Jazzing Up Your PresentationsAnastasia Trekles, Ph.D.Office of Learning Technology

The Tao of PresentationsThere are many

people out there with rules and ideas about the “best” presentation style; see http://www.presentationzen.com

Rules of ThumbBillboard test: print it out and

drop it on the floor – if you can still read it, you’re good!

No font smaller than 18 pointInclude full link URLs in any slide

you are giving out as handouts

More Rules of ThumbHigh-contrast colors and graphicsDon’t overdo graphics, but use

them to help you make a pointLimit to one major concept per

slideCreate a presentation transcript

or notes for added accessibility

Education is DifferentIt’s true that

educational presentations are different from something at TEDx, and that’s ok

Use visuals when they support your points, but don’t ONLY use visuals – text helps students understand

Presentation TheoryConsider the

multimedia principle – people learn better from text and graphics as opposed to either of them alone

Also consider cognitive load – too much information on one slide can overwhelm students

PowerPoint – Oldie but GoodieThere’s nothing wrong with the old standby,

and there are some features that can help to make it “cool”◦ Insert images, movies, and audio◦ Use Animations and Motion Paths to illustrate

topics◦ Use the Pen Tool during presentations for

emphasis◦ Slideshow Recording for voice-over narration◦ Action Settings for timings and non-linear paths

through content to turn PowerPoint into a more interactive experience

See http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/

When PowerPoint Doesn’t Cut It

Prezi – for the cool factorVoiceThread – for the interactive

and collaborative factorThere are literally dozens of

others! Vuvox, Animoto, PreZentit, you name it! http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Presentation+Tools

PreziEasy to sign up and get startedHelpful support videos:

http://prezi.com/support/Many available templates or strike out

on your ownUse the ability to zoom in or out to

create a creative pathway for your information

Example: http://prezi.com/bvgagrfkwa1d/leveraging-social-media-in-education/

VoiceThreadVoiceThreads are collaborative and

multifacetedCan be as simple as a few slides exported

from PowerPoint, but students can lend their voices to the presentation

Supports audio, text, or video posted either by you or students

Works well for projects, discussions, and debates

See example: http://voicethread.com/about/library/Using_VoiceThread_in_an_online_course_from_Professor_Russ_Meade/

Making Presentations AccessibleNo matter what, your

presentations have to be accessible to all students, even those with disabilities

Prezi, VoiceThread, and others may have limitations that make them unsuitable for users using screen readers or other assistive technologies

Alternative FormatsProvide lecture

notes as a written outline (Word, text – can be exported from your original presentation)

Use an accessible PowerPoint in addition or instead: http://webaim.org/techniques/powerpoint/

Thanks!Staci: atrekles@pnc.eduAlex: acrisw00@pnc.edu Twitter: @PNCOLThttp://pnc.edu/distance for all workshop notes, links, and training needs

ResourcesPresentation Zen: http://presentationzen.comMayer’s principles of multimedia learning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsI8h7qErc0

All about cognitive load theory: http://www.southalabama.edu/oll/mobile/theory_workbook/cognitive_load_theory.htm

Edward Tufte’s work on effective visuals: http://www.edwardtufte.com

Tutorial on accessible PowerPoints: http://webaccess.msu.edu/tutorials/accessible-powerpoints.html