November 26, 2011 / 11:34AM 111 notes

sonic-hip-attack:

Note to presenters at academic conferences

jakke:

1. Most of the audience either has a Ph.D. or is about to get one.
2. It is extremely hard to get a doctorate without finishing college.
3. Colleges rarely accept students without high school diplomas.
4. Before graduating from high school it is necessary to pass the third grade.
5. Passing the third grade requires being able to read.
6. Therefore, almost all of your audience knows how to read.
7. That makes it completely unnecessary – not to say outrageously annoying – to read your f*cking slides out loud. Slides should complement, not duplicate, your verbal presentation.

Eff yes.

-_________________-

You know, they don’t actually ever teach you how to make a good presentation.  Most of my classes (in school for my PhD in Clinical Psychology) are still effectively “here is the slide, based entirely on the chapter I asked you to read, and now I will read the slide (which is the book) to you.”

But I agree whole-heartedly.  

It’s a cheap way to keep from having to memorize a speech or from actually knowing your material in-depth when it’s all just up there on the screen for you!

Not everyone is built for public-speaking, though. Many academics are in it for the research part, and might spend minimal time on making it presentable. And being able to improvise is not something everyone can do. If you’re not able to wing it, then you have to write a separate speech for what you’ll say and what’s on the board, and that can be very time-consuming. 

But yeah, from the viewer’s standpoint, it can really suck. 

(Source: abbyjean)

i am thankful i can improvise naturally

Notes

  1. candidfiction reblogged this from thedisgruntledgradstudent and added:
    Or, really, just any presentation ever. We know how to read. Now tell us something awesome. Make your slides legit....
  2. ashleyisapoliticalguytoo reblogged this from pinebark
  3. heroin-e reblogged this from jhameia
  4. sonic-hip-attack reblogged this from intense-intents-in-tents and added:
    That was kind of my point. As the person being taught, it’s frustrating. As the person speaking, it makes sense. Very...
  5. intense-intents-in-tents reblogged this from sonic-hip-attack and added:
    Not everyone is built for public-speaking, though. Many academics are in it for the research part, and might spend...
  6. writtenmemory4 reblogged this from sonic-hip-attack and added:
    Public speaking 101. Slides are meant to give the broad topics on which you expand and enlighten…not give the entire...
  7. wowilaughwaytomuch reblogged this from abbyjean
  8. invertsugar reblogged this from pinebark and added:
    I have to say that...seems pretty snarky and ableist...what...
  9. sherlockstark reblogged this from pinebark and added:
    not just academic conferences, folks you have to give slideshow presentations in school too learn this shit early on let...
  10. pinebark reblogged this from jhameia and added:
    Indeed — the only thing worse than text-heavy slides is the reading of those slides. I don’t think most folks are...
  11. jhameia reblogged this from se-smith and added:
    Two thoughts: 1) “Wait, people still read out slides at academic conferences? WHY” 2) TENTACLES
  12. rhymeswithnothing reblogged this from telegantmess and added:
    Oh that’s good to keep in mind. I mean, the whole list is too haha.
  13. telegantmess reblogged this from se-smith
  14. quarterclever reblogged this from notunlikethecomet and added:
    I agree that that’s totally ableist (and that’s a good point, degrees do not wave a magic wand and get rid of any LD)....
  15. akseabird reblogged this from illhave-thatdrinknow and added:
    Dear god, yes. This is probably my #1 conference pet-peeve. Followed very closely by people who just read an entire...
  16. notunlikethecomet reblogged this from quarterclever and added:
    I used to get really angry when people did this. Like, “Ha what an idiot. They’re just reading off their slides.”And you...
  17. eleonoramae reblogged this from abbyjean
  18. writingfromfactorx reblogged this from greenchestnuts
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