Transcript PPT
Oral Communication
in the Field of
Applied Sciences
Some Basic Principles
Inspired by a more general work supported by "IFRES-Ulg"
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Making an oral presentation involves
Communicating with an audience
In order to share a message
Generally based on slides
In other words, it’s everything
but improvisation!
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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References (1/2)
Trees, maps and theorems
Effective communication for rational minds
Jean-Luc DOUMONT
Principae. Structuring thoughts.
Kraaienem. Belgium.
2009
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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References (2/2)
Comment saloper une présentation PPT ?
20 recettes qui ont fait leurs preuves
et comment les améliorer !
Dieudonné LECLERCQ
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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Outline
Part 1
Communicating efficiently
Part 2
Preparing and making an oral presentation
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All forms of "efficient communication" lie
on the same basic questions:
Objective(s)
What are we looking for when
making contact with someone?
Substance
What should we write, say or
draw to make our point?
Form
How should we write, say or
draw it?
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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Communication also relies on
Identifying messages:
In general, information in itself is not enough.
It requires a "meaningful personal interpretation".
Respecting a certain number of
pages or a presentation timing.
Taking into account the expertise level
or the mother tongue of the people we
are talking to.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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Communication is therefore a constrained
optimization problem
!
We do not have to optimize
what we say
but
what our interlocutor
(or audience)
will remember from it.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Three fundamental rules to communicate
in an effective way:
1. Adapt yourself to the audience
2. Maximize the signal/noise ratio
3. Use the "efficient redundancy"
In this precise order
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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Communication involves somebody else:
an interlocutor (or an audience)
We want to make our interlocutor understand
something
By calling his/her attention
In order for him/her to
Remember what was said,
Be convinced by our ideas,
And be able to use and exploit it afterwards, etc.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For an effective communication:
1. Adapt yourself to the audience
Situation
Needs
Expectations
Ways of reasoning
Impositions, constraints
Knowledge of the subject
Knowledge of the language you are using
etc.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For an effective communication:
2. Maximize the signal/noise ratio
(Lost, distorsion, …)
Noise
E
R
Signal
ME
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
THE AUDIENCE
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For an effective communication:
3. Use the "efficient redundancy"
Only well-calculated repetitions
Complementarity between the oral
presentation and the slides
Complementarity between
the verbal and non-verbal
languages
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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Complementarity between the verbal and
non-verbal languages
Verbal
Communication
The words themselves
and their layout
Vocal
Non-verbal
Communication
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
Visual
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Non-verbal
Communication
The tone and its variations
Vocal
Communication
The speed of delivery and the
diction
The volume of the voice
Visual
Communication
The look
and the facial expression
The posture
The movements and the gestures
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Vocal Communication
The tone
and its variations
The speed of delivery
and the diction
The volume of the voice
Find the right balance
and
Adapt to the situation
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Visual Communication
The look
Expresses our feelings
and
Makes contact with the
audience
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Visual Communication
The facial expression
Echoes our
feelings to the
audience.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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Visual Communication
The posture
Echoes our
feelings.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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Visual Communication
The movements and the gestures
Have to serve the speech,
And reinforce the weight of the words.
Attention
"Parasitic" movements or repetitive gestures often
distract the audience.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Making an oral presentation involves
Communicating with an audience
In order to share a message
Generally based on slides
In other words, it’s everything
but improvisation!
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
21
Outline
Part 1
Communicating efficiently
Part 2
Preparing and making an oral presentation
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Five steps to prepare an oral presentation:
1. Planning the presentation
Message
2. Creating the presentation
3. Creating the slides
Performance
4. Repeating - and making – the
presentation
5. Answering eventual questions
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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1. Planning the presentation means:
Collecting ideas with a critical mind
Considering the situation calmy but throughoutly
and answering the 5 "W-questions":
Why ?
Who ?
What ?
Where ?
When ?
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2. Creating the presentation means:
Choosing and organizing the contents
Limiting the message to a main idea.
Selecting the essential, what HAS TO BE SAID.
Structuring the speech.
Providing bearings for the audience.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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Structuring the speech is necessary,
Even for a presentation without slides.
Introduction :
« attention-catcher »
needs of the audience (motivation)
response (if needed: personal presentation)
main message
Preview
Body :
1st point, devel.
Transition
Transition
2nd point, devel.
…
Closing :
Review
conclusion
« final word »
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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3. Creating slides:
The absolute priority is the speech
BUT
If slides are made,
they have to be made the right way.
Efficient redundancy with regard to the speech.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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When the speech is decomposed into main points
and subpoints,
Prepare ONE slide for each subpoint:
Summarize the idea of the subpoint in a short
sentence placed in the title area
(at the left-hand top corner of the slide).
Use a maximum of visual illustrations.
Make the text as short as possible.
Do not write anything "irrelevant".
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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Do not create your slides for yourself
(just to help your memory)
BUT
To help the audience understand you.
The slides have to be "self-consistant" to the
idea they are presenting
BUT
They don’t have to contain everything that is
said orally.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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A few other pieces of advice
Use the slides to share information, not in order to
cause a sensation.
Keep the same scheme of presentation during all the
document.
Use a unique bill of founts (well known, legible), in
different sizes.
Use colours and animations parcimoniously.
Pay attention to the balance of the slides, in terms of
proportions and aesthetics.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For the comfort of the audience, pay
attention to the legibility of the document:
Choose an « easy to read » bill of founts
Times New Roman
Choose an « easy to read » bill of founts
Arial
Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts,
Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts, Founts.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For the legibility of the document:
Choose a size of founts adapted to the room in
which the presentation is given.
12 pts
Size,
Size,
Size, Size,
Size, Size, Size, Size,
Size, Size,
Size, Size.
60 pts
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For the legibility of the document:
Pay attention to the contrasts.
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For the legibility of the document:
Choose "neutral" backgrounds.
Background
Background
Background
Background
Background
Background
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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For the comfort of the audience, pay
attention to the intelligibility of the unity
slides / speech:
Avoid to replace "oral" with "written"
A screen is not a book (quantity of text).
A screen is not meant to be read.
Do not overuse neither (visual or acoustic)
animations nor (laser) pointer.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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For the intelligibility of the unity
slides / speech:
Let the information appear progressively.
Polish up diagrams and graphics if there are
any.
Size, colour(s), etc.
Meaning of the axis, units, etc.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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For the comfort of the audience:
Never forget that a PPT is just a tool that is there
to help communication …
And that, anyway,
The content of the presentation is much more
important than its form.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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2015-2016
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4. An oral presentation is a "real-time"
performance
First of all: preparing yourself ("rehearsing").
Preparing the room (if possible).
Communicating with the audience.
Exploiting slides suitably.
Managing your own stress.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
P. TOSSINGS
2015-2016
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5. Answering questions
Try to anticipate during the preparation.
Do not interrupt the person asking a question.
Eventually, re-formulate the question.
Take time to think about a clear, short
and structured answer.
Address this answer to the whole audience.
Oral communication – Integrated Projects – FSA - ULg
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It’s your turn…
Good luck!
Any questions?
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