Group Presentations: Power Point Guidelines/Hints

 

LESS IS MORE: It is impossible to read and listen, so whatever your audience reads comes at the cost of them not hearing you speak.  Thus, stick to short and necessary phrases to help keep both the presenter and audience on task.

 

Break this rule and put up an entire paragraph, sample letter etc., only if you intend to -- for some good reason -- read the entire text to the audience with them.

 

USE VISUAL AND GRAPHIC MEDIA: The verbal content of your presentation should contain all the necessary information: the purpose of the PP, therefore, is simply to clarify that information and make it memorable.    

 

Graphic media such as charts can easily clarify difficult numeric information.

 

 Visual media such as photos carry emotional impact difficult to transmit verbally.  Examples.

 

TEST ALL PRESENTATIONS at least the night before the presentation. If it doesn’t work, you don’t get credit for it.

 

HAVE A BACKUP PLAN: Be prepared to present even if your media fails. 

 

EDIT EDIT EDIT: Spelling and grammatical errors, random/inconsistent fonts etc. make you look stoopid.

 

General Slide Guidelines

 

1) Title Slide
Content: Paper/Presentation title and presenter’s name; relevant picture or graphic
Use: Leave this slide up as you are getting prepared, transitioning between group members etc.

 

2) Overview Slide
Content: Thesis/statement of purpose etc. and major points etc.; three or four bullet points (section headings)

 

3) Section One Slide: Section title and three or four bullet points: main findings; main points etc.

3n) Section One Example Slides: graphic media (pictures, charts, historical data, quotes etc.) exemplifying main points.

 

4) Section Two Slide: Section title and three or four bullet points: main findings; main points etc

4n) Example slides: brief quotes, pictures, charts etc. of examples.

 

 

5) Conclusion Slide:  Thesis/Findings, overview of solutions or what remains to be researched, done etc.

5n) Positive, hopeful imagery of solutions taking hold; end on upbeat note;

leave this up as you answer questions.