'Scriba Stylus' pen designed by Dublin Design Studio

Respect your audience

Feb 26, 2020

Respect your audience, have a conversation, not a presentation

Do you have a presentation to prepare for an audience? Well, you are not the only one in this situation, but what’s your plan for it? You definitely have something important to communicate, and a presentation is the best way to offer information to an audience in an easy-to-digest and comprehensive manner. Of course, just putting together a PowerPoint presentation will not guarantee that you will actually get this information to your audience. If you're not creative then chances are that some of your audience may fall asleep during your presentation, if not, they may be bored stiff. If you really respect your audience, then transform your presentation into a conversation with them.

The back of a man addressing an audience of university level students.

Use your presentation slides to demonstrate the main ideas, but use your conversational skills to engage the audience and make the process more interesting. This is even more important when talking about having a presentation in front of students. As a teacher, digital presentations can be extremely helpful in the learning process. However, just giving your students information in the form of bullet points and reading each slide to them instead of having a conversation will not just bore them, but will also make your class a waste of time. If the mind and attention of the students is not stimulated in any way by active learning, the received information will not settle. The student will walk away from your class not having actually learnt anything at all. It doesn’t matter if you have to address a group of students, co-workers, or employees, the best way to make a presentation useful is to have a conversation with your audience, not just read the slides. The presentation itself is only there to underline your main ideas, to help you to guide your speech during the presentation. This energy and involvement is the best way to make sure your audience pays attention to what you have to say, retains the provided information, and has a heightened level of interest. If you feel that the atmosphere is dropping during your presentation, it's a good idea to throw in a joke or a fun fact to grab the attention of those listening to you.

A middle age man standing on a stage and addressing his audience.

If you care about your success and reputation, and if you want to show your audience that you care about and respect them, do show them that you want to talk to them and engage them. Make sure they don't have to go through the ordeal of a boring presentation. Ask questions, encourage them to share their ideas, opinions and experiences based on the ideas and information presented by your slides. Make the process interesting and interactive and the results will exceed your expectations. The reason people use presentations is to make classes, meetings, and public events more interesting. Show everybody that you have mastered this ability by communicating with your audience and getting the very best from your presentation.


A group of young professionals having a discussion in a classroom.

Articles

All play and no school

23 Jun, 2020
The United Nations has described the disruption to education caused by the pandemic as ‘unparalleled’. At the virus’ worldwide peak in April, it is estimated that over 90% of all enrolled learners, from kindergarten to bachelors and beyond, had their education affected by school closures and the pandemic (UNESCO). For many university students and older children, they have had to adapt quickly to online learning. They can keep in touch with their peers and teachers online and continue their studies, albeit in a highly modified way. As challenging as this may be, this experience will help equip them for a future that is increasingly online. For parents of younger children, they are assuming a new role: their child’s home school teacher. This is in addition to their usual childcare and household duties, their work responsibilities and often emotional and financial worries caused by the pandemic. Stressful? Yes. The good, and somewhat surprising, news? The experts advise that you don’t teach your children - at least not in the way you might expect.

Dyspraxia & Hand Washing: Fine Motor Skills

16 Jun, 2020
If the recent outbreak of Covid-19 has taught us anything, it's that many adults do not wash their hands effectively. It has never been more important that we support our children to develop good personal hygiene to keep themselves and our families safe. This seemingly easy task can be very difficult for children with fine motor skill difficulties. In this article, we explore some ideas to support your child with hand washing.
Person using VR Headset

How the COVID-19 Pandemic has Brought the Future of Architecture Forward

10 Jun, 2020
Lockdown has brought the digital future into the now. Online shopping, entertainment, education and more have moved from the periphery to the mainstream to, in many cases, the only option. With the necessity of social distancing looking to continue for many months, it appears that this rapid digital revolution is here to stay. This means that life as we know it, in most of its sectors, has changed forever. In order to survive, businesses are having to adapt rapidly, embrace technology and look to the future. Architecture is no exception. There has been a widespread adoption of technology and VR over the past few months in response to the lockdown across all of society. Elderly grandparents who were once resistant to adopt new technologies talk of “Zooming” and have started video chatting with their family members to combat loneliness. Art galleries that were once considered stuffy or pretentious are now pioneers in VR technology, with Google Art & Culture offering tours of London’s National Gallery or the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. These virtual tours deliver art in a dynamic new way that can be far more engaging than regular photos. Critics have applauded the panoramic and immersive views of gallery building and exhibitions which work well for rendering of 2 dimensional art, however impressions of sculpture is somewhat lacklustre. With VR technology, users can enjoy a truly immersive experience in the comforts, and safety, of their own home. The COVID-19 pandemic has served as an accelerant for the arts and entertainment industries to embrace VR.
Show More
Share by: