The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

This course takes you step by step through the process of preparing and delivering a clear and lucid technical presentation at scientific and professional meetings. The guidance provided is also applicable to the preparation and delivery of less formal presentations, such as those given in the form of internal company reports to corporate executives or as lectures prepared and delivered by professors or graduate students at colleges and universities.

The course starts by suggesting that you write answers to ten fundamental questions. Your answers to these questions will guide you through the preparation of the first draft of your presentation. The course then progresses by providing you with specific suggestions that will assist you through the preparation of the introductory section, the body and the conclusion section of your presentation.

The preparation phase of your talk will take you step by step through the recommended rehearsal sessions that will help you practice your delivery skills. In that section of the course you will also learn that speakers have limited time to communicate their message in a clear and concise fashion. Indeed, your job during the delivery of your presentation is to scan and pay attention to your audience in order to adjust your talk and be able to transfer your knowledge effectively. In preparing for the event, you are also prompted to anticipate and prepare for unforeseen circumstances that may arise so you can handle them with ease when they occur. By familiarizing yourself with the content of your presentation and rehearsing repeatedly ahead of time you will most definitely improve your performance when you finally deliver your talk.

An appendix, at the end of the course, provides you with suggestions on how to prepare clear and concise visual aids. Your illustrations should be simple and clear, colorful and easy to read. Each illustration you prepare should be checked against these simple guidelines to ensure that it will capture and hold the attention of your audience.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen (15) questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.

Please Note: Continuing Education credits for this course are awarded as PDH (Professional Development Hour Credits).