How to give a lecture and survive it?

1. How to give a lecture and survive it? David Avnir 28.12.09

2. Topics of the lecture 1. Lecture planning 2. The slides 3. Preparations around the lecture 4. During the lecture 5. When the lecture has ended

3. 1. Lecture planning # Be very sure who is your audience. Ask in advance. • Homogeneous audience • Heterogeneous audience • Lecturing to judges and decision makers • Friends • Hostile audience

4. 1. Lecture planning # Assuming previous knowledge? # Balance between background and new results # Fitting the lecture to the allocated time: 5, 15-20, 30, 45, 1 hour # If you are inexperienced – measure the time in a rehearsal

5. 1. Lecture planning # You have so much to tell – how to select? - Give priority to what excites you

6. 1. Lecture planning # Give the impression that you have much more to tell # Do not use the “historical” approach, unless it makes an interesting story Antoine Lavoisier

7. 1. Lecture planning Remember: it is your responsibility to give your audience a good time!

8. Topics of the lecture 1. Lecture planning 2. The slides 3. Preparations around the lecture 4. During the lecture 5. When the lecture has ended

9. 2. The slides # Font: Simple, Clear, no BOLD, italics here and there # Minimize animations and effects: -Your main message is the content - Animations/effects invite trouble # Slides background: “Background”

10. 2. The slides # Contents/Lecture layout: - What should the audience expect? # Font: Simple, Clear, no BOLD # Minimize animations and effects: -Your main message is the content - Animations/effects invite trouble # Slides background: “Background”

11. 2. The slides # Use only slide title for current context # short title # Avoid repetitive unnecessary information: - Institute, the name of the conference, confidentiality

12. How to give a lecture and survive it? 2. The slidesor 2. Tips on what to pay attention to while preparing a slides lecture The 23rd conference on “The effects of the moon on the stock-market trade” Kamchatka, July 3-7, 2011

13. 2. The slides # A slide should be a glance event, not a reading event # Short sentences (max. 1.5 lines)

14. “Molecular imprinting is a newly developed methodology which provides molecular assemblies of desired structures and properties and is being increasingly used for several applications such as in separation processes, microreactors, immunoassays and antibodymimics, catalysis, artificial enzymes, biosensor recognition elements and bio- and chemo-sensors.” Molecular Imprinting # Molecular imprinting is a new, useful method # Desired structures and properties can be tailored # Selected applications: - Separation processes - Microreactors - Sensors - Catalysis - Bio-aspects of all four

15. 2. The slides # Use only slide title for current context # A slide should be a glance event, not a reading event # Short sentences (max. 1.5 lines) # Do not overcrowd the slide

16. Nano@Micro: CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanorods@PS/SiO2 Luminescence from various nano@micro systems Films: CdSe/ZnS core/shell@PS/silica TEM 11X3 nm 3.6 nm 25x4.5 nm (15x3.8 nm) EDS HRSEM T. Mokari, U.Banin Isolated particles

17. Luminescence from various nano@micro systemsFilms:CdSe/ZnS core/shell@PS/silica 11X3 nm 3.6 nm 25x4.5 nm

18. 2. The slides # Bad English and misspellings are lecture killers! # Lecturing in Hebrew with an English text

19. 2. The slides # Humor; caricatures - Bad humor is lethal to the audience

20. 2. The slides - Pharmaceutical conference “humor”:

21. 2. The slides # Memorize first and last sentences # First slide: Contents/Lecture layout - What should the audience expect? # The last slide – with this the audience gets out - Punch line

22. 2. The slides # Thanks and credits: • At the beginning • Throughout the lecture • At the end • One before the last slide

23. 2. The slides A good slide is worth 1000 printed words

24. Topics of the lecture 1. Lecture planning 2. The slides 3. Preparations around the lecture 4. During the lecture 5. When the lecture has ended

25. 3. Preparations around the lecture # Backups and checks - If you are a Mac user check on a PC - Convert bad slides to JPG # Prepare and send backups like crazy - DOK, CD - Email it to yourself/to the organizers (www.YouSendIt.com)

26. 3. Preparations around the lecture # What to dress? - The TIE cosmic dilemma - Respect the audience and the event - Yet feel comfortable:

27. # Comfortable dress:

28. 3. Preparations around the lecture # Lecture-hall preparations: - Angle and location of standing: ^ Facing the audience - Lights: ^ Lights system/selection ^ Windows and shades - Temperature

29. 3. Preparations around the lecture # Lecture-hall preparations: - Obstacles: ^ Cables on the floor ^ Chairs - Microphone ^ Is it needed? ^ Fixed ^ Cordless

30. 3. Preparations around the lecture # Lecture-hall preparations: - Drinking: ^ Don’t ^ Water, not soda ^ Pre-opened bottle/can (not a glass/cup)

31. 3. Preparations around the lecture # Instruments around your lecture - Pointer: Two, and batteries - Stick-pointer - Slides-changer - Your watch on the table!

32. 3. Preparations around the lecture Run your lecture in the lecture-hall in advance!

33. Topics of the lecture 1. Lecture planning 2. The slides 3. Preparations around the lecture 4. During the lecture 5. When the lecture has ended

34. 4. During the lecture # Juggling with too many instruments Microphone, pointer, slide changer, notes, drinking

35. 4. During the lecture # Lecturing with notes: Yes? No? # Read your text with the audience, guided with a pointer # Use the pointer/stick/cursor to lead the eye - Avoid discotheque light show - Avoid blindness casualties

36. 4. During the lecture # Eh!

37. 4. During the lecture # Voice level - A bad starter is a killer - Monotonous voice is a good sleeping pill

38. 4. During the lecture # Still-standing? Moving? No jogging! # Where to look? The poor audience victim.

39. 4. During the lecture # What to do when: - You realize that you planned for a different audience - The wrong slide shows up - You are losing the line of thought - You forgot a word in English - System crush! :Computer, projector, microphone

40. 4. During the lecture # What to do when: - You regret you agreed at all to give this lecture!

41. 4. During the lecture # After passing 2/3 - time shortage! • Start-delay because of technical problems • You still have 1/2 lecture and too little time is left • You have a cruel chairman that cuts your talk much ahead of time ^ Is shooting the chairman during the lecture an option?

42. 4. During the lecture # The art of dynamic adaptation of the lecture

43. 4. During the lecture # Disturbances: • General audience (culture) • Single person • External • Cell phones

44. Topics of the lecture 1. Lecture planning 2. The slides 3. Preparations around the lecture 4. During the lecture 5. When the lecture has ended

45. 5. When the lecture has ended # How to handle questions? - Don’t - Questions in the middle or in the end? - Informative questions - Questions which are not clear (language) - Questions to which you do not know the answer - Hostile questions

46. 5. When the lecture has ended # Avoid: Why didn’t I? How could I? # …and remember…

47. It’s all history now, tiger!