenting all points at once.
• Instead of that, points can be introduced
gradually
• Point 1: Animations can be used
• Point 2: Gradual introduction does not overwhelm
the audience
• Point 3: Audience and speaker focus is enhanced
• Point 4: The slides look less busy as the points are
introduced
18

Mistakes with presentation of visual content (cont’d)
Instead introduce points gradually:
• Point 1: Animations can be used
• Point 2: Gradual introduction does not overwhelm
the audience
• Point 3: Audience and speaker focus is enhanced
• Point 4: The slides look less busy as the points are
introduced
19

Some mistakes and how to avoid them3c
Visual content
Textual content
References
Presenting data
20

Some mistakes: references
• Plagiarism
– Excluding references for copyright-protected material
– Copying information verbatim without “ ” and reference(s)
No reference can be fraudulent
Source: Falade et al., 2016
Reference can be
indicated in smaller font
The same image
can be presented
differently
21

Some mistakes: references (cont’d)
Including references for several points in the same theme
• According to Xyz et al., 2015 the moisture content of the
food material correlates with specific spoilage organisms
• Also, the packaging material can be a contamination
source (Abc et al., 2010)
• Sanitary conditions were reported to significantly correlate
with food spoilage (Efg et al., 2010; Qrs, 2018)
• Food spoilage can be a result of
– Moisture content
– Packaging material
– Sanitary conditions
Sources: Xyz et al., 2015; Abc et al., 2010; Efg et al., 2010 and Qrs, 2018.
An alternative
22

Some mistakes and how to avoid them3d
Visual content
Textual content
References
Presenting data
23

Some mistakes: presenting graphs
• Too small
• Unnecessary minor gridlines included
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Yam Potatoes Cassava Rice Sorghum Maize Millet Sesame
Day 1 Day2 Day 3
No label
on y axis
No chart
title
Bright yellow colour of Day
2 is difficult to see
24

• Minor gridlines removed
• Colour of Day 2 is better seen
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Yam Potatoes Cassava Rice Sorghum Maize Millet Sesame
Spoilagerating
Spoilage rating of food crops investigated over time
Day 1 Day2 Day 3
Correcting mistakes: presenting graphs
Y axis label Chart title
25

0
2
4
6
8
10
12
D-14K D-05K M-12A Z-01B S-12N Z-01C M-12X T-71A
Spoilagerating
Spoilage rating of crop varieties investigated over time
Day 1 Day2 Day 3
Correcting mistakes: presenting graphs
Here X axis label is included to provide clarity
26
Crop varieties

Some mistakes: presenting tables
• Too small font
• Too much information on slide
• No point of emphasis
S/N Crop Water Activity Weight (g) Length Width Height Area
Water
Activity
Weight
(g) Length Width Height Area
Water
Activity
Weight
(g) Length Width Height Area
1Cocoyam 0.98 5 20 3 2 120 0.98 5 20 3 2 120 0.98 5 20 3 2 120
2Yam 0.80 5 20 5 3 300 0.80 5 20 5 3 300 0.80 5 20 5 3 300
3Potatoes 0.98 5 10 7 1 70 0.98 5 10 7 1 70 0.98 5 10 7 1 70
4Sweetpotatoes 0.80 5 15 2 4 120 0.80 5 15 2 4 120 0.80 5 15 2 4 120
5Cassava 0.98 5 17 7 4 476 0.98 5 17 7 4 476 0.98 5 17 7 4 476
6Beetroot 0.80 5 16 2 1 32 0.80 5 16 2 1 32 0.80 5 16 2 1 32
7Carrots 0.70 5 14 3 4 168 0.70 5 14 3 4 168 0.70 5 14 3 4 168
8Onions 0.75 5 15 7 2 210 0.75 5 15 7 2 210 0.75 5 15 7 2 210
9Radish 0.70 5 16 9 6 864 0.70 5 16 9 6 864 0.70 5 16 9 6 864
10Maize 0.98 5 13 4 2 104 0.98 5 13 4 2 104 0.98 5 13 4 2 104
11Sorghum 0.80 5 15 3 7 315 0.80 5 15 3 7 315 0.80 5 15 3 7 315
12Millet 0.98 5 14 2 2 56 0.98 5 14 2 2 56 0.98 5 14 2 2 56
13Groundnut 0.80 5 15 7 7 735 0.80 5 15 7 7 735 0.80 5 15 7 7 735
27

Correcting some mistakes: presenting tables
Crop
Water
Activity Weight (g) Length Width Height
Onions 0.75 5 15 7 2
Radish 0.70 5 16 9 6
Maize 0.98 5 13 4 2
Sorghum 0.60 5 15 3 7
Millet 0.98 5 14 2 2
Groundnut 0.90 5 15 7 7
• Include only key information
• Draw emphasis using different colour themes
28

Correcting some mistakes: presenting tables
Crop
Water
Activity Length Width Height
Cocoyam 0.98 20 3* 2
Yam 0.80 20 5 3
Potatoes 0.98 9 7 1
Sweetpotatoes 0.80 15 2 4
Cassava 0.98 17 7 4
Beetroot 0.80 16 2* 1
Carrots 0.70 14 3 4
• Emphasize using shapes or characters
Each sample weighed 5 grams 29

30
Presenting slides4

Presenting to a live audience
31
• Face your audience, not the projector
• Use gesticulations purposefully,
otherwise they become distracting
(unless…)
Source: Images from www.ted.com

Presenting online (and live)
32
• Consider using an alternative internet source, if
possible (esp. where internet is unstable)
• Refrain from using fillers in your speech, as much
as possible
vs vs Animations

Handling questions5
33

Asking and responding to questions
– The presenter has taken time to show his/her work to
the audience
– The audience has taken time to pay attention to the
presenter
Respect audience before question time
• Don’t be sloppy – give your slides a
good look
• Speak audibly
Don’t ridicule while asking and
responding to questions
34

Responding to presentations: Critique
1. Using the sandwich rule
Positive feedback
Critique
Positive feedback
Thank you for your presentation, it provided significant information on the subject
matter and it was valuable to learn about your proposed project.
However, there are some areas that I think could have been included; such as the
justification for the research. This would help our understanding of why the project is
important. Also, your method for disease rating was not clear, it would have been
better if it was more detailed.
Again, thank you. I have benefitted from listening to your talk.
Example:
Some ways to critique:
35

Responding to presentations: Critique
2. Ask as question
3. Focus on the work not the presenter
Thank you for your presentation. I have two questions:
1. How would you communicate the justification for this research?
2. Author X, Y and Z used a different approach for disease rating.
Would the method presented provide sufficient data points to
explain differences in patterns?
Example:
The presentation could be improved
with more clarity in terms of its
justification. Also, the font on many
slides were difficult to read because of
the sizes and colours chosen.
Alternative
You have not presented
your work clearly and
most of your slides were
bad, especially the
method section.
Places emphasis on content
Provides information on areas to improve
This points out that there are errors/omissions and challenges the
presenter to take responsibility and think.
Places emphasis on speaker
36

Responding to questions from audience
×Ways not to respond
• Thinking of answers instead of listening actively
• Avoidance: Answering questions you were not
asked
• Being blank: Saying nothing/looking blank
• Fainting or pretending to faint
• Offensive/aggressive and defensive attitude
– Shouting back a response
– Blaming your supervisor
37

Responding to questions from audience
Stay in
control
Maintain
eye contact
Listen
• Listen carefully
• Repeat or re-frame the question to be sure you
heard correctly
• Clarify if question is unclear
• Respond within the scope of your work.
• If outside scope, say so, but acknowledge value
• If you do not know answer, state so and indicate
interest to research further
• Be positive and willing to learn from questions
• Take notes
• Maintain eye contact with audience
• Do not turn response time to dialogue entirely
Allow sufficient time for questions
38

Conclusion
39

Conclusion
• Tell a story with your presentation
Follow guidelines of department/institution
– Template to use
– Sections to include
• Do not copy and paste from dissertation/thesis
word document
• Highlight your project points using
– visuals (photos, charts, etc.)
– main points
40

Summary
✓Types of presentations
✓Tips: Preparing slides for presentations
✓Some mistakes in preparing slides and how to
avoid them
✓Presenting slides
✓Handling questions during a presentation
41

Note
• There are other creative ways of making
presentations and the guidance provided here
is not the only way.
• Tell a story, use images and imagination, be
passionate
42

Thank you
43

Links to some presentations
44
• Hans Rosling’s Ted presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVimVzgtD6w
• Ngozi Okojo-Iweala’s presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPVjktgYKo4
• Cornell 2019 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winner – Teddy
Yesudasan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlie96P1kog
• 2017 University of Waterloo 3MT winner – Emmanuel
Alabi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SRbUb_U7PY
Nancy Mourad’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfoF2SCboJ0
Giulia Muntoni’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmUX2jRrtyY

45

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