Skip to Main Content

MHP314 Research Skills Guide: Presentation boxes

Creating slide based presentations

Plan your presentation:

  • Create an outline or script of what you will say
  • Check your subject outline and follow all presentation guidelines
  • Focus on what your audience needs or wants to know

Create engaging visuals:

  • Use a template that defines fonts, colours and object/chart styles so that you can maintain consistent formatting
  • Consider colours, images and headings that grab the viewer's attention 
  • Avoid cramming too much information onto one slide
  • Ensure your visuals clarify your message
  • Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors

Present clear audio:

  • If you are feeling tense or nervous, try some relaxation exercises beforehand
  • Avoid reading your script word-for-word even if you are recording
  • Project your voice to ensure everyone in the room can hear you
  • When recording, limit background noise and ensure you record in a quiet room
  • Check and test your audio settings if presenting in an online meeting room

Engage your audience:

  • Be enthusiastic
  • Smile, even if you're recording your audio
  • Make eye contact with your audience
  • Incorporate short pauses to allow your message to sink in
  • Vary the speed at which you talk to create interest and give emphasis

Check the Academic Poster Presentation Guide for more tips.

Creating audio presentations

Plan your presentation:

  • Create an outline or script of what you will say
  • Check your subject outline and follow all presentation guidelines
  • Focus on what your audience needs or wants to know

Present clear audio:

  • If you are feeling tense or nervous, try some relaxation exercises beforehand
  • Avoid reading your script word-for-word
  • Limit background noise and ensure you record in a quiet room
  • If you make a mistake, pause so there is a clean break to edit it out

Engage your audience:

  • Be enthusiastic
  • Smile as you record
  • Incorporate short pauses to allow your message to sink in
  • Vary the speed at which you talk to create interest and give emphasis

Creating poster presentations

Prepare

  • Check your subject outline and follow all presentation guidelines
  • Focus on what your audience needs or wants to know

Create engaging visuals:

  • Use a template that defines fonts, colours and object/chart styles so that you can maintain consistent formatting
  • Consider colours and images that grab the viewer's attention
  • Divide your work into digestible sections using spacing, headings or visuals
  • Avoid cramming in too much information
  • Ensure your visuals clarify your message
  • Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors

Check the Academic Poster Presentation Guide for more tips.

Writing tips for blogs and websites

  • write content that is easy to skim and scan read
  • make use of bullet points and numbered lists
  • create meaningful/descriptive hyperlinks
  • break up your text with visuals
  • proofread for spelling and grammatical errors
  • ensure you're following all presentation guidelines in your subject outline

Using images in your assessments

Check out the Using Images at University guide for information on how to find and appropriately use images in your assessment tasks.

Image editing and design tools

Presentation tools

Video recording and editing tools

Audio recording and editing tools

Blogging and website tools

Audio and Video in Powerpoint

This video provides instructions for uploading or recording audio in PowerPoint:

Check out these instructions for publishing PowerPoint slides as video:

Charles Sturt University acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which its campuses are located, paying respect to Elders, both past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples.Acknowledgement of Country

Charles Sturt University is an Australian University, TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018. CRICOS Provider: 00005F.