Progress Presentations

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Progress Presentations

• For single module projects

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Progress Presentation Topics

• Why Have Presentations?
• Specifics Format
• General Guidelines
• Preparation
• Planning
• Content
• Structure
• Visual Aids slides handout
• Performance
• Delivery
• Responding to Questions

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Why Have Presentations?

• Purpose
• To check your progress
• To test your understanding of your project
• To test presentation skills
• To provide practice at presentations
• To generate ideas

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Format

• Presentation
• 10 minutes long - You will be cut off!
• Brief Questions
• 5 minutes for questions
• Audience
• Supervisor,
• Other students other supervisors

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Preparation Planning
Focus your presentation

• Consider the Audience
• What do they want to know?
• General knowledge of computing
• No specific knowledge of your topic
• Limited time
• You can't turn them into experts
• Busy programme
• Be relevant avoid too much detail
• Keep them awake!

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Preparation Writing

• Collect
• Jot down the key points you want to make
• Organise
• Group into a logical order
• Consider alternatives
• Review
• Does it make sense?
• Is the timing right?
• Is it too detailed?

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Preparation Content

• Key Points
• Context be brief
• Objectives what are you trying to do
• Methods
• List tools, techniques
• Explain design
• Discuss problems
• Progress
• Be relevant
• Don't waste time with excuses

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Preparation Structure

• Structure Matters
• Helps the audience to link topics
• Helps understanding and retention
• Must be logical and consistent

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Preparation Structure

• Beginning
• Overview of presentation - Don't need to read
  slide
• Introduction to topic
• Middle
• Useful information about
• What you have done
• What you are going to do
• End
• E.g. The main problem is XXX, which Im tackling
  by YYY. Im on schedule and Im now ready to
  ...."
• Stop - "Any questions?"

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Preparation Visual Aids

• Make it readable!
• Generate on computer
• Check Spelling
• Simplicity Clarity
• Visibility
• Space - don't cram slides

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Visual Features

• Colour
• Emphasise important aspects
• Use sparingly
• Diagrams
• Easier for audience to grasp
• Use where possible where sensible
• Handouts
• 1 page Summary Sheet

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Performance Delivery

• Remembering Your Script
• Don't read whole script -
• Use brief notes e.g. on post-it pads
• Speaking Effectively
• Make sure audience can hear you
• Speak clearly at sensible pace
• Talk to the audience
• Watch the time
• Attitude
• Formal presentation - humour OK, flippancy isn't

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Performance Delivery

• Body Language
• Mannerisms
• Look audience in the eye
• Watching the Watchers
• If they're not interested - do something
• Handling Questions
• Understand the question
• Don't waffle if you don't know - say so
• Use any interesting points in your report

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Summary

• Prepare
• Consider the audience
• Identify the essence of project technical ideas
• Provide a 1-page summary supervision record
• Organise
• Structure Style
• Present Effectively
• Timing Delivery
• Listen
• You may hear some good ideas
• You will learn about presentations