CHAPTER # 6

Technical Report Writing

6. Oral Report

DEFINITION:
An oral report is a presentation in which you speak to an audience about a topic. You will only
have a certain amount of time to talk, so you'll have to pick and choose the most important points
you want to make.

General Information
The oral presentations will be 20 minutes long, plus 5 minutes left for questions at the end. The
presentations need to be prepared on transparencies. Copiers, ink-jet printers, and laser printers
can all be used to print on transparency media. Please note that transparency media compatible
with one device are not generally compatible with the others. An overhead projector and a pointer
will be provided at the presentations.

If the project has a primary author, the primary author should present the results, discussion, and
conclusions of the project. This is expected to take (approximately) the last 10 minutes of the
presentation. The first 10 minutes should be devoted to introducing the project and to discussing
the experimental design the group followed and the apparatus and materials used. These first 10
minutes should be equally divided among the other group members.

If the project does not have a primary author, each member of the group should present for a similar
length of time. The topics covered by each person are up to the group to decide.

Goals & Objectives:

The goals of an oral report is to deeply develop an audience understanding of a given topic. It
allows the instuctor to guage an audience’s understanding of a given topic and ability to formulate
that understanding into oral discourse.

6.1 Preparation of the Oral Report

The oral report should comprise the following:

(1).Title transparency
(2). Introduction
(3). Materials and Methods
(4). Results and Discussion
(5). Conclusions

The purpose - that is, what needs to be communicated - of each section is identical to the written
report. However, there are significant differences in how an oral presentation is organized:

 Formal headings to identify the sections of an oral presentation are not required.

 The title page should identify the full name of the project, the name of the principal author (if
applicable), and the names of the other (collaborating) group members.

 In contrast to a written report, in an oral presentation the stating of results and their analysis and
discussion are often done concurrently. Even if full discussion of results is not given immediately,
a brief mention of how the results will be used later assists the audience with comprehending their
significance and in anticipating what is to come.

 In an oral presentation, information is best conveyed through visual content (graphs, drawings,
illustrations), accompanied by a clear verbal explanation provided by the speaker. A transparency
can include some written text, but it should be kept to an absolute minimum. Short descriptive
phrases work better than long sentences. Bulletted lists can be used to organize short phrases or
short sentences, if appropriate. There should be no paragraphs of text. The speaker carries the
responsibility of explaining what is shown; the audience should not be expected to read this
explanation from the transparencies.

 Ideally, a transparency has a single purpose (ex. description of apparatus, discussion of a graph,
comparison of different data sets, description of a data analysis method, presentation of
conclusions, etc.). Overcrowded transparencies that strive to cover multiple topics will most likely
be confusing to the audience. Before an overhead is designed, its purpose should be clearly
identified.

 The length of an oral presentation is limited. Foremost, the presentation must focus on a clear
depiction of the most important information. Details that do not meaningfully contribute should
be left out. Deciding what to include requires subjective judgment. It should be kept in mind that
the audience can always ask for more detail if they wish.

 Letters and numbers must be sufficiently large so that the audience can read them. Generally,
no font smaller than 14 points should be used. Depending on the setup of the projector and the size
of the presentation area, larger font may be needed.

 Table, graph, and figure guidelines are similar to those for the written report. Particular attention
should be paid to ensuring that lines on graphs are thick enough to be easily visible and that the
quality of figures is sufficient to resolve. Always, all graph axes must be labelled and the units of
measure shown if applicable. To minimize the reading load placed on the audience, captions
should be kept as brief as possible.
 Citations to the work of others are generally displayed directly on the transparency on which
that work is referred to by the speaker, not on a separate page at the end of the presentation. Often,
it is sufficient to list the authors, the title (name of book or journal), and the year of publication,
though full citations can be used if desired.

 A rough rule of thumb is that a transparency will require two minutes of explanation. Therefore,
for a 20 minute presentation, about 10 transparencies should be prepared.

6.2 Presentation of the Oral Report

Organization and clarity are the key ingredients of a solid presentation, but good delivery can make
it outstanding.
 The speaker's attitude should be professional. It is important to be open to the questions,
suggestions, or comments from the audience. If a question is beyond the speaker's ability to answer
fully, the best answer possible should be given. There is nothing wrong in admitting the limits of
one's knowledge, saying, for example, "We have not yet considered that." or "That's a good point,
we should go back and examine it in greater detail...". Criticism, when justified, should be accepted
gracefully and learned from. Incorrect criticism should be politely explained away by clearly
stating how the particular objection is inapplicable or can be remedied.

 It is good practice to remind the audience of key facts as needed - especially if a central idea
pertinent to the current discussion was already shown several transparencies ago.

 The textual content of a transparency should not be read word for word by the speaker - the
audience should be allowed to read it for themselves. Instead, the speaker should describe the
content of the transparency in their own words so as to best enhance the effectiveness of the
presentation.

 Speech should be inflected. Speaking in a monotone makes it easy to lose the attention of the
audience.

 Posing questions, even rhetorical ones (i.e. ones the speaker plans to answer), to the audience
will stimulate thought and serve to better retain attention.

 Making eye contact with the audience also helps retain their attention.

 An animated speaker, up to a point, will enliven the presentation. An overly animated speaker
becomes more interesting than the presentation.

 If a blackboard is available, it is perfectly acceptable to draw on it to supplement the

transparencies in conveying the subject matter.
6.3 Oral delivery techniques:
1. Extemporaneous;
This is one of the four methods of oral delivery in which you deliver speech with the help of
already prepared notes, handouts, or outline. This is the most preferred way by audiences and
speakers. Your outline may include quotations, comments, and facts and figures to reinforce,
support, and strengthen your speech. This is the most preferred and most recommended way of
delivery because it allows more eye contact with the audience and helps you establish direct
contact with them. Frequent presentation will enable you to use fewer notes and feel more
confident than a beginner does.

2. Reading;
Reading is the second of the four methods of oral delivery. In case of long speeches, it may be
necessary to read some parts of your speech text. There are occasions when you have to convey
some critical and complex or technical information, or some official statement. In that case, you
do not want to make mistakes or look absurd by ad-libbing. There you must read it verbatim—
word for word. The good thing with reading method is that there are minimum chances of any
mistake—technical, grammatical, or that of pronunciation. But this method oral delivery is that
there is very little eye contact, which results in the loss of your audience’s attention.

3. Memorization;
This is the third of the methods of oral delivery works best for those who are novices or beginners
in this skill. They feel stage fright, and feel embarrassed when presenting their ideas before
audience. They memorize the speech before they deliver it. This gives them a sense of command,
and courage to face the audience. But care should be taken that you make your memorized speech
look spontaneous and natural. The flow your ideas should not be speedy and mechanical.

Very few speakers memorize their speech today. And they are right in not memorizing it. Often
the first few words of a statement or speech can be memorized, but memorizing the whole speech
is neither recommended nor advised. The positive side of this style of speech is the eye contact.
You are able to maintain maximum eye contact with the audience, which means you will be able
to maintain maximum eye contact. But the risk of memorization is forgetting your text. In this way
of delivery there are maximum chances of forgetting your exact wording. In that case you will
grope for words while you are on the stage in front of the audience.

4. Impromptu;
This the fourth of the four methods of oral delivery.

You may be called upon at the last moment to share your opinion or offer your comments. When
you speak “off the cuff”—without preparation—without a prior information that your will speak,
you are speaking impromptu. Most of the times, you have to express your opinions before the
audience on the spur of the moment. You are asked to address the gathering without preparation,
rehearsal, or thought in advance. Impromptu way of oral delivery calls for vast knowledge,
experience, and practice. After a lot of practice, and long presentations you are able to speak
impromptu. That means an ordinary speaker is not able to perform excellently if they are asked to
make an impromptu speech.
6.4 Visual Aids:

Visual presentation refers to the expression of ideas about some matters while using visual aids
such as visual multimedia. From electronic media such as television screens and web pages to
environmental contexts such as retail displays and road signs, visual communication is virtually
everywhere. Visual presentations such as graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams bring together the
verbal and visual to add another dimension to the information and create a totally new path towards
understanding its meaning.

The old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words” is as true today as it has always been.

There are many different types of visual presentations. Here are main ones.

1. ezTalks Meetings

ezTalks is one of the best cloud video conferencing providers that will allow you to host a number
of videos in HD quality with over 100 participants. It also provides free audio conferencing, instant
messaging, file sharing, whiteboard collaboration, and remote control apps for presentations. Once
you have ezTalks you can choose a plan that's suitable for you. It also gives you 24/7 customer
support where you can contact their managers and get solutions to your queries or problems. As
compared to other video conferencing providers, they have the best features and an excellent
customer.

2. Whiteboards and Interactive Whiteboard support.

When it comes to explaining the sequence of routines and ideas, whiteboards can be very useful.
Whiteboards are good for developing diagrams and simple headings and for recording the
interaction with the audience during the sessions. Writing on whiteboards not only take time but
you will also have to turn your back to the audience in order to do so. While using a whiteboard,
ensure that your handwriting is aligned horizontally and is legible and large enough for the
audience to see. You should also ensure that you use nonpermanent instead of permanent markers.
You also need to know that the background of whiteboard can lead to contrast issues for people
with vision problems.

3. Flip Charts

A flip chart refers to a low cost, popular and low tech solution to record online meetings. A flip
chart is a very flexible and useful way to recording information during a presentation. To help
recap your main points, you can flip back through the pad. To show the progression from one point
to another, use the turning of the page. A flip chart is not only portable but can also be prepared in
advance. It requires no technical expertise or power source. They are suitable for collecting
responses and ideas from the audience. However, if you have a large audience, a flip chart may be
too small for everyone to see.

4. Paper Handouts

Handouts summarizing the main points are not only useful but also a good addition hence must be
relevant. If you are presenting packages such as power slides you can easily generate handouts
from your slides. Since giving out handouts at the start of the talk might consume time you need
to know the best time to give handouts. However, if your handouts have complex figures and
graphs, it's advisable to give the audience handouts before the presentation starts. The audience
may also be able to make their own notes during the presentation. Overall, you need to consider
the best method and time to distribute handouts including either giving them at the end of the
presentation or placing them on the seats prior the start. If your presentation includes discussions
and questions, this will give them enough time to summarize them well.

5. Video

Video is a type of presentation that gives you an opportunity to show visual information. You can
use videos to bring pictures, movement, and sound into your presentation. When using videos, it's
important to ensure that the clip is relevant to your content. Avoid showing more film than you
need and ensure that your audience knows what to look for. If there is a computer connected to the
projector then videos can be shown as files through you tube or from a DVD and other online
sources. Videos can also be used to build presentations in various video presentation software.

6. Slides

Slides of excellent quality can also have a huge impact on any size or group. However, for the
images to be seen clearly and to create an eye contact with the audience, a good blackout is needed.
As compared to other methods of presentations, you will not add records or any spontaneous notes
to the slides. In case you are using slides, make sure that they are prepared in the best way. The
best way is to number them so that if one is dropped the slides can easily be reordered. However,
nowadays the use of slides has greatly been replaced by digital photography.

Well, these are the different types of visual presentation. While choosing one, you need to consider
your preferences and the needs and your audience.