Study Support: Presentation Skills

The process of planning and delivering the presentation can be divided into the following stages:

• Understand the presentation task
• Consider the audience
• Search for information
• Plan presentation
• Draft presentation and any visual aids
• Practice presentation

To help you manage your time you could plan when you will work on each task to ensure that you make the most of the time available and complete the presentation on time. You could use an online calendar to help you.

It is important that you consider the audience which will help to ensure that the presentation is relevant and provides the audience with the information that they need.  Asking yourself the following questions may help:

• Who will be listening to your presentation?
• What do they already know about this subject?
• What do you think they will be interested in?
• What is their cultural background?

If you are not familiar with the room that you are going to be using if possible arrange to visit and check what IT equipment is available, the room layout and the availability of other resources such as a flipchart.

This stage involves searching for print and online sources that will provide you with the information that you need.  You could start by thinking about what you already know about the subject.  A useful starting point could be your lecture notes and the module reading list.  The Online Library website provides you with access to different online resources that you can search to find research in both print and online format.

You may also be interested in the Searching for Resources section.

You may find it helpful to create a plan of your presentation which involves identifying the topics that you will cover and the evidence that you will use to support your arguments.  

Most presentations follow the structure that is displayed in the table below:

You may find the following presentation plan will help you:

Presentation Planner (Edinburgh University)

Most students use Microsoft PowerPoint to design their presentation slides but you could also use Prezi and Google Slides. 

• Use plain language and be careful with using technical terms 
• Choose a font size that is large enough to be read easily
• Use bullet points rather than write full sentences
• Choose a simple colour scheme and use it throughout the presentation
• Use images and video clips to support your arguments and maintain the audience’s attention
• Include references to the sources that you refer to or quote
• Use the notes section to include information about points that you want to make 
• Proofread the presentation to ensure that there are no spelling mistak

Most students are nervous before they deliver a presentation and the following tips may help you:

• Plan to arrive early and become familiar with the room and technology you will be using
• Imagine yourself delivering the presentation and it going well
• Focus on the information that you are presenting and make eye contact with the audience
• Relaxation Exercises taking two or three deep breaths will help your body to relax
• Exercise go for a walk in your local park and pay attention to what you can see, hear and smell
• Watch recordings of other people delivering presentations such as TED Talks 

Further information is available from the Stress Management page.

• Check that the audience can hear you and see the presentation on the screen
• Smile and make eye contact with the different members of the audience
• When you are nervous you often talk quickly so speak at a slow and steady pace
• Use phrases such as "I will begin by explaining" and "I will now explain" to help the audience understand the structure of your presentation
• Do not read from your notes or a script and instead write down keywords and phrases on index cards to remind you
• Pause after a main point and at the end of each slide to provide time for the audience to understand the information

After you have delivered the presentation if something went wrong try not to worry about it.  Reward yourself for delivering the presentation and see it as an opportunity to develop your skills. 

Think about what went well and what you would like to change next time. You could ask other students or your lecturer for feedback.  Plan what you will do differently next time.