mcneill (2007) four presentation genre

Copyright © Jeff McNeillThis work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License

Four Presentation Genre

Jeff McNeillUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

2007

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Purpose•Many guru criticize presentation software in

general and Powerpoint in particular

•However, they do so in different ways– Tufte says different things than Godin

•Powerpoint can also be used to create slides for use outside of presentations

• In sum, there are four distinct genre

• The first step is to identify the goal

• Then choose which genre is best

Summary

Impact Evidence

Walkthrough

“WISE” use of Powerpoint

Four Genre Walkthrough presentation

– Most common form of presentation, meant to introduce knowledge, and scaffold the talk

– More display than handout Impact on emotions, to persuade

– Main function is to engage listeners, to focus on the talk– Display-only, not useful without talk, handouts after talk

Summary of information, idea organization– Supports information reduction and organization for

review– More handout that display, not useful to walk through

Evidence and information visualization– Main function is persuasion and meant to spurn action– Both handout and display, meant to act as evidence

Genre Slide Format

Bar chart, line chart, map,

1-20-1LowEvidence

Table, concept map

0-10-1

Informative only

HighSummarize

None0 1

stock photo

LowImpact

Table, concept map, process map, venn diagram

0-11-2

clipart

ModerateWalkthrough

Information graphics type

Information graphics

Images per slide

Word count

Walkthrough•Standard PowerPoint method•Material can be of moderate complexity,

focus on narrative elements• Limit to three or four bullets per slide•General purpose, medium-length• Images (clipart) as well as text•Use information graphics•Use graphics every page

Impact•Seth Godin promotes this style

•Professional stock photo on each slide

•Strong use of emotion to make the point

•Slides useless without presentation

•No more than 6 words per slide

•Good for single, simple ideas

•Good for short presentations

•Good for Pecha Kucha presentations• 20 slides, 20 seconds each (6:40)

Summary• Text heavy, using slides to summarize

material in digestible chunks

•Ready to print, share and discuss

• Focus on Conceptual Understanding

•Use of bulleted format

•Use Information Graphics

Evidence•Edward Tufte

•No bullets

•Data-to-ink ratio high, chartjunk low

•Expose logical connections in the data

•Meant to convince, use of logic

•Use Information Graphics– Bar charts, line charts, maps

Summary Four presentation genre

– Walkthrough– Impact– Summarization– Evidence

The genre of this presentation is Summary Assignment

– Reconstruct this Presentation as Walkthrough– Reconstruct this Presentation as Impact– Reconstruct this Presentation as Evidence


Presentation Genre Construction


2007


Walkthrough Construction Begin with topic material Break into 2 minute speaking sections Determine what to say for each slide

– Write these in the notes Determine the 3-4 bullet points on each slide Put in text that will not be read Give room for graphics Find clipart or professional stock to illustrate

the ideas on each slide Create information graphics when appropriate

Impact Construction Begin with topic material Break into 2 minute speaking sections Determine what to say for each slide

– Write these in the notes Determine the 6 or fewer words on each slide Determine overall emotion to invoke Find professional stock to invoke the emotion Create information graphics when appropriate

Summarization Construction Begin with topic material Summarize, paraphrase, and quote Break into slides with 8-10 bullets or

information graphics Create information graphics when appropriate Ensure readable in a two slide per page

format with ~30pt fonts

Evidence Construction Begin with topic material Create information graphics

– See McNeill-Practical-Information-Graphics Construct a slide with 3-4 bullet points as call

to action after information graphics slides– These are conclusions to the information

graphics Use cause-effect logic


Presentation Preparation


2007


Topics Technology Failure Focus on the Audience Role of Slides Role of Colleagues/Teammates Emotion Practice Presentation Killers

Technology Failure Can you present if the projector, computer, or

slide show doesn’t work?– Put in your email– Bring on USB drive– Bring on CD-Rom– Test on computer beforehand– Still, bad things happen…

Focus on the Audience Do not fear them, they want you to succeed,

they are on your side To get them more on your side, put them in a

good mood, with… treats!– Ideal is some hard candy, like jolly ranchers in

different flavors– This elevates the mood of the audience– They will evaluate you more favorably

Role of Slides Something to interact with Something to help give you reminders Something not to read from… Something for the audience to help attach to

your words and message

Role of Colleagues/Teammates Demonstrate shared understanding

– By having everyone equal amount of time– By giving everyone something of substance to

say •Do not have one person give introductions and

conclusions only, impression is ignorance

– By making sure everyone does or does not use notes

Emotion Convey emotion

– Interest and excitement in the material– Smile, project voice, do not read in monotone

Induce emotion– And not the bad kind, like confusion– So keep things simple– Have vibrant and clear examples– Make conscious choice of emotions to induce,

and ensure that induction

Practice With Video

– Video will make you more nervous, good Before Friends

– Practice with colleagues or friends, ask for input•Manage input to 1 good thing + 1 thing to change

Before Strangers– Randomly in public, offer candy bar or $1

Practice until you have the timing and the correct emotional presentation

Presentation Killers Hands in pockets Nervous movements Not looking at audience Um, uh, you know, you know… Speaking in monotone Reading from the slides Not having something interesting to present