M1 Didactics Communicational Skills

Lecture 5 : Communication in Academic Settings

Introduction
Academic communication, also called scholarly communication, refers to methods of
communication that are highly structured and generally only used in pedagogical settings.
Academic communication can include the words and structures used to express ideas, as well
as the methods by which ideas are disseminated.
Forms of communication in academic settings
A Symposium is a formal gathering in an academic setting where participants are experts in
their fields. These experts present or deliver their opinions or viewpoints on a chosen topic of
discussion. It would be correct to label a symposium as a small scale conference as the
number of delegates is smaller. There are the usual discussions on the chosen topic after the
experts have presented their speeches. The chief characteristic of a symposium is that it
covers a single topic or subject and all the lectures given by experts are completed in a single
day. A Symposium - prestigious conferences, generally leading venues in their respective
fields.
A Conference refers to a formal meeting where participants exchange their views on various
topics. Conference can take place in different fields, and it need not be academic in nature all
the time. Thus, we have parent teacher conferences, sport conferences, a trade conference, a
conference of journalists, conference of doctors, a conference of research scholars, and so on.
A conference is a meeting that has been prearranged and involves consultation and discussion
on a number of topics by the delegates. Conference and symposium are similar events where
speakers come together and give their opinions on a chosen subject. Symposium can be
described as a smaller conference that gets over in a single day with a lesser number of
delegates.
A Seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at a university or offered by a
commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups
for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone
present is requested to actively participate. The Instructor has prepared the concepts and
techniques they will present and discuss through a combination of visual materials, interactive
tools or equipment, and demonstrations. It includes some take home material for the
participants that relates to the lecture. A full laboratory phase is not a requirement.
A Workshop includes all the elements of the Seminar, but with the largest portion being
emphasized on “hand-on-practice” or laboratory work. The Lab work is designed to reinforce,
imprint and bring forward an immediate functioning dimension to the participant’s eye and
hands by implementing and practicing the actual concept or technique that was taught through
the lecture and demonstration process.
A Congress - would typically be held once a year per discipline, highlighting the
achievements, notable results in that field. These are typically attended by leaders in that field,
and feature a series of invited talks
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Seminar vs Conference
Every day we hear similar meaning words such as workshops, summits,
,symposiums, seminars and conferences and are confused by the use of different words for
educational settings. Well, there is no need to get confused as there are obvious differences in
the functioning as well as purpose of these meetings and congregations. In this article we will
specifically focus on seminar and conference which seem to be the most similar among all
types of meeting s described earlier.

Both seminars and conferences are formal meetings of like minded people. Participants
congregate and discuss topics of common interest. Seminars are generally of shorter duration
and it is possible to have several business seminars inside a conference which may last for a
few days. A conference requires a different kind of ambience and is usually help at a place
which also has accommodation and dining facilities for the participants. A seminar has a
educational connotation to it whereas a conference is more about sharing of opinions and
thoughts on a topic of common interest. For example, a seminar may be organized to enhance
the skills of people involved in a particular profession. In such a case, experts are called who
give lectures to the participants and all participants receive a certificate at the end of the
seminar.

Both seminars and conferences share one point and that is heavy reliance on audio visual aids
to help a teacher to impart knowledge in an easier manner to the participants. In seminars,
there is little active participation from those attending and it is usually the faculty or the
expert disseminating knowledge in the form of lectures.

Conferences are organized by institutes and companies where attendees get information about
latest trends and developments in the industry. There are user conferences that are organized
by companies and service providers to educate and build relationships with their customers.

Educational conferences invite luminaries in the chosen field of study to enlighten the
attendees with their expert knowledge. However, one major difference between seminars and
conferences is that while seminars focus on imparting knowledge and skills to the
participants, conferences are all about sharing opinions and views on the subject matter.

How to Give a Fabulous Academic Presentation:

Five Tips to Follow
One of the easiest ways to stand out at an academic conference is to give a fantastic
presentation. If you have ever been to an academic conference, you should be able to see my
point. The majority of presentations at conferences are not very good. This makes it fairly
easy for you to be impressive.

Tip 1: Use PowerPoint Judiciously

These days, most good presentations make some use of visuals. The extent to which you
should use visuals will vary a lot depending on your field. Nevertheless, there are a few basic
things you should know if you will be using PowerPoint or another method of showing
visuals.

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  Never use less than 24 point font. If you use smaller font, people will not be able to
see your information and you will have too much information on the slide.
 Use bullet points. PowerPoint slides do not need full sentences, and should never have
a paragraph full of information.
 Use images effectively. You should have as little text as possible on the slide. One
way to accomplish this is to have images on each slide, accompanied by a small amount of
text.
 Never put your presentation on the slides and read from the slides.
 Do not have too many slides. Definitely do not have more than one slide per minute of
presentation.

Tip 2: There is a formula to academic presentations. Use it.

Once you have become an expert at giving fabulous presentations, you can deviate from the
formula. However, if you are a newbie, you need to follow the formula. Again, this will vary
by the field. However, I will give an example from my field – sociology – to give you an idea
as to what the format should look like.

 Introduction/Overview/Hook
 Theoretical Framework/Research Question
 Methodology/Case Selection
 Background/Literature Review
 Discussion of Data/Results
 Analysis
 Conclusion

Tip 3: The audience wants to hear about your research. Tell them.
One of the most common mistakes I see in people giving presentations is that they present
only information I already know. This usually happens when they spend nearly all of the
presentation going over the existing literature and giving background information on their
particular case. You need only to discuss the literature with which you are directly engaging
and contributing. Your background information should only include what is absolutely
necessary. If you are giving a 15-minute presentation, by the 6th minute, you need to be
discussing your data or case study.

Tip 4: Practice. Practice. Practice.

You need to practice your presentation in full before you deliver it. You might feel silly
delivering your presentation to your cat or your toddler, but you need to do it and do it again.
You need to practice to ensure that your presentation fits within the time parameters.
Practicing also makes it flow better. You can’t practice too many times.

Tip 5: Keep To Your Time Limit

If you have ten minutes to present, prepare ten minutes of material. No more. Even if you
only have seven minutes, you need to finish within the allotted time. If you will be reading, a
general rule of thumb is two minutes per typed, double-spaced page. For a fifteen minute talk,
you should have no more than 7 double-spaced pages of material.