Public Speaking for the Beginner – Web based assistance for Learners

Course held at South Cheshire College 18th January – 8th February 2005

Displaying your material – using technology

Session 3 – 1st February 2005

Reminders

1.      Your voice is the main tool when speaking in public – materials displayed act as support but can be a distraction for the audience

2.      Ensure that you have sufficient time to display all materials selected to support speech

3.      Check what equipment will be available for you to use – other speakers may not want you to use theirs

4.      Be prepared to bring your own display materials and technology, if necessary

5.      Consider your display materials from the point-of-view of the audience

6.      Prepare in advance before using technology and make sure that you have everything you need with you and in the correct order before the presentation begins

 

Common types of display techniques and their problems

·        Overhead Projector – can be awkward to use and therefore slow down or interrupt the flow of a presentation

·        Slide Projector – less commonly available than it once was; needs care to ensure that slides are suitable for format and in correct order before presentation begins

·        Computer & Projector – ensure that the computer used during the presentation has the software you require installed and how to control the information displayed on screen

·        Screens and Lighting – check before presentation starts what lighting level the audience needs to view the material displayed on screen and whether all of the audience can get a clear view of the screen

·        Sound equipment – if possible get someone else to listen to you from the position of the audience before the presentation starts so that you can adjust the position of the microphone or the sound level going through the loudspeakers

·        Physical examples – ensure that all of the audience can see any physical examples that you display during a presentation; this is a problem if the items are small, displayed at a lower level than the face of the speaker or the lighting poor

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