PH 481 - PHYSICAL OPTICS

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!