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Instructions for Remote Presentations

On the day of your presentation: Connect to the conference through the NCFR Virtual Green Room.

  • Please check in at least 15 minutes prior to your presentation

 

A well-prepared presentation is crucial to a high-quality NCFR conference. The purpose of these instructions is to help you prepare your presentation ahead of time. Check the 2023 NCFR Annual Conference Program for the date and time of your presentation.

Follow these links to jump to instructions and reminders as you prepare for the conference:

Please complete the following steps by the deadlines indicated:

  1. Register for the conference by Oct. 12, 2023. All presenters, chairs, discussants, facilitators, presiders, and moderators must be registered for the conference.

  2. Send your biographical information to your session facilitator, moderator, presider, or discussant or by Oct. 16.

  3. Whova, the conference platform, will officially open Oct. 23. Take the time to log in and become familiar with Whova before the conference begins. Go to https://app.ncfr.org

  4. Upload optional handouts and materials to Whova, the conference app, prior to the conference. A unique link from Whova will be emailed to you closer to the conference.

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On the Day of Your Presentation:

  • Connect to the conference through the NCFR Virtual Green Room

    • Please check in at least 15 minutes prior to your presentation

  • Remote presentations will occur through Zoom.

  • You will be greeted by an NCFR representative (i.e., a Falcon Technician). The representative:

    • will conduct a tech check to ensure your speakers, microphone, and camera are working properly. You can arrive more than 15 minutes early to do the tech check.

    • confirm your session and give you a new Zoom link specific to your session (i.e., the Production room) where a new NCFR representative will greet you.

  • The Production room technician will greet you and provide instructions to you (e.g., stay mute until it is time to present). The technician will communicate with presenters through chat.

  • There will be a camera on stage during the session. This will allow you to see and hear other presenters, the facilitator, moderator, discussant/chair, and the audience.

  • You may log off Zoom after the session is completed.

 

Helpful Tips for Remote Presentations

  1. You will receive a unique link to Whova that will allow you to update your profile and upload optional handouts and materials before the conference begins. We encourage you to upload these additional materials as attendees find it very useful. All documents should be final.

  2. Whova, the conference platform, will officially open Oct. 23. Take the time to log in and become familiar with Whova before the conference begins. Go to https://app.ncfr.org

  3. Be engaging while presenting. Use interactive tools to increase engagement (e.g., the various tools offered through Zoom). See this video on effective virtual presentations by NCFR member, I. Joyce Chang, Ph.D.

  4. Control your environment. Have an environment free of noise and distractions. This includes anything that may interrupt your computer audio. Close extra tabs, apps, and software programs not needed during the presentation as well as silence notifications to avoid disruptions during your presentation.

  5. Use a wired headset during your presentation to create a higher-quality presentation and overall conference experience by eliminating extra audio noises. High-quality microphones can also help create more professional presentations.

  6. Use high-speed internet and an ethernet cable. We recommend using an ethernet cable to connect to high-speed internet rather than Wi-Fi to decrease internet difficulties during your presentation. Wi-Fi can be spotty at times. If you must use Wi-Fi, ensure you have a strong signal to ensure your connection remains stable.

  7. Perform an internet speed test. Best practices suggest you need a download minimum speed of 10Mb/s (recommended 20Mb/s or more) and a minimum upload speed of 5Mb/s (recommended 10Mb/s or more). Your internet connection will slow down if others are also using the internet.

  8. If possible, use an HD webcam. HD cams that capture footage in 1080p or 4K will create the highest quality recording.

  9. Adjust your lighting. Place lighting in front of the computer rather than from behind or only just above your head. You will want as much light as possible so that you may be visible without “washing out” your image or casting shadows on your face. Avoid direct sunlight in your shot. It is oftentimes too bright and not controllable.

  10. Adjust your camera so that you have the proper body positioning; your body is neither too close nor too far away. The camera should be level with your eyes. Look at the camera during your presentation to create eye contact with the attendees.

  11. Choose a neutral background and solid colors for clothing rather than plaids, stripes, or patterns. Keep the attire simple and professional.

  12. Reduce glare from glasses by tilting the glasses down just a tad.

  13. Use full-screen mode during your presentation. We recommend printing your notes prior to the presentation to allow for the full-screen mode. Presenter mode is also helpful.

  14. Access and navigate to your session by logging into Whova. Go to https://app.ncfr.org (which will officially open Oct. 23)

  15. Zoom. Be familiar with Zoom features prior to your presentation, including screen sharing. Presenters will be able to share their presentations during their session.

  16. Practice, Practice, Practice before you present live. Speak clearly and at a natural pace.

    • Presentations are time limited. Please stay within your time limit. See your specific session type instructions for how much time you have to present. Refrain from reading your notes. This will increase audience engagement.

  17. Introduce yourself at the beginning of your presentation if you have not been previously introduced.

  18. Q&A. Sessions will have facilitators or moderators to facilitate questions during the Q&A portion of the session.

  19. What is your backup plan? We recommend you consider what to do if your electricity or internet does not work. Please plan accordingly.

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Instructions for Preparing Presentations in Advance

Remember that hearing is different from reading. A paper delivered orally is different in style from an article meant to be read in print. Use your printed paper as a source and prepare an outline from which you give your presentation. Attendees do not like to hear papers read.

Get the beginning and end right. Critical to the success of your presentation are the first two minutes and the final minute. Start with an attention-getter (e.g., a story), and end with the one point you want your audience to remember about the talk.

Structure your presentation thoughtfully. The structure of a paper presentation requires thoughtful planning. State your objectives and how you will meet them. In the first few minutes, place your topic into historical or developmental context. Summarize key points at the end of each segment of the presentation. Emphasize the direction your research has taken, and the results and interpretation rather than techniques. Try to present some practical applications of your work. The audience prefers to receive both practical applications and theoretical material at a session.

Practice to your time. Various session types have different time limits. See the session type descriptions to know your time limit. Sessions are on a tight schedule and there are others presenting in your session. You must adhere to the time limit specified by your session facilitator. As a rule of thumb, six pages of typed, double-spaced pages with one-inch margins equals 12 minutes of presentation time.

Practice your presentation in front of a small group of supportive colleagues to ensure an effective performance.

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PowerPoint Instructions

  • Remember that you — not PowerPoint — are the presenter. Use your slides to emphasize a point, keep yourself on track, and illustrate a point with a graphic or photo.

  • Font sizes should be at least 24-point for the body, 28-point for headers, and 32-point for titles.

  • Use upper- and lower-case type. Avoid all upper-case type.

  • Serif fonts (such as Times New Roman) are generally easier to read in the body of the text. Sans serif fonts (such as Arial or Calibri) are best used in titles, headings, and captions for emphasis.

  • Use bold and bullets for emphasis.

  • Keep it simple, clean, and concise. Use consistent wording. One topic per line works best, so use key words rather than complete sentences. A good rule to follow is: 5 lines per slide, 5 words per line, and no more than 5 text-heavy slides in a row. Avoid having too many words on one slide or in one bullet. The text is meant to supplement your presentation. Emphasize key points.

  • Use only two levels of bullet points.

  • Double space between each line of text to allow for easier reading by all.

  • Present numbers selectively. For processing ease and better recall of information, do not overload the screen with numerical information. A chart or graph showing differences between conditions, ages, etc. is easier for the audience to process than a table full of numbers indicating the same differences.

  • Keep graphs simple. The most effective graphs are pie charts with 3 or 4 slices and column charts with 3 or 4 columns. Ensure your tables, graphs, etc. are large enough so that people can view them on their screens. Be sure to describe all tables, graphs, etc. so that all easily understands the visuals.

  • Avoid statements like, “as you can see….” or “do you hear what I’m saying” to ensure inclusivity.

  • Be aware of problematic idioms or expressions with racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive origins (such as grandfathered, “man up,” or peanut gallery), and phrases that use cultural appropriation (such as guru, ninja, or spirit animal).

  • Keep the background simple. Colors should be sharp and in stark contrast without being unsettling. Limit the number of colors used on one slide. Do not only use color to distinguish information. Varying font size is helpful too.

  • You are not required to use PowerPoint. Use any presentation software with which you are comfortable (e.g., Prezi, Google slides) and follow these same guidelines. Whichever software you use, you must have it downloaded on your own computer to use yourself.

  • When advancing slides, pause a moment to let people read it before saying anything. Then read the text aloud to ensure people who are unable to see the text know what is on the slide.

  • If you use animations, set the speed of the animations to be slow so they can be described fully.

  • Send your material in advance, if NCFR staff needs to provide alternative text (tagged PDF or braille).

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Resources For a Successful Virtual Presentation

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Zoom Resources

TED Masterclass

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Permissions

NCFR will record all presentations, including PowerPoints, handouts, and any other materials. NCFR will store all recordings, including those provided to NCFR for presentation, so that others may continue to view the materials. NCFR shall be the sole owner of all rights, title, interest, and copyright in and to any audio/visual (A/V) recordings of the presentation. Full credit is provided to the presenters.

All presentations should not include copyrighted music, audio, or other materials, unless permission has been obtained. Proper citations must be provided when referencing others’ work.

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