Presentation Skills
Many people find presentations intimidating, but they are a common requirement in post-secondary courses. This unit will explain how to develop an effective presentation, how to calm your presentation anxiety, and how to deliver your presentation well.
Top Tips
✓ Know your subject matter. Solid content is essential for a good presentation, so make sure you’ve done your research and have a good understanding of the material you'll be presenting.
✓ Have all of your materials organized. Your presentation will go much more smoothly if your notes and visual aids are easy for you to use.
✓ Avoid lecturing. Use visual aids, questions and activities to engage your audience.
✓ Be aware of your non-verbal communication. Stand straight, make eye contact with your audience, and smile. Avoid distracting behaviours, like chewing gum or fidgeting.
✓ PRACTICE! Be sure to go through your full presentation several times before giving it to your class. Do it on your own and with an audience.
✓ Practice relaxing. Practicing will make it easier to manage your natural anxiety during your presentation.
✓ Prepare short speaking notes. Try to write only the key words or key points on cue cards so that you won’t be tempted to read a whole script instead of speaking directly to your audience.
✓ Take your time. Speaking slowly will help you avoid excessive verbal fillers (like “ummm” or “ahhhh”).
Attribution
Unless otherwise stated, the material in this guide is from the Learning Portal created by College Libraries Ontario. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in June 2021. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0 International License.
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