Jazzing Up Your Presentations
Anastasia Trekles, Ph.D.
Office of Learning Technology
The Tao of Presentations

There are many
people out there
with rules and ideas
about the “best”
presentation style;
see
http://www.presentat
ionzen.com
Rules of Thumb
Billboard test: print it out and drop it on
the floor – if you can still read it, you’re
good!
 No font smaller than 18 point
 Include full link URLs in any slide you are
giving out as handouts

More Rules of Thumb
High-contrast colors and graphics
 Don’t overdo graphics, but use them to
help you make a point
 Limit to one major concept per slide
 Create a presentation transcript or notes
for added accessibility

Education is Different


It’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 Theory


Consider 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 Goodie

There’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 factor
 VoiceThread – for the interactive and
collaborative factor
 There are literally dozens of others!
Vuvox, Animoto, PreZentit, you name it!
http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com
/Presentation+Tools

Prezi
Easy to sign up and get started
 Helpful support videos:
http://prezi.com/support/
 Many available templates or strike out on
your own
 Use the ability to zoom in or out to create a
creative pathway for your information
 Example:
http://prezi.com/bvgagrfkwa1d/leveragingsocial-media-in-education/

VoiceThread





VoiceThreads are collaborative and multifaceted
Can 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_Voice
Thread_in_an_online_course_from_Professor_R
uss_Meade/
Making Presentations Accessible


No 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 Formats
Provide 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/tec
hniques/powerpoint/

Thanks!
 Staci: atrekles@pnc.edu
 Alex: acrisw00@pnc.edu
 Twitter: @PNCOLT
 http://pnc.edu/distance
for all
workshop notes, links, and training
needs
Resources

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Presentation Zen: http://presentationzen.com
Mayer’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/accessiblepowerpoints.html