Several months ago, we had the privilege of attending a workshop ran by Melissa Marshall. She was previously involved in technical communication research at Penn State University but now works as a consultant to help scientists better deliver presentations.
While we may not be traditional scientists, her insights can readily be applied to the science of sabha. She mirrored many of the insights we have expressed since this blog's inception. Here's two concepts she addressed worth considering before the next karyakar meeting.
Problem: Bulleted lists pervade slides.
Solution: People learn much more deeply from words and relevant images than from words alone.
Agree or disagree, please let us know how insightful you found these points.
While we may not be traditional scientists, her insights can readily be applied to the science of sabha. She mirrored many of the insights we have expressed since this blog's inception. Here's two concepts she addressed worth considering before the next karyakar meeting.
Problem: We start preparing presentations using Powerpoint.
She compared giving a presentation to guiding individuals up a mountain. As a trail guide, it's our job to identify the salient landmarks en route to the peak. Stopping at every grass, shrub, and rock drains our audience before they reach the peak. Similarly, we waste the audience's attention when we start with slides and lose sight of what's important by cramming details, slide after slide.
Solution: Start with idea mapping.
- Start with identifying the peak (main idea). (Unsurprisingly, Made to Stick was listed on her references list.)
- Identify 2-4 points that can help you build up to the main idea.
- Determine the details that should fit underneath each point.
- Review your outline with someone else to make sure your ideas flow.
- Now, proceed to Powerpoint.
Problem: Bulleted lists pervade slides.
She points out in her TED Talk, "Have you ever wondered why they're called bullet points? What do bullets do? Bullets kill, and they will kill your presentation."
In an average talk with text-heavy slides, most individuals filter information in one of three ways.
In an average talk with text-heavy slides, most individuals filter information in one of three ways.
- Read slides but ignore speaker
- Listen to speaker but ignore slides
- Tennis between speaker and slides
Solution: People learn much more deeply from words and relevant images than from words alone.
- Complement bullet points with graphics. (Here's an example).
- The Noun Project offers many free icons to use for presentations.
Agree or disagree, please let us know how insightful you found these points.
