 Drew Barker, Performing Arts Librarian written by: Allison Huysman What do entomologists and stage actors have in common? We both speak in front of crowds of people. We may not think of scientific presentations as performances, but according to Drew Barker, University of Maryland Performing Arts Librarian, we should. Drew Barker grew up in the theatre and teaches oral communication through the Theatre department at UMD. At a recent seminar, he shared tips from the world of performing arts that scientists can use to make their presentations more engaging. Drew has 4 basic tenets of public speaking that can build a foundation for an effective presentation or performance. The first tenet is projection, which he describes as making sure you are speaking loudly and confidently, and ensuring that even audience members at the back of the room can hear you clearly. This can include using a microphone if it is available and avoiding fading out at the end of your sentences. The second tenet is articulation, or speaking clearly. There are many ways to improve your articulation, like warming up your mouth muscles before speaking, and slowly enunciating “special” words like your name or complex scientific terms, especially the first time you say them. The third tenet is expression of your point. This tenet emphasizes the importance of sharing the “so what?” of your presentation, or why the audience should care, and making sure you are prepared with an organized script. The fourth tenet is impression of your point, which deals with how you present yourself. The impression you make is connected to how you express yourself visually, so Drew recommended wearing clothes that are not distracting and showing enthusiasm while you present. These four tenets form a basis for giving engaging and effective presentations.
In addition to these four tenets, Drew shared some do’s and don’ts for public speaking. You do want to add emphasis to important words, modulate your tone to avoid sounding monotonic, and acknowledge any strange interruptions that might come up during your presentation (like someone accidentally walking into the wrong room). On the other hand, some don’ts of public speaking include excessive self-deprecation, speaking gibberish when you’re tongue-tied (stop and over-articulate your words instead), and using filler words like “um”. Above all, Drew emphasized that rehearsing is one of the best ways to improve your public speaking and feel more prepared and confident. The more you can apply these tips in your daily life, the better. Whether it’s a job interview, asking a favor of someone, or answering an unexpected question, there are ways that we can structure our arguments to be impromptu “speeches” and become better communicators. Drew shared the PREP approach described in this video by Stanford Graduate School. PREP stands for stating your point, providing a reason for that point, giving an example for why that point is good, and restating your point in a logical way. This structure is a great way to provide a compelling argument even when you have not had time to prepare. It can be used for scientific arguments and even everyday situations. As scientists, we are often tasked with communicating complex concepts to diverse audiences. This can be made easier by integrating some of these tips and remembering that all presentations are performances. These tips come at a crucial time, when public trust in scientists has been decreasing (Pew Research Center, 2022). While we communicate our science in more ways than just public presentations, embracing tips from the performing arts when presenting may help engage audiences and broaden the reach of science (Schwartz 2014). At first thought, the performing arts and scientific presentations may be very different. However, any type of public speaking can benefit from rehearsing and working on the skills that Drew described. Integrating wisdom from the performing arts may help us share our science in more effective ways and improve the perception of scientists. References Pew Research Center. 2022. Americans’ Trust in Scientists, Other Groups Declines. Schwartz, B. 2014. Communicating Science through the Performing Arts. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 39(3):275-289. About the Author Allison Huysman is a PhD student in the Gruner lab at UMD. She researches trophic interactions between birds and insects in working landscapes. Comments are closed.
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