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Preparing and Presenting Technical Information
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Attention New York Engineers:
This course cannot be taken to fulfill your
continuing education requirements in the state of New York since the course does
not fall under the category of "Areas of Practice" or "Law/Ethics".
For more information, check the
New
York State Board Requirements.
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Dr. Samir G. Khoury, Ph.D, P.G.
Overview
This course takes you step by
step through the process of preparing and delivering a clear and lucid technical
presentation at scientific and professional meetings. The guidance provided is
also applicable to the preparation and delivery of less formal presentations,
such as those given in the form of internal company reports to corporate
executives or as lectures prepared and delivered by professors or graduate
students at colleges and universities.
The course starts by suggesting
that you write answers to ten fundamental questions. Your answers to these
questions will guide you through the preparation of the first draft of your
presentation. The course then progresses by providing you with specific
suggestions that will assist you through the preparation of the introductory
section, the body and the conclusion section of your presentation.
The preparation phase of your
talk will take you step by step through the recommended rehearsal sessions that
will help you practice your delivery skills. In that section of the course you
will also learn that speakers have limited time to communicate their message in
a clear and concise fashion. Indeed, your job during the delivery of your
presentation is to scan and pay attention to your audience in order to adjust
your talk and be able to transfer your knowledge effectively. In preparing for
the event, you are also prompted to anticipate and prepare for unforeseen
circumstances that may arise so you can handle them with ease when they occur.
By familiarizing yourself with the content of your presentation and rehearsing
repeatedly ahead of time you will most definitely improve your performance when
you finally deliver your talk.
An appendix, at the end of
the course, provides you with suggestions on how to prepare clear and concise
visual aids. Your illustrations should be simple and clear, colorful and easy to
read. Each illustration you prepare should be checked against these simple
guidelines to ensure that it will capture and hold the attention of your
audience.
The
student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen (15)
questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained
This course is aimed at those
persons who are not skilled presenters and are uncomfortable in unfamiliar
situations. It will also help those that are disorganized and whose
presentations tend to lack focus. It will also assist the persons who have a
monotonous presentation style, do not adjust well to their audiences and are
unprepared to answer hard questions, may be nervous, or are even scared to speak
in public.
In this course you will learn:
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How to organize your content
into easy to remember sections
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How to keep your message
short and to the point
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How to make your visual aids
graphically interesting and easy-to-read,
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How to go about practicing
and rehearsing effectively
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How to concentrate and focus
your attention on your audience
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How to handle the question
and answer session and keep it under control
When you follow the simple
suggestions presented in this course, your presentation will achieve its
ultimate goal of connecting you with your audience, holding their attention
throughout and helping them remember your message long after your presentation
is over.
Course
Click on the link below to review the
course prior to taking a quiz for credit.
Preparing and Presenting Technical Information (250 KB)
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credit. Click on the link below.
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