Lectures and Presentations (Vorträge und Referate)

In addition to written work, the presentation also plays an important role in the presentation of academic content. This applies to exchange between scholars as well as to university-level study or the communication of academic work to broader publics.

Presentations are a common form of assignment. In order for a presentation to fulfil its function, a few points must be observed. The exact design of the presentation can also differ depending on the course and concept. Therefore, you should discuss the topic and its delineation, the bibliographical basis, the length of the presentation and the use of media with the lecturer at an early stage.

Types of Presentations

Presentations can serve different purposes and take different forms, and the following types can be distinguished:

The aim of a presentation on a text is to present a text that has either been read by all fellow students or serves as a supplement to the seminar. It is important to present the text in such a way that everyone can understand it. The structure of a presentation on a text follows the general rules of structure (see the section Structure of the Presentation). However, the main part of a presentation on a text differs from that of a presentation on a topic:

First, the author of the text should be briefly introduced. It is important to consider the relevance of biographical data for the presentation. In any case, it makes sense to mention biographical data, historical embedding and the context of academic socialization (the author’s education). In cases of doubt, it is also recommended to consult with the lecturers.

If the text is an excerpt from a larger work, the work should then be briefly introduced. If necessary, terms that are important in the context of the text must be explained before the presentation of the text itself.

Only then does the presentation of the central content of the text begin. Here it is particularly important not to engage in retelling: the presentation introduces the contents of the text that are central and relevant for the course. It is an individual contribution of the student, which should go beyond the reproduction of the text. For this reason, please select the contents you consider important and present them in a sequence you deem fitting. The comprehensible presentation of arguments and causal links is more important than following the structure of the text.

A presentation on a topic gives a short introduction to a specific topic for the seminar session. The basis of a presentation on a topic is usually several texts, since what is being presented is not only the thinking of a single author, but rather a broader topic. The preparation of a presentation on a topic should therefore also include the student’s own research on the topic. Here it is particularly important to discuss with the lecturer what they expect from the presentation.

Preparation of a class or the organization of a session means engaging an entire seminar session, usually involving not only the delivery of a presentation but the participation of all those attending the class. An introduction to the session in the form of a presentation is suitable, and all forms of presentations can be used. When choosing this option, you should not forget to consult with the lecturer.

In addition, consideration should be given to the form in which the participants are involved. The following options are possible, though this is not an exhaustive list:

– group work with subsequent presentation of the results

– questions about a text

– joint preparation of a text or a topic with the inclusion of black- or smart boards

– a quiz, for example, at the end of the lesson

Structure of the Presentation

Depending on the role of the presentation in the design of the seminar, presentations can be structured differently. The presentation should be based on the guidelines. However, there are a few general points which must be observed.

In principle, a presentation has the same academic demands as other works. The following requirements, therefore, still apply:

– Formulation of a question or the objective of the presentation.

– Citation of sources by means of a bibliography either in the handout or at the end of the presentation.

– Critical handling of the relevant texts, sources and terms.

Besides that, however, a presentation has a more introductory character, resulting in some differences to a written paper. A detailed presentation of the state of research can usually be left out – what is more important is the comprehensible communication of the core contents. The presentation can be based on the following rough outline - from which, depending on the type of presentation, it is possible to deviate in individual cases.

1. Introduction

– Beginning: this is your opportunity to arouse the interest of your listeners. Start with a suitable example, a question about the course, a link to what has been said in the seminar so far, to general relevant debates or to some other material - as long as it introduces the presentation topic in a meaningful way, you are quite free to choose.

– Presentation of the topic: Don’t just state your topic, but also your intention. Do you really only want to present the text? Or do you want to answer more general academic or seminar-related questions? What is the benefit of your presentation?

– Presentation of the structure: Do not leave your listeners disoriented. Explain and, if necessary, give reasons for the steps you follow. This will also help the listeners to get back into the discussion, should they become distracted at any point. Your outline should therefore also be supplied in written form, e.g. on the handout. But you can also give regular verbal “signposts” during the course of the presentation (“after I have shown that … I will come to the 3rd point”).

1. Main part

– Introduction of the relevant authors if necessary. It is seldom useful to give a whole short presentation on the biographies of the authors. Rather, this part should be based on what is relevant to the topic of the presentation as a whole: these are most likely to be authors’ academic socialization, academic positions and discontinuities or famous teachers. Biographical data are exciting as long as they establish a connection to a particular epoch of academic discourse and are able to better embed positions in terms of content. You may want to discuss this with the lecturer.

– Central contents of the presentation/the presented text: Never reproduce complete and uncritically selected contents. Think about what is really important for the question and objective of the presentation, as you would when writing a paper. What is the context and the structure of the argumentation of the text?

– With some (bad) presentations, it becomes clear to all participants quite quickly that the speakers themselves did not understand the presented contents in depth. Lines of snippets of content (“and then Weber says … and then … and then he says …”) show that the argument has not been understood and therefore cannot be reproduced clearly. This cardinal error can easily be avoided by dealing with the contents to be presented at an early stage and then, if necessary, using the consultation hours of the lecturer to agree on the contents of the presentation. This is exactly what consultation hours are for, and this procedure is much more sensible for all participants than suffering through an inadequate presentation.

– In order to understand a complicated text, you will certainly need additional information in some places. Consider the information you need to provide in the presentation to make the material comprehensible. Important: do not present everything you have read, but only what you need to explain the content.

– Make an effort to make complex facts comprehensible. Explain them in your own words or think of specific examples to illustrate the subject matter.

1. Conclusion and ending

– Criticism of the text: criticism of the text is never bad, as long as it is well-founded. On the one hand, make it clear where the criticism comes from - is it your own or the criticism of other authors? - and explain the basis of the criticism, e.g. the premises of the text, its conclusions or its methodical implementation.

– Linking back to the context of the course: If the context is not quite obvious or the presentation has already been embedded by the lecturer, it can be useful to highlight the connections to the course again at the end: what was the particular relevance of what you heard? To what extent have open questions been answered or, on the contrary, have further points of discussion been raised?

– Do not simply repeat what has already been said, but summarize your content in a meaningful way by linking it back to the thesis or question of the presentation and reestablishing the connection to your objective. The listeners should notice that they are now further along than before, and it should be clear to the lecturer that you have fulfilled your intention. Feel free to announce the conclusion explicitly, this will once again focus attention.

– Give room for questions. Your foundation of literature should be noted on the handout anyway; but tips for further information can also find their place here.

Handout

A handout should always be submitted for a presentation. It contains the contents of the presentation in a condensed form and thus serves as a guide for the presentation as well as a memory aid afterwards. It should be designed as follows:

– Not overloaded: above all, avoid longer continuous text. The handout is also not suitable to convey content that is not the subject of the presentation. An exception may be the reproduction of graphic representations and/or tables and data; however, these must also be the subject of the presentation in some form.

– Allowing a recap of the contents of the presentation: therefore, it should contain largely self-explanatory core theses and, if necessary, the spelling of (object language) terms and references to literature.

– With all necessary formalities: title and number of the course, name of the lecturer and presenter, date of the session in the heading of the handout, references at the bottom of the document.

Ways of Presenting and Media

Ways of Presenting

The basic difficulty of a presentation is to communicate content that is well known to the presenter to an audience without less knowledge. Various means can be used to bridge the gap between presenter and listener:

– fluid, relaxed delivery

– the involvement of the listeners through questions etc.

– accompanying the presentation with slides/digital presentations (see section Media).

It is essential to discuss the general conditions before preparing the presentation: How much time is available for the presentation, is a subsequent discussion planned, which technical aids can be used if necessary?

You should use the following guidelines for a presentation:

1. The estimated time should under no circumstances be exceeded. Since the length of the presentation is difficult to estimate, the presentation should be spoken through at least once beforehand and the duration should be measured during this time. Nothing makes listeners more inattentive than a presentation that exceeds the session time. Nothing makes listeners more confused than a presentation that has to be shortened spontaneously.

2. The presentation itself should be well structured: At the beginning a short overview of the topic and the outline of the presentation should be given. Central points in the presentation should be highlighted accordingly. The presentation can be rounded off with a summary of the core theses at the end. In the case of a presentation on a text, the structure of the presentation does not have to be the same as that of the text being presented.

3. The presentation should be as free as possible, but secure. Depending on personal experience and preferences, this can be realized in different ways. A freely given presentation, which is only based on key points, is just as possible as an elaborated text. However, a freely given presentation requires some practice in order not to become unsure. When presenting from a well-formulated script, on the other hand, care should be taken not to read the text monotonously, but to maintain contact with the audience. A good compromise is often a well-formulated script with highlighted keywords.

4. You should also think about your opening and closing remarks. This often gets lost in the preparation, because you concentrate on the supposedly more important contents; but this is where you get to set the expectations of the listeners and afterwards once again emphasizes the results and the importance of the presentation.

5. The language of a presentation is different from that of a written paper. Sentences should be short and understandable, technical terms should be avoided or briefly explained. Short insertions at the speaker level can draw the attention of the listeners, e.g. “I now come to the second part of the presentation” or “In conclusion I would like to summarize the central points again”.

Media

It should always be considered which form of media makes sense and which is applicable in the room you are using. A visual presentation for the listener is more pleasant than one in which only the content is rattled off.

There are several media available to support the presentation, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages:

A handout is the least that should be used as media support. It makes it easier for the listeners to follow the presentation and can be used later as a reminder. For more details see the section Handout.

A blackboard or whiteboard is particularly suitable for procedural participation and whenever certain points need to be developed during the presentation. The disadvantage is that it is not usually preserved and cannot always be prepared. It is possible to make use of the whiteboard by taking pictures of it and making them accessible to the participants.

Additional notes during the presentation are possible and also a duplication can be made very easily with overhead projector slides. However, slides can get mixed up and rob the presenter of their flow. Also, the necessary equipment is no longer available in all university rooms.

A good on-screen presentation usually allows the presenter to speak more freely. Recourse to media such as sound, pictures, videos and links is also possible without problems. If necessary, editing can be done very quickly.

However, a bad on-screen presentation can have a negative influence on the quality of the presentation, which is often the case if the slides are overloaded. In addition, technical problems can occur, which is why a plan B without computer and projector should always be available just to be sure.

For more details see the section Visual Presentation.

In general, the various types of media can be combined at any time.