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Tips for Preparing a Group Presentation PLAN IT Get to know your group members. Be
open to the reality that each of you has different strengths, expectations,
experiences, and perspectives. Strive to collaborate by actively listening,
doing your fair share, and soliciting comments from everyone. Next, analyze your audience. To whom
are you speaking? What do they already know about you and your topic?
What are their attitudes? What knowledge will be useful and interesting
to them? If you are giving this presentation for a class assignment,
be sure that you all understand the criteria for grading the presentation.
Recognize that your instructor is going to grade the presentation itself,
not your levels of effort or desire. Research your talk. Find at least three
credible sources to support your arguments. Consider asking on-campus
professors and reference librarians for assistance. Don’t rely exclusively
upon the internet for your research. Take good notes so that you can
reference your sources during your presentation. If you fail to cite
your sources during your presentation, you’ll be facing academic disciplinary
action for plagiarism. Outline your presentation. What is
the discussion question your group will be addressing? What is your
thesis? What main points will support this? Generally, 3-5 points are
recommended. Each main point needs to be supported with subordinate
points and evidence, including examples, visuals, statistics, testimonials,
and metaphors. Outline your introduction (to gain
attention, establish credibility and preview your main points). Outline
your conclusion (to summarize your main points, restate your thesis,
and end with a memorable statement). Decide what type of format you’ll be
using. Generally, a symposium presentation is least interesting (that’s
a series of individual talks). A panel discussion (whereby group members
sit in a semi-circle and converse with one another about the topic)
is generally more appealing to an audience. (A panel discussion is expected
in this course.) A forum discussion (which involves both the
group and the audience interacting with one another) is the most interesting
and more difficult format to use well. PRACTICE IT Rehearse your talk many times. Practice
with your visual aids. Visualize your audience listening and responding
to you. Consider how you’ll use gestures, facial expressions, and language
to deliver your message. If you’re able, rehearse with a camcorder.
Rehearse in front of your group members and get feedback. Recognize
that your natural nervousness will give you additional energy and think
about how to harness it to work for you, rather than against you. Rehearse in front of others who are
unfamiliar with your materials. Solicit constructive criticism: Did
you maintain their interest and attention? Did you use jargon or language
that was understandable? Did the visual aids enhance the talk and support
your arguments? Did you interact with your audience? Did you cite your
sources? Was your message clearly defined and supported? Did you answer
the discussion question? Rehearse ways you’ll transition from
one major point to another. Think about how you’ll ensure balance among
group members. You might want to assign a moderator to your group to
ensure that major arguments are voiced, each member has opportunity
to speak, and time is kept. PRESENT IT You’ve done your homework. You’ve prepared
well and you’re ready to deliver your talk. Enjoy this. You’ve an important
message to convey. Remember to interact with your audience. Don’t talk
at us. Watch the time limits; it’s a cardinal sin to go overtime. Recognize that, as a group, you need
to work off of one another and support each other. This is true even
if you’ve come to dislike one another. Your job is to make each other
shine. Often, some group members do more work than others. Sometimes,
a group member is unable to attend the presentation – don’t ask for
an extension; the show must go on. Be prepared to back each other up
if such emergencies arise. Dress well for any presentation. This
means that jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts are generally inappropriate.
Consider neat slacks and shirts with a collar. (Women, wear something
comparable.) Avoid busy prints, short skirts, and hats. Pay attention to your audience during
your talk. Do they understand your argument? Watch them for feedback
and adjust accordingly. If the audience is getting restless, then you’ve
done a poor job of planning your talk. When you’ve planned and practiced
well, the presentation is smooth, fun, and seamless. It’s a good idea to videotape your
presentations. When you’ve completed your talk, review your video a
few times for both delivery and content. If you’d like, you’re welcome
to consult with me (Nan Peck). We can review the video together and
discuss your performance. Public speaking is an art and a skill.
With practice, you’ll learn to enjoy it and to recognize the power of
the spoken word! Tips
offered by Nan Peck, Associate Professor, Speech Communication, |