TutorialGuideline

What should a tutorial look like?

In case your tutorial is accepted, the following offers suggestions for preparing and presenting your tutorial.

1. Contents
   • When preparing the tutorial, keep your audience in mind.
   • People don't pay for a tutorial in order to hear things that they already know or that are irrelevant for their work.
   • Don't be vague, don't waste time with lengthy introductions, but speak to the point.
   • Don't try to impress the audience with the amount of your research, but convey practical knowledge and ideas that the participants will find useful for their own work.
   • Whenever possible, use examples and case studies and avoid lengthy abstract passages.
   • Consider demonstrations on video or an overhead panel.
   • In order to get an audience as homogeneous as possible, clearly state which knowledge you expect from the participants in the tutorial description.
2. Slides and notes
   • You will have to prepare tutorial notes for the participants.
   • These handouts usually contain copies of the slides that you show.
   • Use at least a 14 pt (or better an 18 pt) font on all of your slides.
   • A good slide should not just repeat everything you say but summarize your presentation.
   • Use short phrases and keywords instead of full sentences.
   • People cannot read as fast as you speak. Make heavy use of pictures and examples.
   • Use colors where they are helpful, but remember that they will not appear in the black and white handouts.
   • Don't put too much or too little material on a single slide.
   • A good rule of thumb is to spend 3 minutes per slide.
   • Don't include slides that you will skip in the presentation; people will find that annoying.
   • You will have to deliver the tutorial notes in camera-ready form before the conference. The deadline will be announced.
   • To avoid wasting paper, copy two slides on a single page (reduced size). The printed area of such a page must not exceed 27 x 17cm (10.5 x 6.7 inch).
   • In addition to the slide copies, also consider providing full-text handouts (papers, summaries, bibliography, etc.). Participants will appreciate that.
   • The maximum length of the notes for a half-day tutorial should be 50 pages for slide copies and another 20 pages for full-text material. For full-day tutorials these numbers can be doubled.
   • Try to achieve good printing quality.
   • We will add an uniform cover page to all tutorial notes.
   • Put slide numbers on the slides and page numbers on the pages.
3. Presentation
   • The participants expect that your presentation will be much easier to understand than a book about the same subject.
   • Speak clearly and lively. Try to interact with your audience.
   • Encourage the audience to ask questions.
   • A presentation is much more lively if it also includes examples and demonstrations on the blackboard, on video or on an overhead panel.
   • Tutorials should be split into sessions of 1.5 hours each with a 1/2 hour coffee break in between.
   • Don't overrun your tutorial time. After the tutorial the participants will be asked to assess the tutorial with a questionnaire.
   • A good rating will help you when applying for other tutorials in the future.

Back to the CallForTutorials.