| Learning Outcomes |
| · Appropriate or relevant topic and scope is identified and defined.
· Research steps are planned and sequenced appropriately. · Research techniques are applied. · Information is sifted for relevance. · Information is classified, categorized, and sorted. · Research findings are analyzed and presented in the appropriate format. · Conclusions and recommendations are made in the appropriate format. |
- Introduction
To complete this learning unit successfully, it is important to know the following definitions:
| Research: Systematic investigation to establish facts or collect information on a subject.
♦ Analyse: To examine in detail and break down into components to discover meaning, essential features, etc. ♦ Define: To state precisely the meaning of words, terms, etc. ♦ Present: To submit for judgment or consideration ♦ Findings: The conclusions reached after the analysis |
- Appropriate or relevant topic and scope is identified and defined
When conducting basic research, it is vital to identify a topic that covers the required area that will enable you to complete the task successfully.
| EXAMPLE |
| When researching the hosting of the Olympic Games, it will be meaningless to look into the education system of our country, but of great value to look into the types of accommodation that are available.
From there it will be necessary to define accommodation to satisfy the needs of the target market. |
- Research steps are planned and sequenced appropriately
When starting with your research, it is very important to have a plan of what you need to do, otherwise, you will end up with a mountain of information that confuses you and has very little value to achieving your goal. It is also necessary to sequence the information so that it makes sense.
All this can only happen if your research steps are planned and sequenced:
3.1 Task Definition
♦ define the topic/problem
♦ identify the information requirements of the topic/problem
3.2 Information-Seeking Strategies
♦ determine the range of possible sources
♦ evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities
3.3 Location and Access
♦ locate sources
♦ find information within the sources
3.4 Use of Information
♦ engage (read, hear, view, touch) the information in the source
♦ extract information from a source
3.5 Synthesis: – Putting it all together
♦ organize information from multiple sources
♦ create a product or performance
3.6 Evaluation
♦ judge the product or performance
♦ judge the information-solving process
- Research techniques are applied
The research techniques are how we go about gathering the necessary and appropriate information.
♦ Reading/viewing: You will have to physically read or view the sources you have located. Write down or photocopy the relevant information that you will be able to use in your final product or performance.
♦ Interviewing: A wealth of information is to be gained from other people. This can be done by interviewing them orally, or by having them complete questionnaires. In both cases, only use the relevant information acquired.
♦ Observing: There are times when you just have to see how things are done to get the necessary information. It is very important to make sure that who or what you are observing, is ‘behaving’ correctly/appropriately.
♦ Using appropriate electronic sources: As mentioned earlier, electronic texts are wonderful sources of a wide variety of information. It is, however, of great importance to select them carefully, making sure that the information contained is appropriate.
- Information is evaluated for relevance
To evaluate the relevance of the information you have gathered, you need to ask questions. You need to ask questions, that have answers, and the keywords used in the identification of the information requirements. If you have managed this successfully, then you can be sure that the information is relevant.
- Information is classified, categorized, and sorted
Classify is the act of distribution into groups, according to some common relations or attributes.
To categorize is to place into or assign to a category (a group, often named or numbered, to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria). To sort is to arrange according to class, type, etc.
Even though these three definitions are very similar and one wonders what the difference is, it will be of great value to classify, categorize and sort the information you have gathered.
When you classify the information, you take individual concepts and group them with other similar concepts. When you categorize the information, you take those classified groups and put them into bigger groups that are named and numbered. This will assist you in your placement of the information in the correct sequence.
When you sort the information, you place the categories into the correct order or sequence. After you have classified, categorized, and sorted the information, it should make sense and be user-friendly, resulting in a good product, presentation, or performance.
- Research findings must be analyzed and presented in the appropriate format
Analyse: To examine in detail and break down into components to discover meaning, essential features, etc. It is important to analyze the research information you have collected, for you to be sure that you are addressing the correct topic/problem. This can only happen if you understand the information.
Once the information has been analyzed and you are sure that it is relevant to your presentation, you must present it in the appropriate format. These are a few examples of presentation formats:
| EXAMPLE |
♦ Advertisement
♦ Article
♦ Flip chart
♦ Poster
♦ Brochure
♦ Slide show (PowerPoint)
♦ Oral report/presentation – (discussed in detail below)
- Oral Presentation Format
8.1 Preliminary analysis and planning of your oral presentation:
Questions to ask yourself:
♦ Why am I speaking on this subject (problem)?
♦ To whom am I speaking (layperson, executive, expert)?
♦ What does the listener (audience) want or need to know?
♦ Am I supposed to offer a solution to the problem?
♦ Do I expect the listener to take any action? If so, what action?
♦ Do I want questions, suggestions, or comments from the audience?
♦ What is the purpose of my presentation?
⇒ to communicate information?
⇒ to motivate my audience to accept my conclusions and recommendations?
⇒ to stimulate them to take action?
Gathering and organizing information:
♦ Use card catalogs, indices, reference stations, etc.
♦ Read and take notes on relevant information
♦ Develop a working outline, group information by category
♦ Read more articles than you use
Composing the oral presentation:
♦ Introduction: states the idea of your presentation
⇒ Capture the attention of your audience
∗ The first few sentences must interest your listeners
∗ Humor – can help, but it can also be dangerous
∗ Begin with a visual aid or sound effect
⇒ Introduce the subject of your report
∗ State objectives
⇒ Establish your credibility for your conclusions and thesis
♦ Body: develops the idea
⇒ Explain the subject in detail to accomplish the objectives of your presentation
⇒ Methods for developing the body
∗ Examples illustrating points (visuals)
∗ Repetition of the major points
∗ Statistics are sparingly used and projected as visuals
∗ Comparisons and contrasts to touch the experience of the audience
∗ State expert source of subject
♦ Conclusion: reinstates and reinforces the idea
⇒ The last thing you say is as important as the first in which you gained your audience’s attention
⇒ Deliver the ‘payload’
∗ Review the purpose (objectives) of your presentation
∗ Summarise and underscore (stress/reinforce) the main points
∗ Conclude those points
⇒ Keep short and to the point
♦ Practicing the delivery:
⇒ “Practice makes perfect”
⇒ Rehearse as closely to the actual speech situation as possible.
∗ Practice standing up
∗ Practice holding your notes
∗ Practice using visual aids
∗ Practice in the room that you’re giving the presentation in or imagine it
∗ Practice in front of friends, in a tape recorder, or in front of the mirror
♦ Delivering the oral presentation:
⇒ Breathing
∗ Take a big breath before you start, and breathe often during the presentation
⇒ Pitch
∗ Voice inflection (change in tone, pitch, and volume) makes the presentation more interesting
Voice quality
∗ Resonance (amplification) adds richness to sound
⇒ Intensity
∗ Be loud enough for everyone to hear, and speak slightly louder than the conversation
⇒ Rate
∗ Speaking too fast or too slow will irritate and lose your audience
⇒ Pause
∗ Pauses draw attention to important points and help with breathing
⇒ Pronunciation
∗ Make sure you pronounce words correctly
⇒ Enunciation
∗ Speak, distinctly, and precisely
⇒ Body language
∗ Try to appear self-confident and relaxed
∗ Eye contact is very important
∗ Avoid distracting gestures: scratching, excessive walking, etc.
⇒ Visual aids (see below)
♦ Visual aids:
⇒ Function
∗ Keep audience interested
∗ Present information in a clear fashion
∗ Help the audience retain information
⇒ Types of visual aids
∗ Models
∗ Graphs
∗ Maps
∗ Charts
∗ Photos
∗ Drawings
∗ short printed passages
⇒ Keep simple and readable
⇒ Explain in detail
| IMPORTANT |
| As can be seen from the above-detailed format, it is very important
to: ♦ Know what the exact purpose of the presentation is ♦ Know who you are presenting to ♦ How you are going to say ♦ Know where you will be presenting ♦ Know what you will need for the presentation ♦ Know how much time you have – don’t go over the time |
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