How to Make Creative and Effective Academic Presentations

Last thing you would want is to see a bunch of people snoozing or chit chatting during your presentation. As much as possible, you want them to focus on you and your content. Here are some simple techniques that can make your presentation stand out. Although, it does take time to make a good presentation, it is well worth the investment.

Tip #1: Use High Quality Images

Images are powerful, they help with memory and learning. Use this to your advantage by finding and using images that help you make your point. You can try using images that have blank spaces in them where you can put words in those images. Using high quality photos and PNG format photos will make your presentation a hundred times sleeker and more professional. PowerPoint is a great tool when used effectively. Focus on using lots of visuals and relatively few words. Never use less than 24-point font.

Tip #2: Tell people more about your content/topic/research

One of the most common mistakes people do in giving presentations is that they present only information we already know. This usually happens when they spend nearly all of the presentation going over the existing literature and giving background information on their particular case. You need only to discuss the literature with which you are directly engaging and contributing. Your background information should only include what is absolutely necessary.

Tip #3: Practice. Practice. Practice.

You should always practice your presentation in full before you deliver it. You might feel silly delivering your presentation to your cat or yourself, but you need to do it and do it again. You need to practice to ensure that your presentation fits within the time parameters. Practicing also makes it flow better. You can’t practice too many times.

Tip #4: Keep to Your Time Limit

If you have ten minutes to present, prepare ten minutes of material. No more. Even if you only have five minutes, you need to finish within the allotted time. If you write your presentation out, a general rule of thumb is two minutes per typed, double-spaced page. For a fifteen-minute talk, you should have no more than 7 double-spaced pages of material.

Tip #5: Avoid Reading Your Presentation

Do you find yourself engaged when listening to someone read their presentation? If you absolutely must read, try reading it in such a way that no one in the audience can tell you are reading. Many people have been able to do this successfully, and you can do it too if you write in a conversational tone, practice several times, and read your paper with emotion, conviction, and variation in tone.