rethinking scientific presentations psu

8/14/2019 rethinking scientific presentations psu

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Alley, Michael, The Craft of Scientific Presentations (New York: Springer-Verlag, 2003), chap 4.

Alley, Michael, and Kathryn A. Neeley, "Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides: A Case for Sentence

Headlines and Visual Evidence," Technical Communication, vol. 52, no. 4 (November 2005), pp. 417-426.

[Zess and Thole, 2001]

Templates: http://writing.eng.vt.edu/slides.html

Fillets reduce leading edge vortices in natureand in engineering

Fillet on dorsal finof shark

Fillet on Seawolfsubmarine

Fillet

Fillet

[Devenportet al., 1991]

[Rader, 1997]

Rethinking the Design

of Presentation Slides

Michael AlleyCollege of Engineering

Penn State

We propose to test a fillet design for turbineblades and vanes downstream of the combustor

The purpose of the fillet design is to reduce vorticesthat disrupt the film cooling of the blades and vanes

[Pratt&Whitney, 2000]

Combustor

This presentation presents a slide design that is

more effective than PowerPoints default design

Is graspedmore readily

Is morememorable

Three classes of methods exist forreducing emissions of sulfur dioxide

post-combustionmethods

combustionmethods

pre-combustion methods

This presentation compares several methodsfor reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide

Is morepersuasive

Discrete Components

Passive module

Power passive modules perform the same functions

as discrete circuits but with smaller volumes

The total volume is cut by more than half

168 cm3

82 cm3

[Alley, 2003][Alley and Neeley, 2005]


2/12




Hefner developed a dynamic electro-thermal model for IGBT, from of thetemperature-dependent IGBT silicon chip, packages and heat sinks. The temperature-

dependent IGBT electrical model describes the instantaneous electrical behavior in

terms of the instantaneous temperature of the IGBT silicon chip surface. The

instantaneous power dissipated in the IGBT is calculated using the electrical model

and determines the instantaneous heat rate that is applied to the surface of the silicon

chip thermal model. Hefner incorporated this methodology into the SABER circuit

simulator.

Adams, Joshi and Blackburn considered thermal interactions between the heatsources, substrate, and encloses walls as affected by the thermal conductance of the

walls and substrate with the intent of determining which physical effects and level of

detail are necessary to accurately predict thermal behavior of discretely heated

enclosures.

Chen, Wu and Borojevich are modeling of thermal and electrical behavior usingseveral commercial softwares (I-DEAS, Maxwell, Flotherm and Saber) and 3-D,

transient approaches.

Toom

anyw

ords

For a slide to be effective, the audience has

to be able to grasp its content quickly

3

Observations

Segment C (not on the 520 Main St. Property)represents the dominant feature

The characteristics of Segment C are vastlydifferent than those of Segments A and B (whichare located on the subject property)

The characteristics of the dominant portion of the

system (Segment C) are suggestive of a perennialstream

Direct observations are needed

A detailed technical analysis is needed by aqualified, independent hydrologist.

Tireso

meto

read



3


3/12


Zess, Gary, and Karen Thole, Computational Design and Experimental Evaluation of Using a Leading Edge Fillet on a

Gas Turbine Vane, Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Exposition, 2001-GT-404 (New Orleans: IGTI, 5 June 2001).

Hefner developed a dynamic electro-thermal model for IGBT, from of thetemperature-dependent IGBT silicon chip, packages and heat sinks. The temperature-

dependent IGBT electrical model describes the instantaneous electrical behavior in

terms of the instantaneous temperature of the IGBT silicon chip surface. The

instantaneous power dissipated in the IGBT is calculated using the electrical model

and determines the instantaneous heat rate that is applied to the surface of the silicon

chip thermal model. Hefner incorporated this methodology into the SABER circuit

simulator.

Adams, Joshi and Blackburn considered thermal interactions between the heatsources, substrate, and encloses walls as affected by the thermal conductance of the

walls and substrate with the intent of determining which physical effects and level of

detail are necessary to accurately predict thermal behavior of discretely heated

enclosures. Chen, Wu and Borojevich are modeling of thermal and electrical behavior usingseveral commercial softwares (I-DEAS, Maxwell, Flotherm and Saber) and 3-D,

transient approaches.

Observations

Segment C (not on the 520 Main St. Property)represents the dominant feature

The characteristics of Segment C are vastlydifferent than those of Segments A and B (whichare located on the subject property)

The characteristics of the dominant portion of thesystem (Segment C) are suggestive of a perennialstream

Direct observations are needed

A detailed technical analysis is needed by aqualified, independent hydrologist.



Sentenceheadline

No bullet lists

Visualevidence


We propose to test a fillet design for turbineblades and vanes downstream of the combustor



Combustor

3

We propose to test a fillet design for turbine

blades and vanes downstream of the combustor



Combustor

4


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Fillets reduce leading edge vortices in nature

and in engineering



Fillet

Fillet

[Devenport et al., 1991]

[Rader, 1997]

5

The sentence headline should state succinctly

the purpose or assertion of the slide

Computations show that the fillet prevents theleading edge vortex and delays the passage vortex

Tinf TawTinf Tslot

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

Sentences orient the audiencemuch better than phrases do

Sentences force the presenterto wrestle with the argument

6


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Without Fillet With Fillet

Tinf TawTinf Tslot

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0

-0.1

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4

-0.5

Passagevortex

Leading edgevortex

Computations show that the fillet prevents the

leading edge vortex and delays the passage vortex

7

The body of a slide should support the headline

with visual evidence rather than bullet lists

Measurements show that the fillet prevents

formation of the leading edge vortex

0

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

-0.25 -0.20 -0.15 -0.10 -0.05 0

z/S

x/C

Velocity profile:

vane with fillet

-0.25 -0.20 -0.15 -0.10 -0.05 0

x/C

0

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

z/S

Velocity profile:vane without fillet

z/S

Leading edgevortex

8


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Schmidt, Cynthia, Methods to Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants (Austin, Texas:

University of Texas December 1999).

To make slides memorable, you have to consider

what to include and what to exclude

Presentation Outline

Introduction

Background

Pre-Combustion Methods

coal switching

coal cleaning

Combustion Method

atmospheric fluidized bed

Post-Combustion Methods

adsorption

absorptionConclusions

Questions?

Notm

emorable

9

To make slides memorable, you have to consider

what to include and what to exclude

What to include

What to exclude

Three classes of methods exist forreducing emissions of sulfur dioxide

post-combustionmethods

combustionmethods

pre-combustion methods

This presentation compares several methods

for reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide

[Schmidt, 1989]9


7/12

Robertshaw, Harry, Class Period 15: Signals and Systems, classroom presentation (Blacksburg, VA: ME 4005,

16 March 2004).

Shaw, Gordon, Robert Brown, and Philip Bromiley, Strategic Stories: How 3M Is Rewriting Business Planning,

Harvard Business Review (MayJune, 1998), pp. 4150.

Accelerometer outputs an analog voltage

Hardware converts analog signal to digital

Computer samples a number of points

Data is exported to popular applications

Bullets are not memorable, because bullets do

not show the connections

[Shaw and others, 1998]10

Audiences can remember more when details

are presented visually

[Robertshaw, 2004]

Accelerometer outputs

an output voltage

Hardware convertsanalog signal to digital

Computer samples a

number of points

Data is exported to

popular applications

11


8/12

Alley, Michael, Madeline Schreiber, Katrina Ramsdell, and John Muffo, "How the Design of Headlines in Presentation

Slides Affects Audience Retention," Technical Communication, vol. 53, no. 2 (May 2006), pp. 225-234.

In a pilot study, we tested this new design in theteaching slides of a large geology course

Students: Fall 2004Message delivered withtypical slide design

Comparison:Test scores onsame questions

Same message deliveredwith new slide design Students: Fall 2005 [Alley et al., 2006]

Led to 59% recall Led to 77% recall

Iron An abundant metal, makes

up 5.6% of earths crust

Properties:

shaped, sharpened, welded

strong, durable

Accounts for >95% of

metals used

Iron ores discovered in 1844

in Michigans Upper

Peninsula

Soon found other ores in

upper Wisconsin and

Minnesota Kesler1994

Iron Ore Distribution

Level of significance < 0.001

When the tested assertion was in the sentence

headline, students performed significantly better

[Alley et al., 2006]

[Kesler1994]

Iron Ore Distribution

[www.star-bits.com]

Iron ore

Where is the largest concentration of iron oresin North America?

Can be shaped,sharpened, and welded

Iron ores make up 5.6% of the earths crustand account for 95% of the metals used

Is strongand durable

Q: How abundant is iron in the earths crust?

13


9/12

Alley, Michael, Madeline Schreiber, Katrina Ramsdell, and John Muffo, "How the Design of Headlines in Presentation

Slides Affects Audience Retention," Technical Communication, vol. 53, no. 2 (May 2006), pp. 225-234.

Led to 71% correct Led to 82% correct

When answers resided in the sentence headlines,students scored higher on identical test questions

Q: Percentage of worlds resources that the U.S. uses?

p < 0.025

U.S. Resource Use

The United States uses:

42% of all the aluminum produced worldwide

31% of all the petroleum

29% of all the phosphate

27% of all the copper

27% of the nitrogen

25% of the zinc

Approximately 30% of all resources worldwide

Although the U.S. has 5% of the world's population,

we use an average of 30% of all resources

United States use of specific resources

(percentage of worldwide use)

[Alley et al., 2006]14

When the tested assertion was in the sentence

headline, students performed significantly better

Overall percent correct (traditional headline): 70%

Overall percent correct (sentence headline): 82%p < 0.001

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Question

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

0.0Score

(Sentence)/Score

(Traditional) Statistically significant increase

No significant differenceStatistically significant decrease

[Alley et al., 2006]


10/12

Toulmin, Stephen E., The Uses of Argument(New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2003).

Zhu, Julie, IDEAS Simulation of Thermal Stresses Between Substrate and Copper Stripes With

Different Widths, presentation (Blacksburg, VA: ECE Department, Virginia Tech, 2 May 2003).

The slide design presented here is more persuasive

than PowerPoints default design

Design leads to fewer slides,which can increase ethos

Sentence headline canclarify assertions

Images in body cansupply cogent evidence

Discrete Components

Passive module

Power passive modules perform the same functionsas discrete circuits but with smaller volumes


168 cm3

82 cm3

16[Toulmin, 2003]

[Zhu, 2003]

Discrete Components

Passive module

Power passive modules perform the same functions

as discrete circuits but with smaller volumes


168 cm3

82 cm3

17


11/12

Marthinsen, Gunnhild, Jan T. Lifjeld, and Liv Wennerberg, Population Differentiation in Dunlins Calidris

alpina in Northern Europe (Oslo, Norway: Zoological Museum, University of Oslo, 6 June 2004).


An argument is more persuasive if the audienceknows the claims and warrants

[Marthinsen et al., 2004]

Claim:

assertion

[Toulmin, 2003]

Warrant:key background

The research question is whether the dunlins ofIceland and the Baltic Sea are different subspecies

If so, because the population of the Baltic dunlins is declining,

it may be a threatened subspecies

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/polar.html

Lars Erik Johannessen

22

The research question is whether the dunlins of

Iceland and the Baltic Sea are different subspecies

If so, because the population of the Baltic dunlins is declining,it may be a threatened subspecies

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/polar.html

Lars Erik Johannessen


12/12

References




Alley, Michael, Madeline Schreiber, Katrina Ramsdell, and John Muffo, "How the Design of Headlines in

Presentation Slides Affects Audience Retention," Technical Communication, vol. 53, no. 2 (May 2006), pp.

225-234.

Gottlieb, Larry, How I Leaped Almost Overnight from Traditional Tech Writer to Marcom Guy to Hybridin

a Tad More Than Four Decades," Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference for the Society of Technical

Communication (Nashville, TN: Society for Technical Communication, 2002).

Marthinsen, Gunnhild, Jan T. Lifjeld, and Liv Wennerberg, Population Differentiation in Dunlins Calidris

alpina in Northern Europe (Oslo, Norway: Zoological Museum, University of Oslo, 6 June 2004).

Robertshaw, Harry, Class Period 15: Signals and Systems, classroom presentation (Blacksburg, VA: ME4005, 16 March 2004).

Schmidt, Cynthia, Methods to Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants, presentation

(Austin, Texas: University of Texas December 1999).

Shaw, Gordon, Robert Brown, and Philip Bromiley, Strategic Stories: How 3M Is Rewriting Business

Planning,Harvard Business Review (MayJune, 1998), pp. 4150.


Zess, Gary, and Karen Thole, Computational Design and Experimental Evaluation of Using a Leading Edge

Fillet on a Gas Turbine Vane, Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Exposition, 2001-GT-404 (New Orleans:

IGTI, 5 June 2001).

Zhu, Julie, IDEAS Simulation of Thermal Stresses Between Substrate and Copper Stripes with Different

Widths, presentation (Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech, 2 May 2003).

In summary, this slide design gives a much higher

starting point than PowerPoints default design

Templates: http://writing.eng.vt.edu/slides.html

Fillets reduce leading edge vortices in natureand in engineering



Fillet

Fillet

[Devenportet al., 1991]

[Rader, 1997]


more persuasive

more readilyunderstood

more memorable

rethinking scientific presentations psu

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