28 Preparing Online Presentations
<A> OBJECTIVES
To apply your knowledge of face-to-face speaking.
To understand the unique demands of online delivery.
To plan for the delivery mode.
To select the appropriate online presentation format.
<A> CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Preparing online presentations
A. Online presentations have become an established part of the communications tool kit
because of increased sophistication, availability, and affordability of digital tools, in
addition to the rise in travel costs.
II. Applying your knowledge of face-to-face speaking
A. Both online presentations and face-to-face presentations address the same general
speech purposes; to inform, persuade, or address a special occasion.
1. Both call for audience analysis and credible supporting materials.
2. Both call for a clear organizational structure.
3. Both call for speakers to aim for a natural and rehearsed delivery, engaging
the audience at all times. Audience engagement is even more critical when
separated physically during online presentations.
III. Planning for the unique demands of online delivery
A. Online presenters should familiarize themselves with digital communication tools,
and practice using any presentation technology and/or utilities prior to planning an
online presentation.
B. Because online audiences can’t interact with the speaker’s physical presence, his/her
vocal variety becomes a crucial component to the communication to hold audience
interest.
C. A conversational style is critical for most online presentations, because it can be
difficult to vocally convey the enthusiasm and naturalness that eye contact
encourages. Consider delivering your first online presentations with another person in
the room to foster this style.
D. Online presentations often use quality, eye-catching presentation aids to keep the
audience’s interest.
IV. Planning for the delivery mode
A. Real-time presentations connect the presenter and audience live and at the same time,
in synchronous communication.
1. Real-time online presentations offer the speaker and audience an opportunity
to share in and benefit from relatively immediate feedback, often resulting in a
natural, conversational style of speaker delivery.
2. A disadvantage of real-time online presentations is the time constraints they
can impose.
B. In recorded presentations, speaker and audience are separated by space and time, in
asynchronous communication.
1. Recorded presentations have some advantages over real-time presentations.
a. Start-times and time zones are not a factor.
b. Audience members can access the presentation whenever it is convenient.
2. Recorded presentations do have some limitations.
a. The speaker does not directly interact with the audience.
b. There is no benefit of immediate audience feedback.
V. Choosing an online presentation format
A. Many speakers/presenters present their messages via videos, using anything from
smartphone cameras, to Webcams, to high-definition digital video cameras.
1. Video capture software allows seamless incorporation of video clips into
online presentations.
2. Screencasts capture whatever is displayed on a computer screen, and can be
streamed in real-time or recorded for playback.
B. Podcasts are digital audio recordings of a speech or presentation captured and stored
in a form that is accessible via the Web. A vodcast (or vidcast) is a podcast that
contains video clips.
C. Webinars are real-time seminars, meetings, training sessions, or other presentations
that connect presenters and audiences from their computers or mobile devices.
1. Webinars can also include video capture and screencasting.
2. During some Webinars, a headshot of the speaker can be displayed,
encouraging a feeling of connection between speaker and audience.
<A> KEY TERMS
online presentation a presentation delivered via the Internet, either in a real-time online
presentation or in a recorded online presentation.
vocal variety alterations in volume, pitch, speaking rate, pauses, and pronunciation and
articulation
real-time presentation connect the presenter and audience live and at the same time.
synchronous communication communication where all parties involved are present at
the same time.
recorded presentation the speaker and audience are separated by space and time.
asynchronous communication communication where the sender is able to send the
message at any time, and the receiver is able to provide feedback at any time.
video capture software allows users to seamlessly incorporate video clips into online
presentations.
screencast a presentation in which everything displayed on a presenter’s computer screen is
captured and streamed to an audience in real-time, or recorded for playback.
podcast a digital audio recording of a speech or presentation captured and stored in a
form that is accessible via the Web.
vodcast a podcast containing video clips.
webinar real-time seminars, meetings, training sessions, or other presentations that
connect presenters and audiences from their computers or mobile devices.
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What are the major differences between online presentations and face–to-face
presentations?
Whereas face-to-face presentations occur in front of a live audience in real-time, online
What are the advantages of real time and recorded online presentations?
Real-time presentations connect the presenter and audience live and at the same time (also
called synchronous communication). The speaker and audience can share in and benefit from
What kind of online presentation formats can a speaker utilize when delivering an online
presentation?
Most people utilize video when delivering online presentations, but speakers can also use
podcasts, vodcasts, Webinars, and graphical presentations. A podcast is a digital audio recording
What guidelines should speakers follow when planning an online presentation?
Speakers should be well organized, have reasonable expectations, design powerful presentation
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you ever been an audience member during an online presentation? Describe this
experience. (If students have never seen an online presentation, you can ask them to
imagine what it would be like, or have them pull up a speech online and watch it.)
Students have likely witnessed an online presentation, as they are becoming increasingly more
Considering your chosen career path, can you imagine a situation in which you would need
to deliver an online presentation? If so, describe it to the class.
Most students will acknowledge that online presentations are common when training, working
Have you ever taken an online course that required some elements of online presentations?
For example, did the instructor post lecture videos or podcasts? Were you required to post
online presentations? Did you enjoy the course? Why or why not?
With the prevalence of online courses, most students will have some experience with the
Which delivery mode would you prefer? Would you choose the real-time presentation or
the recorded presentation? Why?
This is a good opportunity to have students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the real-
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may help you illustrate important points in the chapter and facilitate
students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
homework questions
quizzes
in-class work (individually or in groups)
topics to generate discussion
question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
What is the difference between real-time presentations and recorded presentations?
Real-time presentations connect the presenter and audience live and at the same time, in
What is a screencast and when it is especially useful?
What guidelines should be followed when preparing an online presentation?
1. Be well organized
List two different online technologies that can be incorporated into an online presentation.
When would you choose to utilize each type of technology?
ACTIVITIES
Recorded Presentations (also for online courses)
Purpose: To give students practice in recording a presentation.
Instructions: Have students prepare a three- to four-minute presentation over a topic of their
choice. Then record each student presenting his or her speech. Alternatively, you could require
students to record their own presentation at home. After the recordings are complete, have
students watch their presentations and evaluate themselves based on what they have learned
about how an online audience interprets speech content and delivery. This activity can make
some students feel awkward and even embarrassed, but it is an excellent opportunity for them to
see firsthand the importance of nonverbal delivery and effective vocal qualities. Because online
presentations do not allow speakers to directly interact with the audience or receive immediate
audience feedback, it is important to use an appropriate volume, pitch, and rate of speech so that
the audience can easily follow along with the speech content. Additionally, online speakers
should strive for a natural delivery style, using open and expansive gestures, good posture,
animated facial expressions, and consistent eye contact with the recording device.
Creating Podcasts for Online Presentations
Purpose: To give students experience creating and utilizing podcasts.
Instructions: Students should write a speech manuscript over a topic of their choosing. After the
speech is written, students are to create a podcast, digitally recording their presentation audio.
Students should pay careful attention to the way they use vocal qualities such as volume, pitch,
rate, and pausing. After recording the audio, students will post the file to a website, blog, or other
podcast holding site. You might even consider creating a class blog for this assignment. Students
could be required to evaluate another podcast posted to this blog.
Creating Screencasts for Online Presentations
Purpose: To give students experience creating and utilizing screencasts.
Instructions: Students should write a two- to three-minute screencast that includes an effective
visual aid/graphical display. Students can choose a topic that is of interest to them, using the
screencast to inform or persuade a hypothetical online audience. Students can post the screencast
to a website or blog.
Analyze an Online Presentation
Purpose: To give students the opportunity to analyze and critique an online presentation.
Instructions: Locate a recorded online presentation on www.youtube.com. Analyze the
presentation for effectiveness, considering the guidelines outlined in the chapter.
You may choose to have students complete this as individuals or in groups. Either way,
you should require them to write a short paper on the assignment. Another option is to have them
evaluate a business or professional presentation. This would allow them to evaluate the speech
based on content from Chapters 28 and 30. If time permits, ask students to create a podcast that
includes their feedback. This activity also works well for online courses.
Creating an Informative/Educational Podcast
Purpose: To allow students to practice delivering an information/educational presentation via
podcast.
Instructions: Create a podcast or a screencast summarizing the content from Chapter 28.
Imagine that you are teaching the material to an audience that is unfamiliar with online
presentations.
This activity is useful because it requires students to synthesize chapter content while
also applying the guidelines taught in the chapter. This is also a good opportunity for students to
work on vocal variety and a conversational tone, as these elements are crucial for effective
nonverbal delivery in online presentations.
Short Paper on Online Versus Face-to–Face
Purpose: To ask students to contrast the preparation process for an online versus a face-to-face-
presentation.
Instructions: Imagine that you were assigned an online presentation for your public speaking
course. Write a short paper describing how you would prepare for this type of presentation in
comparison to your preparation strategy for a face–to-face presentation.
This is a good opportunity to assess whether students understand the major differences
between online presentations and face-to-face presentations. Students should emphasize the
importance of audience analysis, support materials, physical and vocal delivery, the delivery
method, and the rehearsal process. Finally, student papers should include a discussion about
recording and archiving online presentations.
IV. GROUP ACTIVITIES
Finding Online Tools for Online Presentations
Purpose: To encourage students to find existing tools for use in online presentations.
Instructions: In groups of three to four students, brainstorm a topic for a group presentation.
Then locate an online video, a podcast, and a screencast that would work for a presentation on
this topic. Bring these multimedia tools to present to the class.
This assignment does not require students to actually present on their chosen topic.
Rather, it allows them the opportunity to learn how to access tools for online presentations. Have
groups present their findings to the class.