Research Highlights

North Central Workshop Helps Researchers Improve Presentations

In this article, you’ll find details on:

• A recent workshop sponsored by the North Central Soybean Research Program focused on improving communications between scientists and their audiences
• The workshop helped researchers refine their PowerPoint presentations for understandable, clear messages
• Attendees learned communication fundamentals to consider when talking to both small and large groups

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By Carol Brown

Several university research and extension faculty members had the opportunity to learn how to improve their presentations at a recent two-day workshop facilitated by Ben West, a leader in agriculture, natural resources and science communication. Through West’s training session, the scientists gained insights into the psychology of communication and learning, as well as the good ways — and less than ideal ways — that presenters and their audiences interact. 

The workshop was sponsored by the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) and the United Soybean Board. Workshop attendees included 13 soybean researchers, four NCSRP farmer board members, four Qualified State Soybean Board (QSSB) research directors, and several guests. The meeting was limited to a small group for quality interaction and discussion.

“Communication is hard. It is a skill that needs to be learned,” West said in the session. “Presenters need to know the fundamentals of communication. They need to practice their presentations and receive honest feedback for continued improvement. Currently, the bar is set low for both presenters and their audiences.”

Narrowing the Communication Gap

When NCSRP and QSSBs award funding for research projects, the proposals and progress reports received from the researchers are written using highly scientific verbiage. Frequently, researchers present project updates and request funding in-person to these farmer boards. West provided the means and reasons for altering presentations so audiences can understand the subject matter no matter their level of knowledge on the topic.

“We sponsored this workshop because there is a need for scientists and researchers to communicate clearly with many people beyond their peers,” says Ed Anderson, NCSRP executive director. “Ben’s expertise will help everyone on both sides of the presentation podium.”

With higher quality and more digestible presentations, scientists can explain their research in terms laypeople can understand, reducing jargon and other terms normally used within their field of study. Board members, and other audiences, will be able to grasp the subject matter better and ask appropriate questions.

“Understanding the value of the research is crucial in making informed decisions about what projects get funded,” comments Gene Stoel, a farmer and NCSRP board member from Minnesota who attended the workshop. “This program will help improve communication between the researcher and the people who are awarding the funding.”

West says one of the best things that happened to him early in his career was receiving honest feedback on a presentation from an audience member. The research directors and farmer board members at the workshop were provided with ways to give constructive feedback positively to help the presenter improve.

Understanding the Audience

West challenged the researchers to change their presentation approach. He provided the science behind how humans retain and recall information, and supported his points for improved presentations by using key visual aids and storytelling. 

“Ben showed us that it is critical to take the time and effort to consider my audience, how best to communicate with them, and with what message. Otherwise, it’s a waste of everyone’s time to say the least,” says Katy Martin Rainey, agronomy professor at Purdue University. “I learned that I need to do this especially for non-scientific audiences. I need to think about engaging with stories, while establishing credibility, and only presenting visual aids that help the audience understand what I am saying.”

The workshop also included techniques for improving PowerPoint presentations. After the educational session, the researchers spent their free hours preparing a short presentation for workshop attendees who offered feedback and constructive comments.

“In the small group session when we all critiqued each other, the feedback was humbling,” Rainey remarks. “It really helped me evolve my message about the value of investing in large-scale projects in public-sector soybean breeding.”

Damon Smith, a plant pathology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is creating new presentations using some of the cues learned in the workshop. West pointed out that audiences find it difficult to read a slide containing key data while the presenter talks about other things. The brain is not able to comprehend the slide nor the presenter, West said. Smith is taking this ‘aha’ moment to heart.

“My new PowerPoint slides have no words, and only some data,” he says. “I talk through the ideas without any bullet points on the slides. I still have a ways to go to bring the presentations to the level of Ben’s guidance, but I am consciously trying to improve.”

West’s workshop sparked attendees to reconsider their presentation approaches beyond PowerPoint. The points made in the workshop can apply to conversations in small groups, a talk to field day attendees, or presentations to large audiences. 

“The workshop reinforced for me that storytelling along with building some humor and humanity into my presentations, interviews and writing, are all keys to better communicating my science,” Smith says.

Rainey concurs with Smith’s take-home messages.

“NCSRP President David Clark asked me if the workshop would have helped me with my recent high-profile presentation. And my answer was yes,” Rainey says. “Succinct communication is getting more and more important to all my mission areas, so I appreciated the opportunity to attend and improve.”

The workshop was held in February and hosted by the Iowa Soybean Association in Ankeny. In addition to the in-person session, West will follow up with a virtual writing workshop for participants in April.

Published: May 5, 2025