Group Presentation 1: General Comments

• Be sure to speak on the topic you are assigned, not just on what interests you the most.  Stay on topic.

• Decide what highlights you want the audience to take away.  Do not fill your five minutes with everything you found.  Most presentations suffered from information overload!

• The Powerpoint presentations were generally great.   They were not too wordy, and they were used effectively as outlines for the presentation, for the most part.  The audience is tempted to read everything in front of them.  Make sure your audience only reads the highlights you want them to take away from the presentation.

• Make sure the highlights are there for the audience to read!  Narrating vast quantities of material, by reading from notecards,  makes it difficult for the audience to pick out what it is important.

• Pictures are worth thousands of words!  Use the visual aids that are available.

• Speak up (remember I don't hear well!) and repeat material the audience should take from the presentation.  Do not turn your back on the audience.  Use the most confident speaker in your group if needed, and practice, practice, practice!  Alternating between speakers, rather than going in sequence, can be an effective approach.  However, timing is a key - one member can run long, leaving the others with no time to speak.

• Know the material, and be sure of the facts.  Do not discuss terms or concepts you are not familiar with.  Be prepared for questions!