Public speaking…
Last week I had the fun of taking part in a local science festival. It was a chance to step out of the lecture theatre and into a local pub to share a bit about the research of my team. It was a lovely night, with a packed engaged and enthusiastic audience. I love these kinds of opportunities to interact with the public, but I know not all researchers relish being in front of a crowd. These are a few tips which might help you enjoy the experience.
Turn your research into a story.
As children we love stories and that continues into adulthood, nothing beats a long train ride and a great new novel to lose yourself in. Stories stick with us; we remember them and they help bring structure to a narrative. I often turn my research into a story. Rather than just facts I will weave in personal anecdotes, humour where things went wrong, connected characters from history etc! By making the research into a story it is easier for an audience to feel comfortable with the rhythm of the talk and to retain the subject information.
Use the available tools
I never like being locked to the laptop when presenting. Where possible I will always use a remote slide advancer and a roaming microphone. The flexibility to move around the stage and into the audience can help create a feeling of energy during the presentation. Sometimes I will use music as the audience arrives to set a tone for the event. For public events the message behind any visuals may be complex, but any slides I use will be not cluttered and easy to view.
Maintain audience engagement
For public talks people will have elected to spend their time to attend the event, I want it to be memorable, useful and engaging. If it suits the content and event I will use audience participation – this could be an interactive element asking audience members to join me on stage, or an audience survey – something to change the pace and bring the audience into the presentation. Active audience participation can be great fun and help your research message to be remembered!
Caroline, Dr CST