Presentation Skills: Delivering a research presentation

About Presentation Skills lessons

Oral presentations are a common way of sharing and interacting with information. The FSAE
Presentation Skills lessons are devoted to practising strategies and developing proficiency to help
you deliver a successful research presentation within an academic setting. In these sessions you will:
● practise the essential elements of a successful research presentation
● conduct the Research Presentation assessment task

Task 1: Discussion
Discuss your responses to the questions below in your group. Reflect on your own knowledge
and your own experiences.
1. Have you ever given an oral presentation in English? If so, provide details.
2. Why do universities require students to give oral presentations?
3. What are some different types of oral presentations?
4. What are some factors that make an oral presentation successful?
5. Do you have any concerns about giving a presentation? If so, explain.

Assessment of presentation skills

Many courses at university require students to give oral presentations in tutorials and seminars as a
form of ongoing assessment. During your studies, you will be assessed on three aspects:
● Content (what you say – analysis, evaluation, evidence and sources)

● Performance (how you say it – pronunciation, pace, language and vocab use)

● Delivery (your visuals – the effectiveness of the way in which you present the content)

At university, learning how to give a successful oral presentation will help you to:
● increase knowledge of a particular subject area
● learn new skills that may be useful in a future career
● develop abilities in the independent research process
● acquire job-searching skills – researching, preparing, interviewing
cultivate a sense of self-confidence and empowerment.

Delivering a successful research presentation

Academic oral presentations involve giving a formal, structured talk about a specific issue. In doing
so you are expected to:
orientate the audience to the topic of your presentation
present a purpose, a claim or a point of view
provide supporting evidence for your assertions
evaluate implications and arrive at a logical conclusion.

Task 3: Understanding key elements of a presentation

What are the important factors in giving an oral presentation? Read each point in the list below and
tick the ones you think are important.

Task 4: Identifying presentation techniques

You will be assigned one brief video to watch.

▪ As you watch, take notes on the main points.

▪ Then discuss these points with your group.
▪ Group representatives will present the main points to the whole class.

Video A: ___________________________ Video B: ___________________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8eLdbKXGzk (5:14)
Video A YouTube:
YouKu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5c1susCPAE
https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzIzMzAxNzY1Ng==.html
(2:29) YouKu:
https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XODM2NzkwNjQ4.html

Structure of a presentation
Presentations and academic essays follow similar organisational patterns. Using familiar patterns of
organisation helps your audience to follow your talk because they will be able to predict how your
presentation will develop. The Research Presentation follows a problem analysis pattern. This means
you will need to explain in detail the causes and consequences of the issue you have chosen.

Problem-analysis presentation
Academic research aims to address issues or questions within a field of study, often known as the
‘research gap’. These are questions that are of particular interest to academics and researchers in
the field. The first step in that process is a comprehensive problem or issue analysis.

Then, you are required to research that topic in two stages:

1. You should identify a specific issue or problem in the topic area. You must then analyse the
problem in depth. This problem analysis – an explanation of the causes and consequences of
the problem – forms the content of your presentation.
2. You should find 3 academic sources, which you can discuss with your lecturer. This will help
you to ensure that your sources are suitable.

Problem analysis

Task 5a: Analysing problems

The table below contains some common problems that language learners face in the classroom.
Match the possible causes (a-d) with the problem:

a. Can’t understand the teacher

b. Lack of lesson preparation and too shy to ask for clarification from the teacher

c. Not enough speaking practice

d. Don’t read in English often enough

No. Problem Cause

1. Difficulties with pronunciation and

fluency

2. Inability to concentrate in the classroom

Not understanding task requirements in
3.
the lesson
Lacking adequate academic words to
4.
express ideas precisely

Can you think of any other reasons why a student might have these problems?

Task 5b: Identifying consequences

1. Discuss the issues in the previous task with your group. Do you experience any of these issues?
How specific or general are the issues? What are the possible consequences that negatively
impact learning for a student with one of these issues?

2. Why is it important to be specific when analysing problems and evaluating solutions?

3. Can you think of one specific problem that you have in the classroom? Why do you have this
problem? What are the negative consequences for your learning? Make notes in the table
below.
Problem:

Causes:

Consequences that negatively impact my learning:

Share your thoughts with a partner or group. Can they suggest any strategies to manage the issue
you are experiencing?

Beginning the planning process

Task 6: Understanding mind-maps
Mind-maps, or concept-maps and flow diagrams are useful tools to help you start planning your
research presentation. Figures 1 and 2 show examples of mind-maps that were created by students.
Look at the mind maps and discuss these questions:

Figure 1
1. What topics has the student (Maram) identified in her field of study?

2. What should be Maram’s next step?

3. What feedback have other group members (Haneen and Wuren) given?

4. What other feedback could you give as group members?

5.

Figure 2
6. What has the student (Feiyue) included above the mind-map?

7. What feedback has the teacher (Meredith) given?

8. If you were in Feiyue’s group, what feedback would you give?

9. Read the mind-map guidelines below. How could a mind-map like this help you to plan your own
research presentation?
Mind-map guidelines
1. Your lecturer will give you a topic and a link to an online whiteboard. Add the topic in
the centre of the whiteboard. Alternatively, you may draw your mind map on a piece of
paper or create it in a word document or PPT slide. Upload a photo or the document of
your finished mind map to the class discussion board when you are finished.
2. Add related ideas on 'branches' that radiate from the central topic. When you get a new
idea, start a new branch from the centre. Include ANY ideas, topics, authors, theories,
experiences associated with your topic.
3. Map quickly, without pausing, to maintain a flow of ideas.
4. Circle the key points or ideas. Look at each item and consider how it relates to others,
and to the topic as a whole.
5. Map the relationships between the ideas or key points using lines, arrows, colours. Use
words or phrases to link them.

IMPORTANT:

● Your Research Presentation is only a problem analysis (causes and effects only)
● You do not need to propose a solution
Figure 1. Example student mind map A
Figure 2. Example student mind map B
Appendix 1: Tips for the research process

The Research Process Tips

● You will be giving a research presentation on the same topic

Identifying your research as your annotated bibliography.
area or topic
● Identify a key issue
● What do you know about the topic? Jot down as many ideas
Brainstorming as you can. Make a concept-map; show the links between
ideas or sub-topics.
Writing a research ● Focus your research
question or topic
statement ● Determine the scope.

Looking for information ● How are you going to access literature in the field?
sources ● Are you going to use primary sources or secondary sources?
● Read with these questions in mind:
o is this information / idea relevant for my purpose?
o is the source reliable and authoritative?
Evaluating your sources
o is it current?
o how do these ideas confirm or contradict other things I
have read?
● Begin taking notes and writing a basic draft while you
research.
Beginning the writing ● Outline the structure of your assignment / report / research
process presentation.
● Modify your ideas as you go - allow your reading to inform
your writing.