CREATING EFFECTIVE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

By Tzvi Pittinsky

Advantages of PowerPoint

Helps organize lesson. Great for visual learners. Useful for textual analysis. Engaging graphics and animations. Interactive when coupled with Smart

Board.

However, recent research suggests limits to its effectiveness

Difficult for brain to process the same written and spoken information simultaneously.

Professor John Sweller of University of New South Wales says: "It is effective to speak to a diagram, because it presents information in a different form. But it is not effective to speak the same words that are written, because it is putting too much load on the mind and decreases your ability to understand what is being presented.“ (http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/powerpoint-presentations-a-disaster/2007/04/03/1175366240499.html)

PowerPoint Don’ts- By Comedian Don McMillan

PowerPoint Don’ts

To summarize:• Don’t just read everything that you will say

in class directly from the slides or make so many words that the

slide is hard to read because the font is so small.

• Avoid • Excessive • Bullet • Points• Don’t use bad color combinations.• Don’t overuse animations.

PowerPoint Dos

Do use text and graphics to make your point

PowerPoint Dos (continued)

Remember KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Use 1 Concept per slide.

Use Charts and Smart Art to help map out ideas.

Now let’s design our own PowerPoint Presentations

Task: Design a PowerPoint that you would use in class based on the guidelines above. Insert Graphics. Design a uniform color theme. Animations should be included.

Online Resources

http://learning.nd.edu/powerpoint/ http://www.educause.edu/e04/educause

2004speakerresources/2501 http://www.asha.org/about/events/conve

ntion/papers/ppt-info http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerp

oint/FX100648951033.aspx?CTT=96&Origin=CL100626991033