For Students: Free Video Guide on Giving Effective Oral Presentations

November 6, 2008

Giving effective, appealing oral presentations is an essential skill for professionals, and students need to become aware of common pitfalls and how to avoid them when presenting such talks.

With support from the National Science Foundation, Lew Ludwig of Denison University has produced a DVD titled "Technically Speaking: A Video Guide to Giving Effective Oral Presentations." Using student presentations as examples, the guide illustrates how to (and how not to) present mathematical material at a meeting. This DVD will be available free – on a first-come, first-served basis – from the MAA in January 2009. The instructional videos are also available online at http://techspeaking.denison.edu/

Students may find the video guide helpful when preparing oral presentations for MAA section meetings, the Joint Mathematics Meetings in January 2009, or other venues. Additional advice on public speaking, including the brochure "Giving a Good Presentation" by Joseph A. Gallian, is available at MAA's student Web pages.