Jessie Todd

As the semester draws to an end, we are wrapping up our Data and Visualization course by applying the tools and skills we have learned at a workshop held by the Maryland Chapter of the American Planning Association. This workshop is our platform to practice and perfect all the concepts we have been using, and transform them into 3 minute presentations. This task can be daunting, as consolidating years of scientific research isn't always easy, but with practice, practice, practice .and some editing, anyone can blow away the crowd with their fascinating science.

David Beckett quotes former football coach Joe Gibbs in his book Three Minute Presentation, "A winning effort begins with preparation." It is important to be organized and prepared with your dialoged rehearsed; you don't want your three minutes to slip away. It is a good idea to practice your speech in front of the mirror or with friends and family, so it becomes natural on your big day. Some presenters have nightmares about losing the crowds attention or running out of time, but with the right prompt you can avoid those situations. You are setting the stage to help tell your story. Your poster or PowerPoint should be doing your legwork, while you focus on any extra material. There are some tips and tricks to editing your prompt to make sure you keep the audience's attention and stay on schedule.

When it comes to using posters, you want your layout be easy to read so that viewers can listen to your dialogue, follow along and make sense of your poster. You might want to ask yourself, what is the big idea behind my research project? Be aware of your audience, because not everyone has a scientific background. You are the tour guide of your own research, so highlight your main points and iterate the importance behind your project.

Good posters are consistent and aesthetically pleasing. If there are mismatched fonts and colors, viewers tend to focus more on your layout than what you have to say. Font size should be big enough to read from a distance and simple enough to not take away from your poster. When applying color, it is good for highlighting information and capturing the viewer's attention.

Using the appropriate graphics like maps, graphs, pictures and animations, can help viewers to understand ideas they may not have with words alone. They should be stand alone, informative and help you progress through your story. Similar to your overall poster, graphics should be quick to read or simple to understand.

In Annie Carew's rough draft example below, it was mentioned that it might be a good idea to edit the layout of the graphics to help the flow of the story; the map could be blown up and placed in the middle of the poster and the aquatic vegetation diagram could be redesigned and tailored more towards the specific research. A left realignment of the text might be more appealing to viewers, as well as the addition of a lightly colored box behind the elements that are most important. Rough drafts and assessments are always a great way to see what you are working with and where you need to be.

With PowerPoints or video recordings, it should be all about enhancing what you have to say. Your slides or video are there to support your presentation, not take away from it. Background music can make or break a video, but has the ability to drive emotion and bring a powerful element to your story. It is always a good idea to play around with different music options to really find the right fit. PowerPoint slides also have the ability dominate the presentation, but when handled correctly they can bring it to life. To prevent yourself from reading directly from the slides, put up key points to guide your discussion. Too much text can cause the audience to lose attention.

The video below is a great start to a potentially powerful video with a few small edits. The imagery was powerful, but a map and diagram of the research methodology could really bring the coral's story full circle. Jane Hawkey mentioned adding a small clip of tropical coral reefs to really bring contrast to the se whips found off Maryland's coast. Videos are a great tool to help keep time and use real-life video clips to help tell a scientist's story.

Title: Rebecca Wenker's rough draft video about sea whips off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland.

John Witherspoon said, "Never rise to speak till you have something to say, and when you have said it, cease." By practicing and preparing for your presentation, your speech can be concise, informative and well worth the audience's three minutes. Make it count!