Michael Alley (Penn State) 2: Assertion-Evidence Slides for a Research Talk

Summary

This iBiology video script introduces the assertion-evidence approach to creating effective scientific presentations, emphasizing clarity and audience engagement. It demonstrates the method's superiority over traditional PowerPoint slides through tests at Penn State, showing increased comprehension and reduced misconceptions. The script provides practical examples of applying this approach to various presentation elements, such as title slides, mapping slides, literature reviews, methods, results, and conclusions, advocating for a story-driven, visually supported presentation style.

Takeaways

• 📈 The assertion-evidence approach is more effective in presentations than traditional methods, leading to better comprehension and recall of information.
• 🔍 It's important to build talks on key messages rather than topics, using visual evidence to support these messages instead of bullet lists.
• 💡 When presenting visual evidence, speakers should be prepared to expand on it with multiple sentences, even if the slide only contains one.
• 📑 Tests have shown that the assertion-evidence approach reduces misconceptions about the presented work by a significant margin.
• 🎯 The title slide should not just state the topic but should also provide background, establish the speaker's credibility, and present the research question.
• 🗺️ A 'mapping slide' should concisely outline the main parts of the presentation, using visual elements to guide the audience through the talk.
• 🔬 Literature review slides should highlight the gap in current research that the presenter's work aims to fill, rather than just listing previous studies.
• 🧪 Methodology slides should focus on the key aspects of the research process, using images or stories to make complex methods more accessible.
• 📊 Results should be presented in a way that tells a story, using graphs or images to illustrate findings and engage the audience.
• 📝 The final slide should clearly state the main conclusions and takeaways from the presentation, providing a solid ending and prompting questions.
• 🗣️ Confidence in delivery is crucial, and the third part of the series will focus on how to present slides effectively, which is just as important as the slide design itself.

Q & A

What is the assertion-evidence approach to scientific presentations?

The assertion-evidence approach is a method for creating effective scientific research presentations. It consists of three main principles: building talks on messages rather than topics, supporting those messages with visual evidence instead of bullet lists, and fashioning sentences on the spot to explain the visual evidence, rather than reading a single sentence from the slide.

Why is the assertion-evidence approach considered more effective than traditional presentation methods?

The assertion-evidence approach is considered more effective because it leads to better comprehension and recall of information, as demonstrated by tests conducted at Penn State. Participants who viewed presentations following this approach scored significantly higher in understanding compared to those who viewed traditional presentations.

What is the statistical significance of the difference in comprehension between the traditional approach and the assertion-evidence approach?

The statistical difference in comprehension between the traditional approach and the assertion-evidence approach is less than 0.01, indicating a highly significant difference.

How does the assertion-evidence approach impact the number of misconceptions about the presented work?

The assertion-evidence approach significantly reduces the number of misconceptions about the presented work. In tests, the misconception rate was found to be about 10 times lower in the assertion-evidence group compared to the traditional PowerPoint slides.

What is the purpose of the title slide in a research presentation according to the assertion-evidence approach?

The title slide in a research presentation should not just state the title and affiliations. Instead, it should provide the audience with a clear understanding of the research topic, establish the importance of the research, build credibility, and present the research question.

Why is it recommended to avoid detailed lists in the mapping slide of a presentation?

Detailed lists in the mapping slide can be overwhelming and are often forgotten by the audience. It's better to focus on the main points and use visuals or icons to represent each section, making it easier for the audience to remember and follow.

How can the literature review section of a presentation be made more engaging?

The literature review can be made more engaging by focusing on the gap in the existing work and how the presenter's research fills that gap. Using visuals, telling a story, and highlighting key differences or advancements can make this section more interesting and memorable.

What is the importance of focusing on essential details in the methods section of a presentation?

Focusing on essential details in the methods section helps the audience understand the core of the research without getting overwhelmed by excessive information. It allows the presenter to convey the most important aspects of their methodology clearly and concisely.

How can presenting results as a story help the audience remember the research?

Presenting results as a story helps the audience remember the research by making it more relatable and engaging. It allows the audience to follow the narrative and understand the significance of the findings, rather than just processing a series of data points or images.

What is the recommended approach for the last slide of a research presentation?

The last slide should clearly present the main conclusions and takeaways from the research. It should help the audience formulate questions and provide them with key points to remember, rather than simply stating 'Questions' or showing a generic image.