Chapter 6 Instructor Guide: Preparing for a Presentation
INSTRUCTOR GUIDE
Note: The instructor guide provides ideas for how to engage with the chapter. It can be adapted to an instructor’s pedagogical context, and is intended only to suggest approaches. There are myriad ways to deliver content depending on student level, delivery mode, and time allotted to a given topic, and users are encouraged to be creative in any way that suits their style and needs. Learners may also use the instructor guide as a tool for a self-guided experience.
Learning Goals
- List the key factors required to prepare an effective presentation
- Identify steps used to create a presentation
- Plan to deliver an effective presentation with confidence
Summary of the Chapter
This chapter describes in-depth some practical and essential aspects for creating and delivering effective presentations. Some critical elements, such as preparation and practice, make it easier to execute. These alone will not be adequate for a decent presentation; a good amount of energy and physical and mental rest are also required. This chapter offers suggestions like creating flashcards with information about the presentation in bullet points to help remember the talking points while practicing. Because the audience is not physically present if the presentation is virtual, various additional details must be managed. The chapter also discusses some points for an effective virtual presentation.
Considerations for Lesson Planning
Sessions devoted to effective presentations can be a compilation of activities. When introducing strategies for building and delivering presentations, it can be useful to watch examples of effective and ineffective presentations, and to discuss which elements affect the presentations watched. It can helpful, also, to invite guest speakers for various course-specific topics and then ask students to reflect upon their experiences with each speaker. Importantly, learners need to recognize that there is not one specific way to deliver a successful presentation — focusing on clarity, delivery, and the rhetorical situation (Chapter 1) guides learners towards strong presentation skills.
Practice! Practice! Practice! It’s important to give learners opportunities to experiment with different presentation elements and delivery styles. Consider, also, offering content related to reducing nervousness, deep breathing, and the physiology of stage fright.
Assessment Strategies
Presentations can be assessed by focusing on different components of the whole. For example, consider assessing for delivery (i.e., clarity of speaking, pacing, eye contact, body language, etc.) separate from the content that is delivered where the instructor would be focused on the research and actual information the learner is delivering. In many cases, students become especially nervous when speaking in public, so reducing the “weight” of a delivery score within the whole grade of the presentation can serve to alleviate some worries.
Other elements to assess can include slide design (if slides are used), organization of the content, use of citations and references, etc.
Additional Resources
Algonquin College Library, How to Create an Effective Presentation, (Jan. 20, 2016). [Online Video].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXYxManvI8E. [Accessed Nov. 12, 2021].
Algonquin College Library, How to Deliver an Effective Presentation, (Jan. 20, 2016). [Online Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4y1OO9rppA. [Accessed Nov. 12, 2021].
L. Atwood, C. Westin. Business Presentation Skills: Speaking and Presentation Skills for Business. BCCampus. E-book. [Accessed January 1, 2022].
G. Lay, “Standing Ovation”, [nd], Noun Project [online]. https://thenounproject.com/icon/standing-ovation-969109/
M. Shwantes, “9 Helpful Tips to Calm Your Nerves Before Speaking,” 2017, https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/9-simple-tricks-to-overcome-your-fear-of-speaking.html [Accessed January 1, 2022].
