edna.edu.au

Workshop self-evaluation

Some questions I find I need to ask myself when I think I have finished preparing workshops and conference papers.

Content

Have I used Australian examples wherever possible?
Quotes, videos, images, organisations, curriculum/learning area names etc should be as relevant to your audience as possible. Look for and promote Australian sources, people, projects, urls and examples wherever you can.

Have I featured my own work and thinking, or that of my organisation and those of my key audience?
People expect to hear the presenter's voice. You are there because of your reputation, or that of the organisation or project you represent. It also helps to make links with the audience to show you have done research into their background and networks.

Have I used quotes and references that say something more than the participant would get from looking this up online?
Am I bringing my expert knowledge in this area to make it worth them reading/attending my paper? Do the concepts, links or discussion stand if your paper is published online as a reference?

Have I covered what was in the advertised blurb/abstract?
That's what people are expecting. Even if you have moved on in the 6 months since the abstract was accepted, or it feels 'old hat', you owe it to the audience who have selected your session to deliver what was promised. Of course include updated examples or recent developments if relevant.

Have I practised and timed my presentation under actual conditions?
For most people, timing the presentation will show something has to be cut down. Then allow for the lost time due to late start, or technology issues or lots of questions and cut some more slides or examples.

Have I included strategies and time for audience response or engagement?
Need to ensure some participant engagement early on in the session. Preferably something beyond laughing at a joke, but even this is better than launching in to the full content with no check that the audience is coming with you.

Presentation materials

Have I used the most appropriate template?
Your organisation may have a required template, or range of templates for different purposes. Use the most appropriate.
Conference organisers may require you to use a template that makes for a consistent conference experience and/or publication.
If this is a professional presentation ensure the template, graphics, colours etc reflect this. Avoid funny, cute and overtly personal themes and images.

Is my presentation design consistent?
Minimise font size changes, screen layout changes and other modifications that will annoy the audience.
Be minimalist about animation, transitions and special effects.

Have I prepared an appropriate number of slides?
Check how many slides per minute your presentation will average out to.
Is this realistic?

Is all text at least 30pt?
Kawasaki's rule: Optimal font size = Oldest person's age / 2
Have I cropped and re-sized screenshots so text is visible at the back of the room?

Do I have a title slide?
Does this match the conference programme? If technical support crew are responsible for loading slides they need to be able to find the correct presentation quickly. Audience members arriving early want to know they are in the correct room, and those looking for the presentation online want to find it easily.

Have I acknowledged and referenced all 3rd party materials?
Participants will want to follow up links, statistics and quotes so make sure there are links to this in the presentation, or provided in a handout.

Is everything acknowledged or copyright free so that the presentation can be shared?
To maximise re-use by others prefer use of public domain or Creative Commons licensed material.

Do I have a credits slide?
If you use any references, images, media, data in your presentation you need either a references box on each of these slides, or a credits slide listing these. It is best to label every image, even if a stock image, so everyone is clear about re-use status of your content. If using Creative Commons material ensure it is correctly attributed and linked.

Do I have a clear final or thank you slide?
You, your audience and the person advancing your slides needs to know when the final slide has been reached, so you can stop there on a blank or final slide rather than a black end of slide show screen sitting there during question time.

Is everything captured offline so I can present without internet access?
Two versions of a presentation are advisable, one cut down as much as possible for ease of posting online or emailing. One version with links to captured screenshots rather than links to web in case internet access or application access is not available or doesn't work during the presentation.

Can the completed presentation be readily transported or used by others?
What is the file size of finished presentation? Will it fit on USB, CD, DVD?
Can it be uploaded to group space online? Max 20MB?
Can it be emailed? Max 4MB?
Where is it to be saved online? Your blog, e-portfolio, group space, conference website, or association website?
Does it require any plug-ins, eg media, audio, application features?
Does it work on PC, Mac, open formats?
Is the text of the presentation available separately or embedded?

Have I had my presentation proofread?
Proofreader should check for consistency, clarity and copyright as well as correct formatting, spelling and linking.

Has someone else tried presenting using my slides?
It is possible that in a team, organisational or conference situation someone else may have to use this content, or even present on your behalf. Get that likely person to see if they could deliver it without too much adapting - recognising the fine line between personal style and organisational consistency.

Handouts

Have I had handouts proofread by someone else?

Have I checked all urls are as short as possible, and actually work?

Tags: writing how to presentations
Posted at 12:00AM Apr 27, 2009 by Pru Mitchell  |  Comments[0]

How to write a conference paper

[Relocated post: Originally published on 30 June 2007]

• Do a thorough literature review - comprehensive for Australia and your sector, and at least checking international papers and key documents from other sectors, or complementary fields. There is no point presenting what others have already written, but building on their work benefits everyone.
  
• Pull together relevant work and themes from existing presentations by colleagues
• Set up [del.icio.us/diigo] tags and let people know what you are researching so others can contribute relevant material and follow your research.
  
  
• Draft an outline of the paper, and organise collected quotes, documents, readings, links and ideas under key headings. At this stage I find it best to keep the references firmly attached to quotes as footnotes, even if this is not the final format required.
• It is not enough to just collect material. Remember to make time to actually read and note these.
  
  
• At least four weeks before the paper is due, take a writing day away from the office, (and may be even offline!) to write a first draft from the material collected.
• Create a 'to do' notepad document where you note gaps that require further research, quotes to research or references to follow up.
  
  
• Blog the big questions/issues you have identified at this stage and invite comment.
• Continue to collect, read, think, follow up on the 'to do list' and clean up the paper.
• Remember to check back to the abstract and the conference requirements to ensure you have not strayed too far from the original submission.
  
  
• At least one week before the paper is due, do the final cut including correct referencing and styling and give it to at least one proofreader. You need to leave time to make the changes that they will suggest, and follow up any leads they provide to key references.
  
  
• Submit the paper in the required manner and ask for confirmation that it has been received. Find out how and when the paper will be published, and whether you are permitted to publish online either before or after the conference.
  
  [If it is a refereed paper, you will need to re-work it in line with the comments received back from the reviewers, and resubmit. There may well be a very short turnaround for this process.]
  
  
• SAVE a copy of the final paper clearly labelled as such in your official personal repository/file space. Then back it up.
  
• Provide a copy of the final version of the paper to the editor of your organisation's document archive/repository and website if appropriate, and advise of any embargo on publication.

Note: Sometimes the paper is not required until after the conference in which case you have the luxury of including any feedback, comment or issues raised by participants in the final version. The paper will also be more up-to-date.
However, by this stage you will quite probably never want to look at this paper again and will wish you had finished it before the conference.

Tags: research how to writing events papers conferences
Posted at 01:57PM Feb 01, 2009 by Pru Mitchell  |  Comments[0]

How to respond to a conference call for papers

[Relocated post: Originally published on 30 June 2007]

• Create a record for the event in your organisation's calendar and in your own professional and personal calendars noting due dates.
  Set reminders for at least 2 weeks before each stage.
  Check whether anyone else in the organisation is planning to present or attend.
  
  
• Read through the conference website and brainstorm some topics around the theme of the conference, strands or the brief given by the organisers.
• Check out presenters and papers from the same conference last year to get an idea of what they might expect.
• Spend some time doing a scan of the literature for your preferred topics, and reading key related material online, in academic journals and books.
• Have a discussion with a colleague, a manager and someone from the target audience group about the topic to check out whether it is of interest, relevant and meaty enough to sustain a full presentation.
  
  
• Draft an abstract, then check back against the theme, requirements, length of session
• Future proof the abstract because a lot may have happened before you get to present it. Keep it generic enough to protect you from planned development that may not be ready in time.
  
  
• Decide carefully whether your presentation style and topic is best suited to a formal paper or a workshop. Do you need/prefer hands-on or computer-based session?
• If refereeing of papers is offered, do you want to take advantage of this process?
  
  
• Come up with a snappy title that suits the theme of the conference or strand, and sums up the content of your paper. You are trying to attract attention and get your intended audience to choose this session from a range of other offerings. The title also needs to work as the title of a published paper if it is an academic conference.
• Check your snappy title in search engines to ensure it is not too cliched.
  
  
• Draft a biographical statement that matches the conference, audience and the paper being proposed, ie include things that will mean something to or impress this particular conference programme committee and ultimately their audience.
  
  
• Send in the proposal in the required format and ask for confirmation that it has been received. Many conferences are organised by volunteer programme committees and proposals and papers do get lost.
• If you haven't heard about whether the paper is accepted three weeks after the date that was promised, then contact the organisers to check.

Tags: conferences call for papers events abstracts how to
Posted at 01:50PM Feb 01, 2009 by Pru Mitchell  |  Comments[0]