EPD 275: Technical Presentations

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EPD 275 - Technical Presentations

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Catalog Description
275 Technical Presentations. I, II, SS; 2 cr. This course focuses on the principles and theory of effective oral technical presentations and provides a framework for applying the principles in professional settings common to the engineering profession. The course consists of five parts: 1) preparation, delivery, and evaluation of oral presentation on technical subjects, 2) analysis of professional "real-world" technical presentations, 3) survey of presentation technology, 4) self-analysis including listening and non-verbal skills, and 5) practice of group discussion and interview skills. P: So st.

Course Prerequisite(s)

Sophomore Standing

Prerequisite knowledge and/or skills

Students will have completed the Part A communication requirement set by the University

Textbook(s) and/or other required material

Steven B. Zwickel and William Sanborn Pfeiffer; Pocket Guide to Technical Presentations & Professional Speaking; 2005, Pearson Prentice-Hall - ISBN: 0131529625
Breaden, Barbara L.; Speaking to Persuade Harcourt Brace College 1996
Student Handbook-EPD27

Course objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will have learned to:
Conduct research and organize information into a presentation outline that directly relates to audience and purpose: informative and persuasive
Create a dynamic oral presentation that captures the audience's attention, effectively delivers a clear message, and concludes with conviction and a call for action
Cope with a variety of presentation problems, including anxiety, problem audiences, technical malfunctions, and controversial topics
Use visuals to illustrate presentations, including the use of presentation software to create handouts, computer graphics, videotape, props.
Work in teams to present technical information
Evaluate presentations for effective delivery and quality

Topics covered

Overcoming anxiety,
organizing a presentation for purpose and audience,
establishing credibility as a presenter,
using visuals in presentations,
delivery skills and non-verbal communication,
using humor in presentations,
dealing with problem audiences,
persuasive presentations,
analyzing presentation venues,
use of media: video, computer software, teleconferencing,
evaluating effectiveness of presentations.

Class/laboratory schedule

2 hours/week

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component
This course contributes primarily to the students' knowledge of engineering topics, but does not provide design experience.
The following statement indicates which of the following considerations are included in this course: economic, environmental, ethical, political, societal, health and safety, manufacturability, sustainability.

Economic: students learn to evaluate cost�benefits in their persuasive presentations
Ethical considerations are discussed in preparation for the persuasive presentations
Political factors are analyzed in discussions of meeting audience expectations and in dealing with problem audiences

Relationship of course to undergraduate degree program objectives and outcomes
This course serves students in a variety of engineering majors. The information below describes how the course contributes to the college's educational objectives.

This course counts toward the 24-credit Certificate in Technical Communication. The Certificate helps meets industry and government agencies� demands for engineers who are skilled oral communicators.
The course supports program objectives by providing an education in principles and processes for communicating about technical subjects and emphasizing the importance of audience analysis to make technical material accessible.

Assessment of student progress toward course objectives

This course requires both oral presentations and written assignments. An Incentive Unit is given for class participation, teamwork, and attendance. Each class member is graded on five presentations:
An informative presentation, which is videotaped and which the instructor and student may review together. Students also submit a written evaluation of the presentation.
A brief Teleconference presentation, of which students write a short evaluation.
A team Persuasive presentation, which is videotaped for later review.
A presentation which is based on "real-world" engineering activities, such as comparing alternatives or presenting to an international audience.
A Final Project, which may be a live presentation or on videotape.
Students complete several short written assignments on presentation skills during the semester. These include a weekly memo discussing their readings in the text, an abstract of an article on presentations, a short essay on the use of evaluation forms, two reports on observations of outside speakers, and a summary of all the work done during the semester.

Person(s) who prepared this description

Steven B. Zwickel
Catalog Description: 275 Technical Presentations. I, II, SS; 2 cr. This course focuses on the principles and theory of effective oral technical presentations and provides a framework for applying the principles in professional settings common to the engineering profession. The course consists of five parts: 1) preparation, delivery, and evaluation of oral presentation on technical subjects, 2) analysis of professional "real-world" technical presentations, 3) survey of presentation technology, 4) self-analysis including listening and non-verbal skills, and 5) practice of group discussion and interview skills. P: So st.
Course Prerequisite(s)

Sophomore Standing
Prerequisite knowledge and/or skills

Students will have completed the Part A communication requirement set by the University
Textbook(s) and/or other required material

Steven B. Zwickel and William Sanborn Pfeiffer; Pocket Guide to Technical Presentations & Professional Speaking; 2005, Pearson Prentice-Hall - ISBN: 0131529625
Breaden, Barbara L.; Speaking to Persuade Harcourt Brace College 1996
Student Handbook-EPD27
Course objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will have learned to:
Conduct research and organize information into a presentation outline that directly relates to audience and purpose: informative and persuasive
Create a dynamic oral presentation that captures the audience's attention, effectively delivers a clear message, and concludes with conviction and a call for action
Cope with a variety of presentation problems, including anxiety, problem audiences, technical malfunctions, and controversial topics
Use visuals to illustrate presentations, including the use of presentation software to create handouts, computer graphics, videotape, props.
Work in teams to present technical information
Evaluate presentations for effective delivery and quality
Topics covered

Overcoming anxiety,
organizing a presentation for purpose and audience,
establishing credibility as a presenter,
using visuals in presentations,
delivery skills and non-verbal communication,
using humor in presentations,
dealing with problem audiences,
persuasive presentations,
analyzing presentation venues,
use of media: video, computer software, teleconferencing,
evaluating effectiveness of presentations.
Class/laboratory schedule: 2 hours/week
Contribution of course to meeting the professional component: This course contributes primarily to the students' knowledge of engineering topics, but does not provide design experience.
The following statement indicates which of the following considerations are included in this course: economic, environmental, ethical, political, societal, health and safety, manufacturability, sustainability.
Economic: students learn to evaluate cost�benefits in their persuasive presentations Ethical considerations are discussed in preparation for the persuasive presentations Political factors are analyzed in discussions of meeting audience expectations and in dealing with problem audiences
Relationship of course to undergraduate degree program objectives and outcomes: This course serves students in a variety of engineering majors. The information below describes how the course contributes to the college's educational objectives.
This course counts toward the 24-credit Certificate in Technical Communication. The Certificate helps meets industry and government agencies� demands for engineers who are skilled oral communicators. The course supports program objectives by providing an education in principles and processes for communicating about technical subjects and emphasizing the importance of audience analysis to make technical material accessible.
Assessment of student progress toward course objectives

This course requires both oral presentations and written assignments. An Incentive Unit is given for class participation, teamwork, and attendance. Each class member is graded on five presentations:
An informative presentation, which is videotaped and which the instructor and student may review together. Students also submit a written evaluation of the presentation.
A brief Teleconference presentation, of which students write a short evaluation.
A team Persuasive presentation, which is videotaped for later review.
A presentation which is based on "real-world" engineering activities, such as comparing alternatives or presenting to an international audience.
A Final Project, which may be a live presentation or on videotape.
Students complete several short written assignments on presentation skills during the semester. These include a weekly memo discussing their readings in the text, an abstract of an article on presentations, a short essay on the use of evaluation forms, two reports on observations of outside speakers, and a summary of all the work done during the semester.
Person(s) who prepared this description

Steven B. Zwickel

Copyright 2009 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Date last modified: 07-Nov-2011
Date created: 29-Jul-1999
Content by: custserv@epd.engr.wisc.edu
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