PowerPoint has become widely used in instructional settings, particularly for large classes focused on information exchange rather than skill building. While it can engage learners visually and increase interactivity, PowerPoint risks becoming teacher-centered and reducing student activity and feedback. Effective uses of PowerPoint involve incorporating student response clickers for interaction, using slides as worksheets to guide student notes, and narrating presentations to avoid simply reading slides.

2. } Slide presentation software such as
PowerPoint has become an ingrained
part of many instructional settings,
particularly in large classes and in
courses more geared toward
information exchange than skill
development.
}

4. • Engaging multiple learning styles
• Increasing visual impact
• Improving audience focus
• Providing annotations and highlights
• Analyzing and synthesizing complexities
• Increasing spontaneity and interactivity
• Increasing wonder

5. CHALLENGE

6. • Teacher-centered.
• Lack of feedback.
• Student inactivity.
• Potentially reductive.
• Presentation graphics should be about
learning, not about presentation.
• PowerPoint presentations should help
students organize their notes, not just
“be” the notes.

7. Text-heavy
Some images
Image-heavy
Three Possible Approaches

9. PowerPoint Interactions: Student
Response "Clickers"
Classroom response systems can improve
students' learning by engaging them
actively in the learning process.
Learn more about how to use this system
in your own classes.

10. PowerPoint as
Worksheet

11. } The PowerPoint software itself includes
built-in functionality to record your audio
commentary.
} It is also possible to use AuthorPoint Lite,
a free software download, to take the
narrated PowerPoint presentation and
transform it all into a Flash video movie,
which plays in any Web browser.

13. v Avoid reading
v Dark screen
v Navigate slides smoothly

14. • Text size
• Avoid too much
text
• Contrast
• Template

15. } Change font
} Shapes
} Clip art
} Images
} Charts
} Tables
} Transitions
} Animations
} Animating text or chart

16. • Do not turn off all
lights
• Maintain eye
contact with
audience
• Vary your speaking
volume
• Do not read slides!
• Take slides off
screen when not
needed

18. The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint
Twenty minutes
Thirty-point font