PowerPoint:Presentation Tips

Based on “The Seven Deadly Sins of PowerPoint Presentations”By Dr. Joseph Sommerville

Donna Harp ZiegenfussCTLE

Planning a Presentation• Goals and objectives of the presentation

– Purpose and take away ideas

– Gather information, content, graphics

• Audience considerations– Level of audience (prior knowledge)

– Attitude of audience

• Level of interactivity

• Time constraints

• Sketch out sequence

» Planning Worksheet

1. Presentation Templates

• Best to make your own template design – not fit your presentation to someone else’s design

– Does the template relate to your topic?

– Does the background interfere with type?

– Does your topic need a slick graphic in the background?

• Use Master Slides to create your own

2. Text-Heavy SlidesABSTRACT• Most research published on improving teaching practice and student learning outcomes

in higher education focuses on how faculty approach the public act of teaching, not on how faculty privately design the instruction that they will implement in the classroom (Angelo & Cross, 1993; Davis, 1993; McKeachie, 1994). Faculty receive little training in how to design instruction and teach when they are doctoral students. In addition, the instructional design literature indicates that when college faculty design courses, they do not follow a prescribed and systematic process as recommended by instructional design experts (Diamond, 1998; Earle & Sheffield, 1995; Fink, 2003; Hiscock, 1997; Weimer, 2001). However, changing factors in higher education, especially increased emphasis on accountability and assessment, are revitalizing an interest in course design processes. Arreola, Aleamoni, & Theall (2001) contend that faculty must develop new skills sets, such as instructional design, to adapt to the changing academic environment. Barr and Tagg (1995) use the phrase “shift from an instruction to a learning paradigm” to refer to changes they observe “taking hold” in higher education (p. 13). They state, “The very purpose of the Instruction Paradigm is to offer courses. In the Learning Paradigm, on the other hand, a college's purpose is not to transfer knowledge but to create environments and experiences that bring students to discover and construct knowledge for themselves” (p. 15).

• Conversely, Hiscock (1997) states, “There is no point in trying to advise faculty on how to improve their courses until it is known how they presently develop courses” (p. 216). Therefore, this exploratory qualitative dissertation study identifies and describes the variety of ways that faculty, at a single higher education institution, currently experience the process of designing courses. A qualitative methodology called phenomenography, that is designed to investigate variation in experiences, was selected for this study because, as a faculty developer, I am interested in identifying the widest variation in how faculty approach course design so that I can enhance my understanding and awareness of the process and be better prepared to help faculty improve their approaches to course design and teaching practice.

• Findings from this study fills gaps in the higher education course design literature and also provides faculty developers with a framework on which to propose and develop faculty professional development opportunities that will help faculty adapt to the changing learning environments of the twenty-first century.

Alternative to Text-Heavy Slides

ABSTRACT• Rationale

– Current focus on how faculty approach teaching• Not on how faculty design

– Factors in higher education are resulting in change• Barr & Tagg (1995) - “shift from an instruction to a learning

paradigm”

• Purpose– Fill gaps in the higher education course design literature – Provides faculty developers with a development

framework

• Methodology– Identify and describe the variety of ways that faculty

currently experience the process of designing courses– Qualitative methodology called phenomenography

3. Standard Clip-Art

• Try Clips Online for more professional images

• Relevant to content

• Watch for distortion

• Can’t size photos from the web (pixilation)

• Use a border to define

• Not moving images or “beans”

4. Slide Transitions, Animations & Sound Effects

• Use slide transitions and animations sparingly

•The same for animation effects on your text

•Never use sound effects like “breaking glass” or applause

5. The Me Paradigm

• Make text visible, must be larger

than normal 12 point print text

• Think of audience and make sure all the text and images are viewable from a far

• Don’t talk to the screen – talk to the audience

6. Reading• An oral presentation should focus on

interactive speaking and listening, not reading by the speaker or the audience.

• The demands of spoken and written language differ significantly. Spoken language is shorter, less formal and more direct.

• Reading text ruins a presentation. • A related point has to do with handouts for

the audience. One of your goals as a presenter is to capture and hold the audience’s attention. If you distribute materials before your presentation, your audience will be reading the handouts rather than listening to you.

• Often, parts of an effective presentation depend on creating suspense to engage the audience. If the audience can read everything you’re going to say, that element is lost.

7. Backup …Backup … Backup

• Bring your presentation in several formats

– Flash drive (can make last minutes changes)

– CD (more difficult to make changes)

• Use masterslides to make last minute changes to the background easier

• Practice and rehearse (timing and content)

Beyond the PowerPoint• Make speaker notes• Presentation skills (verbal & non-

verbal)– Voice projection– Eye contact and hand movements– Professional appearance

• Recruit a slide editor– Typos, critique before the

presentation

•Handouts or activities

Extra Resources

• Planning a presentation

• PowerPoint production tips

• Tutorials– PowerPoint Basics– More advanced features– An animated tutorial on the Slide

Master