Study Skills

Top Tips

Know your subject matter.

Solid content is essential for a good presentation, so make sure you’ve done your research.

Have all of your materials organized.

Your presentation will go much smoother if your notes and visual aids are easy for you to use.

Avoid the lecture.

Use visual aids, questions and activities to engage your audience.

Be aware of your non-verbal communication.

Stand straight, make eye contact with your audience, and smile. Avoid distracting behaviours, like chewing gum or fidgeting.

PRACTICE!

Be sure to go through your full presentation several times before giving it to your class. Do it on your own and with an audience.

Practice relaxing.

Practicing will make it easier to manage your natural anxiety during your presentation.

Prepare short speaking notes.

Try to write only the keywords or key points on cue cards so that you won’t be tempted to read.

Take your time.

Speaking slowly will help you avoid excessive verbal fillers (“ummm” or “ahhhh”).

Information from The Learning Portal used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Create An Effective Presentation

Develop Your Content

1. Brainstorm ideas.
2. See where you need to fill in information and research your topic.
3. Gather all your information and then organize it. Prepare an outline of how you want to present the information.
4. Transfer the information to cue cards or a single sheet of paper.  You can use these to support you during your presentation.

Remember: You can’t read your presentation off of a script, so don’t write an essay. Instead, use bullet points to remind you of the next key point.

Be sure to know the expected length of time for the presentation and plan accordingly. Make sure you have enough to say.

Create Your Visual Aids

• Visual aids can take many forms, which means you can be creative!  Other than PowerPoint you can use Prezi, posters, charts, hands-on samples or demonstrations. Keep in mind that you should be comfortable using whatever you use to create your visual aid.  
• If you are using slides, make them simple and uncluttered. Too much text or pictures per slide makes it hard for audience to digest all the information. This means you shouldn’t copy your entire speech onto your slides.
• Have 1-2 slides for every 1-2 minutes you are speaking.
• Slides should be large enough to be seen from the back of a room. Use a font size of at least 32.
• Use colour and contrast (but in moderation!). Avoid yellow and orange because they are hard to see from a distance.

Information from The Learning Portal used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Prepare for Your Presentation

Tips for Preparing Your Presentation

• Make sure that you know you know your topic well. It’s much easier to explain something to other people if you have a good understanding of it yourself.
• Practice your presentation out loud! This will help you get a more accurate feel for how much time your presentation will take.
• Review the assignment rubric to determine what is expected so that you know how to budget your time.
• Try timing yourself. You will speak faster during the actual presentation, so expect your presentation to be a bit shorter than your practice run.
• If you are using PowerPoint slides, use the “Rehearsal Timing” feature to know exactly how long you have spent on each slide
  • If you are too long on one slide, consider dividing the information between two cards.
  • If you don’t spend any time on another slide, consider removing it.
• Practice in front of a mirror. This makes you aware of how often you are looking down at your notes or your visuals aids.
• Practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for critiques.
• If you are using cue cards, make sure you have them numbered in case you drop them.  You can also attach them together with a metal ring, so that they stay together even if they fall.
• Make sure that you are comfortable using whatever you have chosen to use for your visual aids.
• Don’t use a network connection to access any part of your presentation. Have the material downloaded ahead of time and use it offline.
• Have a backup or a hard copy with you in case of a problem.

Information from The Learning Portal used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Deliver an Effective Presentation

Tips for Delivering a Good Presentation

Be aware of your non-verbal communication. 

• Use body language that shows confidence.
• Have good posture.
• Smile and act relaxed. It will make you look and feel more confident.
• Make eye contact with your audience instead of reading off your notes the entire time.
• Avoid distracting behaviours, like chewing gum or fidgeting.
• Watch for nervous gestures, such as rocking, or tapping.
• Make sure to dress appropriately for your profession.

Take time to think during your presentation! 

People have a tendency to speak more quickly under pressure.  Make an effort to slow your pace and include pauses. Speaking slower will also help you avoid excessive verbal fillers like “ummm” or “ahhhh”.

Pay attention to your volume.  

Think about projecting your voice to the back of the classroom so that everyone can hear what you have to say.

Try to speak clearly so that your audience can easily understand your words.

Avoid the ‘lecture’. 

By incorporating more than speech into your presentation, you’ll be better able to hold your audience’s attention. Try using visuals, asking questions, or doing activities.

How to Present Online

Adapted from The Learning Portal used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Tips for Creating a Poster

Most importantly, follow the assignment instructions. An effective poster has the elements listed below.

• Readable from up to 10 feet away.
• A short title which catches the interest of the audience.
• Text that is both concise and clear.
• Headings, numbering, and bullets to make it easier to read.
• Colours, fonts, and graphics are used effectively.
• A clean and consistent layout.
• Includes your name, the name of your institution, and acknowledgments.

Tips for Presenting a Poster

• Think of your presentation as having a conversation but on a larger scale. Chat with people.
• The people attending your poster presentation are a captive audience who are interested to hear about your research.
• Prepare an "elevator pitch," a short 1–2 minute synopsis of your research to share with those viewing your poster.
• Prepare a longer speech that allows you to tell the "story" of your research – the inspiration, the questions that drove your research, the findings, and your conclusions.
• During your talk, highlight the relevant areas of your poster – charts, images, etc.
• Allow your viewer time to look at your poster and to ask questions.
• Prepare some questions to ask your visitors in case they don’t have anything to ask you.
• Have a copy of your full bibliography to pass out to interested parties.
• Decide whether you will have "swag" at your poster presentation. Will you have buttons, candy, or pencils to hand out? It all depends on your poster.

Adapted from The Learning Portal used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.