Todays Plan Professional Communication in Computer Science - PDF document

Scientific talk Scientific talk Using slides Using slides The show The show Today’s Plan Professional Communication in Computer Science Motivation. Giving a scientific talk Organizing your ideas, structure of a talk. Preparation and handling of slides. Jiri Srba The show, what can go wrong, answering questions. Credits and Many Thanks To Luca Aceto, Olivier Danvy, Emmanuel Fleury and Albrecht Schmidt Jiri Srba, 1.2.32, srba@cs.aau.dk Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Scientific talk Before you start Scientific talk Before you start Using slides Possible talk structure Using slides Possible talk structure The show A few hints The show A few hints The Point Why Should I Give a Good Talk? In general, if it is worth doing, it is worth doing it well. You have to give a talk: scientific (seminar, conference, internal meeting), And also: interview (e.g. to get a job), Disseminate your results, become well-known. other (teaching, report defense, oral exam, lunch/dinner talk). Get a good job, get promoted. Get a good grade. Question How to do it right? Fact Your work is partially judged on the quality of its presentation. Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Scientific talk Before you start Scientific talk Before you start Using slides Possible talk structure Using slides Possible talk structure The show A few hints The show A few hints Remember Things to Know Before You Start Know your topic. Do I really well understand the things I want to talk about? Should not I read some more literature? “What is understood clearly is expressed simply.” Know your audience. – Boileau Will I be talking to experts, general audience, students, my supervisor, censor, mixed audience? Know your goals. What does the audience expect from me? What is the Corollary purpose of my talk? Is the information already known to the What is expressed poorly is poorly understood. audience or is it new? Know your limits. How much time do I have? How many projectors? Can I use a blackboard? Will there be a pointer? Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science

Scientific talk Before you start Scientific talk Before you start Using slides Possible talk structure Using slides Possible talk structure The show A few hints The show A few hints Preparation Phase: Organize Your Ideas A Possible Structure of the Talk — Part 1 Identify the key ideas. Introduction What do I want to talk about? What things I want to Give a short general introduction. mention? What contribution do I want to emphasize? What What is the area and problem I study? Why do I study this is one single point I want my audience to remember? question? How is the problem motivated? Avoid unnecessary details. Briefly review related work. Are these details necessary to understand the message? Can What is known about my problem? What has been done and this be explained by an example? Can I show it on a picture? what is still open? What related work should I mention? Structure your talk. How do I motivate my work/problem? How do I clearly Emphasize your contribution. explain the setting/problem? What results I want to mention? What do I contribute with? What is my main achievement? Do I want to sketch some experiments/proofs in more detail? Provide a roadmap. Use top-down approach. What is the structure of my talk? What will be the overall structure of the talk in a few points? Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Scientific talk Before you start Scientific talk Before you start Using slides Possible talk structure Using slides Possible talk structure The show A few hints The show A few hints A Possible Structure of the Talk — Part 2 A Possible Structure of the Talk — Part 3 Main contribution Preliminaries Introduce terminology and notation. List your major results. Is this really necessary to mention for the purpose of my talk? How can I keep it to the necessary minimum? Explain the meaning of the results. Can I explain the results intuitively? What did I achieve by Redefine the problem more technically. these results? Why are my results interesting? Is this really necessary? How much detail do I need in the rest of the talk? Can I simplify it or make it more intuitive? Can I Give examples. use a picture? Can I demonstrate my results on an example? Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Scientific talk Before you start Scientific talk Before you start Using slides Possible talk structure Using slides Possible talk structure The show A few hints The show A few hints A Possible Structure of the Talk — Part 4 A Possible Structure of the Talk — Part 5 Conclusion Remind very briefly the problem and main results. Technicalities What problem did I study? What was the main contribution? Sketch an important proof or present an experiential result. Why did I choose to speak about this particular result? What Express your own opinion. is my point? New technique? Interesting application of a What is new in my contribution? Why is it interesting? What know result? Will the audience understand my explanation? are possible conclusions? Is there anything left open? What would be worth looking into? Indicate that the talk is over. Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science

Scientific talk Before you start Scientific talk Introduction Using slides Possible talk structure Using slides Slides preparation The show A few hints The show Handling slides Hints on Talk Preparation Different Ways to Deliver a Talk Planning your talk in the same chronological order as you Without any supportive mechanisms. carried out your research is seldom a good strategy. Choose a (Leave it to actors and opera singers.) pedagogical plan for your presentation! Reading from a script. Your audience will remember at most one or two main points. (Only at very formal occasions.) Make sure that they take home the right thing! Using a black/white-board. Use repetition: (Common in mathematics. Good for teaching, informal seminars.) “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.” Using slides. (The most common way in computer science.) Introduction — what you are going to tell. Body — you tell them. Conclusion — tell them what you just told them. The message is more important than the medium or the messenger! If possible, tell it always in different words! Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Scientific talk Introduction Scientific talk Introduction Using slides Slides preparation Using slides Slides preparation The show Handling slides The show Handling slides What Is the Point of a Slide? Tips on Slide Preparation Have simple and informative slides. The simpler, the better! Use roadmap (in particular for longer talks). Slides support and guide your talk. Don’t write too much on each slide. You should be a friend with your slides! One slide, one point. Each slide should have a title. One good drawing is worth 1000 words. Use colors for optical separation. Do not overdo it, and do not Types of slides: attach meaning to colors (color blindness; black and white Handwritten (if your handwriting is readable). copies). Printed. Rule of thumb: 1 slide = 1 minute (though it is individual). Active slides (with a laptop). Last Tip Always spell-check your slides! Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Scientific talk Introduction Scientific talk Introduction Using slides Slides preparation Using slides Slides preparation The show Handling slides The show Handling slides Standard Mistakes Handling Slides: Basic Techniques Do not rush. Slides should not contain more information than you want to Small fonts. (Theorem: The fonts are always too small.) talk about (but there are exceptions). Invisible colours. (Avoid pale colours like yellow; always test Do not talk while putting a new slide. the slides on a projector.) Do not stay in front of the projector. Long and complete sentences. (Use itemized lists.) Minimize the number of crossings in front of the projector. Overcrowded slides. While talking, look at the projection screen (not at your laptop screen). Slides written at the last moment. Use several “plan” slides (to keep your audience and you on track). Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science Giving a scientific talk Professional Communication in Computer Science