Presenting

by Norman Eng

  Praise for PRESENTING.

  "Do you think of your slide presentations as documentaries? Do you know how to highlight and spotlight key information on your slides using the "shapes" tool? Do you know when to abandon slides altogether? If not, then you need Norman Eng's PRESENTING. The Professor's Guide to Powerful Communication, your one-stop shop for creating dynamic, professional-level presentations for any kind of audience, whether students, colleagues, or laypeople. You'll learn how to implement the organization, interaction, and design principles that cognitive psychology and multimedia research endorse, all while enjoying Eng's crisp, concise writing, plentiful cross-disciplinary examples, and engaging visuals and videos."

  —LINDA B. NILSON, Director Emeritus, Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation, Clemson University, and author of Teaching at Its Best

  "For all of us who have wrestled with the finer points of doing presentations, both with and without PowerPoint, Dr. Eng's PRESENTING. is a revelation. Cutting to the core of essential considerations for creating presentations and supplemented by a myriad of excellent tips and specific guidance, the book stands out as an eminently usable, readable and encouraging work. I highly recommend PRESENTING for those making presentations on a regular basis."

  —BRUCE ROSENBLOOM, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, City College of New York/CUNY

  "Whether a professor is presenting to students, colleagues, or others, Dr. Eng offers powerful tips to make the time impactful. This book is an enjoyable read that is packed with pro tips and rich in resources, while still being a concise read. Professors (and their audiences!) will benefit tremendously from this powerful book."

  —JENNY GRANT RANKIN, Lecturer and Author of Sharing Your Education Expertise with the World: Make Research Resonate and Widen Your Impact

  "A quick read with exceptional content. Within higher education, over the past 20 years there has been a strong move from 'teaching' to 'learning.' In that time, we have focused on student outcomes and seem to have forgotten to note that the way we present information to learners has a tremendous impact on their ability to learn. In PRESENTING: The Professor's Guide to Powerful Communication, Dr. Eng both reminds us, and shows us, how we can deliver more impactful presentations. The bottom line is that as faculty, if we are going to spend the time amassing content to help students learn, we should be mindful of how that information is presented in ways that maximize their learning. This book does that."

  —TODD ZAKRAJSEK, Associate Director, Faculty Development Fellowship, UNC-Chapel Hill, Director, Lilly Conferences, and co-author, Teaching for Learning, The New Science of Learning, and Dynamic Lecturing.

  Also by Norman Eng

  Available in ebook, paperback,

  and audiobook format

  Available in ebook format only

  NormanEng.org/books

  Praise for Teaching College

  "Fairly new to teaching? Pressed for time? Then Teaching College is the shortest distance between fear and success. It's easy to read, peppered with great tips, action steps, and illustrative videos, and brimming with ways to make your course and course materials personally relevant and interesting to your students."

  —LINDA B. NILSON, Director Emeritus, Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation, Clemson University, and author of Teaching at Its Best

  "Dr. Eng tackles one of the biggest problems facing higher education: so few professors are adept at the art of teaching. Dr. Eng provides sound strategies for improving professors' communication of ideas, student engagement, and actual student learning. I found the writing style to be both inviting and enjoyable. This is a 'must read' for any professor who cares whether or not his or her students benefit from class."

  —JENNY GRANT RANKIN, TEDx speaker, award-winning educator, and lecturer, University of Cambridge, UK.

  "A really useful book for any college professor who wants to move beyond lectures and give students deeper engagement. A practical, easy-to-read, and important guide for anyone in higher education."

  —JO BOALER, Professor of Mathematics Education, Stanford University, best-selling author of Mathematical Mindsets, and co-founder of YouCubed.org

  "What a fantastic book! As someone who has taught in K-12 and college classrooms, I have often lamented the fact that K-12 teachers get so much preparation in the skills of teaching, while those at the college level get none. In Teaching College, Norman Eng closes that gap brilliantly, synthesizing education and marketing into a fresh approach that will significantly change the way college classes are taught worldwide. You will find useful insights and practical, actionable tips on every page, and all of it written in an approachable, conversational style. A must for anyone who teaches at the college level."

  —JENNIFER GONZALEZ, Editor-in-Chief at Cult of Pedagogy

  "I've been in education for almost twenty-five years and in that time I've read a lot of good books about how to improve my teaching practices. Teaching College by Norman Eng is hands down the best book I've come across. I'm a faculty developer at a technical college and I lead our New Faculty Development Program. Over the last year, I've made Teaching College our program text. About half of the new instructors I work with have no teaching experience and some of them come in with PhDs in education. Across the board, they have all had positive things to say about the book because Dr. Eng has an uncanny ability to bring clarity to practical and innovative ways to get our students engaged in content."

  —JOEL RANEY, Asst. Director of Curriculum & Professional Development, Chippewa Valley Technical College

  Praise for Create an Engaging Syllabus

  "In this work, Norman zeroes in on the pedestrian task of preparing a syllabus. Many instructors probably consider this endeavor as a straightforward delivery of information. I received many such documents as a student. They were comprised of a couple of typed pages with headings and bullet points. These drab documents never included compelling images or tantalizing hooks. What a missed opportunity! I typically scanned the syllabus and promptly forgot or lost it. Please remember, this is often a student's first interaction with a professor. Wouldn't it be worthy to alter your syllabus so it grabs students and draws them in? Wouldn't it be better to build student engagement and excitement prior to the delivery of the first lesson? If your answer is yes, you picked up the right book!"

  —JAMES STURTEVANT, author and podcaster, Hacking Engagement, and high school Social Studies teacher

  "The most powerful section in [Norman Eng's] book, in my experience, was where [he] did side-by-side comparisons of class expectations. My original syllabus was always the left column: negative, punitive, harsh. I believe my new syllabus is more like the right column now . . . Thank you for sharing your insights about syllabi with me. I've gone from handing out a dry packet on Day 1 and not discussing it at all to handing out a colorful and motivating syllabus and taking the time to walk through it with students. It is time well spent."

  —PAMELA MORK, Associate Professor, Chemistry, Concordia College

  "This book totally changed my concept of the syllabus, even though I have taught more than thirty years. Its essential idea is to 'remove 30 percent of your old syllabus' and make it enticing, meaningful, and communicable to your students. It is very easy to read. You can complete reading in thirty minutes and get a life-changing idea."

  —SEOKHEE CHO, PH.D., Professor & Director, Center for Creativity and Gifted Education, St. John's Univeristy

  PRESENTING. The Professor's Guide to Powerful Communication by Norman Eng

  © 2019 EDUCATIONxDESIGN, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author/publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, contact
:

  EDUCATIONxDESIGN,

  Inc. 2585 Broadway #258

  New York, NY 10025

  norman@educationxdesign.com

  Visit the author's website at: https://NormanEng.org

  Cover Design by Nina Kim

  NinaKimDesign.com

  ISBN-13:

  eBook: 978-0-9985875-3-0

  Paperback: 978-0-9985875-4-7

  IF YOU'RE PRESENTING, YOU'RE TEACHING.

  FREE VIDEO TRAINING

  Get the insights that transform your teaching, including how to approach your lectures as well as my 5 recommendations that will captivate your students and 10X their learning.

  In this FREE 3-part series, you'll learn:

  My #1 go-to lecture format that captivates students so they're siting on the edge of their seats.

  The 2 biggest myths professors believe about teaching that cause students to disengage (and how to avoid them)

  5 recommendations to skyrocket student engagement starting with your next lecture.

  Access your FREE training here:

  NormanEng.org/5mtm

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  Chapter 1

  YOUR MINDSET

  Chapter 2

  YOUR MESSAGE

  Chapter 3

  YOUR OUTLINE

  Chapter 4

  YOUR INTERACTION

  Chapter 5

  YOUR DESIGN

  Chapter 6

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  BONUS

  CHAPTER SUMMARIES

  REFERENCES

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  For the students I teach (and taught), the colleagues I work with, and peers around the globe who continue to challenge my worldview and push me to think beyond conventional teaching and presenting.

  For my editor, Spencer Borup of Nerdy Wordsmith, who— through his work—reminds me that every single word, sentence, and paragraph matter to powerful communication.

  For my parents, Mrs. Margot Eng and Dr. Maximo Eng, who never interrupt or call me during the mornings because they know that's when I write. Their support has been unwavering.

  And finally, for my wife, Susana, who does all of the above and more. Thank you, my dear.

  INTRODUCTION

  Try this simple test.

  Take one of your existing slide decks. Go through it, slide by slide. As you do so, ask yourself, Do these slides basically duplicate what you're saying? In other words, do your slides act as a point-by-point outline of your speech?

  If so, you've failed the Redundancy Test. Even worse, however—you've failed as a presenter.

  Why? Because you as the presenter are no longer needed. Audiences don't need you to read the bullet points. The slides become the main attraction, and you become redundant; at this point, you might as well email them the slides and stay home.

  The most offensive question an audience member can ask is, "Will we have a copy of the presentation?" It means we've trained them as students to expect the most important stuff to be in the slides . . . instead of what's coming from your mouth.

  It is paramount that we change this mentality—about slides, and about learning.

  The fact is, most slide decks are merely outlines. Lecture slides in particular mirror textbooks by going over major points. These three following slides are typical:

  Most presenters follow the conventional format:

  using titles or headers, followed by bullet points

  They fail the Redundancy Test, as they only go as far as reflecting what the instructor says. Why then, should students bother reading the textbook? After all, they're getting your CliffsNotes! By designing slides this way, we undermine students' motivation to read—not to mention their interest. No wonder half of audience members surveyed in a Harris Poll admit to doing something else other than focus on presentations.1

  So what's the alternative?

  The short answer is to stop doing what we've always done with slide presentations. Instead, we need to transform the way we think of and approach presentations. Presenting has never been about conveying information; presenting is about connecting with the audience.

  Communicating.

  This book—PRESENTING. The Professor's Guide to Powerful Communication—gives you the blueprint.

  But unlike most books on PowerPoint,2 PRESENTING. focuses on them—the audience. Not on you or your slides. In some cases, you shouldn't even use slides. Regardless, the focus of this book is always on communication, rather than just on presentation.

  I won't repeat common advice such as the following:

  Use more visuals!

  Make eye contact!

  Show passion!

  Practice more!

  Not to mention the dreaded suggestion:

  Just have fun!

  All of these are vague and unactionable. My goal instead is to elevate your communication effectiveness as a professor and/or presenter through step-by-step recommendations.

  In some places, I will show you exact examples of what simple and clear slides look like created by someone without a design background. In other spots, I'll show you what expert designers can do. You'll get not only the BEFORE-and-AFTERs, tricks of the trade, and where to go to find great visuals, but also how to approach and plan your presentation before ever touching your PowerPoint.

  No amount of glam can cover up an unclear or hard-tounderstand message.

  But what if you simply have to cover tons of information? For such instance, I also provide five concrete recommendations that improve the audience experience in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) chapter toward the end.

  This book isn't long. You won't find much theory or exposition (even though my recommendations are research- and experience-based). Instead, you get the 80/20—the few things (the 20 percent) that account for the biggest outcomes (the 80 percent). We're all busy, and I want you to read this in one sitting.

  Maybe you're wondering, What's the difference between the countless presentation books out there and one aimed specifically at professors? Why this book?

  For one, professors' presentations aren't always like business presentations. We use theory, research, and lots of data. And, more obviously, we often use slides for the purposes of teaching and learning in the classroom.

  Sometimes professors must present at conferences or department meetings as well. So our presentations are less about persuading and pitching, which is what we tend to think of in business.

  PRESENTING. shows you how to structure and communicate your content in ways that defy the norm in academia.

  Yet PRESENTING. doesn't only have to be for professors; anyone who communicates for a living—sales trainers, CEOs, small business owners—can utilize the blueprint from this book as well to connect with their target audience.

  I chose to title the book PRESENTING. (with a period, or, for my readers abroad, full stop), rather than PRESENTATIONS, because the verb captures the appropriate spirit:

  Action.

  The latter, PRESENTATIONS, sounds rather passive. Why? Maybe it's because audiences are so used to feeling bored when they hear the word "presentation."

  "Presenting," on the other hand, has a double meaning; it can also be defined as the act of introducing someone or something (as in, "Presenting . . . our new ad campaign!"). This rather elegantly sums up what we do as presenters. We're introducing something new. People don't pay attention to something they already know or can guess at. As you'll read about in Chapter 3, novelty triggers attention.

  Here's what you can expect to learn in these six power-packed chapters:

  Chapter 1. YOUR MINDSET. What is the goal when you present? It shouldn't be to convey information. Rather, slides are designed to do one thing. Knowing this goal will forever change the way you think of and prepare slides. A short but powerful chapter that sets the stage for planning.

  Chapter 2. YOUR MESSAGE. This chapter helps you gain focus and clarity with a one-sentence takeaway tem
plate. With it, you won't feel the need to "cover everything"—a deadly mentality that leads to widespread disengagement. Most people walk away from presentations remembering one or two things (and that's with a good presentation); nobody remembers five or more. So why do we insist on talking about twenty things? This template will change everything.

  Chapter 3. YOUR OUTLINE. Yes, I give you a blueprint for the beginning, middle, and end. But it's much more than that. More importantly is how you begin. And it goes beyond an "opening hook." Here's a hint: Never use important terms and vocabulary up front. I show you the step-by-step, including examples of topics and slides. After reading this chapter, you'll never start your research presentation with the "conceptual framework" or the "research hypothesis" ever again, nor a lecture with "Today we're going to learn about the theory of Adam Smith . . ."

  Chapter 4. YOUR INTERACTIONS. Most presenters leave the audience interaction—typically a Q&A—for the end. Big mistake. The idea is to transform presentations from one-sided affairs into a give-and-take. (Yes, this is what you want even if you're being paid thousands to spread your expertise.) I'll show you the best ways to get audiences involved. Not just the typical four or five people. Everyone.

  Chapter 5. YOUR DESIGN. In this chapter, we go back to what real design is meant to do: solve problems. Not make slides look nice. As such, design will consider

  the whole experience of the audience beyond slides. Besides, most presenters unintentionally design slides that make it hard for audiences to "get." In this chapter, I bring in an instructional designer to streamline unwieldy messes like this:

  Chapter 6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. "What do you do when you have too much to cover?" "What are the best fonts to use?" "Where do we get high-quality visuals?" I'll cover these popular questions and more.