Semester+Exam+Information

Your semester exam will be 5-6 minute presentation of your research paper. I will deduct points for going over or being seriously under the time limit. I will also deduct points for being a lousy audience member. Your visual aid may be anything you want it to be--just remember that your classmates will need to be able to see it.

Stuff you will need to prepare for your exam... [|research paper presentation how-to.pdf] this is copy of 7 pages from a textbook that will help you convert your research paper into a presentation. Please read this carefully. [|English I Oral Presentatation Rubric.doc] --the grading rubric [|PowerPoint Presentations.pdf]- shows a person how font and color affect the ability to see a PowerPoint slide show (found at [|http://hcs.osu.edu/hcs804/PowerPoint%20**Presentations**.pdf] )

Powerpoint helps us to think of each projected page as a “slide” in a slideshow. But just as someone else’s home movies can be thoroughly uninteresting if they’re grainy, poor in quality, and irrelevant, Powerpoint slides that are too flashy, cluttered, meaningless, or poorly designed can quickly turn a darkened room full of smart people into a mere gathering of snoozers. As you design your slides, consider these factors: This and more presenation information can be found at [].
 * __ Templates __ . Even though Powerpoint helps you design your slides, don’t assume that someone else’s template will always match your needs. Take charge of slide design by considering first the most efficient way to transmit the necessary information.
 * __ Simplicity __ . Keep slides as simple and uncluttered as possible, and if the information must be complex, prioritize it for your audience as you present it (e.g., if presenting a ten-column table, direct your audience to the most significant columns). Offer only one major point per illustration. If you need to focus on more than one point, re-present the illustration in another form on a separate slide with the different point emphasized.
 * __ Titles __ . Give most slides titles, with a font size of at least 36 points, and body text with a font size of at least 24 points. If you need to cite a source of information, include the citation in a smaller font size at the bottom of your slide.
 * __ Rule of 8s. __ Apply the “rule of 8s”: include no more than 8 words per line and 8 lines per slide.
 * __ Bullets __ . When using bulleted lists in slides, present each bulleted line in parallel fashion—i.e., if the first line is a fragment, the others should be as well; if the first line opens with a verb, so should the others.
 * __ Design __ . Design slides so that their longest dimension is horizontal rather than vertical. Use both uppercase and lowercase letters and orient pictures left to right. Avoid the overuse of animations and transitions, especially audio-based transitions, which can be distracting and downright silly.
 * __ Color __ . Make sure the color for both the background and text are highly readable, especially under less than optimal lighting conditions. There’s nothing wrong with basic dark lettering and white background for your slides, particularly if they’re text-based. If you do choose a background theme or color, enhance continuity and viewability by keeping it consistent and subtle.
 * __ Images __ . When possible, replace words with images. Use images in particular when presenting data, demonstrating trends, simplifying complex issues, and visualizing abstractions.
 * __ Spelling. __ Spelling does count, and you can’t rely on Powerpoint to be an effective proofreader. Be sure your slides are free of grammatical and spelling errors. As Will Rogers quipped, “Nothing you can’t spell will ever work.”