Chapter 14: Delivering Presentations

Additional Guidelines for Online Speech Delivery

There are special points to keep in mind when you are delivering a speech for an online course. All of the points we’ve already made largely still apply (for example, dressing appropriately and looking up from your notes), but you should also consider the following tips for an effective presentation:

Be clear about your assignment. Different instructors have different requirements for online speeches. Some may require you to assemble your own audience and record the speech; others may expect you to stream to a live audience via Skype or a similar program; still others may allow you to record your speech by yourself and submit it. Always check on your instructor’s preferences.
Be mindful of speaking rate and volume. These factors are particularly important when recording presentations for online delivery since you won’t be able to adjust as you go based on your audience’s nonverbal appearance of comprehension or confusion. Be sure that your volume is sufficient to be picked up clearly by your video recorder or microphone.
Note the location of your video camera. Your camera is the “eyes” of the audience; they’ll see what it sees. Make sure that your background (for example, a wall in your home or dorm) doesn’t have a lot of distracting elements on display. Also adjust your zoom lens to capture the upper half of your body as well your presentation aids. If you and your aids are too close to the camera, the audience may feel claustrophobic; if the camera is too far away, the audience may strain to comprehend your facial expressions or the writing on your poster.
Involve your audience. Even if you don’t have an audience that is physically present, you can still create a sense of immediacy by establishing eye contact with the camera, smiling, using inclusive gestures and posture, speaking in a conversational tone, and using humor. Ultimately, be yourself!
Take your presentation seriously. Just because your audience is remote or self-assembled doesn’t mean that your topic, your audience, and the occasion aren’t important or worthy of respect.