Good Academic Presentation Skills

By Tri Handayani, 1706978414, EFN-C

t.handayani0510@gmail.com

Public speaking is a challenge for everyone in their life. Few of people feel
enjoy speaking in front of many people, but other person maybe fear to talk in
public. Almost any kind of activity at college involves presentation skill. At the
college, we are using the method of student centered learning. Therefore, by using
that methods, students are expected to be trained to speak publicy by sharing
information with others and had good academic presentation skills. For example
in group discussion in focus group, home group, until presentation needs good
academic presentation skills. This pre-reading will explained about a good
academic presentation skills which include three main focus. There are preparing
a presentation, communication skills, and attracting attention.
Preparing presentation is one of things that need to be considered before
making a good presentation. Plan the presentation about the purpose, audiences,
setting, topic, and the outline of our presentation. Next, determine the purpose of
presenting that to persuade, entertain, inform, change or motivate things (Dixon &
O’Hara, n.d). Also we need to know about setting like the projector, size room,
and room location. It will help to control our presentation. If we know about size
room, so we can estimate the sound and then ensure the connection of projector to
minimize our disturbing time before our presentation. There are many ways of
preparing what we will actually say in our presentation. Some people only use
outlines; some use an outline but write out their introduction and conclusion;
others prefer to write out their entire talk (Oregon State University, 2009).
Structure of presentation consists of introduction, main body, and
conclusion. Introduction is very important when deliver presentation because the
presentator must gain audience’s attention in the first time. Attracting attention
will be explain after this discussion. Structures of introduction consists of
introduce the problem, state purpose, scope and main message, and give outline
(Cipolla, n.d). By introducting the problem, audience can know the topic of the
discussion that day so audience can more actively participate. Main message and
outline can describe about what are discussion about in general. In addition, set
the scene, statement the main objective and tell what we are going tell them
(Dixon & O’Hara, n.d). Once we have an outline, we can begin work on planning
our entire talk. Although it may sound odd, plan the body of our presentation first.
Next write the conclusion and write the introduction last. We will find it easier to
write an introduction if we know exactly what will be included (Oregon State
University, 2009).
Communication happens on three level: visual 55% (body language), vocal
38 % (tone of voice), and verbal 7% (words) (Bradbury, 2010). Speak clearly, not
too loud or quietly. Pay attention to your pronunciation. Make sure every words
clarity, feeling, correctness, fair to the rhythms of the words. Be natural to make
the audience having a better understanding. Use jokes to get the condition, but in
proper condition and make sure it is related to the topic you will present. Playing
with the speed and pitch of voice to make the presentation more interesting. The
face not only see the screen and talk to it, but standing in a position where we can
see the screen to get the keywords while we communicate with the audiences.
Avoid moving too much. Keep an eye contact to the audiences.
Long presentation will make the audiences bored. Attracting attention is the
answer of that problem. In the middle of presentation can slip a personal
experience. If the audiences still can’t focus, the presenter can request to the
audiences to do ice breaking. Gain attention when you deliver the presentation
with using nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication like make and
maintain eye contact, smile, act as if you are confident and relaxed, and then don’t
read your notes too much. Other that, important things that must be considered:
(1) use supporting gestures; (2) don’t read, (3) eye contact (try to focus on each
person in the room for three until five second) make concentration and gain trust;
(4) good eye contact will moderate speech, (5) don’t scan the audience to avoid
nervousness (6) improve gestures, (7) reduce nervousness. (Dixon & O’Hara, n.d ;
DRHEA, 2010).
In addition, communication skill is also important to make sucessful
presentation. There are three important point about communication skill: (1) Word
pronunciation, be verbally fluent. Effective public speakers do not have to be
word perfect. Nevertheless, lots of ‘umms’ ‘ahhhhs’ and other fillers such as ‘you
know’ can be highly distracting; (2) Defining a term with make use of sub-
summaries, signposts and links. Pause at transitional points in the flow of ideas to
briefly summaries the material covered. Explaining how this ‘chunk’ of
information links with what comes next helps to signpost the path through the
presentation and increases its coherence; (3) Stress and intonation with varying
the tone, pitch, rate and other vocal features can communicate enthusiasm and can
create a sense of interest in the listener. Pause before key points and stress key
parts of the sentence by using change in tone (Dixon & O’Hara, n.d). Emphasize
key points vocally with giving word stress and sentence stress to make audience
more understand (Dixon & O’Hara, n.d).

Blibiography
Bradbury, A. (2010). Successful Presentation Skills (3rd ed.). London: Kogan
Page.
Cipolla, R. (n.d.) How to prepare and deliver a presentation. Retrived from
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/cipolla. Accessed September 11, 2019

Dixon, Tara & O’Hara, Martin. (n.d). Communication skills. Retrived from
http://www.cw.routledge.comtextbooks9780415537902datalearning11_Co
mmunication%20Skills.pdf Accessed September 11, 2019

DRHEA. (2015). Preparing a Presentation. Retrived from

http://www.drhea.ieundergradresearchfilespresentations%20guide%20fina
l.pdf Accessed September 11, 2019
Oregon State University. (2009). Retrived from
http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/projects/communication
/Steps_in_Planning_a_Presentation.pdf Accessed September 11, 2019