presentation academic skills

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How to plan and deliver presentations

Strategies and advice on how to develop your skills and confidence as a presenter.

Presenting your work to others

Standing up in front of other people and sharing your ideas can be a stressful experience, but also extremely rewarding intellectually. You may be asked to present your work either individually or as part of a group. This might be part of your assessed work, or a more informal opportunity to receive feedback. 

Designing and delivering a presentation is a test of your ability to communicate knowledge in a clear and accessible way as well as your grasp of the knowledge itself. 

This can sometimes feel challenging and nerve-wracking, but by learning more about the best strategies and techniques for formal presentations in academic settings, you can make the most of this valuable learning environment.

Planning and Delivering Presentations workshop: book here Start the online tutorial - Presentations: planning, creating, and delivering Watch the Delivering Presentations video (1:48 minutes)

Planning your presentation

The more you plan your presentation, the more confidence you will have in the information you are delivering. You need to consider three things throughout this process: topic, time limit, and audience.

1. Your topic

Your topic is what your presentation should be about. This seems obvious, but unless you keep a clear idea of the message you are trying to convey, it's easy to go off on a tangent. You will then lose the clarity of your presentation.

2. Your time limit

Again, this seems obvious, but you will be kept to time and you need to prepare for this.

If you're asked to deliver a short presentation, keep this in mind as you do your background research, to avoid doing unnecessary amounts of reading. You only have a certain amount of time you can spend on your preparation, so make sure you use your time wisely.

3. Your audience

Your audience is key to how you deliver your presentation. You need to consider what they already know, what they need to know, and the type of language that is appropriate for your delivery.

Unlike a written piece of work, an audience only gets one chance to engage with the content of a presentation.

With this in mind, your presentation should follow a very simple structure of reinforcement:

• Tell your audience what you are going to tell them.
• Tell them again what you told them.

This may sound repetitive, but that's exactly what you want: to repeat the key points so that they are clear to your audience and provide a take-home message.

Having a clear structure not only helps your audience to follow your presentation but helps you to keep track of what it is you are trying to explain.

Action: Use the Horizontal Planning Template (google doc) to organise your presentation. Start from the middle with roughly three main points, before moving out to complete a plan for your introduction and conclusion.

Starting in the middle is essential as it will allow you to pin down the main areas of your message, before moving on to identify how to introduce these main points to your audience and summarise them again at the end.

Individual presentations

Spoken reports detailing your work can take place in a range of settings: the small group classroom, in a one-to-one tutorial, in the workplace or at an academic conference. 

Presentations take different forms, from a read-out mini-lecture to an improvised explanation or elaboration of a series of key points, a question-and-answer session, an audience-activity workshop, or a blend of all of these.

An individual presentation can feel intense as you take centre stage. However, the advantage of this is that you have complete control over your preparation (see below), content and timing.

If you are finding the prospect of a solo presentation in front of an audience stressful, there are a number of strategies you can use to build confidence and overcome the nerves:

• Think about how to organise your presentation. Are you planning to present using the slides as a prompt (in which case be sure to look up from the screen to engage your audience)? Or are you planning to use notes or flash cards? Flash cards can be a great way to give yourself some key prompts and something to do with your hands. 
• If you are finding it difficult to engage with your audience directly, try focusing on a point at the back of the room. This will encourage you to look up and present to the room, while avoiding the pressure of direct eye contact.
• Think about your physical presence. There is evidence that standing tall can help to increase confidence and can make the audience perceive the speaker as more confident.

Book a speaking tutorial with a language specialist who can help you to practise your presentation or explore strategies for answering questions.

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Group presentations

Group presentations share many of the demands of the individual format, but collaboration brings its own benefits and challenges. Strength in numbers can provide a sense of comradeship and relieve individual pressure. But working together means you need to find ways to share the burden of work equally and incorporate the efforts and skills of each group member.

The additional pressures of a group presentation can be particularly significant when a presentation forms part of university coursework.

Like any form of group work, group presentations rely on sharing responsibility and developing strategies to manage group disagreements or imbalances. Remember to take time to understand one another's strengths and areas of confidence so that tasks and responsibilities can be divided up in a way that makes the most of individual skills and abilities.

And just like an individual presentation, making sure you find the time to practice and rehearse the presentation together as a group can be decisive to its success on the day. Consider the following points and build them into your rehearsal time:

• What order are you presenting in?
• Who is taking over from whom? Can you stand in a logical order to cut down on transition times?
• Who is advancing the slides, or are you taking it in turns?
• Who is managing time and how are you going to warn group members to speed up?
• Don't forget to build in time for transitions between presenters!

Online presentations

Although aspects of presenting online can be more difficult than in-person, there are also some advantages.

You may feel more comfortable presenting in your own environment, with your own IT equipment. You can also control how many faces you see during the presentation: experiment to see if you prefer presenting to one, several, or no faces as you speak.

Whilst the fundamentals of good in-person presenting remain true when presenting online, there are some important considerations that are unique to presenting remotely. 

• Check which platform you will be using. If presenting for a university project, you will most likely be using Blackboard Collaborate or Google Meet.
• If using Collaborate, you can use the Blackboard Test Room to practice uploading your slides ahead of time to check they appear as expected.
• You can also set up your own Google Meet session to practice presenting in, either with peers or by yourself. You can also record the session to review it afterwards.
• Check the sound quality of your devices. Using a headset or external microphone may help transmit warmer, clearer audio, helping participants to understand you more easily.

Visit Digital Learning for students: Blackboard Collaborate Visit Digital Learning for students: Google Meet

Video and audio considerations

• Using your webcam can assist others to understand you (eg if they rely on lipreading) and can help build a more personal connection with your audience. However, you may find it easier to present with your camera off - make sure you have a go at both to find out what you’re most comfortable with.
• If you are using a webcam, try to ensure it is centred and positioned at eye level, so that your head and shoulders take up most of the screen.
• Consider placing your camera or laptop at eye level so you can stand. You may find it easier to present in an energetic and engaging way when you’re not sat down.
• If possible, find a place to present with natural lighting, but avoid positioning the camera in front of a window, as this can result in a backlit image.  Otherwise, consider using household lights to enhance how the image appears on screen.
• Perform to the audience by looking directly into the camera – not at the screen or other participants (a sticker or post-it note pointing to your camera lens can help with this). This takes some practice, but it makes the viewer feel you are speaking directly to them. You may wish to turn off your self-view so you’re not distracted by your own image.
• Make sure your background is appropriate for your audience and projects the image you want to display. If using custom backgrounds, avoid cluttered images. You may also opt to blur the background, but be aware that custom backgrounds can distort movement on the camera.
• Mute yourself when you are not speaking to avoid distracting background noise, and don’t be afraid to ask others to mute theirs if it’s distracting you.

Practical considerations

• Ensure you close any tabs and programmes that you don’t need open.
• Get the best internet connection possible, either by plugging your computer directly into the router with a network cable, or by moving closer to the wireless router.
• If appropriate, ask someone to help moderate the text chat and summarise questions so that you can address these later on.
• Slow down. Just as in an in-person presentation, slowing down will help your audience follow along and ensure you make clear, comprehensible points. This is even more important online, where audio clarity can be more limited. 
• It can be useful to have an introductory slide explaining how you will be using the presentation platform tools eg if you will be using the chat (and how).
• Highlight certain points on your slides by using the cursor, or annotation tools to help the audience follow along.
• ‘Temperature check’ the room by using activities like polls, Q&A, and status responses. Or simply ask your audience to post a relevant emoticon or comment in the chat.

Preparing for your presentation

Most importantly, for all kinds of presentations, allow time to practice! Make sure you think about how you are going to deliver your presentation and make it engaging.

This is especially important if you are presenting in a group, as transitions can be costly time-wise if unrehearsed. Make sure you have time to revise and edit your presentation, with enough time to rehearse the final edit too.

Make sure you have your ending prepared! Do not simply stop, think about how you will signal to your audience that you are done and ready for questions (if appropriate).

Finally, make sure that you are as comfortable as possible on the day. Plan out what you are going to wear the night before, arrive early to check equipment, and have a bottle of water with you.

The majority of your confidence will come from having a well-researched, structured and practised presentation, so don't worry, take a deep breath, and you will now be ready to go!

Once you have delivered your presentation, seek feedback from your peers or tutors, to help you develop your skills further. Think reflectively about the whole presentation process, as you continue to build this skill.

How to make the most of feedback

• Preparation is key! You need to consider your topic, time limit, and audience. If you are working as a group, be organised in allocating how this preparation will be done.
• A strong structure will help your presentation to flow. Signpost and wrap up for your audience, make it easy for them to follow, and easy for yourself too.
• Practise! Think about what you are going to say, time how long it takes you to say it. Make sure you are fully comfortable and confident before you need to present. If you are presenting as a group, decide who will say what, and practice transitions.
• Think about yourself as the presenter: plan what you'll wear, take some water with you
• Build-in contingency plans: know where you can cut things out or add bits in to keep to time, and plan how you will deal with difficult questions.

Next steps 

• How to get the most out of group work
• How to plan and present a research poster
• How to write for a lay audience

Further Resources

• Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) - Public Speaking and Communicating with Impact 
• Digital Learning - Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations
• BBC BiteSize - Speaking Skills

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 Academic Presentations

Academic presentations are an integral part of university study and assessment. Academic presentations may be presented individually or as a group activity but both require the key skills of planning and structuring key information. The key difference between an academic presentation and a general presentation is that it is usually quite formal and includes academic research to evidence the ideas presented. The presentation will include references to credible sources and demonstrate clearly your knowledge and familiarity of the topic.

Presentation lessons / worksheets

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Presentation Information

Intro to presentations, academic presentations, presentation phrases , what is an academic presentation , presentation ppt slides, improve your ppt slides, create effective ppt slides, a basic ppt presentation  , graphs & charts, presentation feedback,  marking criteria, teacher feedback form, peer feedback form, peer-to-peer feedback form, terms & conditions of use, academic  presentation information.

• Good Presentations
• Structure / organisation
• Signposting Language

Giving a good academic presentation

• Think about the aim of your presentation and what you want to achieve.
• Concentrate on your audience: who   they are and  what   they (want to) know.
• Choose the topic that interests you: involvement and motivation are key to confidence.
• Give your presentation a  clear   and  logical   organization so that everyone can follow.
• Present information  visually : this adds interest to your talk and makes it easier to follow.
• Practise giving your presentation until you are familiar with the key points; this way you may discover any potential problems and check the timing. Besides, practice will also make you feel more confident.

Basic outline / structure

• Introduction: introduce the topic, some basic background, thesis (your stance or argument).
• Outline: provide basic bullet points on the key parts of the presentation.
• Main body: divide the main body into sections.
• Evaluation: always include evaluation. This can be a separate section or part of the main body.
• Conclusion: summarise key points, restate the thesis and make a recommendation / suggestion / prediction.
• Reference list: create one slide with all your sources.
• Questions : be prepared to answer questions.
• Cope with nerves: breathe deeply; it calms you down and stops you from talking too quickly.
• Control your voice: speak clearly and try to sound interesting by changing intonation and rhythm.
• Watch your body language: try to give the impression that you are relaxed and confident.
• Maintain eye contact with your audience: it keeps them interested in what you are saying. For this reason, you should not read.
• Provide visual information, but do not give too many facts at a time. Give your audience enough time to take them in.
• Keep attention by asking rhetorical questions.

 Advanced Signposting Language –

key language phrases for presentation

Presentation Speaking Criteria

This i s a basic criteria to assess presentation speaking skills. It has three key criteria: Language accuracy & language range,  fluency &  pronunciation, and   presentation & engagement.    Example  /   Level: ** *** [B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP

An Introduction to Academic Presentations

  introduction to presentations (new 2023).

This lesson is designed to introduce students to academic presentations. It contains information on how to plan, structure, and deliver an academic presentation. It includes a listening worksheet, presentation signposting phrases and a mini-presentation activity. Example . Level: ** * ** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Presentation Phrases (Signposting Language)

  presentation phrases sheet : a range of standard english phrases .

Suitable phrases to use for greeting, structuring, examples, transitions summarising and  concluding .

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What is an Academic Presentation?

If you can’t access this YouTube video in your country, go here

Presentation Worksheet

 This lecture discusses the key ideas of giving an academic presentation including referencing, signposting, delivery and rehearsal.  2-page listening worksheet with answers. A great introduction to giving a presentation.   Example.  Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   Video [7:00]  / MP3 /   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Improve your PPT Slides

Improve your Presentation PowerPoint Slides

These are PPT slides from the above video or  go here . It’s a great way to explain how to present effective slides by using the correct fonts, focusing on key points and using animation to help audience engagement. The slides can be adapted to sort your style and method of teaching.   Video  [12:00]   Level *** ** [B1/B2/C1]  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Create PPT slides people will remember – Duarte Inc [CEO]

Harvard Business Review: How to plan an informed presentation and what is needed to create really effective slides that keep an audience engaged. More HBR listening worksheets are   Example   Video  [03:08]   Level: ** * * * [B2/C1]  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

A Basic PPT Presentation

This is a video example of a ‘basic’ presentation on Domestic Violence using signposting language and a basic structure

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Academic  Presentation Marking Criteria

A basic criteria that can be used to assess and grade a students’s presentation – full criteria in paid version (below).

Presentations: Describing Graphs and Charts Lesson

Describing graphs – the basics.

This lesson begins labelling the key features of a graph and naming different graph / chart types. It then provides a practice to see if students can describe a range of different lines (peak, plummet, etc..). This is followed by a fun activity where in pairs students describe and plot the lines on four graph s .  Example . Level: ** * ** [B2/C1]   / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Describing graphs: analysis and evaluation (updated 2023)

This lesson begins with describing basic graphs and suggesting what they could represent. it then provides the language necessary for describing, analysing and evaluating. this is followed by students researching and analysing graphs/charts/tables from the office of national statistics (ons) and giving a short presentation on their findings. example.   level: ** * ** [b1/b2/c1] teacher membership  / institutional membership.

Webpage:  https://academic-englishuk.com/graphs

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Presentation skills

• Managing presentation anxiety

Learning objectives

This resource will help you to: •    Approach in-class and recorded presentations more effectively and confidently.  •    Apply the principles of effective rhetoric, credibility, logic and emotion, to improve academic outcomes.  •    Understand how to plan, structure and research an academic presentation strategically.

What is an oral presentation?

“An oral presentation differs from a speech in that it usually has visual aids and may involve audience interaction; ideas are both shown and explained” (Williamson, 2023, p. 45).

Oral presentations are a common form of university assessment: in class or recorded; individual or in groups. This is because in addition to providing an alternative to written assessments and tests, they develop the graduate attributes future employers are looking for. In short, developing your presentation skills improves academic outcomes AND employment opportunities .

Presentations are usually extemporaneous speeches, where both the message and the communication of the message are being assessed. In this genre, you are the expert on your topic and are sharing this knowledge with your audience, so content and delivery matter.

In group presentations , all members are expected to participate in the preparation and delivery. Approaching the task strategically helps produce equitable outcomes and respectful collaboration produces the team synergy that results in higher grades.  For example, aim for seamless transitions between discussion points and speakers; format slides consistently; rehearse together (lots).

It is important to keep it REAL and use the time strategically, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Relevant, eloquent, articulate and learned. Adapted from Scearce, J. (2014, October 2).  Your cheat-sheet to public speaking . LifeHack.

Developing a presentation

Generally, there are three stages to develop a presentation : 1.    Preparing the presentation. 2.    Delivering the presentation.  3.    Answering questions from the audience.  

As with any academic assessment, presentations enable students to demonstrate understanding of course concepts and critical thinking. This also helps the presenter(s) determine and prioritise research, content and structure.

Questions to ask when developing a presentation

•    What is the marker looking for?  •    How can you present this in a way that connects with the audience?  •    How can you share your knowledge about relevant course concepts convincingly by applying it to examples? 

Brainstorming ideas should happen well in advance. As a rule, there is an expectation that research drives the content process; this is usually evidenced by citations and a reference list.

Preparation AND rehearsal ensure the content is both delivered convincingly and relevant to the marking criteria. 

"Rehearsing a presentation will teach you more about how it is going to go than anything else you do before the actual event" (Nash, 2013, p. 145).

Presentation structure

Presentation structure is important: think of it as a journey where you are the leader (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Your presentation is a journey.  Adapted from Scearce, J. (2014, October 2). Your cheat-sheet to public speaking . LifeHack.

Like an academic essay, there should be an introduction, body and conclusion in your presentations, but what you share needs to be delivered in a way that connects with the audience AND the marker, so: 

Introduction

Introduce yourself and the topic in a way that gets the audience interested and gives a preview: What is your thesis and what are the main premises you will cover? The audience should know where this journey is taking them and why they should care about what they will learn. 

Body sections of an academic presentation need to demonstrate critical thinking by moving beyond simply summarising texts to provide: 

• Analysis: identify factors/examples/data from your own research and explain these by linking to course theory and literature.  
• Evaluation: explain and discuss your interpretation of factors raised and summarised.
• Synthesis: show the links and relationships between topics/key ideas, research and theory.
• Engagement: carefully plan how/when to reinforce main points cohesively.

Conclude with a succinct reminder of the main points and reiteration of your thesis: your takeaway message. If required, provide an opportunity for questions and reinforce the takeaway message to end the presentation.

“ Creating a presentation differs from writing an essay in that the information in the speech must align with the visual aid. Therefore, with each idea, concept, or new information that you write, you need to think about how this might be visually displayed through minimal text and the occasional use of images ” (Williamson, 2023, p. 46).    

What makes a convincing oral presentation?

A good academic presentation uses credibility, logic, and emotion to convince the audience that the speaker is trustworthy and knowledgeable, and they should care about the information being presented. Aristotle’s three modes of effective persuasion – Ethos, Logos, Pathos (Table 1) – are the foundation of a convincing delivery; critical thinking, preparation and rehearsal enhance ALL three of these elements.

Note. Adapted from "Logos, Ethos, Pathos" by McMurrey et al., 2023 ( https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/communication ).

Credibility, logic and engagement

Credibility (ethos): why should the audience believe you.

• Is the CONTENT researched from a range of credible, discipline-relevant sources and supported by citations ethically? 
• Well prepared and rehearsed to improve confidence (not read from a script or memorised without expression). 
• Material paraphrased to demonstrate the presenter’s understanding.
• Professional appearance (the presenter and the slides). 
• In group presentations, do the members demonstrate cohesive teamwork?

Logic (Logos): Why have you included the information and how is it presented? 

• Are the ideas RELEVANT to the course and the marking criteria? 
• Can the audience FOLLOW your discussion points from start to finish?
• Present your thesis and overview in the introduction.
• Body sections that progress clear sub-arguments: define key terms; provide examples to illustrate theory in practice; present strong data/evidence
• Summarise the main points at the end to conclude.

Engagement (Pathos): Why should the audience care and how can you keep them interested? 

• Enthusiasm for your topic is contagious and sharing it in an interesting way will keep them listening. 
• Do not read a script (or memorise it word for word): use palm-cards with bullet points as this will improve eye-contact, vocal expression and body language. 
• Well–prepared visual aids and relevant props add clarity and interest.
• Rehearsal is vital! A well-prepared, confident delivery adds life to the message and maintains a connection with the audience, but it will also enable you to adapt when required.    

“How you explain your evidence and its relationships to other claims and evidence is just as important a logical appeal as the information itself” (McMurrey et al., 2023 p. 39).  

Ultimately, these three modes of persuasion are interconnected, like three overlapping circles; if you can create something with credibility, logic and emotional engagement peppered throughout, you will have a much stronger argument. 

What Aristotle and Joshua Bell can teach us about persuasion - Conor Neill

This video (4:39 min) will teach you about Aristotle and his theory about persuasion.

Ethos, pathos and logos

This video (3:15 min) will teach you about ethos, pathos and logos.

Top public speaking tips

This video (3:27 min) will provide your with some great public speaking tips.

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Your input matters: Shape the future of academic skills support!

• Presentation skills | Feedback (UniSC) Help us help you! Share your thoughts on the Presentation Skills Guide and shape the resources that will support your academic success. It will take less than 5 minutes to complete this feedback form.

Brophy, B., & Guerin, S. (2018). Stories in conversations and presentations: A comparative study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 55(1) , 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2016.1213652

Chiang, C.-T., Chiu, T.-W., Jong, Y.-S., Chen, G.-Y., & Kuo, C.-D. (2010). The effect of ice water ingestion on autonomic modulation in healthy subjects. Clinical Autonomic Research, 20(6) , 375–380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0077-3Links to an external site. 

Docter, P. H. (Director). (2015). Inside Out [Film] . Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios.

McMurrey, D., Pattson, K., & Hagstom-Schmidt, N. (2023). Logos, ethos, pathos. In In M. Cop (Ed.), Essentials of communication (pp. 38-44). University of Otago.

Nash, G. J. (2013). A guide to university assessment. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. 

Scearce, J. (2014, October 2).   Your cheat-sheet to public speaking. LifeHack.

Summers, J., & Smith, B. (2014). Communication skills handbook (4th edition.). John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Williamson, P. (2023). Oral presentations. In In M. Cop (Ed.), Essentials of communication (pp. 38-44). University of Otago.

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• Updated: Dec 19, 2024 10:42 AM
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