Geschreven door Jan-Hendrik Vervelde | December 21, 2015
You can learn how to present, that is a fact. There are numerous tips on how to improve your presentation skills. Presenting academically, however, is a discipline in its own right. Not every student is very skilled in this respect. How can you improve students’ presentation skills?
Using input from (associate) professors at TU Eindhoven and Utrecht University, we developed a training specifically for students that contains all aspects of presenting academically. We'd like to share some of our tips!
1. Start with a provocative statement
Start with a provocative statement or conflict, by posing two notions opposite each other. This way, your audience is immediately curious. You need something to attract your audience’s attention so that they will want to know what you are going to tell them.
2. Think like a magician
You can maintain the audience’s interest by playing with their expectations, like a magician does. You can do this by using narrative elements, gadgets or in other ways. The goal is to create expectations with the audience, and then, to go into a different direction. This way, your audience will stay interested.
3. Look for many examples
You can find many examples of academic presentations online, and the rise of initiatives like TEDTalks has only contributed to this. You can learn from academic presentations that you have seen yourself as well. Decide what you like best and use it!
4. Present your findings in a role play
Roleplaying can be a remarkable way to present academically. By presenting the data of empirical research in a role play, you can show the impact and origin of the research in a playful manner.
5. Empathize with your public
Try to formulate what you like to listen to, and review your presentation in this light. Your audience is probably similar to yourself, so do not treat them like uncritical, passive people.
6. Make it personal
An academic presentation can be made personal. You have gone into the field as an empirical researcher, and you can use what you have witnessed as anecdotes. This will liven the presentation.
Multiple students have started to train their academic presentation skills online. In our case study below you can read how Utrecht University introduced online training. This video shows the creation of the academic presentation training at universities: