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Effective Oral Presentations in Chemical Engineering: A Guide, Study notes of Design of Wood Structures

Recommendations for delivering effective oral reports in the context of chemical engineering design presentations. It covers the organization of a presentation, the use of visuals, and presentation mechanics. The document emphasizes the importance of emphasizing key points and using clear and concise visuals.

Typology: Study notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 08/01/2022

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Rev Dec-01
West Virginia University
Department of Chemical Engineering
Oral Reports
When presenting an oral report it is important to realize that the audience cannot digest
material in the same way as they can when reading a report. There will be no time for them to
reread a sentence or paragraph, or to study a table or figure. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the
speaker to emphasize the important points. The recommendations that follow, though written for
any type of oral presentation, are written within the context of a design presentation.
All oral presentations are organized as follows:
1. tell the audience what you are going to tell them
2. make your presentation
3. remind the audience what you told them
With this in mind, here is one way to organize an oral presentation.
Title Page
Identify the report and the presenters on a visual aid.
Outline
Tell the audience what you are going to tell them, and use a visual aid for reinforcement.
This is usually an outline of the report. It is not sufficient to list the structure of the report, i.e.,
introduction, results, discussion, conclusion. You should include a few words abstracting the
contents of each section. Note: this visual should not be entitled “Agenda.”
Early in your talk, describe the project, flowsheet, etc., in general, before the details. Also,
early in your talk, mention the “bottom-line” conclusion.
Results
This follows the outline of the results section of a written report described in the document
entitled Written Design Reports. However, there are a few important points to remember. First,
a detailed stream flow table will not be easily seen or understood by your audience. Second,
what is effectively communicated in a table in a written report might be best communicated
orally using a graph or pie chart. Avoid using complex tables and figures with small print.
These can neither be seen in the back of the room nor digested by anyone.
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Rev Dec-

West Virginia University

Department of Chemical Engineering

Oral Reports

When presenting an oral report it is important to realize that the audience cannot digest material in the same way as they can when reading a report. There will be no time for them to reread a sentence or paragraph, or to study a table or figure. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the speaker to emphasize the important points. The recommendations that follow, though written for any type of oral presentation, are written within the context of a design presentation.

All oral presentations are organized as follows:

  1. tell the audience what you are going to tell them
  2. make your presentation
  3. remind the audience what you told them

With this in mind, here is one way to organize an oral presentation.

Title Page

Identify the report and the presenters on a visual aid.

Outline

Tell the audience what you are going to tell them, and use a visual aid for reinforcement. This is usually an outline of the report. It is not sufficient to list the structure of the report, i.e. , introduction, results, discussion, conclusion. You should include a few words abstracting the contents of each section. Note: this visual should not be entitled “Agenda.”

Early in your talk, describe the project, flowsheet, etc. , in general, before the details. Also, early in your talk, mention the “bottom-line” conclusion.

Results

This follows the outline of the results section of a written report described in the document entitled Written Design Reports. However, there are a few important points to remember. First, a detailed stream flow table will not be easily seen or understood by your audience. Second, what is effectively communicated in a table in a written report might be best communicated orally using a graph or pie chart. Avoid using complex tables and figures with small print. These can neither be seen in the back of the room nor digested by anyone.

All of the rules on figures and tables in the document entitled Written Design Report extend to oral presentations.

Discussion

Once again, the content is similar to that described in the written report section. The only difference is how you choose to communicate your information.

Conclusions

Here you remind your audience what you told them, usually as a list or outline. Remember the bottom line!

Recommendations

This is self-explanatory. If this section and the conclusion section are both short, they can be combined.

Other Important Points When Making an Oral Presentation

Overheads vs. PowerPoint Slide Show

Overheads are more flexible: you can modify them in real time and easily use them out of order, but a PowerPoint slide show seems more professional and more formal. You need to decide which format makes you more comfortable, more in control. In either case, make sure that the people in the back row can read your visuals, and that you give the audience enough time to assimilate the information presented before you go on to the next visual. It is also important to remember that computers can lock-up, fail, be unable to read your file, etc. Therefore, you should consider having overheads as a back-up even if you are planning to use a PowerPoint slide show. Finally, if you are considering using fancy background templates, animation, and/or special effects, think again. They are distracting. Use them sparingly, and only if they add to the effectiveness of the presentation.

Content of Visuals

Do not put too much on a visual. A detailed table may not be readable in the back row. When making a visual, put yourself in the audience and ask yourself if you could learn anything from it if you only saw it for 30 seconds or a minute. Short, concise statements of a few words on the visual, with the speaker providing a more detailed explanation, are sufficient to convey your points. Use colors effectively, but do not go overboard. Test all of your visual aids in a similar sized and shaped room in advance.

You are in control, not the audience. Beforehand, arrange the room in whatever pattern makes you feel most comfortable. Do you want to point with your left hand or your right? Do you want the shades open or the lights out? Then, do not make last-minute changes in your presentation. Immediately before your presentation, take a few deep breaths and yawn. (This is easier to do if you are not in the presentation room.) If you do not want to be interrupted with questions during the presentation, tell the audience so. And, if they still interrupt, politely tell them that you will be answering that question later. Assume that everything is going to go well.

Notes

To use or not to use? Do whatever will make you most comfortable and in control. If you read entirely from a script, no one will believe that you know what is going on. But no one can remember every detail without notes. When you practice your presentation, try it with and without hand-held notes, if you are not sure which is better. As a novice, you might find that hand-held notes bolster your confidence; however, with practice, you should wean yourself from using notes. Eventually, you will be able to use the content of the visual as your notes.

Audience Analysis (“Know Your Audience”)

Just as with a written report, think about the different backgrounds and needs of your audience. Will they get the right message and make the right decisions?

Question and Answer

Admit it when you do not know the answer. Most people only ask a question because they do not know the answer, either. Try to be responsive, not evasive. And prepare for Q & A by imagining the questions that will be asked.

Post Mortem

After the presentation, go with your colleagues to a less-tense room and get feedback immediately. Ask your colleagues what you could have done better. If they tell you that you were perfect, tell them that they are not being very helpful. Demand criticism! This is the best time to find out what you did right and what you did wrong. If you wait more than about an hour, the feedback will not be detailed enough to help you.