CG1413 Oral Presentation

Thursday 25^th March was the concluding Oral Presentation of our CG 1413 problem solving project. For the Presentation, each member presented an aspect of the project from identifying the problem to evaluating the proposed solution. The following are the criteria for an effective oral presentation used to help evaluate the presentation:

Projection

Articulation

Pitch

Timing

Gesture

Posture

Visual

contact

Interactivity

As the tutorial room was a small one, the audience could easily hear and follow the presentation. During the presentation however, certain parts (while providing additional details) tended to be softer. While this may not affect the overall presentation, it may suggest a lack of familiarity or confidence with the information presented. In such small settings, it would also be prudent to take into consideration the proximity of one’s audience. Over projecting one’s voice may be off-putting to the audience and even affect their ability to understand the information presented.

Articulation was clear as most of the presentation could be easily understood while some minor slipups occurred during the presentation, they were quickly corrected. While there was adequate variation in pitch, more emphasis when posing questions would help to better engage the audience.

The timing and pace of speech was generally consistent and there were appropriate pauses during the presentation. The tendency to increase pace while reciting details should be avoided while including longer pauses between different points to differentiate them. While there has been an improvement in pace, slowing the pace further would allow the audience to absorb the information presented and enhances the overall presentation.

Appropriate gesturing was used to emphasise important points as well as direct attention to the slides. A neutral posture and good eye contact also help maintain the audience’s interest without becoming too distracting.

There were attempts to improve interactivity by posing questions to the audience, however more could have been done to involve the audience in the topics presented. For example, using humorous pictures or inviting the audience to participate in the project as demonstrated by the other members could improve audience involvement and hence interest in both the presentation as well as the subject presented.

While the presentation met most of the criteria used to evaluate this presentation, more could have been done to further engage the audience to help them emphasise with the subject. It is important to remember when giving a presentation that its purpose is to inform/educate audience. Therefore it should be presented in a manner that is both engaging and interactive so that the audience is able to relate to the subject and take an interest in it. Some of these skills have been demonstrated by the other group members who sought to actively engage and involve the audience in their presentations. Hence it is important that a presentation provides its audience with information as well as a reason to be invested in the subject.

Listed below are some sites that provide a quick guide to giving a good Oral Presentation:

http://www.lrc.centennialcollege.ca/tutorserv/Presentations/Presentation%20Skills.htm

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/conference-talk.html

http://www.walkingpaper.org/695

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For more information regarding climate change please visit:

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On Monday 8^th march, our group met once again to discuss the CG1102 project. The agenda this time was to decide on an important implementation to be included in our project. This new function that was to be added would change the way data was stored in the project and hence affect the way future additions were to be programmed. The next item in the agenda was the discussion of the lab report to be submitted. As this was dependent on the first decision, we proceeded to weigh the consequence of implementing a sorted list.

We considered the various sorting methods available such as insertions sort, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insertion_sort or to utilize a brute force approach which relied on the computer’s processing capability with simple algorithms. Also considered was the time in which we had to implement this new function. As the lab was due on Wednesday, we decided that it was not a feasible option due to a heavy schedule the following day which would leave little time for the project. Hence, we the implementation was to be done the next lab.

Next, we approached the questions posed by the lab report. These questions asked the advantages of using 2 different types of data structure. We realised that to properly answer the questions, a sorted list would be required. Here, we had to revert to our discussion about implementing a sorted list. The group members were effective communicators in this meeting, able to clearly explain their ideas or to verify their understanding of the concepts proposed. However, better preparation would have prevented or minimized the above mentioned situation. Had we been more familiar with the lab report, the questions posed and its implications, it would have been included in the discussion of using a sorted list. This would have improved the efficiency of the meeting and conclude it within the 20 minutes allotted. Upon reflection, I felt that if I had a better grasp of sorting functions, I would not have had to clarify as many concepts and be better able to help resolve the issues of implementing a sorting function. A better understanding of the topic discussed would also include the methods available and the implications of their implementation. Lack of familiarity in this regard however was due to the fact that the topic had not yet been covered in the lectures.

We continued the discussion after the meeting and having better understood the issues were able to come to a decision.

It is important that an agenda is set for each meeting; however its participants should also be thoroughly prepared and hence better able to understand and contribute to the issues discussed. A better understanding of the subject makes for a more effective and efficient meeting since basic concepts are well understood and can be built upon to resolve the issues.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/356351/Guide-to-Good-Meetings-Practice

Be Veg . Go Green . Save the Planet .

For more information regarding climate change please visit:

http://suprememastertelevision.com/SOS/