PH551 - CAPSTONES IN PHYSICS: QUANTUM
PHYSICS
The art and science of the 10-minute
presentation
Successful presentations
- end on time
- are clear and logical
- have information presented graphically or pictorially where
possible
Transparencies/foils/slides
- at least 2 minutes per foil on average - much less & the
audience gets frustrated (a maximum of 5-6 foils for this
talk)
- don't fill them with derivations (if it's not important to
derive it, don't)
- graphical information is easier to absorb quickly while
someone talks
- big fonts (at least 24 point)
- use color for interest, but
not
so
much
that
it
gets
confusing
Content - what to say
- isolate what you thought was most interesting and focus on
that
- everyone did a calculation - there's no need to show them how
intricate yours was!
- highlight salient points - put up the result you calculated
and take time to explain where each element came from
- physical content - how big is the number you calculated? Plot
the result. Show some experimental data. What approximations are
important? What is this technique used for, or why is what you've
calculated philosophically interesting?
What not to say
- "I'll come back to this if I have time." You won't.
- "I won't show you this foil."
- "You can't really see it from this foil, but ........ "
What to do
- Practice your talk beforehand; at least 3 times. (It always
takes twice as long in the shower, because you go back and correct
yourself).
- Look at your overhead foils beforehand from the back of the
room.
- Stand well away from the overhead projector when you talk, and
face the audience, not the screen.
- Use a pointer or pen to point as you talk - your finger is too
thick.
- Know your audience.
- Relax, smile, you're doing fine!
What not to do
- Don't flip back through foils, desparately searching for one
that you could equally well refer to with a well chosen phrase
- Don't constantly touch the foil as you talk or rearrange it
ever so slightly - the audience sees the text jumping around.
- Don't get in the way of the overhead image - shoulders
particularly are a problem here!
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