Sunday, April 2, 2017

Making the Real Ideal

Hey readers!

Well, only 11 days until "The Final Upload" (aka the reckoning) and 12 until "The Presentation" (aka the end)... what does this mean? This means that we're touching up our papers, optimizing our PowerPoints, and rehearsing our presentations. It also means this is probably one of the last 3 entries I'll post -- it's been a great year, and I'm definitely intend on finishing strong.
This has no relevance, but I saw it when I searched "finish strong," and I'm still so shook...
In this gif, my research project is diarrhea, but it's way too fun to be that.
Last week, I went into ASU to meet with Barry Wilkens, the OG lab manager and resident RBS/PIXE guru at IBeAM, where he showed me some cool tricks with RUMP (a program used to analyze RBS data).

Here's a screenshot of the RUMP command line (requires some bare-bones coding)...
the creator in the 1980s was a troll, as you can see by the prompts (in white).
With Barry's help on the RBS and PIXE, I could obtain the percent composition for each element in the BSS Saline we analyzed... this is my final result! I compared this value to the percent compositions for elements in the characterized Saline solution (on the bottle), and we got some really new interesting results to add to my paper.

About that paper -- I'm still cutting that down, but I have been working on revamping the methods to align better with my project and not provide so much needless detail. But, I know what y'all really care about... current total: 5,800. So, getting there.

Just trust the process...
Regarding my presentation, I was pretty happy with my slides going into my meeting with Mrs. Haag, but afterward, I realized that I have a lot of work to do. One misconception I had when I made my slides was that I wanted to minimize the number of slides I had to below 30. For scientific presentations in the past, I had done this, but since the AP Research presentation (and all for that matter) should be really engaging, I scrapped this semi-arbitrary limit and made many many slides. From my practice so far, changing the slides regularly (as opposed to ~ 1 min/slide) gives me a lot of momentum and confidence, so that's nice. I have fixed this in my presentation.

Keepin' things fast-paced to keep the audience engaged is the name of the game
Moreover, another mistake I always make is trying to cram a lot onto 1 slide. With the new fast-paced approach, I can separate a lot of slides into 2. While I did have a good amount of SmartArt that made my presentation look clean and animations to make points, I increased the use of animation and reduced the plain words in my talk.

They don't want us to use animations to fulfill a purpose, so we gotta...
So -- the ideal presentation ultimately matches form to function... all animations contribute to the understanding of the material and nothing is extraneous. Moreover, words are minimized on the slides other than key points, so that key points are reinforced but the audience is not distracted from the speaker. Additionally, the pace should be quick, but the articulation of the ideas should be clear and measured. 

One example of a great slide was on Ved's presentation where he had the information we wanted to garner (the gap from the lit review) and the methods used to get that information (with arrows), so I'm lowkey (well, high key now) going to steal that slide, and use that idea throughout. Also, an ideal presentation should not jump around to save time and improve the reader's understanding. So, I decided I will split my ppt not by methods, results, and discussion, but into sections of experiments (i.e., 3LCAA and RBS). The main reason for this is that I was basically explaining lots of information twice when I talked about the method and then the results. So, now I minimize repetition, and the presentation should be easier to follow. 

So, the main takeaway is FORM --> FUNCTION... and keep related things connected.

While I used a lot of Seminar tips, I personally did not love that style of presentation, especially with my technical project. But, a purely scientific presentation with no aesthetic is also boring and not how most research presentations are, so I am finding the happy medium. A major tip I took from Seminar is using graphics and pictures effectively. My old presentations were trash, with no aesthetic and no form matching function, so I am really excited to use this presentation, especially because I am going to give a similar talk at the Materials Research Society Spring Meeting at Phx Convention Center on April 18. 

To practice for both, my plan is to do a presentation before I eat anything. This way, I can minimize the snacking I do and practice a bunch. I will at least get to practice 3 times a day, and if I am going out for lunch, I will practice before I leave. I don't want to do any more, since I would need time in between to refine my presentation and script, especially at first. 

I anticipate having ample practice, especially because my lab crew (Dr. Herbots and co) also want me to practice for them. Rehearsing is important, especially with the amount of slide changes I have to do now.

Well, that's it for this week -- stay posted! It's getting heated -- final 2 weeks! 

Major 🔑  🚨 ,
Yash

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6 comments:

  1. Hey Yash! I want to start off by saying that I really admire your super positive and motivated attitude! I can tell that you have been working hard on cutting down your paper and creating the optimal PowerPoint. Your whole "matching form to function" phrase is really accurate as well, and I received very similar feedback from Ms. Haag. Unpacking complex slides, having information come up periodically using animations throughout complex explanations, and constantly visually engaging the audience are all key aspects of a successful presentation. How do you feel overall about the verbal side of the presentation? Do you have any concerns about memorizing the information or conveying such complex ideas and conclusions to an audience? I am sure you will do an amazing job, and I think your idea of practicing before you eat is actually a great (and unique) idea, but just make sure that you don't only dedicate time to creating a beautiful PowerPoint and also make sure your presentation is well-rehearsed. Good luck editing and practicing this week!

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    1. Thank you, Audrey! Your compliments mean a lot, especially coming from you! Yes, I have been working on memorizing the ideas for each slide and avoiding a strict script because that usually trips me up. 😊

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  2. Yash! I love this blog post. You're hilarious and amazing. It sounds like you have a really strong understanding of the purpose of the research presentation and what you need to do moving forward. Good luck with editing your paper, let me know if you need a pair of eyes on it or something. I really like how you changed your organization into the type of project it sounds like that will be a lot easier for the audience to digest the information. Did you include transitions between each type of experiment? How do you plan on connecting each type to represent the significance of the project as a whole? I also love your main takeaway- well said.

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    1. Thank you Grace! You're the best! The transitions between experiments are actually an animation which revisits my experimental design slide, and then the part we're looking at glows, so I am pretty proud of that 🦁😲. Each experiment has its significance explained with results and then restated in a conclusion. Lol... form to function was straight out of AP bio, cuz our presentations are living and evolving 😂😂😂

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  3. Yash, first, just to clarify, I made that slide for Ved, so thanks for the compliment, and feel free to use the format. Moreover, I really like how you're learning that just because it's scientific, doesn't mean it needs to be boring. Matching form to function, for any conveyance of information, will further emphasize key content and thus allow the audience to process all of your research. I'm really excited to see the updated Powerpoint, animations and all. I'm also really glad that you have the benefit of your research group to watch you present, as I think that'll be KEY in making sure all of the technical information is on point.

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  4. Hey Yash! Yes, Mrs. Haag did make that slide, so credit goes to her :). I really like how even though your whole project is so technical and scientific, you have found a way to make it connect with lay audiences! You have implemented so many animations and features and pictures such that your audience is always engaged and interested. Also, are you putting in an animation for everything? or just when you will be transitioning from big items? Besides that, I look forward to practicing with you at Aviano or at one of our houses :). Can't wait!

    Thanks,

    Ved Narayan

    102 words

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