Oral Presentations Can Be An Important Part Of Your Career!   by Erin Malone

in Education / Online Education    (submitted 2011-07-09)

Speech class is a given. Then, there are history, psychology, and English classes. What's the common denominator? All of these classes may require the student to give an oral presentation. This is exactly why speech is important, because presenting in front of an audience does not end with the speech class. Many potential careers involve presentation skills, so it is best to learn how to give an oral report while in college.

Oral presentations are delivered to a live audience for the purpose of receiving credible information that is presented in an interesting and edifying manner. Usually, they include media aids that act as supporting material for the presentation. As a result, presenters should be skilled and knowledgeable about the various media tools that can be used to enrich any oral presentation.

Audio and visual media can highlight key ideas, which can help the audience remember the presentation. They can include simple, yet effective, resources like a hand out, a list on the chalkboard, or information on a flip chart. Using a few key resources within the same presentation can hold your audience's attention; however, do not include too many. It will tend to overshadow the presentation and become distracting. Choose presentation aids carefully.

Media aids can help your audience better understand your topic, and some work better than others, depending on the topic. For example, showing a subject in three dimensions is more effective than orally describing it or showing a photo. Models can give a sense of scale. Those such as dioramas, paper or clay models, or papier-mache can be invaluable when giving a science or mathematics presentation.

When using real photographs and illustrations, make sure that your images can be seen from a great distance. If possible, put the images on a screen for full view. Make sure that photographs and illustrations include an artist's name to give credit for his or her work. Also, make sure charts and graphs are in bold color and the type is easy to read to help the audience understand complex information.

It is important that you practice giving your report. Adapt your language to fit the topic and your audience, so as to project credibility as a speaker. If you have the capability, record your presentation and then self-critique for areas of improvement. Re-practice the parts that need more work and repeat words that are difficult to pronounce until you are comfortable pronouncing them.

To practice using your audio visual aids, rehearse the entire presentation. Make indicating marks on your note cards where you will present your aids. When rehearsing, your goal is to introduce your media aids with minimum effort, so as not to distract the audience. The transitions should consist of natural movement that does not block anyone's view. Enlist the help of friends or relatives to serve as an audience and help with constructive feedback.

About the Author

Giving an oral presentation is not difficult. If the presenter is confident and knowledgeable about the subject matter and delivers a presentation enhanced with supporting media aids, he or she can present a memorable presentation. However, a presentation can only be outstanding if it is practiced, so, practice, practice, and practice! Turn to online colleges through eLearners Online to help you with your online bachelors degrees to practice your presentation skills.