Presentation guidelines
Outline
1. Preparing for a presentation
2. Presentation structure
3. Grading criteria
4. Useful tips
for effective PowerPoint presentations
Preparing for a presentation:
1. Select an original paper in ecotoxicology you
want to present. I have a fair selection of recommended papers on the door of my
office for you to select from. Please remember to sign up for a paper you've
taken.
You may choose to present your own paper, not from those I
have provided. However, if you decide to select your own paper, it is
imperative that you discuss it with me and show your paper at least 2 weeks
prior to your presentation! The paper cannot be presented without my
consent. When looking for a paper, make sure you select an original study, not a
review.
2. Write a brief summary of the paper you are going to
present. The summary should include the paper title, the name of presenter, a
brief description of study goals, hypotheses tested in this study and
experimental design used to test these hypothesis. If hypothesis are not
explicitly stated in the paper, you need to formulate them yourselves. Make sure
you describe experimental design (i.e. general experimental approach), not the
methods used to measure a particular variable.
For example, this would be a description of experimental
design:
"The rate of chromium accumulation was determined in a
flow-through experiment. Three replicate tanks were assigned to each
experimental concentration, and fish were kept in each tank for 1 day of
preliminary acclimation (to reduce handling stress) and for 5 weeks after
addition of 0, 5, 25 or 200 ug Cr3+ L-1. After exposures,
fish were killed and chromium concentration was measured in liver, muscle, brain
and gut. Effect of Cr concentration on bioaccumulation of this metal were tested
using ANOVA."
In contrast, this would be a description of experimental
methods:
"Production of reactive oxygen species was measured by
fluorescence of dihydrorhodamine"
"Chromium concentrations were measured by atomic absorption
spectroscopy".
The summary must be distributed in class 1 week before
your presentation. Make sure you make enough copies for all students and
the instructor (16). If you don't have the capacity to make copies, bring your
abstract to me at least 2 days before the deadline, and I will make copies for
you.
Presentation structure:
1. Introduction
Your presentation should start with 5-7 min of introduction describing the
toxin(s) you will be talking about. Please make sure you mention natural and
anthropogenic sources of the toxin, if possible its structure and the class to
which it belongs, what is known about environmental and health impact of this
toxicant, what are known or suggested mechanisms of its action. If it's a group
o toxins explain why they were studied as a group and what is the environmental
relevance of this mixture.
2. Paper presentation
The bulk part of your presentation will be description of the original paper.
Start with introduction - what are the goals of this research; why is it
important; what are the tested hypotheses.
Describe experimental design and specific methods of the study in a brief and
concise manner.
Describe results of this study and their interpretation. It is crucial that
you offer your critical analysis of the results and interpretations.
"Critical" does not always mean "negative". Indicate which
conclusions/interpretations of the authors you support and why; which
interpretations/conclusions you think incorrect or faulty and why. Saying
"Everything is cool, I agree with everything" will not count! Same thing
concerns "I think it's all just junk" without an explanation.
3. Answering the questions.
Following the presentation, you will answer the questions from other
students and the instructor related to the paper and topic, which you have
presented. Be ready to answer all questions to the best of your knowledge and
with the respect to your peers (by the way, when it will be your turn to ask
questions after someone else's presentation, those should be asked politely and
respectfully as well). It's OK to say "I don't know" if you don't know; just
make sure you don't answer all the questions with this phrase.
Know your material cold! "Cold" means you can tell the story without looking at your slides. Practice your presentation at home and with other students; make sure they understand it. Keep eye contact with the audience; don't read from slides. And make sure you keep to the allotted time! If you go more than 2 min over, I will need to stop you, and this means you may not be able to present us with the most important part of all - your conclusions and criticism!
Grading criteria and grading forms
Grading form in MS
Word format which I use to grade your presentation.
It lists criteria taken into account when grading your presentation
List of criteria (for those who don't have MS Word):
Oral presentation (200 points total):
A. Hypothesis + experimental design write-up (50 pts total):
B. Presentation (150 pts total). All evaluation items are graded on scale 4-1 (excellent to poor)
1. Organization and Clarity
2. Use of Visual Aids
3. Avoidance of Annoying Mannerisms
4. Critical Analysis of Topic
5. Ability to Answer Questions
6. Ability to formulate and present message orally in such a way that appropriately addresses/assesses both the topic and the audience
7. Ability to communicate using proper grammar, syntax and vocabulary.
8. Ability to communicate using clear vocal techniques—especially volume, inflection, & diction
9. Ability to communicate by using appropriate nonverbal communication, cues that enhance the spoken message (eye contact, posture, hand gestures, and facial expressions)
Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentation
PPT basics in examples (highly recommended)
Creating effective visuals in PowerPoint
General Tips for an Effective PowerPoint Presentation
Help offered to the particularly nervous and novices J
If you feel nervous and overwhelmed with the presentation, you can send me a proposed detailed plan of your talk at least a week before presentation. The plan should be 1-1.5 pages long. Indicate which topics in which sequence you want to cover, and how much time you plan to spend on each topic. I will then go over the plan and suggest improvements to the structure of the talk (if appropriate) within 24 h.