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Self-Study Guide
Creating an Assertion-Evidence Presentation This self-study guide teaches you how to create an assertion-evidence presentation, which as the film below discusses is an effective strategy for communicating engineering and science. In this guide, you will first learn the principles of structuring a talk in engineering and science. Second, you will learn the weaknesses of following PowerPoint's defaults to communicate your technical work. Then you will learn the three most important principles of the assertion-evidence approach. Once you understand the principles, you are encouraged to create and deliver an assertion-evidence presentation of your work for a specific audience. |
Credentialing badge offered to engineering students at Penn State. The 75-minute class is taught once a semester--please see the Undergraduate E-News for times.
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1. Structuring a Scientific Presentation (about 7 minutes)
This first section provides an overview of the structure of a talk in engineering and science. That structure includes elements expected in the introduction, middle, and conclusion. In addition, that structure includes making effective transitions between and within those sections.
This first section provides an overview of the structure of a talk in engineering and science. That structure includes elements expected in the introduction, middle, and conclusion. In addition, that structure includes making effective transitions between and within those sections.
2. Common Problems with Slides in Presentations (about 9 minutes)
This section challenges the way that most engineers and scientist design slides for their presentations. The first film discusses the inherent problems that prevent most slides from helping engineers and scientists effectively communicate their work. The second film discusses important assumptions about presentation slides.
This section challenges the way that most engineers and scientist design slides for their presentations. The first film discusses the inherent problems that prevent most slides from helping engineers and scientists effectively communicate their work. The second film discusses important assumptions about presentation slides.
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PowerPoint's defaults are weak. |
One important assumption is to use slides only when they serve the presentation. |
3. Principles of an Assertion-Evidence Presentation
This section challenges the way that most engineers and scientist design slides for their presentations. The first film discusses the inherent problems that prevent most slides from helping engineers and scientists effectively communicate their work. The second film discusses important assumptions about presentation slides.
This section challenges the way that most engineers and scientist design slides for their presentations. The first film discusses the inherent problems that prevent most slides from helping engineers and scientists effectively communicate their work. The second film discusses important assumptions about presentation slides.
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Principle 1: Build your talk on messages, not topics. |
Principle 2: Support your messages with visual evidence, not bulleted lists. |
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Principle 3: Explain your visual evidence by fashioning sentences on the spot, but only after planning and practice. |
4. Creating an Assertion-Evidence Presentation
This section challenges you to use the principles given above to create an engineering or scientific presentation that follows the assertion-evidence approach. Assuming that you have valuable content for a particular audience, purpose, and occasion, you should use one of the templates on this site to create a set of assertion-evidence slides. Then, after practice, you should deliver that presentation to an audience.
This section challenges you to use the principles given above to create an engineering or scientific presentation that follows the assertion-evidence approach. Assuming that you have valuable content for a particular audience, purpose, and occasion, you should use one of the templates on this site to create a set of assertion-evidence slides. Then, after practice, you should deliver that presentation to an audience.
