MCA - ELCS - NOTES
Technical Presentations
IntroductionProfessionals of all types make oral presentations to a wide variety of audiences. A professional has to present ideas for improved process operation to process management and he/she must convey new design concepts to his/her design team, or present design economics to management. An oral presentation may be a good approach when it is desirable to pass information to a group in a brief time, where the main ideas and conclusions are more important than details. This method allows interaction between the presenter and the group in ways that are fundamentally different from one-on-one interactions. With portable video conferencing now available, locations of members of the group are becoming less important. If the group is large or can not be easily assembled, then a brief written interim or summary report may be better. Such a report can now be prepared and circulated electronically. Judgement has to be exercised to find the best approach for each situation.Reading a written report almost never makes a good oral presentation. Written reports typically contain too much detail to be presented in an appropriate period of time. Also, the style of a written report usually sounds stilted when presented verbally. Thus, the seminar or other type of talk must be considered as a separate entity from the written report and must be well thought out and rehearsed prior to presentation.
Workshops consist of a brief presentation followed by interaction with the audience. The purpose of a workshop is to introduce the audience to and involve them with engaging a skill or technique. [20 minutes to present and 10 minutes to respond to questions]
Posters present a visual display of student work on poster boards supplied by the College. Presenters should be able to provide a scholarly introduction to their work and be prepared to entertain the viewers’ questions. Examples of poster presentations include a research study, a creative unit plan, a pictorial display of art work, an essay.
Oral presentations involve a presentation of a paper or research project with or without visual aids. [20 minutes to present and 10 minutes to respond to questions]
Panel Discussions involve 3-5 students presenting and discussing their views on a scholarly topic and responding to audience questions. [45 minutes to present and 15 minutes to respond to questions]
Performances require students to provide an introduction to and perform their scholarly work Examples of performances include a poetry reading, dramatic reading, and dance, vocal or musical piece. Presenters should be able to provide the audience with an intellectual context for the performance and be prepared to entertain questions from the audience. [20 minutes to present, perform and 10 minutes to respond to questions]
Exhibits consist of a visual display of a collection or body of work by one or more students (i.e. paintings, drawings, prints, posters, photography, sculpture, ceramics, video, installation, multi-media). An exhibit should be accompanied by a general statement of purpose and individual artist statements that provide an intellectual context both for the collection as a whole and for its individual pieces. Presenters should be prepared to entertain the viewers’ questions.
Videoconferencing
The Instructional Use Of VideoconferencingVideoconferencing is essentially face-to-face instruction, only, at a distance. Any good course can easily and effectively be adapted to a videoconference format while maintaining the dynamic, engaging interaction between the instructor and the participants, as well as among participants, independent, almost, of geographical or time constraints.As in virtually any traditional classroom, the videoconferencing studios can be configured to hold a panel of experts, present a lecture or interview subject matter specialists.
There are visual teaching tools which can include printed texts, video tapes, computer files, photographs and sound. Participants at the remote sites can do the same: present their own video sequences, PowerPoint slides, charts and photographs in the format of their choice.In videoconferencing, as in any learning environment, choosing the best means of communication is vital for the transmission of information. Instructors may need to hone their awareness of the different features of written and oral language, with regards to distance communication.
Teaching in the Studio– The Control PanelThe tools and the technology may appear daunting to some instructors. The secret to maintaining control over the learning experience is proficient the use of the equipment in the studio. Mastering the basic function of the equipment is neither difficult nor time consuming. Although instructors are welcome to take control of the cameras during videoconferences, they also have the option of leaving the technological manipulation of slides, video clips and other media up to the producers. Instructors are, however, encouraged to familiarize themselves with the equipment at the podium prior to the first session.
Arrangements can be made to access the equipment for half an hour or an hour in order to learn basic functions without being disturbed.Basic functions of the control panel include selecting and operating the visual source to be transmitted to the learners. Many instructors will use PowerPoint Slides in teaching tools used in videoconferencing. To run a slide presentation from the podium the instructor simply chooses the PowerPoint Option from the LCD Media Selector Panel which takes him/her to the PowerPoint Slide-Show Panel.The LCD panel functions much like any slide presentation device. To begin the slide show at the first slide, or a designated slide the instructor touches “Start Slide Show” and continues through the presentation hitting ‘Next Slide”. Instructors wishing to jump to the end of the presentation can hit “Last”.