Guidelines to Qualitative Academic Seminar Presentation. Guide and Practice 9783346932877, 3346932877

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CHAPTER18 Guidelines to qualitative academic seminar presentation
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Udeme Usanga

Guidelines to QualitativeAcademic Seminar Presentation. Guide and Practice

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Udeme Usanga

Guidelines to Qualitative Academic Seminar Presentation. Guide and Practice

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CHAPTER18 Guidelines to qualitative academic seminar presentation Entrepreneurship Development and Research Centre (EDRC) Department of Agricultural Ex tension and Management, Federal College ofAgriculture, P. M. B. 7008, Ishiagu Ebonyi State, N igeria

Abstract The primary objective of seminar presentation is to enhance presentation skills when persuading, educating, or informing an audience. Specifically, it provides a focus on the fundamental aspects ofa quality academic, professional and business communications including structure, preparation and strategy for delivery, using visual aids, and handling question and answer sessions. The presenter/student practices by preparing and delivering an ideal real-life academic/business presentation. S trict adherence to the instructions outlined allows the presenter to evaluate hisjher progress and alter any distracting behaviours before and during presentation. It also enables the participant to learn by doing. The aim of this paper is to introduce students to simple principles on how to plan, writs and present their findings as technical conference papers, then act as the mini-conference programme committee members in reviewing each other's submissions. Finally, in addition to the model itself, description of some variations in instantiation and an assessment of the benefits of this general approach and recommendation for adoption by faculties and educators are proffered.

Keywords: Seminar, visual, aids, presentation, confidence, result delivery In trod ucti on Rarely are the three pillars of academia -research, teaching and service -addressed together, within one intellectually cohesive context in the graduate curriculum. Such a context is important for exposing students to the inter-relationships among these facets. Oftentimes, people are confused what a seminar, workshop or conference means. They are sometimes considered to mean the same thing. However, workshop is a brief intensive educational programme for a relatively small g roup of people that focuses on tech niques and skills in a particular field. Seminar on the other h and is a meeting of a group of advanced s tudents studying under a professor/ officer with each doing original research and all exchanging results of their findings through repo rts and discussions. A conference is a meeting of two or more persons/bodies organized for the benefit of discussing matters of common concern, which usually involves formal interchange of views.

One of the many roles of an academic programme in tertiary institutions is to prepare the future faculty of the discipline. In this sense, the graduate student is an apprentice, learning by example while w orking closely with a faculty s taff. Students see first-hand the principal asp ects of fac ulty responsibility: research, teaching, and service (Kennedy, 1997). The reality is that no matter what programme or course a student following at the college, polytechnic or university level, be it agriculture, economics, m edicine, statistics, electrical and electronics, horticulture, computer science, law, geology, engineering, etc. At least once in a student's academic work or career he/she will have/be required to speak to the class, the department or faculty, perhaps even once per semester. It might be a small number in a seminar setting, but on the other hand, it might be

the entire department or faculty. Either way, chances are very good that the student will be required to prepare a speech. Public speaking is one of the hard facts of student life in the academic world, but the process of speaking to people can be made a lot easier if a student uses skills to plan and prepare. Students see these responsibilities reflected, to various degrees, in their curricula. The curriculum of an academic programme can typically be divided into two broad categories: core courses that emphasize the foundational elements of the discipline, and advanced courses with practical skill elements that emphasize current research developments in a particular sub-discipline. The former are often traditional lecture-format classes and provide the broad intellectual foundation deemed essential for anyone holding a degree or diploma in the discipline. The latter are often seminar-format classes and expose students to the knowledge frontier and current research questions of a specific area. The primary focus of advanced studies is research. This focus, while supported by the technical content of the course work, is reflected most directly in the research project work. Through the pursuit of original dissertation research, students develop and refine their research skills as they undertake significant projects that advance the state-of-the-art in their chosen sub discipline (Paolo, Sivilotti and Weide, 2004).. Whether grading, leading a recitation section, or instructing a lower-level course, students gain practical experience in evaluating student performance, answering student questions, and engaging students in course material. Students also develop teaching skills in the classes and seminars that involve oral presentations. This environment can provide direct feedback both from peers and from the instructors/lecturers. Finally, students may also learn about teaching by simply observing their most effective lecturers in class. Academia has been criticized for inadequately preparing future faculty for their teaching responsibilities (The Boyer Commission, 1998) and there is no dispute to this general claim. The service component of academic responsibility does not generally appear in the typical academic programme, especially when courses are still many for the students to learn at the final year, or where some of them have carry-forward courses. Opportunities for professional service do exist, of course, for final year students, who suppose to be well-equipped for the larger system. Why present academic seminars The objective of the presentation is to convey information regarding the student's research to the audience in attendance. The presenter must consider that the audience will include faculty members and students. As well, the background of the attendees will vary depending on their expertise and programme of study. The presenter must endeavour, therefore to construct and give a presentation that is beneficial to all in the audience regardless of their familiarity with the topic. This paper is a guide on students' academic research seminar courses and an assessment of the benefits of this general approach.

Objectives The purpose of this paper on effective seminars presentation is to provide students with exposure to a variety of research projects and activities and their relationship with learning, teaching and researching in order to enrich their academic experience. It will also act as a guide to faculty members, while providing the d epartment members with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with all the students within the department and learn about each student's research activities and skills. Finally, the paper will provide the students with an opportunity to develop skills in presentation and discussion of research topics in a public forum. It is intended that seminars will be conducted on a continuing basis appropriate to the complement of students within the department.

Scope

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This work is limited to students' academic seminar in tertiary instructions. It is not an end in itself, but a means, which any academic inclined person may use as a guide and toll for developing skills in academic seminar presentation.

Method The importance of written and oral communication has been widely recognized. (The IEEE-S/ ACM Computing Curricula, 2001).recommendations identify communication as one of the principal "transferable skills" vital to all graduates. These skills are relevant to research, teaching and service aspects of academic responsibility.

Developing Writing Skills Many approaches exist for integrating technical writing with students' academic curricula. Opportunities for developing students' writing skills have been observed at all course levels, from introductory to advanced (Fell, et, al, 1996). Inter-disciplinary collaboration (e.g., between the Computer Science and Technology and Agricultural Extension and Management departments) can be effective, but is not strictly necessary and many effective techniques exist for developing writing skills in students. Assessment of such efforts has included statistical studies to quantify their effect on student perceptions of their learning experience (Kaczmarczyk, 20CB) .. Many of these approaches do not explicitly address the process of writing a technical research paper. With a course ending with an academic project and a seminar, students know they are writing for a programme committee, and can target their papers accordingly. Developing Reading and Critiquing Skills A natural complement to the ability to write effectively is the ability to read critically. Having students review published papers is one way to develop critiquing skills. This approach appears to be effective regardless of whether papers are taken from the current literature (Palsberg, and Baxter, 2002). or from a list of classic papers (Eisenberg. 2003) .. Peer-review, where students review each other's work, is another mechanism for developing this skill (Sullivan. 1994) .. Peer-review of writing has been used in a variety of ways (Hafen.1994); (H·orstler and Johansson, 1998) (Kay, 1998) (Norris and Wilkes, 1999). Seminar supervisors and coordinators should be charged with providing feedback that could help the authors improve their papers. In addition, academic project/seminar committee should also be required to evaluate the submissions against each other and make an assessment about which to accept for the seminar. Developing Oral Skills Given the importance of oral skills, educators have looked for deliberate ways to encourage its development through curricular design (McDonald and McDonald, 1993) .. Seminar courses often involve student presentations. Final year students also give technical research presentations to a variety of audiences, including: peers within their own research group, other students and faculty within their own department or university, and other researchers in their field at professional meetings. Candidacy exams and final defenses further reinforce the importance of clear articulation of technical concepts. Learning to give an effective technical research presentation, however, is not the same as learning how to teach. Academic seminar presentation allows students the opportunity to do both, and thus observe the similarities and differences. Developing Citizenship Skills Many lecturers and instructors reserve a small amount of the total grade or total score for "class participation''. This component of the grading is actually an evaluation of the student's citizenship within the class, although it is rarely phrased in this way. Another form of professional service is the refereeing of technical papers. Students gain an appreciation for this process as they submit their own papers and receive feedback from reviewers. Senior or graduate students may also participate as reviewers themselves.

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Preparing Future Faculty The monumental nature of the task of preparing future faculty has led to some significant efforts. Many universities/ colleges and polytechnics have created interdepartmental seminar courses for final year students to discuss issues related to academic careers. Authors have written books (Feibelman.1994).; (Reis, 1997).with advice for prospective faculty. Some have sponsored workshops for junior faculty. It is far too ambitious to hope to solve this problem with a few individual seminar courses. However, the modest effort of our academic seminar presentation provides another element of a solution for this complex challenge. Academic Seminar/micro-conference Model Academic Seminar model has been explored in a variety of settings and with a variety of goals. B·orstler and Johansson, (1998)., report on a conference model in which final year students engage in independent research, technical writing, and oral presentations. Students do not, however, participate in the reviewing and refereeing process. Norris and Wilkes, (1999) describe a conference model to promote deeper understanding of core undergraduate material and to hone communication skills. While students do participate in peer review, the projects are designed to reinforce principles from the course, rather than to develop original results. In Tapper, J. and Gruba, P. (2000)., present a general conference model and apply it to undergraduate courses of various sizes. All of these projects and seminar models describe an undergraduate conference model whose primary goal is to improve the students' communication skills. The academic seminar model discussed in this paper, in addition, aims to expose final year students, faculty and other researchers to the interplay among research, teaching, service and effective communication, not only in the class but within the society at large.

Results and Discussion Academic Seminar Model Course Structure The course is divided into three phases. In the first part, students attend traditional lectures and begin their research projects. In the second part, students present min-lectures to the rest of the class. Finally, in the third part, students participate in a mini-conference: they submit research papers, review each other's submissions, make acceptance decisions, revise their papers, and present their results. The course begins with the distribution of a fictitious call for papers. Potential projects, paper themes and research questions are described at the first class meeting, and students choose topics to pursue for their original research project. Although students do not have the technical background, at this point, to complete their projects, they can still identify which projects will likely be of most interest. Based on these interests, teams are formed. The first part of the course is devoted to covering the core technical content. This is done using the traditional delivery mechanism of that seminar (e.g., through a series of formal lectures by the lecturer/instructor/supervisor, o r by directed readings and round-table discussions). Concurrently, students begin their projects. Weekly meetings with the lecturer/instructor/supervisor can be used to track and promote progress.

The second part of the Academic Seminar Model is an opportunity for students to teach. Students prepare mini-lectures on course topics most directly related to their research projects. These mini-lectures typically draw from both textbook material and a synthesis of published related work. The intent is that students observe some degree of synergy between their teaching activity and their research project. On one hand, their research benefits from their teaching activity since the background work necessary for preparing the mini-lecture is relevant to their project. On the other hand, their teaching benefits from their research activity since their investigations can provide context and direction to their mini-lecture. The course culminates with a mini-conference during the last class meeting of the semester. Each group submits a technical paper according to the page, format, and content requirements stipulated in the call for papers. They are instructed

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that accept/reject decisions will be made based on these submissions. The class as a whole then acts as the programme committee for the mini-conference. Each submission is reviewed by three or four students. Although the submissions are done by student groups, the reviewing is assigned on an individual basis. Reviewers are asked to provide a description of the paper's strengths and weaknesses (based on the objectives of the study)., recommendations for its improvement, and an assessment of its quality. Reviews are given to the lecturers/ instructors/ supervisors (for grading) then distributed anonymously to the entire programme committee. The entire class then meets to decide which papers to accept/not to accept for the mini-conference. Authors are excused during the discussion of their papers to ensure a frank assessment. At the mini-conference, the selected papers are presented. Talks are given under time constraints that are similar to those of a typical conference situation. The format is also more structured than the mini-lectures given earlier. For example, questions are generally held until the end of each talk. A debriefing session is held after the mini-conference to reflect on the experiences of the class. The qualities of effective mini-lectures can be contrasted with those of effective technical presentations. Another useful discussion is an analysis of qualities that make papers more likely to be accepted. It is also important for students to reflect on the reviewing and assessment process encountered during the programme committee meeting. Finally, students are given an opportunity to incorporate reviewer feedback in "camera-ready" versions of their papers (whether originally accepted or not). Grading Scheme

It will be helpful to explicitly pattern the grading scheme after the three aspects of the course: research, teaching, and service. Using a weighting of: 55% for research, 25% for teaching, 10% for service, and 10% for class participation (citizenship) can be ideal for this model. The grade for the research component can be further subdivided. programme/ department/ faculty can use the following parts: i) ii) iii) iv)

For

example,

the

Completed project (as evaluated by the instructor/supervisor through weekly meetings), Submitted paper (as evaluated by the programme committee), Camera-ready paper (as evaluated by the instructor/supervisor), and Contribution (as evaluated by project teammates).

For the second part listed above, a strict translation of the programme committee d ecision should be used: rejected papers that get/score O to 4 depending on the strength of rejection, while accepted papers get/score 5 to 10 depending on the quality of the presentation. For the teaching component of the evaluation, the committee should use a combination of student feedback from the mini-lectures and instructor/supervisor ev aluation. Students are given a list of criteria on which they will be judged. This list is divided into two categories: content and style. An emphasis is placed on communicating the key aspects of the topic in a clear, concise and organized manner. The grade for the service component is based on the quality of the submitted reviews and the contribution during the programme committee m eeting. Direct feedback on reviews is given, but students also receive indirect feedback during the programme committee meeting by observing the other reviews that were written for the same paper.

Variation

5

The robustness of this model encourages its application in advanced seminar courses. Different organizational structures can be used for forming and managing student groups. In small enough seminars, weekly meetings with the supervisor/instructor can be used to guide projects. Self-managed groups, where each group includes a senior graduate student who acts as "project advisor" may also be experimented with or have some students work individually (by their choice). All of these team/ organizational structures have supported a successful instantiation of the academic seminar model. Another variation on the mini-conference theme involves the amount of time allotted for revising the paper in response to reviewers' comments. Rewriting and revising are important elements of effective writing, so, ideally, students would be given several weeks to address these comments. On the other hand, there must be enough time before the mini-conference paper submission deadline to allow research projects to complete. Thus, one must balance these two conflicting priorities. Paolo, Sivilotti, Bruce and Weide (2004).have experimented with revision windows ranging from O to 2 weeks and the success of this model does not appear to hinge on this choice. Nevertheless, they encourage adopters of this model to allow at least one week for revisions. Assessment Assessment should be based on personal observations and anecdotes. At this point, however, it should be possible for someone interested in carefully assessing the model to select a particular instantiation of it, and to design a rigorous study.

Outcome The abbreviated but still effective academic seminar meeting required one class period, and the presentations to be held in lieu of a final exam (which is often the case in a final year seminar presentation in any institution). So educators wishing to wrap this model around an existing academic seminar should find that it does not significantly interfere with the existing administrative or academic schedules. Hence, students have about as much exposure to the underlying course material as they would have without the mini-conference.

For most students, this may be their first experience reviewing someone else's paper and having to write a true critique as opposed to merely a summary. Most students will struggle with having to reject papers written by their peers and in doing so, mat learn something about the processes of academic peer review and also about the possibility for subtle conflicts of interest and how they might b e handled. Moreover, not everyone may review every paper, so students will learn that decisions often are made based on championing. These lessons should be valuable to them in all professional endeavors as trained scientists and wholesome citizens.

What is a seminar presentation? Many students make the mistake of thinking that a seminar or class presentation is exactly the same as an essay, the only difference being that it is read out loud to the class. The essay analogy may be true to some extent -both essays and speeches benefit from being clear and to the point, and both are better if the author or writer has focused on a key issue. However, the average essay would be a tough (read "boring") thing for your listeners to follow if it was spoken to them in class. Similarly, essays are traditionally a vehicle in which to demonstrate your ability to research something at an extensive level and display a significant number of facts, while a presentation is

frequently the best way to express a personal opinion about a subject or issue that you researched on. What is seminar presentation and why is it important? Seminar presentations are an integral part of most units, d epartments, faculties and colleges in tertiary institutions and they require skills that need to be learnt and rehearsed. Being able to give a good and clear presentation to a public audience, esp ecially an academic environment is an asset you and your future employer will

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greatly value. Oral skills, alongside writing and research skills, teamwork, and time management, are aspects of your degree course, or key skills in employment, which will have application to your future career in whatever field that may be. Future employers always ask for these key skills in references, and they are often seen as more important than the subject of your degree or qualification. Obviously, presentations are quite different in that in many ways, they provide an opportunity to reach out at a very personal level and explain to someone the way you view an event or subject. We would all agree that speaking is a crucial part of the communication process. It is really expressing -your opinions and thoughts out loud, no matter what the subject. The big advantage about public speaking is simply that: it is person-to-person communication. No matter how large the group, you invariably communicate with every single one, and it is one of the most effective ways of informing, educating, training, and managing other people. Now, you will be the one that others will be listening to and watching and, as you will rapidly see, it is very important that you know your topic and know your audience well. What to find in a good speech or presentation. Several things are common to all good presentations. If you think about the most effective speakers that you have encountered, you will probably realize that they all had the following characteristics:

A specific focus or theme A narrow focus that could be dealt with in the time allowed Well-organized presentation of facts, opinions, and information The ability to stimulate discussion about a point or fact that is open to interpretation The ability to involve an audience

• • • • •

What should you not find in a speech or presentation? • It should not be the reading of an essay • It should not be merely facts and information • It should not be a lecture, in the traditional sense • It should not be a life-threatening experience Selecting a seminar topic

If you have been given a specific topic by your Lecturer, then you have little flexibility in this matter. However, if the Lecturer has prepared a list of suitable subjects, it goes without saying that you should move quickly and do your best to select one on the list that is of real interest to you. On the other hand, if you have been given a mandate as broad as 'Agricultural development in Nigeria' or 'The Libyan crisis', you have then got the flexibility to select a topic that is of real interest to you. Having this kind of control over the topic will make the entire project a little easier to prepare. Before you make a commitment to your topic and begin spending a lot of time on its preparation, it might be wise to answer the following questions. Always keep in mind that you want to keep your focus as narrow as possible so that it can be properly presented in the time allowed. For example:

•

What exactly do I want to demonstrate? It is important that you identify exactly the point or opinion you wish to leave with your audience. The discussion of a particular aspect of a subject is much more effective than a general review of a topic.

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•

Does my audience have a little or a lot of knowledge a/Jout my subject? Your approach will be different if your audience knows very little about the topic you have selected. They will need to be brought up to speed with some history, and you will have to put the subject in a context that they can understand. They certainly would not know the jargon or some terminologies that you may wish to use, so you will have to be careful to speak simply and plainly in a language that they all understand. On the other hand, if your audience is well-versed in the topic, you can dispense with a lot of the general information, as they will be reasonably comfortable with that. You can also, in that case, use some of the jargon/terms and vernacular in that field.

•

Will I be able to keep to the Focus? Sometimes, as you begin to lay out your presentation, you will find out that you keep adding and adding material because so many things appear interrelated and you are not sure where to stop. At some point, you will have to make some tough decisions about what is really necessary for properly presenting the focus that you have selected. Having a plan and sticking with it are the best solutions to this predicament.

•

Are you able to use an overhead? Do I have access to a blackboard? Is the audience of a small enough size that you can provide a handout? There are many things to think about.

•

How much time do I have? If you have ten minutes in which to present, can you cov er the topic adequately in that time? You can use PowerPoint rehearse timing and practice before time and become acquainted with it so that you can manage your time w ell during the actual presentation. Similarly, if there is little information out there, will you run out of things to say before the deadline? You have to consider all these facts.

Academic seminar/mini-conference presentation

i).

Package one "big idea" per paper, certainly not more than two.

ii). Find a sho rt but informative title. iii). Write a concise informative abstract (e.g., do not use phrases such as "in this paper..." or "we show that..." ; d o not focus on the motivation but on the results) . iv). In Section 1, explicitly identify your audience, tie the paper to the conference/seminar theme, and state the cont ribution of the pa per. v) .. Be consistent in all matters throughout the paper: formatting, language, level of d etail, experimental d esigns, etc. iv). Use examples, a nd start them as early as possible. vii). Spell out acronyms on first use. v iii). If you intend to report experimental results, use careful experimental d esign and d raw only statistically valid and suppo rtable conclusions. Use error bars in graphs, not just av erages. ix). If you put code in a figure, explain it in the text. x). Do no t exaggerate or embellish conclusions. Acknow led ge w hen you know something and when you do not. xi). U se a spell-checker and grammar checker just before submitting the paper.

Presentations

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The ability to communicate well is an important graduate attribute. This is why, during studies, a student may be asked to present to an audience in a number of situations. Undergraduate students may be asked to present individually or as part of a group or to lead a tutorial discussion on the weekly readings. Postgraduate students may be required to present more frequently and in more advanced genres of presentations (such as seminars, fora, PhD confirmation, conference pa,xrs, and academic posters) as part of the formal communication mechanism of their research. At either level, giving a presentation requires the student to properly prepare and structure his/her talk, manage anxiety and present confidently, respond to questions effectively, and use visual aids such as PowerPoint slides, macromedia flash, etc.

Preparing and structuring your talk The purpose and content of your talk needs to be carefully considered. How much detail can you cover in your allotted time? The presenter should always consider the needs of the audience by asking the following questions: a). What does the audience already know about the topic? b). What do they need to know? c). What is the take-home message? What do you want them to remember? All presentations, whether 5 or 45 minutes in length, need an introduction, a body and a conclusion. It may be useful to think about your talk in terms of these sections:

The Introduction: What am I doing? An introduction to the area or topic of research • Introduce yourself, your topic and the broader context of your research, if relevant. • Tell your audience what you will cover in your talk. - Specific objectives of the research or project • A r eview of the m ethodology (or proposed m ethodology) to m eet those objectives The body: What have I found? A review of the problem or issue being investigated • Discussion of the current practice or knowledge and an indication of the difference or originality of the proposed research plan or project. • Include the key points, new knowledge, trends in your data, or progress to date. The level of detail may depend on the task and time available. • Indicate your structure to your audience by using signposting language such as' the first point I want to make concerns ... ' . • Discussion of results (if available) Summary/conclusions/reconunendations. Why is this important or relevant? • Highlight the implications of y our discussion or possible applications of your findings. • Make recommendations for further research. • Finish with one or two'take home messages'. Managing anxiety: Presenting confidently Many people feel anxious about speaking in public. Your stress may be reduced if you think about your presentation as having a conversation with a g roup of people rather than talking at your audience. Regardless of the type of presentation you have to deliver, the best way to relieve anxiety is to prepare for your talk thoroughly.

You may use the following useful preparation strategies:

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• Practice your talk in real time to a friend or academic skills adviser, ensuring that your talk fits your timeframe. (you may practice this by timing your speech with Microsoft Power Point rehearsed timing). • Practice words, phrases, or technical terms that may be difficult for you to pronounce. • Anticipate and prepare for questions in advance. Formulate some likely questions and practice answering them. • Familiarize yourself with the room and equipment. • 'Warm up' your voice before you start your presentation. Drink some clean water and then try repeating some of your key words/ phrases. The main point is to articulate clearly and vary your pitch. Even if you feel nervous about presenting, you can use the following strategies to help you appear confident in front of your audience: • Know the beginning of your talk off by heart. • Breathe in and hold it for about 5-10 minutes, then breathe out. Do this for three times to stabilize your heartbeat and calm down any nervousness. • Make eye contact with your audience to maintain their interest. • Stand straight and raise your chin .This will help to project your voice and allow you to be heard more clearly. • Keep your hands still. Try to avoid fidgeting and excessive movement. • To trigger your memory, write down the key points of your talk on cards or PowerPoint notes. • Pace yourself. You tend to talk faster if you are nervous; try to talk at your normal rate of speech, bearing the timeframe for the presentation in mind. • Breathe. If you begin to feel anxious, pause and take some deep breaths for relaxation. • Use furniture for support. It can be helpful to stand behind a podium or a desk. You may even sit down, if appropriate. • Consider using PowerPoint slides to direct your audience's attention away from you. When you prepare for your talk, you should also prepare and rehearse some sample answers to likely questions. A good presentation will naturally encourage discussion and questions from the audience. The following strategies may be useful for responding to questions effectively: • Listen attentively to your questioner. • Paraphrase the question to clarify it for both you and your audience. This also gives you some thinking time before you respond.

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• If you do not know the answer then simply say so or offer to research the question. You may even ask suggestions from the audience. There is nothing wrong with this as nobody is an island of knowledge. • Respond to all questions respectfully.

Visual aids in academic seminar presentations Visual aids are a very important part of almost all presentations. Their key advantage is that they

allow you to emphasize certain facts, opinions, theories, or trends that are integral to the arguments :JOU wish to make. There are five basic families of visual aids that you can use: •

Overheads: Using overheads is a simple and direct way of presenting information to your audience, and they are very easy to make. They are best for graphs or tables in which you can show trends or similar. It is probably best not to present your most important facts as they should be reserved for the handout. Do not forget, your handout can contain copies of your overheads. Above all else, make sure that they are neat, easy to read, and can be clearly seen by your entire audience.

•

Board: Almost every classroom or seminar room will have blackboards or similar ways ('white' boards or tripod pads) of putting information on display. Do remember, however, that it takes time to write things on the board so you would be best advised to do that beforehand. Secondly, be sure your writing is clear enough for people to read. This is an excellent way of emphasizing key words or phrases in your presentation.

•

Handouts: These are an excellent way to give your audience a record of what you have said. Handouts have many other benefits; for example, they divert attention away from you, reinforce key points in your argument, allow the audience to use them to make notes about your speech, and you look very professional. When making handouts, avoid using too much text, as this will be more difficult to read. In other words, record only your main points or arguments, your concepts or theories, and possibly a record of your sources.

•

Electronic Audio-visual Aids: Initially you may think that you should use audio-visual aids (i.e., PowerPoint, etc.) Because they will add a level of professionalism or sophistication to your presentation. Yes, that is often the result, but do remember one important thing: your success in any presentation will now be more dependent on /Jeing able to operate equipment at the same time that you work with note cards and control :]GUY nervousness as you present. Sometimes the equipment takes a lot of time to set up, or you may find room situations in which it does not work or is not even available. Before you make a commitment to using electronic audio-visual aids, just be sure that their use and the available hardware are appropriate to your speaking situation.

•

Using PowerPoint slides for Presentation effectively Microsoft's PowerPoint slides can complement most presentations if they are simple, well designed, and appropriately integrated. Crowded slides which are not clearly relevant, or do not fit the sequence of your talk will detract from your presentation. Overuse of multiple fonts, colours, or animated effects may also distract your audience. A PowerPoint slide must be discussed and integrated into your presentation so that the audience knows exactly why it has been used. A good guideline is to spend two to three minutes talking through the points on a slide.

•

Other aids: There are still other things you can do if you wish to a u gm ent your presentation.

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You might think about a skit (jeering or satirical remark, humorous story or sketch) of some kind and use it to emphasize a point or pose a major question to your audience. You can also use quizzes or similar exercises, all of which have the added value of involving your audience in the presentation exercise.

Advanced types of presentations In addition to the generic academic presentations, you may be required to present advanced presentation genres. Particularly at the post-graduate level, you may be required to present your thesis proposal or current research project at a departmental seminar. If you are a M.Sc or PhD student, you must present your research report during the conversion or confirmation process and verbally defend your proposal to a confirmation committee. You may also have to present papers at conferences or to present submissions for research funding. In addition, you may be asked to present your work as an academic poster. A poster is a visual presentation of a project, a service, or an outline offindings. It needs to be simple and visually appealing and can also include charts, graphs, photographs, or artwork. Academic Posters are frequently displayed at conferences to give a quick overview of a research project.

Conclusions and recommendations The mini-conference model presented here is an effective framework for structuring academic seminar courses and presentations. It is important to note that the primary focus of the seminar remains on delivering the technical content of the course. The mini-conference structure for this content, however, has several significant benefits. Students improve their written and oral communication, and appreciate the importance of appropriately targeting their papers or presentations for their intended audience. Students also gain experience in critiquing and assessing tec hnical papers and, conversely, incorporating such critiques into their own work. Finally, students are exposed to the interplay among research, teaching, and service in the academic environment. At the core of the min- conference model is the creation of a microcosm of academia. As there are many models of the academic environment, however, there are also many valid distillations of this environment. The balance between research and teaching, for example, is clearly an issue of design in applying the mini-conference model. The mini-conference approach to seminar courses has a role to play in preparing future faculty. Experiencing a microcosm of research, teaching, and service has clear benefits for students who will go on to academic appointments. Of course, the majority of students will not continue on to faculty positions, but for these students too the model has the professional skills benefits outlined above. Finally, for students who are undecided about career path, the model can help illuminate and inform their choice. We have applied this model to seminars in software engineering and distributed systems. Its generality, however, makes it suitable for instantiation in any sub-discipline. Adopters of this model are encouraged to have some selectivity to their mini-conference, and thus expose students and staff to the assessment aspect of professional service and content delivery.

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