Basics - From A for attention to Z for zoom fatigue
In this seminar we dive into the basics of online presentations. Learn how you can turn the disadvantages of technology-based online presentations into advantages in order to present your research in the best possible (ring) light. With an appropriate background, of course! But what does appropriate actually mean?
Objectives
Learn how to deal with the special features and challenges of online presentations and how to utilize the peculiarities of the digital setting.
Content
• Learn about the differences between face-to-face and online settings.
• Knowledge of the correct technical equipment and an appropriate background as well as the use of chat functions and surveys.
• Ability to use voice, body language, and posture effectively and build engagement with the audience in a virtual environment.
• Equipped with a rhetorical perspective to work with.
Body and voice in the digital world
Non-verbal communication changes drastically in the digital setting. The importance of gestures decreases, the importance of the voice increases to a critical degree. Resistance unknown in the face-to-face setting emerges. Discover in this seminar how you can modulate your voice and use your body to convey your message with maximum impact - regardless of the distance.
Objectives
Overview of the obstacles in performance related to body and voice in online settings and development of direct solutions.
Content
• Importance of body language and voice for communication.
• Definition of common performance deficiencies in online environments.
• Ability to train and intentionally use body language and voice.
Hardware and software -Through the technical jungle...
In digital settings, technology is both an inhibitor and a stimulator of successful communication. This ambiguity often leads to a feeling of helplessness, technically induced speechlessness and personal alienation. The correct and skillful handling of this area of tension is by no means trivial, but it can be learnt. In this compact seminar, you will learn more about the necessary hardware, sensible settings and technical tricks to take your research presentations to the next level. Rarely used programmes to enhance your presentation, such as OBS, are also addressed here.
Objectives
Overview of useful hardware and software to enable direct application and confidently handle technical problems.
Content
• Overview of video conferencing tools and their features.
• Efficient use of Zoom.
• Introduction to appropriate hardware and third-party software.
• Confident response to technical issues.
Media design - Everything remains different
Even if the following statement isn’t popular, it’s true: the requirements for a clear presentation change in the online setting and make adjustments necessary. Simply copying the PowerPoint presentation from the face-to-face setting 1:1 can lead to an unsuccessful presentation for several reasons. In this seminar, we will look at these reasons as well as the design principles and functions of PowerPoint presentations in an online setting.
Objectives
Work out and practically train design principles and criteria for digital presentations in comparison to in-person presentations.
Content
• Differences between online and in-person presentations.
• Specifics of designing online presentations regarding layout, typography, visualization, color, and core messaging.
• Audience attention in online settings.
• Introduction to useful software tools.
Multimodal argumentation in online presentations - convincing on different levels
People absorb information via different modes, e.g. images and gestures. The aim of a communicator is to link these modes and thereby advance their own argumentation and create meaning for the audience. Online presentations are a difficult environment in which to be convincing across the board. Particularly in scientific communication, attention should be paid to the conscious selection of different (visual, linguistic, ...) arguments. This phenomenon should be understood and tested in the context of online presentations.
Objectives
Learn how to use multimodal argumentation in online presentations by effectively combining different modes to strengthen your arguments and compensate for the lack of hands-on experience.
Content
• Introduction to the relevance of multimodality in communication, with examples illustrating the power of images and visuals compared to words.
• Practical exercises to identify multimodal elements in an online lecture (e.g., text, visuals, gestures) and their impact on understanding.
• Discussion on the benefits of multimodal argumentation, including enhanced comprehension, audience engagement, and reaching diverse learning styles.
• Group work where participants apply multimodal techniques to a presentation task, followed by feedback and evaluation.
Me as an expert - online?
A hundred people in a room, a stage at the front, a lectern on it and a speaker behind it - with a big screen behind them. Everyone in the audience knows who the expert is. And online? 101 tiles, all the same size. No stage, no podium and the presentation blocks out everything else. How are you supposed to represent your expert status here? By focusing on the channels that you also have in the digital world. In this seminar, we will discuss exactly what these are and what other ways there are to present yourself as an expert.
Objectives
Learn how to present yourself as an expert in a digital environment and understand the importance of expert status in online presentations.
Content
• Differences between in-person and online settings, focusing on how expertise is perceived and presented.
• Managing technical challenges and utilizing digital presentation tools effectively (e.g., camera angles, equipment).
• Using voice, body language, and gestures to engage the audience in a digital environment.
• Overcoming the challenges of the digital space, such as anonymity and lack of physical presence, through practical exercises and case studies.
Two intelligences in one online presentation?
You hear the phrase ‘AI is taking over the world’ more and more often. But is it also taking over online presentations? And is that a good thing? In this short snippet, we look at how artificial intelligence can help us with our online presentations and which aspects are better left to us to think about.
‘Why don't you say something too?’ - Interactivity in online presentations
No more monologues! Online presentations should not and do not have to be monotonous. Even with short presentations, it is possible and useful to involve the audience in the presentation in order to achieve greater involvement. In this snippet, we discuss how to do this and that there are more tools than just surveys.
Q & A
Have you attended one or more of our seminars and still have questions? We don't want it to stay that way. In this two-hour Q & A session, all questions will be clarified in plenary, software tools can be tried out further and individual questions about your online presentations can be resolved.
Peer programme
For the winter semester 2024/25, we also created a peer programme within which asynchronous, independent learning with feedback from other participants on the above-mentioned topics will be possible.
