Page 18 - i052-5173-30-9-compressed

GSA 2020 CONNECTS ONLINE
Strategies for Preparing and Delivering

an Effective Online Presentation

Claire L. McLeod, Dept. of Geology and Environmental Earth 4. Consider figure resolution and size. Audience members may view
Science, Miami University, 250 South Patterson Avenue, Oxford, your presentation from a range of devices (e.g., tablets, laptops);
Ohio 45056, USA, mcleodcl@miamioh.edu; Kenneth L. Brown, 5. Avoid busy backgrounds. Use white or pastel colors (reduces eye
Dept. of Geosciences, Depauw University, 2 East Hanna Street, fatigue);
Greencastle, Indiana 46135, USA, kennethbrown@depauw.edu 6. Avoid red and green fonts (~15% of the population is color blind);
7. When possible, consider simple animations to “show” rather
INTRODUCTION than tell;
With the excitement of seeing old friends, the anticipation of 8. Always cite all of your sources; and
establishing new collaborations, the buzz of new science, many of 9. Above all else… KISS (keep it simple, stupid).
us are familiar with the fall conference season. This fall will be
quite different, however, as we find ourselves facing a pandemic. VISIBILITY AND AUDITORY STRATEGIES
To better protect geoscience communities, many professional soci- Ninety percent of human communication occurs via nonverbal
eties and organizations are pivoting to virtual conferences for the actions (e.g., facial expressions; Hansen, 2020). The extent to which
remainder of 2020. While this may create a more accessible con- face-to-face interactions traditionally occur at in-person meetings is
ference in some contexts (e.g., cost), there are other challenges to challenging to recreate online, especially where faces and voices
consider (e.g., technology access). As we navigate this uncertain can be easily muted. While muting video and audio can work to
transition, how can the vibrant exchange of knowledge facilitated support meeting access (e.g., reducing bandwidth load), it can also
by such events be best transferred to an online setting? Here, we work to perpetuate an isolating environment. There are, however,
provide a summary of best practices for presenting in these envi- approaches that support the attendance of others, while enhancing
ronments, many of which have the potential to be highly impactful your own visibility online (see Hansen, 2020; Harper, 2020):
and effective while being relatively simple to implement.
1. Do not be a faceless voice. Include a photo of yourself on your
LOGISTICAL STRATEGIES opening and closing slide;
Fall conferences will likely blend live keynote talks, pre-recorded 2. Find time to practice. Be cognizant of the time allocated for
presentations, and live Q&A sessions. With these changes come your presentation and stick to it (be respectful of the audience’s
adjustments to our personal preparations. For some, this may and attendees’ time);
require additional planning or resolving unexpected challenges. Be 3. Listen to your recording and identify how you use your voice to
proactive and be prepared: (1) review the event’s code of conduct; emphasize or present content (consider tone, varying volume,
(2) check guidelines/rules; (3) contact session chairs and organizing projection);
committees with questions; (4) download and familiarize yourself 4. Embrace the pause. A well-placed pause can generate anticipa-
with required conference software/apps; and (5) when possible (and tion and provide your audience time to process what you have
if applicable) upload content in advance. discussed;
5. During live sessions (e.g., keynotes, Q&A), unless speaking,
VISUAL STRATEGIES mute your microphone; and
The geosciences rely on tables, figures, and animations to com- 6. As you prepare to record your presentation and/or attend the
municate quantitative data and qualitative observations (Carr, meeting, when possible, work to eliminate distractions.
2002; Libarkin and Brick, 2002). These visuals are important, as
they communicate content to others and provide presentation cues CONCLUSIONS
for ourselves. Keep in mind that your audience may have signifi- As you prepare to present in an online environment, remember
cantly different amounts of prior knowledge, association, and to consider why you are presenting and who your audience will be.
inference (Dutrow, 2007). Thus, it may take time for audience Through presentation of your work (whether it be online or in per-
members to absorb visual nuances and understand relationships. son), you are communicating information to a broad audience with
For this reason, it is critical to guide the audience through your the likely aim of highlighting your research, initiating engaging
presentation, emphasizing the various components of your visuals dialogue, and working to facilitate future research directions.
(e.g., data) and connecting their significance to your broader
message. Below, we provide a list of recommendations (see ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Gallagher, 1965; Cheney, 1996, 2013; Dutrow, 2007; Schwertly, We thank the following graduate students at Miami University for providing
2014; Zarnetske and Zarnetske, 2015): insightful commentary during the preparation of this article: Brittany Cymes,
1. Number presentation slides/poster sections and use titles to Lonnie Flett, Aleksandra Gawronska, and Liannie Velázquez Santana.
emphasize content (will facilitate Q&A);
2. Consider elements of design (e.g., fonts, color palettes, placement REFERENCES CITED
of figures/tables); Carr, J.R., 2002, Data Visualization in the Geosciences: Edgewood Cliffs, New
3. Eliminate distracting “chartjunk” (e.g., decorative fonts, grid-lines); Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 267 p.

18 GSA Today | September 2020