BioGraphics
Effective Presentations in Science Settings

Syllabus

PHSL 896
(IGPBS module 6)
Fall term, 2007

1 credit hour
Current enrollment in IGPBS curriculum, or consent of the instructor is required.

Seminar meets: Mondays; 11:00 am - 1:00pm in Orr-Major 1015

The first session will be held in the 2nd floor computer lab of Dykes Library (up the stairs, then to your left; room 1028) on Monday August 20th from 11:10 am - 12:30 pm; we will review the use of Powerpoint and organize the presentation schedule, so bring your calendars!

Please note that we will not meet on:

Instructor:

Jeff Radel, Ph.D.
You may contact me at my office in the Robinson building, Rm. 3033, by telephone (913) 588-7195, or by e-mail (the best bet - simply click on my name above).

Course description:

Communication of concepts and ideas is an important element of working in the academic and scientific communities. Acquisition of skills having to do with written communication is stressed in most graduate programs, but the application of these same concepts to verbal communication is often neglected - even though the oral presentation arguably is the most common format for communication in these professional settings. A passive approach to learning how to make a presentation is typical, with an assumption that good presentations either occur naturally or are easy to imitate. The invalidity of these assumptions is illustrated by the rarity of an exceptional presentation!

This seminar is intended to help participants become practiced in developing strategies for formulating and delivering oral presentations. Participants may select any topic for their presentation other than research with which they have been involved in the past or at present (the idea is to develop a new presentation from scratch, rather than polish an existing presentation). Each participant will prepare and present one 15 minute presentation on that topic, and answer questions from the audience. Plan for NO MORE THAN 10 minutes of speaking plus about 5 minutes for questions. Presenters will receive feedback, both from the audience and through watching a videotape of their own presentation, and prepare a short written critique of their presentation based upon this feedback. By evaluating presentations made by their peers and by other professionals, members of the audience in turn will become more self-aware and critical of their own presentation methods. Discussions about strategies for different presentation settings and experiences of participants in these settings will provide valuable insights to novice presenters. Finally, each student will present the same talk once again later in the term in order to put these insights into practice.

A list of previous presentations made in this seminar is available, in order to illustrate the range of topics which have been explored.

Course objectives:

Teaching/Learning Experiences:

This series of discussions and exercises will illustrate differences between adequate and exceptional presentations. By participating in this seminar, each presenter will be challenged to become critically aware of their own presentation style, and to develop a creative approach to their formulation and execution of future presentations.

Recommended Readings:

I have prepared a series of on-line computer tutorials which explain the basics of formulating a scientific talk, preparing presentaion graphics, and preparing a poster presentation. Although designed for those taking part in the Society for Neuroscience meetings, the essential principles apply in most professional and scientific settings. If you find these tutorials useful, feel free to pass the web address along to others.

There are a growing number of websites providing information and suggestions about how to present material in public. Many of these are designed for the business community, however, and some of these guidelines may not be entirely appropriate for scientific settings.

You may also find these books useful:

  1. Michael J. Platow. (2002) Giving Profession Presentations in the Behavioral Sciences and Related Fields. A practical guide for the novice, the nervous, and the nonchalant. Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis Group): New York. (short and to the point - a good place to start!)
  2. Michael Alley. (2003) The Craft of Scientific Presentations. Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. Springer-Verlag: New York. (more details, and interesting insights from and about well-know scientists in relation to their presentation skills)
  3. Robert R.H. Anholt. (1994) Dazzle 'em With Style: The Art of Oral Scientific Presentation. W.H. Freeman: New York. (a new edition should be forthcoming soon; this version predates widespread use of computer presentations).
  4. Tufte, Eward R. (1983) The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Cheshire, CT:Graphics Press (ISBN: 9613921). (an exceptional discussion of how to present data in graphic formats - this one is just plain fun to read!)
  5. Kenny, Peter. (1982) A handbook of public speaking for scientists and engineers. Bristol: Adam Hilger, Ltd. (Dykes Library call number = WZ 345 K36h 1982).
  6. Zanna, Mark P. and John M. Darley (Eds) . (1987) The compleat academic: A practical guide for the beginning social scientist. New York: Random House. (This one is especially useful for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty - lots of sage advice on negotiating the whole process of getting and keeping an academic position - although it is now out of print and difficult to find).

Attendance policy:

Students will bear full responsibility for all materials relating to this course, including material presented in seminar discussions, assigned readings, and projects. As audience participation is a critical feature of this seminar, participants are expected to attend 80% of the meetings of this course (when in doubt about exactly how many classes this represents, do the math and round upwards). An anticipated absence should be discussed with the instructor prior to that meeting of the seminar. A cooperative approach to learning is encouraged strongly, and should be considered from the onset of this course.

Disability:

If you have a disability which will interfere with your learning the material or performing in this class, please discuss this with an instructor within the first week of the class so that documentation may be obtained and accommodations considered.

Performance Expectations & Evaluation Methods:

This seminar is offered on a Pass/Fail basis only. Regular attendance, making at least two presentations on the same topic and evaluating each critically, active participation in the critique of other presentations, and evaluating three professional presentations outside of the seminar will constitute successful completion of this course.

Student Responsibility:

Any student who does not understand and/or accept the contents and terms of this syllabus must notify the instructor in writing within one week after receiving this syllabus.

Academic Supports and Accomodations: Learning assistance, academic performance enhancement, and psychological services at KUMC are free, confidential, and available at Student Counseling & Educational Support Services by calling 913-588-6580 or visiting G116 Student Center.

Any student in this course who needs an accommodation because of a disability in order to complete the course requirements should contact the instructor or the Equal Opportunity / Disability Specialist (913-588-7813, TDD 913-588-7963) as soon as possible.

End of PHSL 896 syllabus

Comments? Send e-mail to the instructor: Jeff Radel
Back to the Top | Last Updated:04/24/08