Genre Overview: 

Presentations as a genre encompass a structured speech designed to inform, persuade, or entertain an audience within a defined time frame. They typically involve a speaker or a group of speakers who use visual aids, such as slides or multimedia, to support their message and are shorter than a keynote speaker. A presentation is typically intended to inform an audience about a specific topic and is meant to persuade an audience toward a specific goal. That goal could be learning, investing, sharing information, or proposing a new idea. It combines elements of public speaking, visual communication, and audience engagement to effectively convey information or ideas in a structured and compelling manner.

Genre in Action: 

When you think about a presentation, most people think about putting together a Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation and then reading directly from the slides or from notecards, and while this is a form of the genre, there are genre conventions that inform great presentations. What is tricky about the genre of presentations is that they are typically most engaging when performed off the cuff, so different from written forms, a presentation should be practiced until it's nearly memorized. Granted, you can always improvise off the cuff, but that is best done after you have practiced the general overview of your piece. 

A great presentation is characterized by several key features that engage the audience, convey the message effectively, and leave a lasting impact. Here are some of the main features:

1. Clear Objective: The purpose of the presentation should be well-defined and communicated to the audience from the beginning.

2. Engaging Opening: Start with a strong opening to capture the audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, a question, or an interesting story.

3. Structured Content: Organize the content logically with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Use headings, subheadings, and transitions to guide the audience through the presentation.

4. Visual Aids: Use visuals like slides, images, charts, and videos to complement and reinforce your message. Ensure that they are clear, relevant, and not overly complex. If it is not your image or it is not a stock photo, you need to cite your images. 

5. Simplicity: Keep slides simple and uncluttered. Avoid overloading slides with text or data. Use bullet points, short phrases, and key points to make information digestible.

6. Storytelling: Incorporate storytelling elements to make the presentation more relatable and memorable. Stories can illustrate key points and connect emotionally with the audience.

7. Engagement: Interact with the audience through questions, polls, or activities. This keeps them involved and attentive.

8. Confident Delivery: Speak clearly, confidently, and at a moderate pace. Maintain eye contact with the audience, use natural gestures, and move around the stage if possible.

9. Passion and Enthusiasm: Show genuine interest and enthusiasm for the topic. Your passion can be contagious and can help to engage the audience.

10. Audience Awareness: Tailor the presentation to the audience's knowledge level, interests, and expectations. Address their needs and concerns throughout the presentation.

11. Effective Use of Data: When presenting data, ensure it is accurate, relevant, and presented in an understandable format. Highlight key insights and explain their significance. If it is not your data, you need to cite it on your slide. 

12. Strong Conclusion: End with a powerful conclusion that reinforces the main message, summarizes key points, and includes a call to action or next steps if appropriate.

13. Q&A Session: Allocate time for questions and answers at the end of the presentation. This allows for audience interaction and clarification of any points.

A great presentation involves the design of the accompanying images or poster board or slides as well clear, audience-centered explication of your topic AND clear, memorized explication of your topic. In order to sound confident, passionate, and engaging, you need to practice your presentation, and there are a few ways to most effectively do that. 

How to practice your presentation. 

1. Write out your presentation in full. The general rule of thumb is that it takes 2 minutes to read one full page of double-spaced text. If you are presenting for 15 minutes, you will want to write 5-6 pages of text allowing for at least 5 minutes of Q&A. 

2. Read through your presentation while timing yourself to ensure that at a relaxed pace you are filling the necessary time. As you read through your presentation, add text where you need to "change slide," "pause," or "engage with the audience." This will help orient you as you memorize your presentation. 

3. Read through your presentation at least 20 times in a row with the accompanying slides. 

4. Present your presentation at least 20 times without your notes, timing yourself. Make sure you include a welcome for yourself, changing the slide, and concluding each time. 

5. Slow. Down. Take your time. Breath. It's going to be ok. Nerves are normal and they will dissipate as you present, but you need to practice. 

Presentations are scary, but they get better with more practice. They can be powerful carriers of messaging with the right elements, and are an effective multimodal genre. With a clear, defined purpose, great design, and good presentation, you will engage your audience and communicate clearly. 

Remember--a presentation is a multimodal genre, part speech, part visual aids. You need to pay equal attention to each element to create an engaging presentation. Thinking about your audience specifically will help you determine how much or how little background on your topic you need to include. You should also consider engaging your audience directly. Asking them to do a quick free write, popcorn session (yelling out answers to a question), or even beginning your presentation with a question will make your audience more engaged, and improve your presentation. 

Genre in Practice: 

Free write 

1. What is a presentation that you remember? Why do you remember it? What are the elements that were most memorable and why? 

2. What is the core message of my presentation? What is MOST important to convey to my audience? Why is this topic important to me and why should it be important to my audience? 

3. Who is my audience? What do they already know about the topic? What are their interests, concerns, and expectations? How can I make my topic relevant to them? What questions might they have about my topic?

4. Why am I passionate about this topic? How has this topic impacted me personally or professionally? What personal experiences can I share that are relevant to the topic?

5. What questions can I ask to engage my audience? What interactive elements can I include, such as polls or activities? How can I use visuals to enhance my message? What anecdotes or personal stories can I share to connect with my audience?

Mini Activity: Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a brief presentation that seeks to identify a problem, a solution, and a call to action for a specific audience in 60-90 seconds. The point of an elevator pitch is that you can tell it to someone in the time it takes to ride an elevator, and is a way to focus your ideas and build your presenting skills. 

Step 1: You will have 10-15 minutes to write a draft of your elevator pitch for your presentation. You must keep it within 60-90 seconds.

Use the following structure for your pitch: 

1. Hook: Start with an attention-grabbing statement.

2. Problem: Briefly describe the problem or need.

3. Solution: Explain your idea or solution.

4. Angle: Highlight what makes it unique.

5. Call to Action: Conclude with what you want the listener to do next.

Step 2: Pair up with a peer and practice delivering your pitch to each other. Make sure to time each other. Provide your peer with constructive feedback. Focus on clarity, conciseness, engagement, and confidence. Take 5 minutes to revise your pitch based on the feedback received.

Step 3: Present your pitch to the class. After each pitch, provide brief, constructive feedback to your peer. Highlight strengths and suggest improvements.

Step 4: Reflect on the activity and discuss what you learned about crafting and delivering an elevator pitch.

Questions to Ask AI

1. What are the key points that are most important to explain about[my topic]? 

2. What are tools or software that I can use to create engaging visuals for my presentation? 

3. How can I use body language effectively during my presentation? 

4. What are some common misconceptions about [my topic] that I should address? 

5. How can I make my presentation more interactive? 

6. What are some common questions that I might receive about [my topic]? 

7. What are common pitfalls in presentations and how can I avoid them?

8. How can I encourage my audience to ask questions? 

9. Where can I find great, freely available images for my presentation? 

10. Can you review my presentation and suggest improvements?