May 3, 2023 1

POWERPOINT TIPS

Bob AndersenSaint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Director, Instructional Technology-SGPP

May 3, 2023 2

EFFECTIVE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

Just ignore Bob.

He has a habit of talking whenever I am presenting!It’s so annoying.

We all know who’s in charge here…

Your friend,

MS PowerPoint

May 3, 2023 3

THE PROBLEMS WITH POWERPOINT

Edward Tufte a respected authority on communicating complex information visually. He reminds us that:• PowerPoint is a very linear

communications medium• Bulleted outlines dilute clear

communication • PowerPoint has extremely low information

resolutionPowerPoint may not be the optimal solution to your presentation needs and it may actually detract from your message.

The Default Fonts are Too Big and Clunky

• Stay away from the PowerPoint default template

• The template leaves little room for information

• It is likely intended for use in a large room

Too Much Information• Security professionals must be security knowledge portals for our organizations• Interact with all departments and units• Interact at all levels of the organization• Represent the enterprise to external organizations• Rapidly evolving body of knowledge• Requires immediacy with new threats and vulnerabilities• Cross-disciplinary• Strategic and tactical; conceptual and technical• Depth and breadth• Other Skills

– Plan, organize, conceptualize– Lead, manage, set priorities, – Make decisions, compromise– Influence, sell– Communicate, present, write, listen– Consult– Confront, agitate, assert authority– Hold accountable

• We have more descriptive baselines and frameworks than any other discipline!• Bodies of Knowledge

– Corporate– Government

• Standards• Educational Standards

– NSA Centers of Academic Excellence – National Training Standard for Information Security Professionals– National Information Assurance Training Standard for Information Systems Security Officers

Use a Maximum of 10-12 Lines per Slide (28)

• Actively manage your skills (24 font)o “Commodity-like” functions can become outsourced (20 font)o Don’t allow yourself to become a “dinosaur”

• Make a commitment to lifelong learning• Don’t just focus upon the ‘hard’ skills and technical

competencies. o Speaking, writing, presenting, listening, influence, relationshipo Project management; finance; ethics, decision making,

management, leadership

Use Color Judiciously

• Actively manage your skills (24 font)o “Commodity-like” functions can become outsourced (20 font)o Don’t allow yourself to become a “dinosaur”

• Make a commitment to lifelong learning• Don’t just focus upon the ‘hard’ skills and technical

competencies. o Speaking, writing, presenting, listening, influence, relationshipo Project management; finance; ethics, decision making,

management, leadership

Be Wary of Fancy Design Templates

• Can you read any of this information?

• It seems to get lost in the artwork• Are you even reading this?• Or, are trying to figure out what the

graphic is and what it has to do with anything the speaker is talking about?

May 3, 2023 9

USE PROFESSIONAL FONTS

No Jokerman No Comic SansNo Fancy Cursive Stuff

Stick with the plain old, easy to read:

ArialVerdana

Times New Roman

Avoid Simple Bulleted Lists of Words

• Sun • HP • Cisco• Citrix • Microsoft• Oracle• Dell• Blah• Blah• Blah…

Can you say this as a sentence in your presentation?

Does it need a slide?

May 3, 2023 11

BE CAREFUL WHEN USING IMAGES• Images add visual interest• Images help with retention

But what does this nice picture of an alum have to do with this presentation on PowerPoint Tips?

May 3, 2023 12

BE CAREFUL WHEN USING IMAGES

And, please resize images from the corners!

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”

~Carl Jung

PowerPoint is a excellent mediumfor displaying images

Graphics Provide Impact

Assess the Situation: Get Organized

Identify Risks and

Select Recovery Strategies

Develop and Document the Plan

Phase I Phase II

Phase IIIImplement, Test and

Maintain the Plan

Phase IV

May 3, 2023 15

GRAPHICS ARE HELPFUL AND REDUCE MAY WORDS Intentionality around the development of the digital literacies of our online students

ICT Literacy

Information & Data Media Web

Digital IntelligenceDigital Literacies are comprised of hard and soft skills that vary upon your context.

“Survival skills for the 21st C”

Graphs Communicate a Lot of Information Effectively

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1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Federally Declared Disasters over the Last 50 YearsData from: http://www.fema.gov/library/drcys.shtm

May 3, 2023 17

SIMPLE ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER

Needs Assessment

Market Analysis

Curriculum Development

Assessment of Student Learning

Delivery Model Planning

Instructional Design

Faculty Development

Resource Development