what is the importance of powerpoint presentation for students

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Find Out the Importance of PowerPoint Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint is a widespread instrument that is a part of the Microsoft Office 365 package. PowerPoint presentations enable students to learn complex and sophisticated concepts. In the present-day academic environment, teachers and students use this software as it allows creating engaging slideshows.

Are you willing to figure out the importance of a PowerPoint presentation? Let`s have a closer look at our detailed guide. PowerPoint enables users to share their presentations both online and offline. Either way, they help communicate important ideas in an attractive way. This instrument enables the speaker to interact with the target audience and convey his or her ideas and insights.

PowerPoint presentations have complex functionality. Thus, many people are wondering what makes this instrument better than its alternatives. The proficient PowerPoint presentation writers from  Fresh-Essay.com  have shared their observations about the PPT projects. Find them in our article.

Why PowerPoint Presentations Are Still Great?

Teachers and students use PowerPoint presentations in the classroom settings. They provide students with an opportunity to practice various language system areas. Students strengthen their vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and writing skills. Besides, students gain more confidence and good communication skills. Students, who managed to succeed in creating catchy presentations, are able to communicate their ideas in a clear way. This skill helps them in their workplace and personal life.

The skills obtained when working on PowerPoint presentations are useful both in and outside the classroom. A PPT project serves as a channel for sharing ideas and opinions with others. Moreover, it is a great opportunity to showcase the expertise in and awareness of the subject. Many students prefer this assignment as it enables them to expand on their understanding of various topics. A confident presenter has more chances to succeed in the career he or she is pursuing.

The Importance of PowerPoint Presentations: The Ease of Use

Although there are many alternative ways to create presentations, none of them can be compared to the ease of Microsoft PowerPoint. This instrument works fine both for students and teachers, who are not techno-friendly. If you try using this software, you will see that it is very simple and easy. In a couple of clicks of your mouse, you can add animation effects, choose correct formatting, as well as use the appropriate font. For users, who want to make their works more creative, advanced options are available.

High school, college, and university students can easily create PowerPoint presentations. Of course, high school students use simple templates and communicate ideas that are easy to understand. The university students use appropriate charts, diagrams, and tables to support their arguments.

On the web, one may find a lot of exemplary presentations, which can serve for boosting inspiration. Yet, only the authentic and original piece may bring you the best result. This means that you need to write it from scratch.

One more great benefit of PPTs is that one can see their positive effects on the student’s learning outcomes shortly. No matter what discipline you are studying, you need to work on a PowerPoint presentation task.

Choose Your Own Design When Creating a PowerPoint Presentation

Students like creating PPTs as they provide them with room for creativity. This means that you are free to control the visual appearance of your presentation. Since you are free to make your work customized to the subject you are working with, you can fix the important elements and use them the way you want.

If you have no time to create a personalized template, you can choose the most appropriate one on the web. There are a lot of websites with ready-made templates. No matter what the topic of your presentation is, you will find a suitable template that could help you uncover your ideas in the best way. When choosing a template for your presentation, make sure it is visually appealing. If your target audience gets bored, you will never receive positive feedback.

Flexibility and Content Sharing

If you are going to share your PPT online , you need to choose the time that will be convenient for your audience. You are free to upload your presentation on YouTube or any other platform. In addition to the text included on the slides, it is necessary to add your comments and recommendations. They have to ease understanding of your ideas for the audience. If you want to upload your presentation on YouTube, you need to click on the “File” and choose “Save and Send.” Then, you need to click on the “Create a Video” tab.

Depending on the purpose of a presentation, it can be text-heavy or image-heavy. Either way, you need to customize it to your needs, as well as the guidelines provided by your tutor. A text-heavy presentation is appropriate if you are willing to provide your audience with a great number of details related to the topic. For instance, it is possible to share the lecture material with the group to enable them to take notes. The image-heavy presentations are created in a conversational style since they provide the target audience with visual cues. You will be able to benefit from your PPT  if you manage to combine two approaches.

Let the Presenter View Help You

If you have to deliver an important presentation but you are unsure if you have done everything right, you can rely on the Presenter View. This option will enable you to practice your work before turning it in. This approach will help you fix all the logical flaws and inconsistencies.

Additional Tools

You already know that Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful instrument for creating eye-catching works. If you start using this software, you will receive access to myriads of options. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits you receive:

• It is easy to add personalized images and videos ;
• It allows using appropriate graphics;
• It helps present big projects to the audience;
• Various platforms support it;
• It can influence the target audience by different means;
• It helps establish eye contact with the audience;
• It allows highlighting the most significant aspects of the topic.

Whether you need to share important information with your audience or bring visual delight to the viewer, this software will help you reach your goals.

You may like or dislike working with PPTs. Nevertheless, they are powerful tools for sharing ideas and opinions with the audience. The importance of PowerPoint presentations is huge. It provides the individual with various tools for influencing people. This software provides its users with considerable advantages. Thus, it is reasonable to admit that this powerful tool will remain the key power broker in E-learning . Do you want to be a successful student? Practice your presentation-creating skills and achieve your goals!

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Quick 5 benefits of PowerPoint presentation in Education

Benefits of PowerPoint Presentation in Education: When it comes to teaching, every educator has their own methods. Some may thrive in a lecture setting, while others prefer an interactive environment where students can participate and ask questions. With many schools switching from traditional lectures to PowerPoint presentations, you might wonder which is best for your class. Which style of teaching is more beneficial for your students?

That answer will differ depending on your teaching style, the subject matter of your course, and how much interaction you want from your students. Both methods have pros and cons, but it largely depends on the class you’re teaching. If you’re still unsure which one is better for you and your students, keep reading to learn more about the benefits of PowerPoint presentations in education over traditional lecturing.

Table of Contents

Why use PowerPoint presentations?

PowerPoint presentations have become a staple of business meetings, but they can also be helpful in the classroom. For example, if your students are taking an English literature course and are reading a novel or poetry collection, using a PowerPoint presentation can make it easier to get through the material.

Students can focus on the author’s words while you move the PowerPoint slides to help them understand them. Unlike a traditional lecture, where one person speaks and everyone else listens, PowerPoint presentations allow for more interactive learning.

Students have the chance to respond to the material and learn from their peers, making the class more of a collaborative experience. PowerPoint presentations are also a great way to get students involved and engaged in the material. They can ask questions about the content and interact with one another during the presentation.

Even though you’re at the front of the classroom, PowerPoint can help you get the class involved. If you want to incorporate more visual aids into your course, PowerPoint presentations are a great way to do so. Some studies have shown that humans remember what they’ve seen more than what they’ve heard. Therefore, using PowerPoint presentations in the classroom could improve students’ retention and memory.

The benefits of using PowerPoint presentations in class

Using PowerPoint presentations in class has many benefits for educators and students. Primarily, it can help you save time. Instead of spending a large chunk of your class time lecturing, you can condense your information into a PowerPoint presentation, allowing you to move on to other concepts quickly.

It is also easy to share your PowerPoint presentations with your students outside of class, especially using cloud-based apps. You can also use your presentations to organize your thoughts and keep track of your course outline at a glance. PowerPoint presentations are a great way to incorporate visuals into your lessons, making concepts easier to grasp for students who learn better visually. Students can also use their laptops or computers to view your PowerPoint presentation, making it easy for them to follow along without having to be directly at your computer.

Please don’t give up if you’re struggling to stay focused in class because you find technology distractive. You can engage CustomWritings to help you learn the ropes. As a custom presentation writing service, it has specialized in helping struggling students catch up with the rest by providing high-quality projects, PPTs, speeches, and essays are written from scratch. They can handle PowerPoint presentations of all kinds and levels. Visit their website for inquiries and orders, and you won’t be disappointed.  

Benefits of PowerPoint Presentation in Education for Learners, Educators, and Schools

These days, when a student walks into a classroom, their expectations are high. They want to be engaged and feel like their time is well spent. They want to learn and get their money’s worth. The best way to do this is by using a PowerPoint presentation to engage them in the learning process.

A PowerPoint presentation is going to allow you to bring in visuals. This, in turn, will help you deliver a more interactive, hands-on lesson that will engage and excite your students. The best way to do this is by collaborating with your students and getting them to bring their creativity into the lesson. PowerPoints have also helped institutions lower operational costs. While the initial cost of acquiring the system, i.e., laptops, projectors, etc., can be high, schools save in the end through less printing, chalkboard paintings, etc. These are just a few advantages of PowerPoint presentations in education.

The importance of PowerPoint presentations for students in college

When students have an opportunity to contribute to the classroom in a meaningful way, they are more likely to feel empowered, invested, and engaged in the material. To make this happen, you will have to open the floor and allow your students to collaborate.

This is where a PowerPoint presentation can shine. It can help your students get hands-on with the material, allowing them to explore different ideas, take risks, and become critical thinkers. The best way to do this is by creating a collaborative workspace that will allow your students to partner up, explore their ideas, and contribute to the lesson in a meaningful way. Additionally, since most learners are addicted to technology, it is easier to grab their attention with PowerPoint presentations.

The Drawbacks of Using PowerPoint Presentations in Class

Although you can use PowerPoint presentations to save time and get your students more engaged in the material, there are a few drawbacks to keep in mind. If you don’t create a clear path for your students to follow, they may get lost. Make sure each slide has a clear, concise message. This can prevent students from getting distracted. Your students also need to know when they should be paying attention to you and when they should be viewing the PowerPoint presentation. This can be hard to manage and may cause students to miss important information.

The Drawbacks of Traditional Lectures for Students

Educators who prefer traditional teaching methods may wonder, “How does PowerPoint help students learn?” If you opt for the traditional lecture setting over a PowerPoint presentation, remember that this is not the most interactive teaching method.

If your students feel like they are sitting in darkness, they may feel disengaged and uninterested in the content, leaving them behind on tests and exams. Another drawback to traditional lectures is that you can’t quickly go back and review the information if a student misses it or needs a refresher. If you make notes on a projector or whiteboard, they are difficult to review after the fact.

Conclusion: Benefits of PowerPoint presentation in Education

Choosing the right style of teaching for your students can be difficult. Luckily, there are pros and cons to both the traditional lecture setting and PowerPoint presentations. When deciding which one is best for your classroom, consider your teaching style, the subject matter of your class, and the amount of interaction you want students to have.

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• Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning
• Instructional Guide

Teaching with PowerPoint

When effectively planned and used, PowerPoint (or similar tools, like Google Slides) can enhance instruction. People are divided on the effectiveness of this ubiquitous presentation program—some say that PowerPoint is wonderful while others bemoan its pervasiveness. No matter which side you take, PowerPoint does offer effective ways to enhance instruction when used and designed appropriately.

PowerPoint can be an effective tool to present material in the classroom and encourage student learning. You can use PowerPoint to project visuals that would otherwise be difficult to bring to class. For example, in an anthropology class, a single PowerPoint presentation could project images of an anthropological dig from a remote area, questions asking students about the topic, a chart of related statistics, and a mini quiz about what was just discussed that provides students with information that is visual, challenging, and engaging.

PowerPoint can be an effective tool to present material in the classroom and encourage student learning.

This section is organized in three major segments: Part I will help faculty identify and use basic but important design elements, Part II will cover ways to enhance teaching and learning with PowerPoint, and Part III will list ways to engage students with PowerPoint.

PART I: Designing the PowerPoint Presentation

Accessibility.

• Student accessibility—students with visual or hearing impairments may not be able to fully access a PowerPoint presentation, especially those with graphics, images, and sound.
• Use an accessible layout. Built-in slide template layouts were designed to be accessible: “the reading order is the same for people with vision and for people who use assistive technology such as screen readers” (University of Washington, n.d.). If you want to alter the layout of a theme, use the Slide Master; this will ensure your slides will retain accessibility.
• Use unique and specific slide titles so students can access the material they need.
• Consider how you display hyperlinks. Since screen readers read what is on the page, you may want to consider creating a hyperlink using a descriptive title instead of displaying the URL.
• All visuals and tables should include alt text. Alt text should describe the visual or table in detail so that students with visual impairments can “read” the images with their screen readers. Avoid using too many decorative visuals.
• All video and audio content should be captioned for students with hearing impairments. Transcripts can also be useful as an additional resource, but captioning ensures students can follow along with what is on the screen in real-time.
• Simplify your tables. If you use tables on your slides, ensure they are not overly complex and do not include blank cells. Screen readers may have difficulty providing information about the table if there are too many columns and rows, and they may “think” the table is complete if they come to a blank cell.
• Set a reading order for text on your slides. The order that text appears on the slide may not be the reading order of the text. Check that your reading order is correct by using the Selection Pane (organized bottom-up).
• Use Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker to identify potential accessibility issues in your completed PowerPoint. Use the feedback to improve your PowerPoint’s accessibility. You could also send your file to the Disability Resource Center to have them assess its accessibility (send it far in advance of when you will need to use it).
• Save your PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file to distribute to students with visual impairments.

Preparing for the presentation

• Consider time and effort in preparing a PowerPoint presentation; give yourself plenty of lead time for design and development.
• PowerPoint is especially useful when providing course material online. Consider student technology compatibility with PowerPoint material put on the web; ensure images and graphics have been compressed for access by computers using dial-up connection.

PowerPoint is especially useful when providing course material online.

• Be aware of copyright law when displaying course materials, and properly cite source material. This is especially important when using visuals obtained from the internet or other sources. This also models proper citation for your students.
• Think about message interpretation for PowerPoint use online: will students be able to understand material in a PowerPoint presentation outside of the classroom? Will you need to provide notes and/or other material to help students understand complex information, data, or graphics?
• If you will be using your own laptop, make sure the classroom is equipped with the proper cables, drivers, and other means to display your presentation the way you have intended.

Slide content

• Avoid text-dense slides. It’s better to have more slides than trying to place too much text on one slide. Use brief points instead of long sentences or paragraphs and outline key points rather than transcribing your lecture. Use PowerPoint to cue and guide the presentation.
• Use the Notes feature to add content to your presentation that the audience will not see. You can access the Notes section for each slide by sliding the bottom of the slide window up to reveal the notes section or by clicking “View” and choosing “Notes Page” from the Presentation Views options.
• Relate PowerPoint material to course objectives to reinforce their purpose for students.

Number of slides

• As a rule of thumb, plan to show one slide per minute to account for discussion and time and for students to absorb the material.
• Reduce redundant or text-heavy sentences or bullets to ensure a more professional appearance.
• Incorporate active learning throughout the presentation to hold students’ interest and reinforce learning.

Emphasizing content

• Use italics, bold, and color for emphasizing content.
• Use of a light background (white, beige, yellow) with dark typeface or a dark background (blue, purple, brown) with a light typeface is easy to read in a large room.
• Avoid using too many colors or shifting colors too many times within the presentation, which can be distracting to students.
• Avoid using underlines for emphasis; underlining typically signifies hypertext in digital media.

Use of a light background with dark typeface or a dark background with a light typeface is easy to read in a large room.

• Limit the number of typeface styles to no more than two per slide. Try to keep typeface consistent throughout your presentation so it does not become a distraction.
• Avoid overly ornate or specialty fonts that may be harder for students to read. Stick to basic fonts so as not to distract students from the content.
• Ensure the typeface is large enough to read from anywhere in the room: titles and headings should be no less than 36-40-point font. The subtext should be no less than 32-point font.

Clip art and graphics

• Use clip art and graphics sparingly. Research shows that it’s best to use graphics only when they support the content. Irrelevant graphics and images have been proven to hinder student learning.
• Photographs can be used to add realism. Again, only use photographs that are relevant to the content and serve a pedagogical purpose. Images for decorative purposes are distracting.
• Size and place graphics appropriately on the slide—consider wrapping text around a graphic.
• Use two-dimensional pie and bar graphs rather than 3D styles which can interfere with the intended message.

Use clip art and graphics sparingly. Research shows that it’s best to use graphics only when they support the content.

Animation and sound

• Add motion, sound, or music only when necessary. When in doubt, do without.
• Avoid distracting animations and transitions. Excessive movement within or between slides can interfere with the message and students find them distracting. Avoid them or use only simple screen transitions.

Final check

• Check for spelling, correct word usage, flow of material, and overall appearance of the presentation.
• Colleagues can be helpful to check your presentation for accuracy and appeal. Note: Errors are more obvious when they are projected.
• Schedule at least one practice session to check for timing and flow.
• PowerPoint’s Slide Sorter View is especially helpful to check slides for proper sequencing as well as information gaps and redundancy. You can also use the preview pane on the left of the screen when you are editing the PowerPoint in “Normal” view.
• Prepare for plan “B” in case you have trouble with the technology in the classroom: how will you provide material located on your flash drive or computer? Have an alternate method of instruction ready (printing a copy of your PowerPoint with notes is one idea).

PowerPoint’s Slide Sorter View is especially helpful to check slides for proper sequencing and information gaps and redundancy.

PowerPoint Handouts

PowerPoint provides multiple options for print-based handouts that can be distributed at various points in the class.

Before class: students might like having materials available to help them prepare and formulate questions before the class period.

During class: you could distribute a handout with three slides and lines for notes to encourage students to take notes on the details of your lecture so they have notes alongside the slide material (and aren’t just taking notes on the slide content).

After class: some instructors wait to make the presentation available after the class period so that students concentrate on the presentation rather than reading ahead on the handout.

Never: Some instructors do not distribute the PowerPoint to students so that students don’t rely on access to the presentation and neglect to pay attention in class as a result.

• PowerPoint slides can be printed in the form of handouts—with one, two, three, four, six, or nine slides on a page—that can be given to students for reference during and after the presentation. The three-slides-per-page handout includes lined space to assist in note-taking.
• Notes Pages. Detailed notes can be printed and used during the presentation, or if they are notes intended for students, they can be distributed before the presentation.
• Outline View. PowerPoint presentations can be printed as an outline, which provides all the text from each slide. Outlines offer a welcome alternative to slide handouts and can be modified from the original presentation to provide more or less information than the projected presentation.

The Presentation

Alley, Schreiber, Ramsdell, and Muffo (2006) suggest that PowerPoint slide headline design “affects audience retention,” and they conclude that “succinct sentence headlines are more effective” in information recall than headlines of short phrases or single words (p. 233). In other words, create slide titles with as much information as is used for newspapers and journals to help students better understand the content of the slide.

• PowerPoint should provide key words, concepts, and images to enhance your presentation (but PowerPoint should not replace you as the presenter).
• Avoid reading from the slide—reading the material can be perceived as though you don’t know the material. If you must read the material, provide it in a handout instead of a projected PowerPoint slide.
• Avoid moving a laser pointer across the slide rapidly. If using a laser pointer, use one with a dot large enough to be seen from all areas of the room and move it slowly and intentionally.

Avoid reading from the slide—reading the material can be perceived as though you don’t know the material.

• Use a blank screen to allow students to reflect on what has just been discussed or to gain their attention (Press B for a black screen or W for a white screen while delivering your slide show; press these keys again to return to the live presentation). This pause can also be used for a break period or when transitioning to new content.
• Stand to one side of the screen and face the audience while presenting. Using Presenter View will display your slide notes to you on the computer monitor while projecting only the slides to students on the projector screen.
• Leave classroom lights on and turn off lights directly over the projection screen if possible. A completely dark or dim classroom will impede notetaking (and may encourage nap-taking).
• Learn to use PowerPoint efficiently and have a back-up plan in case of technical failure.
• Give yourself enough time to finish the presentation. Trying to rush through slides can give the impression of an unorganized presentation and may be difficult for students to follow or learn.

PART II: Enhancing Teaching and Learning with PowerPoint

Class preparation.

PowerPoint can be used to prepare lectures and presentations by helping instructors refine their material to salient points and content. Class lectures can be typed in outline format, which can then be refined as slides. Lecture notes can be printed as notes pages  (notes pages: Printed pages that display author notes beneath the slide that the notes accompany.) and could also be given as handouts to accompany the presentation.

Multimodal Learning

Using PowerPoint can help you present information in multiple ways (a multimodal approach) through the projection of color, images, and video for the visual mode; sound and music for the auditory mode; text and writing prompts for the reading/writing mode; and interactive slides that ask students to do something, e.g. a group or class activity in which students practice concepts, for the kinesthetic mode (see Part III: Engaging Students with PowerPoint for more details). Providing information in multiple modalities helps improve comprehension and recall for all students.

Providing information in multiple modalities helps improve comprehension and recall for all students.

Type-on Live Slides

PowerPoint allows users to type directly during the slide show, which provides another form of interaction. These write-on slides can be used to project students’ comments and ideas for the entire class to see. When the presentation is over, the new material can be saved to the original file and posted electronically. This feature requires advanced preparation in the PowerPoint file while creating your presentation. For instructions on how to set up your type-on slide text box, visit this tutorial from AddictiveTips .  

Write or Highlight on Slides

PowerPoint also allows users to use tools to highlight or write directly onto a presentation while it is live. When you are presenting your PowerPoint, move your cursor over the slide to reveal tools in the lower-left corner. One of the tools is a pen icon. Click this icon to choose either a laser pointer, pen, or highlighter. You can use your cursor for these options, or you can use the stylus for your smart podium computer monitor or touch-screen laptop monitor (if applicable).  

Just-In-Time Course Material

You can make your PowerPoint slides, outline, and/or notes pages available online 24/7 through Blackboard, OneDrive, other websites. Students can review the material before class, bring printouts to class, and better prepare themselves for listening rather than taking a lot of notes during the class period. They can also come to class prepared with questions about the material so you can address their comprehension of the concepts.

PART III: Engaging Students with PowerPoint

The following techniques can be incorporated into PowerPoint presentations to increase interactivity and engagement between students and between students and the instructor. Each technique can be projected as a separate PowerPoint slide.

Running Slide Show as Students Arrive in the Classroom

This technique provides visual interest and can include a series of questions for students to answer as they sit waiting for class to begin. These questions could be on future texts or quizzes.

• Opening Question : project an opening question, e.g. “Take a moment to reflect on ___.”
• Think of what you know about ___.
• Turn to a partner and share your knowledge about ___.
• Share with the class what you have discussed with your partner.
• Focused Listing helps with recall of pertinent information, e.g. “list as many characteristics of ___, or write down as many words related to ___ as you can think of.”
• Brainstorming stretches the mind and promotes deep thinking and recall of prior knowledge, e.g. “What do you know about ___? Start with your clearest thoughts and then move on to those what are kind of ‘out there.’”
• Questions : ask students if they have any questions roughly every 15 minutes. This technique provides time for students to reflect and is also a good time for a scheduled break or for the instructor to interact with students.
• Note Check : ask students to “take a few minutes to compare notes with a partner,” or “…summarize the most important information,” or “…identify and clarify any sticking points,” etc.
• Questions and Answer Pairs : have students “take a minute to come with one question then see if you can stump your partner!”
• The Two-Minute Paper allows the instructor to check the class progress, e.g. “summarize the most important points of today’s lecture.” Have students submit the paper at the end of class.
• “If You Could Ask One Last Question—What Would It Be?” This technique allows for students to think more deeply about the topic and apply what they have learned in a question format.
• A Classroom Opinion Poll provides a sense of where students stand on certain topics, e.g. “do you believe in ___,” or “what are your thoughts on ___?”
• Muddiest Point allows anonymous feedback to inform the instructor if changes and or additions need to be made to the class, e.g. “What parts of today’s material still confuse you?”
• Most Useful Point can tell the instructor where the course is on track, e.g. “What is the most useful point in today’s material, and how can you illustrate its use in a practical setting?”

Positive Features of PowerPoint

• PowerPoint saves time and energy—once the presentation has been created, it is easy to update or modify for other courses.
• PowerPoint is portable and can be shared easily with students and colleagues.
• PowerPoint supports multimedia, such as video, audio, images, and

PowerPoint supports multimedia, such as video, audio, images, and animation.

Potential Drawbacks of PowerPoint

• PowerPoint could reduce the opportunity for classroom interaction by being the primary method of information dissemination or designed without built-in opportunities for interaction.
• PowerPoint could lead to information overload, especially with the inclusion of long sentences and paragraphs or lecture-heavy presentations with little opportunity for practical application or active learning.
• PowerPoint could “drive” the instruction and minimize the opportunity for spontaneity and creative teaching unless the instructor incorporates the potential for ingenuity into the presentation. 

As with any technology, the way PowerPoint is used will determine its pedagogical effectiveness. By strategically using the points described above, PowerPoint can be used to enhance instruction and engage students.

Alley, M., Schreiber, M., Ramsdell, K., & Muffo, J. (2006). How the design of headlines in presentation slides affects audience retention. Technical Communication, 53 (2), 225-234. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/43090718

University of Washington, Accessible Technology. (n.d.). Creating accessible presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint. Retrieved from https://www.washington.edu/accessibility/documents/powerpoint/  

Selected Resources

Brill, F. (2016). PowerPoint for teachers: Creating interactive lessons. LinkedIn Learning . Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/PowerPoint-tutorials/PowerPoint-Teachers-Create-Interactive-Lessons/472427-2.html

Huston, S. (2011). Active learning with PowerPoint [PDF file]. DE Oracle @ UMUC . Retrieved from http://contentdm.umuc.edu/digital/api/collection/p16240coll5/id/78/download

Microsoft Office Support. (n.d.). Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities. Retrieved from https://support.office.com/en-us/article/make-your-powerpoint-presentations-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-6f7772b2-2f33-4bd2-8ca7-ae3b2b3ef25

Tufte, E. R. (2006). The cognitive style of PowerPoint: Pitching out corrupts within. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press LLC.

University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Medicine. (n.d.). Active Learning with a PowerPoint. Retrieved from https://www.unmc.edu/com/_documents/active-learning-ppt.pdf

University of Washington, Department of English. (n.d.). Teaching with PowerPoint. Retrieved from https://english.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-powerpoint

Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching. (n.d.). Making better PowerPoint presentations. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/making-better-powerpoint-presentations/

Suggested citation

Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2020). Teaching with PowerPoint. In Instructional guide for university faculty and teaching assistants. Retrieved from https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide

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How a Simple Presentation Framework Helps Students Learn

Explaining concepts to their peers helps students shore up their content knowledge and improve their communication skills.

A few years ago, my colleague and I were awarded a Hawai‘i Innovation Fund Grant. The joy of being awarded the grant was met with dread and despair when we were informed that we would have to deliver a 15-minute presentation on our grant write-up to a room full of educational leaders. If that wasn’t intimidating enough, my colleague informed me that he was not going to be in Hawai‘i at the time of the presentation. I had “one shot,” just a 15-minute presentation to encapsulate all of the 17 pages of the grant I had cowritten, but how?

I worked hard to construct and deliver a presentation that was concise yet explicit. I was clear on the big picture of what the grant was composed of and provided a visual of it in practice. I made sure the audience understood the “why” behind the grant. I showed how it worked, the concrete elements of it, and how they made it successful. I finished with a scaffold that would help others know how to initiate it within their context, giving them the freedom to make it authentically their own.

I received good feedback from the presentation, and more important, what was shared positively impacted student learning in other classrooms across the state.

A Simple Framework for Presentations

That first presentation took me over a month to prepare, but afterward I noticed that my prep time for presentations shrank exponentially from a few months to a few (uninterrupted) days. Interestingly enough, as a by-product of creating the original presentation, I created an abstract framework that I have used for every professional learning presentation I have delivered since then. The “What, Why, How, and How-To” framework goes as follows:

• What? What can the audience easily connect to and know as a bridge to the unknown for the rest of the experience?
• Why? Why should they care to listen to (and learn from) the rest of the presentation? What’s in it for them to shift from passive listeners to actively engaged? The audience needs to know why you believe in this so much that you are compelled to share it.
• How? What are the key elements that make it unique? How is it effective in doing what it does? What are the intricacies of how it works?
• How-to? How could they start doing this on their own? How could this knowledge serve as a foundational springboard? Connect it to “why.”

Benefits for Students

One of the best parts of presentations is that they help the presenter to improve their communication skills. The presenter is learning how to give a presentation by doing it. To prepare a presentation, the presenter must know the intricate elements of what they are presenting and the rationale for their importance. In the presentation delivery, the presenter must be articulate and meticulous to ensure that everyone in the audience is able (and willing) to process the information provided.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that preparing and delivering presentations could provide a valuable learning opportunity for my students.

I recall teaching mathematical concepts whereby students would immediately apply knowledge learned to accomplish the task in silence and without any deeper questioning. Only after I asked them to provide presentations on these concepts did they regularly ask me, “Why is this important, again?” or “What makes this so special?” My students’ mathematical literacy grew through preparing presentations with the “What, Why, How, and How-To” framework, which supported them in their ability to demonstrate content knowledge through mathematical rigor (balancing conceptual understanding, skills and procedural fluency, and real-world application).

• The “what” served as the mathematical concept.
• The “why” demonstrated the real-world application of the concept.
• “The “how” demonstrated conceptual understanding of the concept.
• The “how-to” demonstrated skills and procedures of the concept. 

In addition to content knowledge, the sequential competencies of clarity, cohesiveness, and captivation ensured that the presenter could successfully share the information with their audience. When combined, these framed a rubric that supported students in optimizing their presentation deliveries. The competencies are as follows:

1. Content knowledge. The presenter must display a deep understanding of what they are delivering in order to share the “what, why, how, and how-to” of the topic.

2. Clarity. The presenter must be clear with precise, academic language. As the content they deliver may be new to the audience, any lack of clarity will alienate the audience. Providing multiple modes of representation greatly addresses a variety of processing needs of a diverse audience.

3. Cohesiveness. When making clear connections, the presenter bridges gaps between each discrete component in how they all work together as integral elements of the topic. Any gaps too large may make the elements look disjointed or, worse, the audience feel lost.

4. Captivation. The presenter must captivate the audience through any combination of audience engagement or storytelling . They make the presentation flow with the energy of a song , and in the end, they leave the audience with a delicate balance of feeling fulfilled and inspired to learn more.

Anyone can build an effective presentation with the “What, Why, How, and How-To” framework, along with competencies of content knowledge, clarity, cohesiveness, and captivation. The better we teach and coach others on how to create and deliver presentations, the more we learn from these individuals through their work.

In my class, one multilingual learner responded to the prompt “What are the non-math (life lessons) you have found valuable from this class?” with “I learn what is learning and teaching... I truly understood how teaching is actually learning when I had presentation. I found a bit of desire to being a teacher. I hope you also learned something from this class.” I always learn from my students when they present.

The Ultimate Guide to Effective Teacher Presentations: Strategies & Tips

Dianne Adlawan

Teachers, by nature, are considered professional presenters. Their main responsibility is to talk in front of their students to relay educational knowledge, sharpen their minds and skills, and even serve as a second guide alongside their parents. They also speak in front of parents, co-teachers, and school administrators. This just means that preparing for a presentation is already not new to them.

Still, teachers can become so comfortable with their presentation routine that their techniques turn into autopilot. The result of a repetitive task can become tiring and not challenging anymore which may result in students losing interest or attention span in the process.

The tips featured in this article are dedicated to these hard-working professionals. This will help them prepare and perform a better presentation in front of any type of audience.

Why You Should Prepare for a Presentation

• Preparation helps you build to structure your thoughts to create a well-organized presentation. By taking the time to prepare, you can decide what information is most important, plan the flow of the presentation, and make sure that everything is connected and easy to follow.
• Second, it allows you to think ahead of the questions that your audience might ask. Especially if you’re giving a presentation to a group of various audiences, who are curious about the topic at hand. By preparing in advance, you’ll be able to answer any questions they may have, which will not only increase their understanding but also boost your credibility as a teacher.
• Lastly, preparation helps you make the most of your time. Advanced preparation ahead of the presentation can ensure that you’re not wasting time trying to organize your thoughts at the last minute.

Effects of an Organized and Well-Planned Presentation

An audience engages with a speaker who knows their words and poses a confident attitude. While the projector may display clear and concise slides, the presenter is the main ingredient to every presentation.

For teachers, a well-planned lesson presentation helps the teacher maintain the attention and interest of their students, which is crucial for effective learning. Additionally, being organized and prepared will help teachers convey their ideas more effectively and it will help the teacher to feel more confident, which also impacts their teaching and in turn can help to build trust and rapport with their students.

Possible Outcomes of An Unprepared Presentation

Let’s suppose you haven’t allocated enough time to plan and prepare for an important presentation. What could be the potential outcomes?

• Increased Stress and Anxiety: Lack of preparation can lead to increased anxiety and stress, which can not only hinder your ability to deliver a convincing presentation but also hurt your mental health and work balance. It can cause a “mental block,” causing you to lose focus and concentration during your delivery.
• Poor Presentation Delivery: Without proper preparation, your presentation can appear scattered and disjointed. This can lead to an incoherent message that fails to convince your audience.
• Diminished credibility: Delivering an unprepared presentation can harm your reputation as a professional. It can portray you as disorganized and unreliable which could lead your colleagues or students to question your competence and reliability.

Effective Visual and Content Organization Tips

Consider this as the first stage towards an effective teacher presentation. Before moving on to improving your verbal communication cues, let’s enhance first your presentation visuals and content.

Visual Tips

1. add powerpoint animations and different media.

Establishing an attractive slideshow is one of the keys to a successful presentation. This will put a good impression on your audience that you’re prepared just by seeing how well-designed your presentation is. Of course, images add to slideshow attraction, but consider adding another forms of media such as GIFs and videos, as well as animations! Microsoft PowerPoint has a lot of fun & captivating features that you may not be aware of. Check out this example of an easy yet appealing Slide Zoom trick in PowerPoint that you can add to your presentation to wow your audience.

@classpoint.io Did someone say FREE??? Yes, we did. Here are free websites to help you upgrade your next PowerPoint presentation! 😎 #powerpoint #presentation #design #studytok #edutok #tutorial #tipsandtricks #ai ♬ original sound – r & m

Read Next: Make Your Presentations POP With This PowerPoint Animation Template

2. Use Readable Font Styles

Make sure to use the best font style that makes your presentation look sleek, readable, and won’t strain your audience’s eyes while reading. We all want to use a fancy font, trust me, I get it. But most of the time, simplicity is beauty, especially if you’re presenting a professional-looking slideshow. Font styles such as Poppins, Tahoma, Verdana, Montserrat, and Helvetica are great examples of font styles that screams simple yet professional to look at.

On the other hand, font styles such as Bradley Hand, Comic Sans, and Chiller are not ideal choices as they are not meant to captivate your audience’s eyes. And another tip is to stick to two or three fonts only!

3. Use Relevant Graphics

Selecting graphics for designing your presentation depends on your audience and the goals you aim to achieve with the presentation. For example, if you are presenting in front of students and your goal is to keep them engaged, motivated, and actively participating, then you might consider incorporating charts, tables, and relevant shapes into your design.

It’s important to remember that your presentation design should align with the theme of your topic.

Free Websites to Upgrade your Presentation Graphics:

• Craiyon. com
• The Noun Project

4. Use Audience Engagement tools to Activate Learning

Want the quickest solution to an engaged audience? Well, it’s audience interactive activities! Adding interactive activities to your presentation can help keep your audience engaged and interested. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use ClassPoint, an audience engagement tool added right into PowerPoint presentations.

With ClassPoint, you no longer need to worry about strategies to keep your students engaged, as this tool transforms PowerPoint into a teacher presentation tool with a teacher toolbelt and student quizzes , polls, and games that make presentations more fun & engaging.

By combining ClassPoint with your presentation techniques, you can focus solely on setting up your lesson content in PowerPoint and allow ClassPoint to handle the rest for achieving a learning-activated presentation lesson .

🔍 Learn more about ClassPoint, the teacher add-in for better lessons & student engagement 👍

5. Use a Laser Pointer

Help focus your audience attention by using a laser pointer!

With the help of a laser pointer device, teachers are able to attract the attention of their audiences and concentrate on essential points in their presentations. Highlighting these main ideas and terms assists the speaker in organizing their speech, preventing distraction, and increasing retention of the information presented.

You can use a physical laser pointer & clicker, or with the addition of ClassPoint into PowerPoint, presenters can easily turn their cursor into a laser or a spotlight . This can make it even easier for students to follow along and is a convenient tool for creating a more captivating teacher presentation.

Secret tip: if you write on your slide with the laser, it will leave disappearing ink! 🪄

Content Tips

1. research and fact-check your presentation.

As educators, it is crucial to equip ourselves with reliable and accurate information before presenting to our students. We have a responsibility to not only educate them but to also mold them into critical thinkers who are equipped with factual knowledge. Without thorough fact-checking, we risk disseminating misinformation and hindering their intellectual growth.

To avoid such situations, we must prioritize research and fact-checking before presenting any information. Conducting research helps us not only in finding accurate information but also in ensuring that the sources we use are reliable and credible. Moreover, taking the time to fact-check demonstrates our commitment to providing students with high-quality education and the desire to create a safe and accurate learning environment.

2. Be Prepared to Anticipate Questions during the Presentation

It is important to be well-prepared for a presentation especially anticipating and addressing questions. This applies particularly to a teacher presentation, as educators face varied expectations and questions. Adequate preparation allows you to organize ideas and justifications, and it can deepen understanding, boost confidence, and improve adaptability. Addressing questions, makes your audiences feel heard and appreciated. This will result in comprehensive presentations, enhanced confidence, improved information flow, and an atmosphere of respect and understanding.

A great & visual way you can elaborate, or explain your material in new ways, is by using ClassPoint’s whiteboard tools added to PowerPoint. ClassPoint’s added toolbar presents teachers with unlimited whiteboard slides they can open whenever they need, and user-friendly yet comprehensive pen tools with available shapes, and text boxes. Plus you can also use ClassPoint’s quick poll or other question types to assess students’ understanding with hard data & insights.

Addressing questions well makes your audience or students feel heard & appreciated leading to improved learning, enhanced confidence, and a respectful, safe learning environment.

3. Provide an Outline Structure of your Content

When you are preparing your presentation, it is best to first create an effective outline structure that will guide your presentation flow and help you focus on the main learning objective. But what you may not be doing, is offering that outline structure to your students, but you should!

Providing students with a clear understanding of what this lesson is about, the structure of the lesson, and what they will be able to take away from it is important. By doing so, you can help students stay focused and follow along with the material. Additionally, you are setting expectations and ensuring that everyone is on the same page, which can help promote student autonomy. So, include an outline at the start of your presentation lesson.

Step-by-Step Strategies for a Successful Presentation

Before presentation, know your audience, your students, or observers.

Once you have completed your deck, you may want to add a guide script and any additional notes with important points you don’t want to forget or you want to highlight in your presentation to impress your students .

Practice your presentation delivery/lesson

Practice delivering your presentation give you a chance to fine-tune your content and get your facts down. This will help you become more comfortable with the material and identify areas that need improvement. You can practice in front of a mirror, record yourself and watch it back, or even rehearse with a colleague or friend. When practicing, pay attention to your posture, tone of voice, and pacing. By doing so, you’ll be able to deliver a confident and engaging presentation that will captivate your audience.

Use a friendly tone of voice and pace

Adjust your tone to match your message, and avoid speaking too quickly so that your audience will get the chance to absorb the information you’re sharing. By being mindful of these aspects, you will capture your audience’s attention and leave them feeling informed and inspired.

Use engaging body language

Body language is essential for engaging your audience during a presentation. Stand up straight, make eye contact, and use hand gestures to emphasize important points. You can also move around the classroom to keep your students’ attention. By using engaging body language, you’ll be able to convey your message more effectively and keep your students interested throughout the presentation. You’ve got this!

During Presentation

Create an icebreaker.

Having an icebreaker is a warm-up for your students’ brains, allowing you to focus and engage with the material being presented. It also helps break down any barriers or tension between the presenter and the audience, making for a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, an icebreaker provides an opportunity for the presenter to showcase their creativity and personality, adding an extra level of excitement and engagement to the presentation.

Good thing that ClassPoint has numerous features to help you perform an entertaining and unforgettable icebreaker. Here are some examples that you can use during an icebreaker.

• Quick Poll : Quick Poll allows you to create interactive polls right inside your presentation. When used as an icebreaker, it can engage the audience, initiate discussions, and provide valuable insights that help tailor the content to participants’ preferences.
• Word Cloud: Presenters can ask thought-provoking questions related to the topic or general interest. Using Word Cloud, the audiences can answer through their mobile which can be instantly seen as collective responses, with the most frequently mentioned words appearing larger.
• Short Answer : In short answer, you can challenge your audiences’ thought process in a short-form writing activity with no options to get from to test their ability to understand.
• Image Upload : Using single image, audiences can interpret what they feel like, or their mood using only the photos in their gallery or surroundings. A creative yet fun way for an icebreaker!

Speak clearly

Effective communication is crucial when presenting important information to students. Speaking clearly helps ensure that students understand the concepts being taught and follow instructions effectively. As a teacher, it’s important to focus on clear speech to promote effective communication and help your students comprehend the material being presented.

Pay attention to your audience’s attention

Since distractions are aplenty, attention spans are dwindling, it’s important for presenters to captivate their audience’s attention right from the beginning. For teachers, when speaking in front of your class, you should not only focus on the content of your presentation but also on your students’ attention.

To ensure that your students won’t start drifting away or zoning out, start with a compelling opening that immediately grabs their attention. Use vivid storytelling, examples, or demonstrations to engage your students and drive home your message. Don’t forget the power of humor, and never be afraid to be yourself – authentic, passionate, and confident.

Add Personality: share short relatable stories

“A great personality makes everyone feel energized; just like a flower’s fragrance that freshens ups the complete surrounding.” 29 Personality Quotes to Achieve Greatness

As to what is stated in the quote, having a positive and vibrant personality affects the overall mood of your surrounding, it can capture the audience’s attention and maintain their interest throughout the presentation. While the ultimate goal is to deliver a presentation rich with new learnings and knowledge, adding humor can do no harm to lift up the mood in the room. You might want to start by segueing a short story that your students can relate to and make interactions by encouraging them to share a story too or ask questions.

Post-Presentation Reflection

Take the comments by heart.

Receiving feedback from your students is a great way for evaluating the efficacy of a teacher presentation. This can help you identify areas where you can improve and tailor your teaching tactics to better suit the needs of your students. Listening to your students’ feedback can also promote a feeling of cooperation and enable them to become more actively involved in the learning experience. So, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and take it to heart in order to continually improve your presentations.

Experienced educators understand that they are perpetually crafting their skills, and feedback from their audience brings an opportunity for professional advancement. In addition, accepting audience feedback illustrates esteem and worth for the students’ views. It promotes a feeling of cooperation and enables students to become more actively involved in the learning experience.

Preparing for a presentation is essential for teachers to deliver engaging and impactful content to their students. By structuring thoughts, anticipating questions, and preparing ahead, teachers can achieve a well-organized presentation that will enhance the students’ understanding and leave them feeling confident.

By following our strategies and tips teachers can achieve successful lessons using PowerPoint presentations. And, with the help of an advanced educational technology tool like ClassPoint, teachers can create dynamic and memorable presentations that their students will enjoy and actively participate in.

Try out ClassPoint today and experience a whole teacher presentation in PowerPoint! ✨

About Dianne Adlawan

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Microsoft PowerPoint: How to Use It to Teach

Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful teaching tool and this is how it can help your classroom

Recent updates

This article was updated in October 2023

Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful slide-based presentation tool that can be used by teachers and students as a way of communicating digitally. This comes as part of the Microsoft Office 365 package so, if your institution uses that, you may already have access to this power tool.

This lets you create presentations from scratch or -- helpfully -- using templates that allow you to input the data you need to end up with a professional finish, fast. Since the software is cloud-based, it can allow you to jump between devices while working on a single project that's also easy to access and share.

Of course there is some very direct competition from Google, which is free. So can Microsoft justify the price that goes with its PowerPoint tool?

Read on to find out everything you need to know about Microsoft PowerPoint for education.

• Best Digital Tools for Teachers
• What is Google Classroom?

What is Microsoft PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint is a slideshow presentation tool; in fact, it was one of the first and is still one of the most famous and widely used. Mainly aimed at business use, PowerPoint is crammed full of powerful features.

For schools already using the Microsoft ecosystem of software, this is a very easy tool to integrate and allows for simple sharing of presentations with students, other teachers, and parents. Go beyond the Microsoft world though and that can become more difficult unless you're using the online specific version of PowerPoint, as opposed to the more feature-rich full software – but more on that in the cost section below.

Microsoft PowerPoint can be used from scratch but also offers a broad library of templates that allow for quick and easy construction of presentations with a high-quality finish. That means the end result can be more engaging and can take far less time and effort to create, both for teachers and students.

Collaboration, in real-time, is also an option in the case of the online version of PowerPoint, making this useful as a place for students to work together even when physically distanced.

What's new in Microsoft PowerPoint?

In recent months Microsoft has announced a slew of updates. This is nothing new, but for education specifically, these are the points that are of interest. 

Microsoft had added an enhanced Teleprompter view in Recording Studio. This includes an auto scroll feature that allows teachers to easily refer to a script while keeping eye contact in the video recording.

Tasks are a new addition to PowerPoint, which allow teachers to annotate points on student work, so as to assign an action for them to carry out in their work.

Reactions are a useful new feature that let you react to something without having to type words -- letting students know you've seen it, without opening up more dialogue or costing you time.

How does Microsoft PowerPoint work?

Microsoft PowerPoint follows the layout you may have experienced before in Word or Excel. You start with a selection of template options, or a blank start, which brings you into the editing mode. This has the slides down the left of the screen with a larger central part showing the current slide. Above that are the options in word and icon formats.

Editing is very easy, as when you select a section of the slide, that element will then be available to customize with prompts popping up to help. Drag-and-drop is also an option for moving items about or adding images into your slides, for example.

So the basic use of Microsoft PowerPoint is simple enough, however, there are lot of options. This could be daunting except Microsoft offers plenty of support so you can dive into those options to explore more. The Microsoft 365 support center has how-to articles, step-by-step video tutorials, an active community forum, and even a 24/7 live chat support team.

Once you're happy with your presentation, you can share it using a simple link, or you can present it to the class in the room or digitally by simply hitting the play icon. This also lets you see one screen, behind the scenes if you like, while the students just see the slides as each comes up – ideal if you want to keep notes and answers hidden.

What are the best Microsoft PowerPoint features?

Microsoft PowerPoint ease of use makes it a great tool for education. The ability to drag and drop images, music, video, files, and more into the slide and have the software do the work of converting and fitting it is an often underrated feature.

Collaboration is a great feature that allows students to work together on projects. Since students can see one another's changes, live, they don't need to be in the same room or in communication to work effectively together. Of course, having a bit of a plan of who does what also helps avoid any overlap.

Thanks to the wide use of Microsoft tools, there is a broad array of devices on which PowerPoint will work, from desktop computers and laptops to tablets and smartphones. It also plays nice with lots of projectors and smartboards, making presentations in varying locations an easy option, all using digital content stored in the cloud.

Microsoft PowerPoint offers great 3D support, making it a useful tool for sharing images, renders, and more. From physical objects in design or science class to virtual interactive maps, there's lots you can integrate into a Microsoft PowerPoint slide.

How much does Microsoft PowerPoint cost?

Microsoft charges for PowerPoint in varying ways, including a free option.

The Office 365 A1 plan gets you a host of online (slightly limited) versions of the apps, including PowerPoint, for free . This also comes with Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, and more.

Step up to the Office 365 A3 plan , at $3.25 per user per month for staff or $2.50 per student , and you get all the above. You also get access to the full desktop apps as well as additional management and security tools.

Go for the top Office 365 A5 plan and it's $8 per user per month for staff and $6 per student . This gets you all the above plus "best-in-class intelligent security management", advanced compliance and analytics systems. 

Microsoft PowerPoint Best Tips and Tricks

Work together Create a project on the big screen, as a class, to work out how to use the software and work through any issues as a class.

Collaborate Set up groups for projects and have them work collaboratively to see how this tool can function across the cloud to enhance teamwork and the end results.

Try templates Encourage students to work with the templates to find ways to expressing what they need in the most time efficient way possible.

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Luke Edwards is a freelance writer and editor with more than two decades of experience covering tech, science, and health. He writes for many publications covering health tech, software and apps, digital teaching tools, VPNs, TV, audio, smart home, antivirus, broadband, smartphones, cars and much more.

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Does PowerPoint Improve Student Learning?

The Rationality of Science

PowerPoint is used in countless classrooms. For many teachers and instructors, PowerPoint is a staple in their programs. Electronic presentation software—most notably PowerPoint—has had a big impact on education. I use PowerPoint and other strategies when teaching. There are advocates and critics of PowerPoint. With the use of PowerPoint being so prevalent, it is important to consider what qualities make it a strong educational tool. Informal and formal surveys indicate most students report that they prefer PowerPoint to more traditional classroom lectures that include whiteboard methods, overhead transparencies, handouts, and writing on the chalkboard. Does the preference for PowerPoint mean teachers should rely mostly on PowerPoint for teaching? Does the use of PowerPoint have a positive impact on student learning?

We can ask instructors their opinions on electronic presentation software and come up with a range of answers. The answers can be used to form questions and help in guiding future research. However, the answers shouldn’t be categorized as evidence. The instructors are all subject to conscious and unconscious biases. There are many uncontrolled factors occurring during the learning process, so attributing an outcome to a single factor is problematic. Let’s look at what science says about PowerPoint and learning.

The Science Says

A meta-analysis (which combines the results of similar studies) of forty-eight studies was conducted to determine if students learn more when taught the same information using PowerPoint compared to a more traditional instruction (Baker et al. 2018). Results showed that on average, there was no difference in students’ learning based on the type of instruction they received. However, K-12 students’ learning increased with PowerPoint instruction, but this effect did not occur for college students. The researchers concluded focus shouldn’t be on strictly comparing the absence or presence of PowerPoint but should be focused on how instructors can use features of PowerPoint to improve student learning.  

Some researchers suggest that using PowerPoint can affect subjective student perceptions of learning; they may report they learned more even when testing shows they didn’t. Apperson et al. (2006) collected data from college students in ten different classes across four academic areas. Courses were taught using the chalkboard and transparencies one semester and the same course using PowerPoint the following semester. The same textbook, exams, and lecture materials were presented for both semesters. Students taking PowerPoint courses are more likely to report better focus on course content, report the instructor did a good job at keeping their attention and that PowerPoint improves student learning. Overall, they rated the instructor more positively and were likely to say they would take another course from the same instructor. Students felt that the class was better and more beneficial overall, but there was no significant difference in average grades between those taking PowerPoint and non-PowerPoint classes.

In another study, researchers compared learning between psychology students in classes using either overhead transparencies or PowerPoint (Susskind 2008) The instructor taught one class using a traditional lecture format that included overhead transparencies; the other class was taught using computerized PowerPoint. Researchers found no difference in exam scores based on whether the information was presented on overhead transparencies or PowerPoint. However, students preferred the PowerPoint class; they reported the instructor was more effective, that they took better notes, and the material was easier to understand. It is common for students to feel like they have learned more and enjoy the course more when using PowerPoint even if their grades do not reflect this.

In another study, three methods of instruction in addition to lecture were compared: chalkboard and lecture, overhead transparencies and lecture, presentation software and lecture (Beets and Lobinger 2001). The same content was presented in each course and presented by the same instructor. The results indicated no significant difference in quiz or exam scores. However, in a survey conducted at the end of the course, students reported they preferred the presentation software. Most research shows nonsignificant differences in learning between those being exposed to PowerPoint and those using more traditional methods. However, there is some research showing slight differences in scores between students who are taught with PowerPoint versus other methods of teaching.

In one study, researchers examined the effect of using different visual and auditory features of the software presentation on student learning. Students were exposed to overhead transparencies, PowerPoint slides containing only text, and PowerPoint slides that included pictures, sound effects, and variations in text characteristics (Bartsch and Cobern 2003). The results indicated there was no difference between transparency and text-only PowerPoints, but students scored about 10 percent lower on quizzes assessing content presented with the elaborate PowerPoint slides. The findings from this study bring up an important topic not often discussed: PowerPoints vary in their design, and this variation can have effects on learning. Some PowerPoints may be designed in a manner that leads students to focus too much on graphics or other features that may take away from a focus on the main points.

Some studies have found positive effects associated with PowerPoint instruction. Erwin and Rieppi (2000) studied college students distributed over two sections each of abnormal psychology, statistics, and a development course. In one section of each course an instructor used PowerPoint and in the other section the instructor used non-PowerPoint (various modes with no restrictions on which technology was used were also taught). PowerPoint sections scored higher on the exams for all three classes. Critics point out this study consisted of methodology flaws: there was no standardization of content in the courses, course were taught by six different instructors who developed their own content, teachers were aware of the varying conditions (which could influence expectancy effects), and the PowerPoint sections included an interactive component that was not included with the non-PowerPoint sections. Any of these uncontrolled factors could influence the outcome. Other studies have also found small PowerPoint effects (positive impact of PowerPoint versus other modes), but critics are fast to point out the effects are usually small and the research methods are generally flawed.

Science says there is little difference between learning outcomes in those receiving PowerPoint instruction and those receiving other types of instruction. There is research showing positive and negative outcomes as a result of being exposed to PowerPoint. PowerPoints can be used alongside other modes of teaching.

PowerPoint Design

In general, students prefer PowerPoints to other modes of teaching, and they feel as if they are learning more; a positive experience for students is important. Positive experiences can lead to positive expectations, which can benefit students.

It is important to distinguish good from bad PowerPoints. Although standard rules for what makes a good PowerPoint or bad PowerPoint are lacking, there are some general guidelines that are recommended. Slides that contain key information should stand out; they could be bold or consist of a different font or a different graphic. Slides shouldn’t consist of too much information; bullet points work but the information doesn’t necessarily have to be presented as bullet points (information should be easy to read and not excessive). PowerPoints should present information that can relate to what the learner already knows; this allows strong memory connections.

How can learners make the best use of PowerPoint? If you have access to PowerPoint, review the PowerPoint ahead of time. A lot of instructors place the PowerPoints online, so printing the slides and bringing them to class is recommended. A big advantage of having a hard copy of the slides is you can take additional notes; you don’t have to spend all your time writing what is on the slides.

Research on the effectiveness of PowerPoint should continue to compare PowerPoint to different teaching strategies. Researchers should strive to develop standard guidelines for designing effective PowerPoints. Current research doesn’t often distinguish between good and bad design, and these differences are important to developing models that can maximize the benefits of PowerPoint.    

Apperson, J.M., et al. 2006. The impact of presentation graphics on students’ experience in the classroom. Computers and Education 47: 116–128.  

Baker, J.P. et al. 2018. Does teaching with PowerPoint increase students’ learning? A meta-analysis. Computers & Education 126: 376–387.

Bartsch, R.A., and K.M. Cobern. 2003. Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. Computers & Education 41: 77–86.   

Beets, S.D., and P.G. Lobinger. 2001. Pedagogical techniques: Student performance and preferences. Journal of Education for Business 76: 231–235.   

Erwin, T.D., and R. Rieppi. 2000. Comparing multimedia and traditional approaches in undergraduate psychology classes. Teaching of Psychology 26: 58–61.

Susskind, J.E. 2008. Limits of PowerPoint’s power: Enhancing students’ self-efficacy and attitudes but not their behavior. Computers & Education 50: 1228–1239.

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9 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Students

Create classroom presentations worthy of an 'A'

• Brock University

Making effective classroom presentations takes practice. When you follow a few PowerPoint presentation tips for students, you'll be up to the challenge. These presentation tips refer to PowerPoint slides (all versions) and can be applied to any type of slide presentation.

Plan Your Slide Layout

Make your slides easy to follow. Put the title at the top where your audience expects to find it. Phrases should read left to right and top to bottom. Keep important information near the top of the slide. Often the bottom portions of slides cannot be seen from the back rows because heads are in the way.

Avoid Fancy Fonts

Choose a font that is simple and easy to read, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Verdana. You may have a really cool font on your computer, but save it for other uses. Often, fancy fonts aren't easy to read on a screen and distract more than anything.

Don't use more than two different fonts , one for headings and another for content. Keep all fonts large enough (at least 18 pt and preferably 24 pt) so that people at the back of the room can easily read the text.

Use Contrasting Colors for Text and Background

Dark text on a light background is best. This combination offers the most visibility. Sometimes, though, you may want a dark background for effect, to dazzle the crowd. In that case, make the text a light color for easy reading in a classroom presentation.

Text is often difficult to read on patterned or textured backgrounds. Keep the color scheme consistent throughout your classroom presentation.

Keep Slide Design Consistent With a Theme

When you use a design theme, choose one that won't detract from your classroom presentation. Also, keep the slide design consistent with that theme. Test it ahead of time to make sure that the text is readable and that the graphics don't get lost in the background.

Use Footnotes to Add Information

Adding footnotes to the slides in a PowerPoint presentation allows you to document the sources of information you used in your research, just as you would if you were turning in a research paper. Use footnotes to cite quotes and statistics or to add extra details related to the text on the slide.

Print Out Speaker Notes

Reading a PowerPoint presentation in front of a class can be nerve-wracking. Printing your slides with speaker notes allows you to have thumbnails, text, and written notes, if you wish, so you can read along with the slides and add pertinent information. You can also use the printed slides as handouts for the class. Alternatively, you might want to add a voiceover to the slideshow to avoid speaking in class altogether.

Run a Presentation Unattended

There might be times when you want the slideshow to run on its own in a continuous loop, such as part of a science fair presentation. Using the Browsed at Kiosk setting when setting up the presentation lets you show the presentation unattended.

Use Animations and Transition Effects Sparingly

Who doesn't love to apply animations, transitions , or GIFs to a presentation? Going overboard with these elements can be entertaining, but rarely will the audience be paying attention to the message of the presentation. The slideshow is a visual aid and not the objective of the classroom presentation.

Convert PowerPoint Shows to Google Slides

Schools often use the Google suite of productivity applications, such as Google Slides, in the classroom. If you have PowerPoint at home, you can use it to create a presentation and share it with your teacher or others using Google Slides.

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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

Keep reading

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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The Importance of Microsoft PowerPoint for Students

Importance of microsoft powerpoint.

Students frequently utilize Microsoft PowerPoint , an effective presenting software program, for a variety of academic purposes. This program has been established for more than 20 years and is now a necessary component of academic life.

For various academic assignments, including group projects, research projects, reports, and term papers, PowerPoint presentations are helpful.

It is impossible to exaggerate the value of Microsoft PowerPoint for students. There are a number of features in this software that make it a great tool for pupils.

Some of the main advantages of utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint as a student are listed below:

Organizing and Presenting Information

Students can arrange and present material in a clear and simple manner with the use of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

It enables them to communicate intricate information in an approachable way. For instance, students can use PowerPoint to show their study findings to their peers and lecturers after summarizing them.

Enhancing Creativity

Students can show their creativity in presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint. Students can incorporate photographs, movies, and other multimedia elements into their presentations using the software. This not only adds creativity to the project but also makes the presentation more engaging.

Collaborating with Others

Collaboration among students is also made simple via PowerPoint presentations. Students can use PowerPoint, for instance, when working on a group assignment to discuss ideas and collaborate on building a strong presentation. This enables students to collaborate without having to be present in the same place physically.

Practicing Public Speaking

Additionally, PowerPoint presentations offer students the chance to improve their public speaking abilities. Students may enhance their public speaking abilities and acquire confidence in their capacity to express their thoughts by presenting their work in front of their peers and lecturers.

Saving Time

Additionally saving time for pupils is PowerPoint presentations. Students can use Microsoft PowerPoint to construct a visually appealing presentation that highlights their findings rather than spending hours writing out a report. Time is saved, and the audience has easier access to the information as a result.

Accessing Resources

Access to online resources is another benefit of Microsoft PowerPoint. A PowerPoint presentation can be improved with the help of various web tools. This contains pictures, movies, and other types of multimedia content that can be used to enhance the presentation.

3 Benefits of Microsoft PowerPoint

Three main advantages of utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint are as follows:

• Visual aids: PowerPoint’s capacity to produce aesthetically beautiful presentations is one of its key advantages. You may use PowerPoint to convey complex ideas to your audience and keep them interested by using pictures, charts, graphs, and other visual aids. This will help your audience remember what you say during presentations and increase their effectiveness.
• Customization: You can modify your presentations in PowerPoint to meet your needs. You can either make your own unique design or select from a variety of templates and themes. To improve and engage your audience, you can also use audio and video clips, animations, and other special effects.
• Organization and structure: PowerPoint can also assist you in structuring and organizing your presentation. With PowerPoint, you can simply organize your presentation into sections and subsections, establish a clear structure for it, and reorder or alter your slides as necessary. By doing so, you can make sure your presentation is logical and ordered and maintain focus and direction.

For students, Microsoft PowerPoint is a crucial tool. It is a potent presentation tool that aids students in effectively organizing and presenting material.

Additionally, it improves creativity, enables group cooperation, offers chances for public speaking practice, saves time, and gives students access to online resources. Due to these advantages, PowerPoint is a useful tool for students in various educational institutions, from secondary school to graduate school .

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who created powerpoint.

Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin of the software start-up Forethought, Inc. invented PowerPoint. PowerPoint’s initial development started in 1984, and the first Macintosh computer version was published in 1987.

How many types of PowerPoint are there?

Microsoft PowerPoint has been released in 3 stages over the years. 1. PowerPoint for Mac 2. PowerPoint for Windows 3. PowerPoint for the Web

Harish Lakra is a software engineer and app reviewer who has a passion for exploring the latest technology trends. He is known for his in-depth and insightful reviews of various software and apps, which he shares on his website lakrastech.com.

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Harish Lakra is a software engineer and app reviewer who has a passion for exploring the latest technology trends. He is known for his in-depth and insightful reviews of various software and apps, which he shares on his website lakrastech.com .

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• v.29(4); 2019 Dec

The Impact of Supplementing PowerPoint with Detailed Notes and Explanatory Videos on Student Attendance and Performance in a Physiology Module in Medicine

Mohammed h. abdulla.

1 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

Eleanor O’Sullivan

2 Department of Oral Surgery, Cork University Dental School and Hospital, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

PowerPoint is widely used in higher education with reported advantages on student learning. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of detailed notes and videos as a supplement to PowerPoint slides on student attendance and performance. First-year medical students’ opinion on whether the supplementary material assisted their learning of Physiology in addition to demographics was collected in a survey. Attendance was similar for participants who used notes and videos to those who did not, for male vs. female and for participants from biomedical vs. non-biomedical backgrounds. However, within the non-biomedical cohort, attendance of male respondents was significantly higher (95 ± 3 vs. 81 ± 6%, P  < 0.05), although both groups used notes and videos. Similarly, attendance of female participants of biomedical background was higher ( P  < 0.05) than female participants of non-biomedical background ( biomedical vs. non-biomedical : 94 ± 3 vs. 81 ± 6%) even though both cohorts used notes and videos. Providing notes and videos had no adverse impact on attendance (90 ± 2%, 8 lectures) and tended to enhance exam scores for low-performing students in the class when compared with those of previous years’ cohorts ( 2018 vs. 2017 and 2016 : 61 ± 5% vs. 55 ± 6% and 47 ± 8%, respectively). There was an increase in the immediate gain of knowledge following watching/listening to videos ( after vs. before : 65 ± 3% vs. 48 ± 3%). The survey revealed a positive student perception of supplementary material mainly because they felt it reduced the time required to search for relevant information.

Introduction

PowerPoint is a widely used teaching tool in higher education for many years now. One of the benefits of this technology is its potential to enhance students’ engagement and empower effective learning [ 1 – 3 ]. Moreover, this technology helps students to organise their notes if they use it as a starting point to expand their knowledge from assigned textbooks. However, many students use PowerPoint as their sole study source even though all learning objectives might not have been covered in a lecture. Moreover, due to time constraints, teachers tend to list the important points in the lecture as bullet points and leave students to take notes. However, it is reported that most students are poor note takers, typically recording less than 50% of critical points in a lecture [ 4 ]. One possible solution to this issue is to provide supplementary material with each lecture. This material expands on the information provided in the lecture rather than just reiterating the lecture content. Previous research indicated that this approach improved students’ learning experience by enhancing their immediate recall and academic performance [ 5 – 7 ].

In addition to PowerPoint presentations, students can be provided with supplementary notes that expand on what is mentioned in the slides. Previous studies indicated that students who were provided with detailed notes, i.e. notes that contain main ideas in addition to supporting details, performed better in their exams than students who reviewed their own notes [ 8 – 10 ]. Moreover, Kobayashi [ 11 ] showed that low-performing students gained greater benefits from this approach compared with higher performance students. The effect of explanatory notes on students’ learning of Physiology in medicine and their attitude towards using them as a learning and review material was examined in the present study.

Similarly, supplementary videos that explain important concepts can be introduced as a complementary learning tool to PowerPoint slides. Indeed, videos add visual and auditory elements that cannot be found in the text notes. They can enhance student understanding of main concepts when more time is needed to explain these concepts than is available during a lecture. Indeed, these videos can also act as an effective revision tool at exam time [ 5 ]. The videos can be interactive by introducing pre- and post-video quizzes. A recent study indicated that students who used interactive videos with instructor’s explanations scored higher in the post-video test compared with a pre-video test [ 12 ]. Similarly, the use of conceptual videos was found to enhance students’ understanding of calculus in a previous study by Swedberg [ 13 ].

Information about the effect of supplementary notes and explanatory videos on medical students’ learning of Physiology is lacking in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine students’ attitude and behaviour towards the use of supplementary notes and videos in addition to PowerPoint slides in a programme that is known to be limited in time. We hypothesise that this approach assists students’ learning by providing detailed explanations of the main concepts in the form of text or as an interactive video.

Research Questions

The focus of the study was on two questions regarding the use of supplementary notes and pre-recorded videos in conjunction with PowerPoint slides:

• Does the use of supplementary notes and videos enhance understanding of core concepts and therefore improve exam scores?
• What is the students’ attitude towards the use of supplementary notes and videos as a learning and revision tool?

Participants and Setting

This study involved first-year graduate entry to medicine students in UCC in Fundamentals in Medicine II (module code GM1002). The study was conducted over a 9-week period from January to March 2018. The graduate entry to medicine class ( n  = 82) includes students of different ages (21–35 years), region of origin (European, EU; and non-European, non-EU) and undergraduate degree backgrounds (biomedical and non-biomedical). The EU students are mainly from Ireland while the non-EU students are from Africa, Asia, Middle East and North America. This study was approved by the Social Research Ethics Committee (SREC) in UCC (Log 2018-028). Teaching comprised a series of 8 traditional lectures of approximately 50 min long, delivered by one instructor in the Department of Physiology in UCC. For this module, lecture attendance was encouraged, but not compulsory; students were not required to sign a daily attendance register.

Lecture material, including PowerPoint slides, written notes and videos, was made available to students ahead of the actual lecture time with a comprehensive list of learning objectives. The PowerPoint slides were constructed with a focus on main points without using too much text, using figures and diagrams when relevant. Further details on important points on the slides and explanations of any figures and diagrams were inserted at the bottom of each slide (supplementary notes) using the PowerPoint space allocated for notes, i.e. the notes pane. In addition, clinical scenarios and interactive questions related to the main concept on the slide were included.

Explanatory videos were recorded by the instructor ahead of lectures using Quick time player on a MacBook Pro, using the PowerPoint slides as a background. PowerPoint provides a pen option whereby the pointer can be changed into a pen or a highlighter to write, draw on the slides or highlight important points. Videos were utilised for two particular concepts in cardiovascular Physiology that required detailed explanation, i.e. electrocardiography (ECG) and electrical and mechanical events during the cardiac cycle. Students’ feedback from previous years indicated that students frequently struggle with these concepts in this module. The videos, which averaged approximately 27 min, were uploaded to blackboard. Blackboard is a web-based server software platform to which module material can be uploaded for student use. Links to these videos were embedded in between pre- and post-video tests for self-assessment using blackboard quiz options.

Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of Supplementary Videos/Notes on Student Learning

As mentioned above, pre- and post-video tests were utilised to examine students’ performance before and after watching explanatory videos. This approach was intended to provide a higher level of interaction compared with a passive approach of only watching/listening to the videos [ 14 ]. In this study, six multiple-choice questions (MCQ) were provided to allow students to assess their understanding of a concept followed by a video explaining that concept. After viewing the video, the students completed a post-test comprised of identical questions to the pre-test but randomised in order. Once the test was finished, blackboard provided students with an exit report summarising their test score and giving detailed feedback on why a given answer should be selected. Data from two videos were analysed and used in the present study.

Quantitative assessment of students’ performance in the final exam following the use of explanatory notes was also studied. Eleven MCQs were chosen from the 2017 and 2018 end of module and end of year exams based on whether the question content was related ( n  = 5 MCQs) or not ( n  = 6 MCQs) to the explanatory notes attached to PowerPoint slides. The responses were compared with the identical questions in 2016 where no explanatory notes were given. The MCQs related to explanatory notes aimed to assess three of the Bloom’s taxonomy categories, namely:

• Knowledge recall (i.e. provided nearly verbatim in the notes pane). There was only one MCQ under this category.
• Comprehension (i.e. provided, but not verbatim, in the notes pane). There were 2 MCQs under this category.
• Application (i.e. not provided in the notes pane and required students to solve a new problem using information they had to comprehend from the notes pane). There were 2 MCQs under this category.

To minimize the effect of having different students over the years with varied academic ability on any possible change in performance, student performance on identical MCQ questions across the same study period from the Pharmacology content in this module was analysed. The Pharmacology part was taught consistently to the same cohort of students and in parallel to Physiology but without the use of the intervention used in this study.

Students’ Self-Reported Perception of Learning

A survey with both Likert-type and non-Likert type questions was utilised at the end of the module to examine students’ perception of supplementary notes and pre-recorded videos and their perceived effectiveness on students’ learning of core concepts in cardiovascular Physiology lectures, utilising Google Forms ( https://www.google.com/forms/about ) web-based survey options. The survey questionnaire took approximately 10 min to complete and participation was voluntary and anonymous. Also, failure to participate in the survey did not result in any negative consequences for the student and no extra credits were offered for its completion. Participants were asked to consent the use of the survey data as part of a research project. The survey link was sent to students via students’ university email and they were given 4 weeks to complete the questionnaire. A total of 68 (83%) participants completed the survey.

The first part of the survey consisted of demographic questions on gender, age, nationality and undergraduate background. Students also reported their attendance to the 8 cardiovascular Physiology lectures in this module. The second part included attitudinal questions regarding the usefulness or otherwise of the supplementary notes and pre-recorded videos to students’ learning using a Likert scale ranging from very useful/strongly agree (5) to not useful at all/strongly disagree (1). This was followed by checkbox-type questions exploring why students thought the supplementary notes were useful or otherwise to their learning of Physiology in this module. In order to arrange the responses into particular themes, students were provided with a list of suggested answers but were also given a free text option if their reason for the use or otherwise of notes/videos is not included in the list. There were two checkbox questions in the survey regarding notes, the first one was “Why do you think the supplementary notes attached to the PowerPoint slides were useful (Please select all that apply from the list below)” while the second one was “Why do you think the supplementary notes attached to the PowerPoint slides were NOT useful (Please select all that apply from the list below)”.

Students’ response regarding the use of explanatory videos was obtained using a short answer text question to respond to the statement “Please insert any comments you have about your usage of explanatory blackboard videos”. In addition, students’ explanations for lack of use of these videos were obtained by asking students to pick the most relevant answer for this question “Please indicate the reason(s) for lack of usage of supplementary blackboard videos (Select all that apply from the list below)” from a suggested list of answers. Finally, the survey ended with open text question inviting general comments about students’ perception of supplementary notes/videos in this module.

Statistical Analysis

The informational and attitudinal survey questions were analysed by gender, region of origin and biomedical background using chi-square contingency analysis using GraphPad Prism (GraphPad v6 Software Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Similarly, the self-reported attendance in this module was compared between female and male subgroups of either EU and non-EU, biomedical and non-biomedical degree or < 25 and 25–35 years participants using parametric and non-parametric data analysis using unpaired student’s t test and Mann Whitney test respectively. Students’ performance in the pre- and post-video tests was compared using a paired student’s t test. To compare students’ performance in exams over 3 years (2016, 2017 and 2018) and between questions related/not related to supplementary PowerPoint notes, a repeated measure two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Data are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (S.E.M.) with significance at P  < 0.05.

The Effects of Demographic Variables on Students’ Attendance

Demographic information as well as self-reported lecture attendance is presented in Table ​ Table1. 1 . The 82 students in the GM1002 class were comprised of 45 (55%) females and 37 (45%) males. A total of 68 students (83% of the class) participated in the survey of which 37 (54%) were females and 31 (46%) were males. The age of survey participants was almost equally divided between those aged < 25 years or 25–35 years. Non-EU students showed a higher participation rate than EU students (54 vs. 46%). According to the survey, there were fewer students from non-biomedical compared with biomedical degree background (43 vs. 57%). The attendance in this part of the module was not recorded by the lecturer and therefore the attendance data were solely self-reported. The survey showed an average attendance of almost 90% of cardiovascular Physiology lectures in this module with similar attendance rates reported by female and male participants and among students aged < 25 years compared with 25–35 years. Analysis of attendance by gender and age category showed a tendency for higher attendance by male participant of < 25 years old compared with females of that category (92 ± 4 vs. 82 ± 6%, n.s.). Conversely, females aged 25–35 years tended to have higher attendance rates than male participants of that age category. While the overall attendance of biomedical and non-biomedical participants was similar, male non-biomedical degree students had a significantly higher attendance rate than female non-biomedical degree students (95 ± 3 vs. 81 ± 6%; P  < 0.05). Furthermore, attendance of female participants of biomedical background was higher ( P  < 0.05) than the attendance of fellow female participants of non-biomedical background (94 ± 3 vs. 81 ± 6%). The attendance was not adversely impacted by providing supplementary videos and detailed notes. Analysis of self-reported attendance showed similar attendance of users and non-users of supplementary videos (90 ± 2 vs. 84 ± 6%).

Self-reported demographic data of survey participants and answers to attitudinal question regarding the usefulness or otherwise of supplementary notes/videos. A Likert scale was used to rank usefulness of the supplementary notes or degree of agreement that explanatory videos assisted students’ understanding of core concepts. Usefulness rank was set as 5 for very useful, 4 for useful, 3 for neutral, 2 for not useful and 1 for not useful at all. Agreement rank was set as 5 for strongly agree, 4 for agree, 3 for neither agree nor disagree, 2 for disagree and 1 for strongly disagree. * P  < 0.05 non-biomedical vs. biomedical participants, # P < 0.05 female vs. male participants

Self-reported information about frequency of viewing/listening to explanatory videos in the different age, gender, nationality and undergraduate degree groups is shown in Table ​ Table1. 1 . There was a similar number of participants in the male vs. female, < 25 vs. 25–35 years and EU vs. non-EU categories who watched or listened to pre-recorded videos. However, there was a higher number ( P  < 0.05) of students of non-biomedical background who watched or listened to videos compared with their biomedical peers (93 vs. 72%).

The Effects of Demographic Variables on Self-Reported Perception of Supplementary Videos/Notes

The response to attitudinal questions regarding the utilisation of supplementary videos/notes is presented in Table ​ Table1. 1 . Two Likert scale questions were analysed from the survey questions. The first was “Viewing the supplementary videos helped me to better understand the material presented in the lecture” while the second question was “How useful did you find the supplementary notes attached to the PowerPoint slides in learning cardiovascular Physiology concepts in this module”. There was a similar attitude regarding the use of videos/notes in this part of the module by the different age, gender, nationality and undergraduate background groups. The data showed that most of the students (91%, average response 4.3/5) indicated that explanatory videos/notes helped them to develop a better understanding of the key concepts in this part of the module and were useful to students’ learning.

The Effect of Supplementary Videos/Notes on Students’ Performance

Figure ​ Figure1 1 illustrates the impact of explanatory PowerPoint notes on the students’ performance. As no explanatory notes were provided in 2016, it was used for comparison with student performance in 2017 and 2018 where notes were provided. To examine any possible effect of explanatory notes on different academic performers, the class was divided into thirds based on students’ overall mark in end of module and end of year exams. As demonstrated in Fig. ​ Fig.1, 1 , there was no significant difference in the overall student performance in 2017 and 2018 compared with 2016 for all questions directly related to the explanatory notes provided with PowerPoint slides or in questions not related to explanatory notes. However, the lower third students’ performance in identical questions in 2017 and 2018 showed a trend towards a higher performance in notes-related questions by almost 17% and 29% respectively compared with the performance in 2016. In order to exclude the effect of having different students’ academic level between the 3 years, a parallel analysis of students’ performance in 14 identical Pharmacology MCQs across the same period was used as shown in Fig.  2 . Students had similar academic performance in 2017 and 2018 compared with 2016. Likewise, the performance of the lower third students in this exam did not show any significant changes in 2017 (50 ± 4%) or 2018 (50 ± 5%) compared with 2016 (57 ± 4%).

Student performance in the end of module exam over 3 years (2016, 2017 and 2018). The upper panel demonstrates the performance for all students in this module over the 3 years. The middle and lower panels present the performance of upper and lower thirds of the class in this exam respectively. It should be noted that no supplementary notes were used in teaching this module in 2016

Student performance in a parallel end of year Pharmacology exam across 3 years (2016, 2017 and 2018). The same cohort of students were studied and identical items were utilised across the years

The effect of supplementary videos on students’ performance is presented in Fig.  3a . The average performance of all students who used these videos in the post-video test was increased by more than 30% ( P  < 0.05) compared with the pre-video test. This significantly enhanced performance was seen for both upper and lower third performers in this class. However, the highest gain of more than 40% ( P  < 0.05) was seen for the upper third performers compared with 24% ( P  < 0.05) for the lower third performers in these tests. The usefulness of supplementary videos pre- and post-tests was further demonstrated by students’ attitudinal response to the question “How useful did you find the pre-/post-video test (e.g. before and after the Wiggers’ diagram or ECG vectors video)”. The results indicated that more than 70% of respondents ( n  = 55) to this question indicated that pre- and post-video test is either “Very useful” or “Useful” to them. Over 25% of the students gave a “Neutral” response while 4% felt that the pre-/post-video test was “Not useful” (Fig. ​ (Fig.3b 3b ).

Student performance ( a ) and attitude ( b ) in using the pre- and post-video tests. a Students’ performance data were collected from two pre-recorded explanatory videos with test questions that are MCQ style. A total of 11 questions were analysed from the two videos for 49 participants. * P  < 0.05 post- vs. pre-test. b Students’ attitude regarding the pre- and post-video tests. A Likert style survey question about the usefulness of pre- and post-video tests was analysed for 55 (81%) responses. Students responded to the question “How useful did you find the pre-/post-video test”

Student Opinion on the Use of Supplementary Videos/Notes

Analysis of responses to the open-ended (23 responses, 34%) and checkbox (62 responses, 91%) questions regarding the use of supplementary videos and notes respectively is presented in Fig.  4 . Students felt the videos aided learning by (i) consolidating learning from the lectures and assisting knowledge retention (41%), (ii) providing a visual element to learning (27%), (iii) being a repository review resource (18%), (iv) allowing pause and replay (9%) and (v) reducing the time required to search for information online (5%) (Fig. ​ (Fig.4a 4a ).

Students’ comments on the use of supplementary videos ( a ) and notes ( b ). a Students responded to the open text question “Please insert any comments you have about your usage of supplementary videos” by listing their opinion regarding supplementary videos use in this part of the module (22 responses). b Student responded to the question “Please indicate the reason(s) for lack of usage of videos” by selecting all that that apply from a list. c Students responded to the question “Why do you think the supplementary notes attached to the PowerPoint slides were useful” by selecting from a list of suggested answers (62 responses). It should be noted that students were allowed to select more than one answer for the second question and this explains why there is a total of 147 responses in the bar chart of this question

Thirteen students (19%) indicated that they had not used the pre-recorded videos in this study. According to these students, they did not use videos in this module because (i) the concepts illustrated in the videos were explained in lectures (72%), (ii) time is limited in this module (17%), (iii) viewing/listening to videos is not their favourite learning style (15%), (iv) they did not know they were there (8%) and (v) the videos contained too much information/too long (8%) (Fig. ​ (Fig.4b 4b ).

When asked why they think the supplementary notes attached to the PowerPoint slides were useful, almost 77% of the responses to this question was that it is because they lessen the need to look for relevant information from external sources. The second most common reason given (60%) was that these notes are an available review resource at times of exam preparation. The next important reason for the usefulness of notes according to 55% of the responses was that these notes provided more detailed explanation of the slides than could be covered during a lecture. Furthermore, around 45% of the responses agreed that these notes were useful because they lessen the need to take notes during the lecture (Fig. ​ (Fig.4c). 4c ). Finally, there were few comments using “others” option with one student commented “Really good (notes) for providing context to students from a non-science background”, another said “If anything was missed when listening to the lecturer, the supplemental notes could cover myself” while a third student commented “… Good learning aids for concepts I maybe didn’t fully grasp at the time of the lecture”. Finally, there was one response in this survey who indicated lack of use of supplementary notes due to limited time to go through supplementary material in this course.

In this article, we showed that providing supplementary notes and videos along with PowerPoint slides assisted students’ understanding of cardiovascular Physiology in a medical programme and did not affect lecture attendance. This study revealed that the use of explanatory notes enhanced exam performance especially for low-performing students. Similarly, the use of conceptual videos in this module enhanced students’ immediate gain of knowledge as shown by enhanced performance in post-video test compared with pre-video test. Students valued the utilisation of supplementary videos and notes as a learning and revision tool in this module. The main reason that the supplementary videos were helpful, as per students’ feedback, is that the videos consolidated their learning from the lectures and helped their retention of knowledge. On the other hand, students thought that notes were useful mainly because they lessen the need to look for relevant information from external sources within the limited time available to study in this programme.

The Effects of Demographic Variables on Students’ Attendance and Perception of Videos/Notes

The survey results are representative of the class as 83% participated in the survey and the gender distribution of participants was similar to the overall class gender distribution. The attendance of students during the period of the study was examined to identify any differences related to the varied gender, age, nationality and undergraduate degree background. It should be noted that full attendance is required in this module and it is checked sporadically but not routinely. The self-reported attendance data showed no significant differences in attendance of the demographic groups. Interestingly, the data showed that female students from a non-biomedical background had poorer attendance compared with male non-biomedical students or to their female biomedical counterparts. Ellaway et al. [ 15 ] examined the impact of combining students of biomedical degree background with non-biomedical degree background. They highlighted the challenges imposed on non-science students both socially and academically and suggested that support should be provided to those students. It is possible that lower attendance of this subgroup is related to these challenges.

The present study demonstrated that providing students with detailed notes and supplementary videos did not impact upon their lecture attendance. The average attendance in the cardiovascular Physiology part of the GM1002 module was as high as 90%. The finding that attendance of this cohort of students was not affected by having detailed notes and explanatory videos available before the lectures is in line with previous reports [ 16 , 17 ].

The Effect of Supplementary Notes on Students’ Performance

PowerPoint is widely utilised in today’s higher education teaching but there is an ongoing question as to whether students should be provided with notes. Looking at data from this study as well as the literature [ 18 – 20 ], the authors are in favour of using supplementary notes at least in time-pressured medical programmes such as the graduate entry to medicine. Students in the accelerated programmes are under pressure to develop as much foundational knowledge as they can, while a reasonable number of them are from non-biological background. However, the authors are aware of the potential implications of this approach on students’ independent learning strategies and the possibility that it might detract from the goal of preparing them to become independent life-long learners. However, this programme is well enriched with several avenues for self-directed learning and problem-based exercises that are completely driven by students themselves.

Furthermore, the type of notes could vary between detailed notes and those that have main points only [ 20 , 21 ]. It is suggested that students provided with detailed notes can achieve higher recall of information and test performance than students provided with no notes [ 8 ]. Students usually take notes during lectures to ensure they do not miss important information and utilise these notes as a study source when preparing for exams. However, a previous study showed that students do miss critical points in this process [ 22 ]. Therefore, the present study examined the impact of providing detailed notes attached to each concept description in PowerPoint slides on student learning of Physiology in the graduate entry to medicine programme. The notes were provided with almost every slide of the PowerPoint presentation of lectures in this study. Although this study utilised limited number of MCQs to study performance, it compared identical MCQs across years. These MCQs were sought to assess three Bloom’s taxonomy categories, namely, knowledge recall, comprehension and application. The final exam scores of the lower third performers in the class were enhanced by almost 30% in 2018 compared with 2016 in questions related to supplementary notes, particularly those under Bloom’s application category. This indicates that enhancement in performance of this cohort was not simply due to recall of rote learning of answers provided. In addition, the authors are not aware of any extracurricular activities for students in this course. As such, there appears to be no external factor that would have detracted from Physiology learning in 2016. The finding of improved performance of this cohort was supported by a previous study showing that low-performing students gained greater benefits from detailed notes compared with high-performing students [ 11 ].

The overall class performance was only marginally enhanced after introducing detailed notes. This indicates that providing detailed notes was not the only factor in determining exam performance in this class. One important determining factor for usefulness of supplementary notes is the time at which these notes are used during the course as students use notes differently depending on the time of the year as shown by a previous study [ 23 ]. Grabe and Christopherson [ 23 ] found that the students’ use of the supplementary notes peaked during the time when the corresponding unit of content was being presented in the class and was less towards the exam time.

The detailed notes were received positively by students according to the survey feedback. One student mentioned “I like to use the notes under the slides for study as they condense the relevant information” while another student commented “I do like having the notes underneath the slides so I don't have to worry about taking notes and can focus on listening in class instead”. There was also another comment “I love the supplementary notes and think that the slide structure is easy to understand (great pictures with few, but relevant, explanations)”. Interestingly, one student pointed out that these notes were useful to students of a non-biological background “Having a non-science background, the additional notes/videos etc. really help to make the content more accessible and easier to understand”. The notes in this study served as a repository for learning and revising the key concepts at exam time, particularly if students miss valuable information during the lecture. It should be noted that one student indicated a lack of use of supplementary notes due to limited time in this module.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Providing Detailed Supplementary Notes

This study suggests that detailed notes serve as an important learning and revision tool for students. However, this intervention may also have a number of potential disadvantages, namely (i) it possibly promotes passive learning [ 24 ], and (ii) may encourage students’ absence from lectures [ 21 ]. However, students in this study were not discouraged from taking their own notes but were given supplementary notes as a repository. In addition, these notes included explanations of diagrams and figures on the PowerPoint slides to save students the time needed to search for explanations of these diagrams and figures. Furthermore, students’ attendance was not adversely affected by having these explanatory notes. This is in agreement with a previous study which indicated that students’ attendance can be improved by providing lecture notes before the lecture time [ 25 ]. Students’ self-reported attendance in the present study showed a very good attendance rate despite the provision of detailed notes and supplementary videos before lectures. It can be suggested, based on the attendance profile of students in this course [ 16 ], that a negative impact of providing detailed notes on attendance is unlikely.

The Effect of Supplementary Videos on Students’ Performance

The present study demonstrated an enhanced short-term gain of knowledge on the basis of performance in post- vs. pre-video test. Literature on the use of videos has demonstrated beneficial results on students’ learning in biology courses [ 5 , 26 – 28 ]. A blended mode similar to the one utilised in this study using videos in addition to traditional face-to-face lectures offered positive outcomes and enhanced students’ learning experience [ 28 ]. The videos in this study were made interactive through the pre- and post-video tests. Moreover, students can control their watching/listening experience by speeding up or slowing down and by stopping and replaying these videos when needed. In addition, the pen option on PowerPoint was used to highlight important points. In a previous study [ 14 ], interactive videos were showed to be satisfactorily received by students and were more effective in improving students’ performance than non-interactive videos. Finally, the present study showed that supplementary videos did not inversely impact students’ attendance; this is in line with a recent study in a biology course [ 29 ].

When students were asked why they felt videos were useful, they mentioned learning consolidation and enhanced retention of knowledge which was in line with quantitative data from post- vs. pre-video test results. The second reason given by students was that these videos add a visual element to learning. Some students focused on the benefits of videos as a review resource while others found these videos useful due to their interactive nature and because they save time searching for explanatory videos online. These views are in line with previous reports on the use of videos in teaching [ 5 , 30 ]. That said, 19% of respondents in this study said they did not use the videos. The most common reason for the lack of use was that students thought the videos simply explained concepts that are already covered in the lecture. Some students felt that time pressures in this module made it difficult to utilise supplementary resources besides PowerPoint slides.

Student feedback from the survey questionnaire showed that most of the students valued the videos and felt that the videos improved their understanding of core concepts in this part of the module. For example, one student commented “It was difficult to fully understand everything just by looking at the PowerPoint slides - however the video was able to help with this” while another student mentioned “If I needed to go back and understand a concept better, it would be easily accessible on blackboard” . A student also responded, “Thank you for taking the time to make sure we understood the material, providing additional resources (videos) and allowing us time to identify gaps in our knowledge”.

The research findings and questions that emerged from this study have implications for Physiology teaching in the medical programmes. The first observation is that students from a non-biological background utilised supplementary videos more than students from a biological background. This points to the importance of supplementary material in supporting students from non-biological background during their preclinical years. It is worth noting that the provision of videos in addition to detailed notes did not adversely impact on students’ attendance. Moreover, students’ attitude towards the use of this approach was overwhelmingly favourable. The feedback from the questionnaire showed a positive attitude by students towards the use of detailed notes and explanatory videos in addition to PowerPoint presentation.

Limitations and Future Research

A number of limitations to this study must be acknowledged. Firstly, there was no control group (i.e. students not provided with notes/videos) for direct comparison of performance. That said, every effort was made to maintain consistency across the years by utilising exactly the same questions and comparing performance of content outside Physiology for the same cohort of students. The Pharmacology content used for comparison was taught consistently across the 3 years without the intervention used in Physiology. Secondly, the present study did not examine the effect of providing detailed notes and explanatory videos on students’ note-taking practices or the impact of supplementary notes and videos on classroom interaction. However, classroom observation showed that this student cohort had higher level of engagement in interactive classroom exercises during lectures, tutorials and practical sessions throughout the module. Thirdly, the present study only examined one part of the module in one programme in medicine, i.e. the graduate entry programme. This may limit generalizability of any results from this study to that particular programme. Future research should address the impact of note access in a different medical programme to see if these results can be reproduced.

Conclusions

This study supports the provision of detailed explanatory notes and videos in addition to PowerPoint lecture slides. We demonstrated that students’ attendance in this first-year medical degree course was not adversely impacted by making these additional resources available before lectures. In terms of academic performance, the supplementary notes seemed to be particularly useful to the low-performing students in this cohort more than highly achieving students. Videos on another hand were useful for short-term recall of information. Finally, students in this class liked the use of supplementary notes/videos and found them useful to their learning of cardiovascular Physiology as part of this programme.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

This study was approved by the Social Research Ethics Committee (SREC) in UCC (Log 2018-028).

Consent was required before taking part in the survey (Supplementary material). Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Teaching with PowerPoint Presentations

Introduction

PowerPoint presentations are used in many different fields due to their ability to organize and structure information, create a consistent format, and provide the audience with visuals. Educators often use this type of presentation in their classrooms in order to guide the class through a lecture. The effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations is often debated, but most agree that when created in the right way, these presentations have many benefits for students of all ages. The amount of information on each slide, the type of transition between slides, the color of the background, and the number of slides are all factors to consider when teaching with PowerPoint Presentations, and there are many resources out there that will help guide you when you begin creating your own presentation.

Nowadays, technology is being used in the classroom more often than not as a tool to aid educators in teaching their students course content. PowerPoint presentations are often utilized by educators during lectures, which is why there are many resources available online to provide them with the best strategies to create and present these presentations in their classes.

Lesson Plans

• The 4 Best PowerPoint Lesson Plans for Middle School : Applied Educational Systems has put together four of the best lesson plan ideas to teach middle schoolers how to use PowerPoint. Each of the lesson plans (An Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint, the Basics of Building a PowerPoint Presentation, More Features in Powerpoint, and the Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations) includes a brief introduction and an activity for students to practice the skills that they have learned. By the end of these lessons, students will be able to create a new presentation, practice working with text and images, make their presentations interesting, and apply the principles of effective presentations to their own.
• PowerPoint Lesson Plan for Elementary Students : Perkins provides a class project which requires students to create “All About Me” PowerPoints while learning how to add text, pictures, sound effects, videos, and other features to their presentations. Directions call for students to be split into groups to put together multiple slides that will eventually be combined for a whole class presentation. Topics for each slide include students’ names, families, pets, favorite foods, favorite colors, favorite subjects, etc. This lesson plan gives educators a fun way to have younger students learn how to create PowerPoint presentations for their own use or future educational purposes.
• How Can I Use PowerPoint More Effectively? : In this article, David Forrest discusses strategies educators can utilize to make their PowerPoints more effective in the classroom. Forrest first recommends deciding on the role of your PowerPoint, which could be a lecture outline, note-taking aid (fill-in-the blank slides), visual aid, timed quizzes, or others. He also talks about the appearance of each slide because less is more in this situation, as the last thing any educator wants is for their students to become distracted from content by their presentation. Lastly, the author goes over how educators should prepare for technological failure or anything else going wrong during their PowerPoint presentation. This piece is a good one for educators to read before creating their own presentations!
• PowerPoint in the Classroom : NCBI provides a few different articles on whether PowerPoints are necessary or pointless in the classroom. Ultimately, despite the fact that some of the authors of these articles see PowerPoint presentations as unnecessary, their points of view give insight on what not to do when creating your own presentation, such as adding too much information per slide. Taking all of the arguments given in the articles into consideration will help you decide the best way to begin using PowerPoint presentations in your classroom.
• PowerPoint in Education : This brief article goes over the ways in which you can present your PowerPoint presentation most effectively in order to help students retain the most information. There are proper ways to use various technologies in the classroom, and in the case of PowerPoints, this author believes that the “intelligent use” of Powerpoint presentations is when the information presented is in the form of complicated graphs or figures and alphanumeric information. However, in cases where students are expected to retain certain information and concepts, traditional presentations would be best.

Informational Sites

• NIU – Teaching with PowerPoint : NIU runs through the ways to design effective PowerPoint presentations and the best practices when using this online software. First, the author describes how educators should design their presentation, including how to prepare for the presentation, slide content, the number of slides, emphasis on content, clip art, and a final check of the PowerPoint. Next, the use of PowerPoint handouts and tips for the actual presentation itself are detailed. Lastly, NIU explains how to enhance teaching and learning with PowerPoint and suggests ways to engage students with the presentation.
• Making Better PowerPoint Presentations : Vanderbilt University has put together a page on Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory (which relates to how students retain information received through different sensory domains), student preferences for PowerPoint (characteristics they like or don’t like and when students learn more), and resources for making better PowerPoint presentations.
• UW – Teaching with Powerpoint : UW provides educators with information on when and how to use a PowerPoint, which ultimately depends upon each individual’s teaching style, and the options for using PowerPoints (illustrated lectures, instructions, paper proposals, discussion prompts, test or quiz answers, grammar exercises, and student projects). At the end of the piece, a few additional resources, including a video, online tutorial, and essay, are given to help educators learn how to teach with PowerPoints in the best way.

PowerPoint presentations have many different purposes, but in the classroom, their main purpose is to help direct the lesson or lecture, while also giving students the opportunity to follow along and better understand the material. Presentations can also be a great resource for students to study off of before an assessment or use as a note-taking aid during class. Overall, the resources provided above will be useful when you are putting together PowerPoint presentations for your curriculum material. Take all of these tops into consideration, but remember to make it your own!

Additional Resources

• The Impact of Using PowerPoint Presentations on Students’ Learning and Motivation in Secondary Schools : ScienceDirect published an informational article on the impact of using PowerPoint presentations on students’ learning and motivation in secondary schools. In this article, the results of a study which investigated the effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in teaching English and whether students prefer this learning process over traditional teaching styles are provided. The results support the notion that PowerPoint presentations can be used as an effective tool in the classroom. Taking a look at this piece may cause you to consider using these presentations in your classroom!

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14 Effects Of Power Point Presentations On Student Study

Due to the rapid progress in technology, there are many new ways of learning that have started. These methods attract the mind of most students. It is interesting and better than the traditional methods in many ways. These methods spark curiosity in the mind of the students. The whole process of education can sometimes feel tedious for students.

The students nowadays are more friendly with tech devices. So, to make it less boring need to start innovative ways that involve technology. The effect of using PowerPoint presentations on student’s learning is huge.

Impact of PowerPoint presentations

Let us take a look at how it promotes an active teaching and learning environment. These presentation tips draw a serious impact of PowerPoint presentations on students.

1. PowerPoint: An Invaluable Visual Tool For Classroom

It is well known and studies also show that the impact of pictures is more effective than text. It's easy for students to keep information in their minds if they learn things by using visual tools. A typical PowerPoint presentation contains pictures, graphs, diagrams, and bullet points. It increases the memory capacity of the mind. It also helps students remember information for a long time.

A PowerPoint presentation can enhance the intellect of students. At the same time, it helps the teachers in their teaching methods. Different fonts, visual effects, and highlighting can help students learn new information quicker. It leads them to write better answers in their exams.

"The whole purpose is to enable people to learn. Your mission is not to transmit information but to transform learners." - Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps

2. Ease Of Use For Students and Teachers

There are many presentation software are available. But none of them compares to the ease of using that PowerPoint offers. It is suitable for teachers who are not very techno-friendly as well as for students. Using it is very simple and easy. It can add various fonts, formatting, and animation with the click of a button. For users that want to be more creative, some advanced options are there.

One can use it with a little bit of extra technical knowledge. Students of High school can learn a diagram for Physics, Biology, Chemistry, etc subjects. Students of a higher level can gain deep information about complex subjects. These are some of the student's PowerPoint presentation examples.

You can see the effect of PowerPoint presentations on student learning shortly. It has the power to memorize your presentation with the least effort.

"The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives." - Lilly Walters

3. Facilitates Effective E-learning And Distance Education

All over the world, the internet has got vast connectivity growth. In this internet era, the concept of e-learning and distance education has seen a heavy boost. To make distance learning easier the PowerPoint provides different audio and visual tools. Its point-to-point explanation method makes difficult concepts easier for the students.

Students spend a lot of time in front of the internet. Why not use it in learning something and improving your knowledge on various topics? Some of the tutoring websites offer an online course. They provide all the courses in the form of PowerPoint presentations. It includes some informational videos to back them up.

"If you don't know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will." - Harvey Diamond

4. Develops Confidence In Students

Most PowerPoint projects involve presenting a topic in front of a group of people. This acts as a means to develop public speaking skills in a student. As we all know, speaking in front of a crowd requires great courage and a certain level of confidence. If you are not confident it will be very difficult to put forth your points and opinions.

When students give presentations, again and again, it increases their confidence level. It also helps them give their opinion among a group of people. In some schools and colleges, there are marks allotted to presenting a topic. The students who give the best presentation score better. For such a pattern, it is necessary to develop self-confidence to score well.

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." - Carl W. Buechner

5. Customized Templates For Comfortable Learning

Everyone who uses it has an option to create customized templates and learn in a way that suits them. The teachers can teach a particular topic in an easy way to understand for the students. They can choose the template according to need.

The built-in library of templates is vast and there is something for everyone. Users can also store the custom templates that they have used for reference at some point in the future. This teaching strategy can make a teacher a preferred and favorite one soon.

"No one can remember more than three points."- Philip Crosby

6. Compatibility With Third-Party Educational Tool

Microsoft PowerPoint is a flexible solution. It has scalable functionality and very compatible with many third-party learning tools. For example, if a visual learner wants to add charts and a timeline to their assignment, the office timeline tool will be beneficial for them. It increases their learning capacity too.

You can add data to your presentation to put an explanatory appearance. You can also help the presenters as well as the audience to have a clear grasp of the concept. The Office mix plug-in enables users to share videos online, free for the rest of the world to watch and learn. The best part about these tools is most of them are free. You do not need any extra costs to access and use PowerPoint. You can also make your own notes by using PowerPoint with other available tools.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

7. Promotes Interactive Study

When a teacher teaches a subject by using a slideshow, it promotes an interactive way of studying. The teaching goes slide by slide and the students can clear the doubts and queries side by side. It's easy for the teacher to capture the attention of the students. The creative tools, its features, the interest and curiosity of the students are favorable aspects to the teachers. This results in more questions from the student's side.

When one student gives a statement, another can add to the information or ask a query. This increases the educational interaction between the teacher and the student. It also increases the student's learning capacity.

"People don't remember what we think is important. They remember what they think is important." - John Maxwell

8. Development Of In-depth Knowledge

A student will absorb the information better than writing a note in the notebook if they get a topic as slides. Most of the students copy their assignments from the internet which is a complete waste of time. But when they prepare a presentation, they have to put some extra effort, here they can take the help of the internet.

When the students do research for slides, they come across a wide array of information. They also learn how to summarize information in points. Its practice develops an exact way of answering in the examination in a point-to-point manner. Here the students can score great marks.

"A great presentation gives smart ideas an advantage." - Nancy Duarte

9. Up-To-Date Features

The best thing about most Microsoft services is, they keep them updated. They follow modern usage and study techniques while updating their software. They are reliable and nothing is ever outdated. They are consistent in their improvement. There are so many features of it that make you carefree even when you have left something unsolved.

You don't have to worry about any unattended problems as it's strong features are there to solve it. It keeps you up-to-date with the requirements of various users in the current scenario. Also, it integrates well with social media platforms and other services.

"If you think presentations cannot enchant people, then you have never seen a really good one." - Guy Kawaski

10. Increased Attention Span Of Students

Every element should act as a contributor to the entire learning process of a student. Thinking of something else sitting in the classroom is a distraction from the lecture. Almost every student has ever done it.

When a teacher uses interesting and engaging methods of teaching, they can draw the attention of the students. Their grasping capability also increases. No matter what their age is, students can get bored when studying for long hours. It is worse if the traditional teaching methods do not appeal to their mindset. The learning can actually suffer.

To make students sit through a long class it is important to keep things spiced up. Try to spark their interest from time to time. When students get entertainment during learning, it further aids in studying.

The entertaining method keeps them focused for a longer duration. It's a scientific fact the brain absorbs information faster with variant learning methods. Most PowerPoint presentations are a combination of audio, video, text, and animation. It aids in the absorption of information.

“ You can’t look at the competition and say you’re going to do it better. You have to look at the competition and say you’re going to do it differently.” – Steve Jobs

11. Lively Classroom Discussions

The projector base presentation has some wow factors. It attracts and pretty much catches the attention of the audience. Though the traditional board and chalk method never go completely out of the picture. Presentations are definitely more useful as far as increasing student engagement.

Each slide has some level of creativity that captures the mind of the students. The presentations make students learn the topics of a particular subject. Also, it contributes to creating a lively discussion in the classroom.

It's important that the presentation should be a mixture of various learning elements. The students who take their studies as a burden, the presentation full of text is sure to tire out. Presenting enormous paragraphs through slides will also distract the audience.

“ Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect.” – Jack Dorsey

12. Different Benefits At The Same Time

As we all know, the knowledge of a topic is better absorbed via presentations. PowerPoint presentation in a positive way affects a student's personality's various aspects. It improves the student's knowledge as well. As stated earlier, it develops confidence and gets rid of stage fright. Besides that, presenting a topic improves the vocabulary and speaking skills of students.

Students who are in the audience, their listening skills will increase. When the audience asks questions, it gives a chance for the presenters to answer further by expanding their knowledge as well.

“If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” – Mark Zuckerberg

13. Excellent Revision Tool

Even if a student learns all chapters in the first reading, it will not be possible the revision from the book. The presentation contains notes as well as a visual representation of the information.

So, a presentation is even better than the notes though Notes help to a great extent. At the time presentation of a topic in class who are listening can revise that particular topic. They can also get all their doubts cleared before the exams.

Our work is the presentation of our capabilities. Edward Gibbon

14. Development Of Job Skills In Students

To convey your ideas to the people nearby you via a PowerPoint is one of the most popular ways, very few of us realize it. The student should be habitual in giving a presentation from the beginning. Then the chances of making mistakes in a job are less.

PowerPoint may not be of any use for you in a presentation, but it may liberate you in another way, an artistic way. Who knows. David Byrne

These are the few best advantages of using PowerPoint presentations in teaching.

How To Memorize PowerPoint Slides:

As we already know what the benefits of a PowerPoint presentation are on the academics of a student. Now, it is time to move on to some memorizing techniques. It will help in keeping the information seen in the presentation for a long time.

Instead of cramming, students need to adopt creative ways to learn the information. One effective method is to try to join the points of the presentation with the pictorial form of the topics. When you relate the text to visual aids forgetting stuff is not easy for you.

Another thing to do is to read the text, picture the images many times in your mind, and then make notes in your own words. Along with helping you remember, this technique will also test your skills. How much you can remember based on many readings and understandings.

Conclusion:

To sum up, People have been using Microsoft PowerPoint tools for a long time in a wide area for many purposes. The effects of PowerPoint lecture notes on student performance are positive. It is helpful in increasing the whole examination score. Its entry into the field of education is noteworthy.

Teaching via presentation has the potential to make a change in the academic sector. It is a dynamic learning method. It provides more benefits as compared to the traditional blackboard and chalks learning. If you know how to use it in the right way, Microsoft PowerPoint can do wonders for you. I hope by now you have understood the importance of PowerPoint presentations for students and others as well.

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What is PowerPoint: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

What is PowerPoint? This blog provides the essence of PowerPoint, a versatile presentation software by Microsoft. Discover its features, uses, and the art of crafting compelling slideshows. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of PowerPoint and learn how to create impactful presentations effortlessly.

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According to Glassdoor , a PowerPoint designer's average salary in the UK is about £37,811 annually. In this blog, you will learn What is PowerPoint, its key features, its benefits, and how to use it, as well as learn some tips for creating effective presentations.   

Table of contents       

1)  What is PowerPoint?  

2)  Understanding the PowerPoint Interface  

3)  Key Features of PowerPoint 

4)  How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation? 

5)  Benefits of PowerPoint  

6)  Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations 

7)  Conclusion      

What is PowerPoint?   

PowerPoint is a versatile and popular presentation software developed by Microsoft (MS). It is a part of the Microsoft Office Suite and offers various features and tools to create visually appealing and engaging presentations. MS PowerPoint allows users to combine text, graphics, multimedia elements, and animations to convey information effectively .   

Evolution of PowerPoint   

Understanding the PowerPoint Interface   

The PowerPoint interface provides a user-friendly environment for creating and editing presentations. Familiarising yourself with its essential components will help you navigate the software efficiently. Here's a breakdown of the MS PowerPoint interface:   

1)  Ribbon : The Ribbon is located at the top of the MS PowerPoint window and consists of multiple tabs, such as Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, and more.    

2) Slides pane : The Slides pane is on the left side of the PowerPoint window. It displays thumbnail images of your presentation slides, allowing you to navigate and rearrange them easily. You can add, delete, duplicate, or hide slides from this pane.   

3)   Notes pane : The Notes pane is located below the Slides pane. It provides space for adding speaker notes or additional information related to each slide.    

4)  Slide area : The Slide area occupies the central part of the PowerPoint window. It displays the selected slide, where you can add and arrange content such as text, images, charts, and multimedia elements .    

5)  Task panes : Task panes are additional panels on the PowerPoint window's right side. They offer various functionalities such as formatting options, slide layouts, animations, etc. Task panes can be opened or closed based on your specific needs.   

Understanding the MS PowerPoint interface will help you navigate the software effectively and make the most of its features. Whether you are creating slides, adding content, or applying formatting, having a good grasp of the interface ensures a smooth and productive experience .  

Key Features of PowerPoint  

When it comes to creating captivating and professional presentations, MS PowerPoint stands out as versatile and feature-rich software. Its array of tools and functionalities enables users to bring their imagination and ideas to life. Moreover, it also helps engage their audience effectively .    

1) Slide Templates : PowerPoint provides a collection of pre-designed templates that make it easy to create visually appealing slides.   

2)  Slide Master : The Slide Master feature allows users to define the overall layout, font styles, and colour scheme for the entire presentation .   

3)  Animations and transitions : PowerPoint offers various animation effects and slide transitions to add visual interest and captivate the audience .   

4)  Multimedia integration : Users can embed images, videos, and audio files directly into their presentations, enhancing the overall impact .   

5)   Collaboration tools : MS PowerPoint allows multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, making it ideal for team projects and remote collaboration .   

6) Presenter View : The Presenter View feature gives presenters access to speaker notes, a timer, and a preview of upcoming slides, enabling a seamless presentation experience .   

These features collectively contribute to PowerPoint's versatility and make it a powerful tool for developing engaging and impactful presentations.  

How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?   

Creating a presentation in PowerPoint is a straightforward process. Whether it's simple animations or explainer videos learning H ow to use PowerPoint is an extremely valuable skill. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a presentation:   

1)  Launch PowerPoint and choose a template or start with a blank slide. 

2)  Add slides by clicking "New Slide" or using the shortcut key (Ctrl + M). 

3) Customise slide content by entering text and inserting visuals.  

4)  Rearrange slides for a logical flow by dragging them in the slide navigation pane.  

5)  Apply slide transitions for visual effects in the "Transitions" tab.  

6)  Add animations to objects in the "Animations" tab.  

7)  Preview your presentation by clicking "Slide Show".   

8)  Save your presentation and choose a format (.pptx or .pdf).  

9)  Share your presentation via email, cloud storage, or collaboration tools.   

By following these steps, you can create a well-structured and visually appealing presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Remember to keep your content concise, use engaging visuals, and practice your presentation skills to deliver an impactful presentation .   

Benefits of PowerPoint   

1) Visual appeal : Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing presentations with its wide range of design tools and features. You can use templates, themes, and customisable layouts to make your slides visually engaging and professional .   

2)  Easy to use : PowerPoint has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users of all levels. The intuitive tools and straightforward navigation make it easy to create, edit, and deliver presentations efficiently .   

3)   Flexibility : PowerPoint provides flexibility in terms of content creation. You can include various types of content, such as text, images, charts, graphs, videos, and audio files, to enhance your message and engage your audience effectively.   

4)   Organisation and structure : PowerPoint offers features to help you organise and structure your content. You can create multiple slides, use slide masters for consistent formatting, and arrange the sequence of slides to create a logical flow .   

5)  Presenter tools : PowerPoint includes built-in presenter tools that aid in delivering presentations smoothly. You can use presenter view to see your notes and upcoming slides while your audience sees only the presentation. Additionally, features like slide transitions and animations add visual interest and help you control the flow of information .   

6)  Collaboration and sharing : PowerPoint allows for easy collaboration and sharing of presentations. Several users can simultaneously work on the same presentation, making it convenient for team projects. You can also share your presentations via email, cloud storage, or online platforms, ensuring easy access for viewers .   

7)   Integration with other tools : PowerPoint can seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel. You can import data and charts from Excel or copy and paste content between different Office applications, saving time and effort .  

8)   Presenter-audience interaction : PowerPoint provides features that facilitate interaction between the presenter and the audience. You can include interactive elements like hyperlinks, buttons, and quizzes to engage your audience and make your presentations more dynamic.   

9)   Portable and accessible : PowerPoint presentations can be saved in various formats, such as .pptx or .pdf, making them easily accessible on different devices. This portability allows you to deliver presentations on laptops, tablets, or even projectors without compatibility issues .   

10)  Time and effort savings : PowerPoint simplifies the process of creating presentations, saving you time and effort. The pre-designed templates, slide layouts, and formatting options enable you to create professional-looking presentations efficiently .   

Unleash your creativity to deliver captivating presentations that leave a lasting impact with our Microsoft PowerPoint Masterclass – Sign up now!   

Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations   

1) Simplicity is key : Keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Use concise bullet points and simple visuals to convey your message effectively .   

2)  Visuals matter : Incorporate relevant, high-quality visuals such as images, charts, and diagrams to enhance understanding and engagement .   

3)  Limit text : Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive text on slides. Use brief phrases or keywords to communicate key points .   

4)  Choose legible fonts : Opt for clear and readable fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance. Maintain consistency in font styles throughout your presentation .   

5)  Consistent design : Maintain a consistent design theme, including colours, fonts, and layout, to create a visually appealing and professional presentation.   

6)  Emphasise important points : Use visual hierarchy techniques, such as font size, colour, and formatting, to draw attention to essential information .   

7)  Use transitions and animations sparingly : Incorporate slide transitions and animations thoughtfully, focusing on enhancing content and transitions without distracting the audience .   

8)  S lide notes for guidance : Utilise the slide notes feature to include additional details, explanations, or reminders for a well-prepared and confident presentation.   

9)  Practice and time yourself : Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and stay within the allocated time. Practice helps you refine your content and delivery.   

10)  Engage the audience : Encourage audience participation through interactive elements, questions, or discussions to foster engagement and make your presentation more memorable.   

By implementing these tips, you can create effective MS PowerPoint presentations that capture attention, communicate information clearly, and engage your audience effectively.  

Conclusion      

We hope this blog has helped you understand What is PowerPoint and how it can help you. It offers powerful features with a user-friendly interface for creating visually appealing presentations. With its tools for organising information, incorporating text and visuals, and delivering impactful content, PowerPoint is a valuable tool for beginners to communicate their ideas effectively .   

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Why PowerPoint Is Important? (The Benefits Explained)

Presentations can be a great way to share ideas and information, but they can also be overwhelming and dull if not done correctly.

Fortunately, PowerPoint offers a number of features to help you create compelling presentations that can engage your audience and effectively deliver even the most complex concepts.

In this article, we will explore the basics of PowerPoint and why it is important, as well as the many benefits it can offer.

We will discuss how PowerPoint can help improve presentations, the role visuals can play, and the various features available to make the most of your presentations.

By the end of this article, you will be well-equipped to create and deliver powerful and engaging presentations with PowerPoint.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Powerpoint is an important tool for presenting information in a visual and organized manner.

It allows people to present complex information in an easy to understand and engaging way.

It also enables the presenter to highlight the most important points and helps to keep the audience focused.

Powerpoint is an invaluable tool for anyone looking to present their ideas effectively.

The Basics of PowerPoint

PowerPoint is an important tool for businesses, as it can help to create professional-looking presentations.

It is a presentation software program developed and distributed by Microsoft, and it is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

With PowerPoint, users can create slides with text, graphics, animations, and other elements.

It also has features such as the ability to embed audio and video, as well as the ability to animate objects.

Additionally, PowerPoint allows users to easily create attractive visuals and engaging presentations.

PowerPoint also has a number of features that make it easier to organize and deliver complex concepts in an understandable manner.

For instance, it offers a variety of slide layouts to help users structure their presentations in an organized way.

It also provides a range of tools to help create visuals that can help audiences to better retain information.

Furthermore, PowerPoint has a range of animation and transition effects that can be used to make presentations more dynamic and engaging.

In addition, PowerPoint supports the use of templates and themes, which can help to give presentations a more professional look.

It also allows users to easily collaborate and share their presentations with others.

This makes it easier for businesses to collaborate on projects and ensure that all stakeholders have access to the same information.

Finally, PowerPoint offers a number of features that can help to improve presentations, such as the ability to add notes and comments, as well as the ability to insert charts and graphs.

The Benefits of Using PowerPoint

PowerPoint is an incredibly useful tool for businesses, as it provides a range of benefits when it comes to creating presentations.

Firstly, PowerPoint helps users to easily create professional-looking slides with text, graphics and animations.

This makes it easier to create a visually appealing presentation, which can help to engage audiences and make it easier to retain information.

Furthermore, PowerPoint allows users to organize and deliver complex concepts in an understandable manner.

This means that it is easy to break down complex topics into more manageable chunks, making it easier for audiences to understand the concepts being presented.

Additionally, PowerPoint’s features make it easier to create compelling visuals that can help to keep viewers engaged.

Another benefit of using PowerPoint is its ability to help businesses save time.

Presenters can easily create presentations with PowerPoint’s templates and features, allowing them to quickly and efficiently create presentations that are both informative and visually appealing.

This saves businesses time and money, as they dont have to spend time and resources on creating presentations from scratch.

Finally, PowerPoint can be used in a variety of different ways.

It can be used to create presentations for meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops and more.

This makes it a great tool for businesses that need to create presentations for different types of events.

Additionally, PowerPoint can be used to create digital presentations that can be shared online, making it easier to reach a wider audience.

Overall, PowerPoint provides businesses with a range of benefits that make it an essential tool for creating effective and engaging presentations.

With its easy-to-use features, businesses can quickly and easily create visually appealing presentations that are both informative and visually appealing, helping to engage audiences and make it easier to retain information.

Additionally, PowerPoint’s features make it easier to organize and deliver complex concepts in an understandable manner.

Finally, it can be used in a variety of different ways, making it a great tool for businesses that need to create presentations for different types of events.

How PowerPoint Helps Improve Presentations

PowerPoint is an essential tool for businesses, as it helps to make presentations more effective and engaging.

It makes it easy to create professional-looking slides with text, graphics, animations, and other visuals.

This helps to keep audiences engaged and ensure that they are able to retain the information better.

PowerPoint also helps to organize complex concepts and deliver them in an understandable manner.

With its powerful features, businesses can create compelling presentations that are both informative and visually appealing.

This allows them to present their ideas in an organized and easy-to-understand format.

Moreover, the wide range of features that PowerPoint offers makes it easier to create presentations that are both visually appealing and easy to understand.

This includes features such as backgrounds, transitions, images, and animations.

These features can help to add depth and interest to presentations, making them more engaging and memorable.

The use of PowerPoint also makes it possible to quickly and easily update presentations.

This is especially useful for businesses that need to make changes to their presentations on a regular basis.

With PowerPoint, they can make changes in a matter of minutes, without having to start from scratch.

Finally, PowerPoint is a great tool for businesses to share their presentations with the world.

With its easy-to-use sharing options, businesses can easily share their presentations with other people, whether they are in the same office or halfway across the globe.

This helps to ensure that everyone involved in the presentation is able to access it and understand it.

In conclusion, PowerPoint is an invaluable tool for businesses that want to create effective and engaging presentations.

Its features make it easy to create professional-looking slides, organize complex concepts, and quickly and easily update presentations.

Furthermore, PowerPoint provides businesses with the ability to easily share their presentations with a large audience.

All in all, PowerPoint is an important tool for businesses, as it helps to improve presentations in a number of ways.

PowerPoint is an incredibly powerful visual tool that can help businesses craft compelling presentations.

With its simple yet powerful graphical features, it allows users to easily create stunning visuals that are sure to pique viewers interest.

PowerPoints visuals can be used to include text, graphics, animations, and even video clips to clearly illustrate complex concepts in a visually appealing manner.

This not only helps to engage the audience, but also helps viewers to better understand and retain the information.

PowerPoint also offers its users a range of different tools to customize their visuals.

From basic shapes and text boxes to more complex objects like charts and diagrams, there is an endless array of possibilities.

Furthermore, users have the ability to add animation and transitions to their visuals, making them more dynamic and engaging.

The ability to make use of PowerPoints powerful visuals can help businesses create a presentation that will be sure to stand out from the rest.

Organizing and Delivering Complex Concepts

PowerPoint is a great tool for organizing and delivering complex concepts.

Its powerful features make it easy to create visually appealing slides with text, graphics, and animations.

This makes it easier for audiences to understand and retain information more effectively.

For example, you can use PowerPoint to create diagrams to illustrate a concept, or to create an interactive presentation that allows the audience to learn at their own pace.

You can also use different colors and fonts to highlight important information or to draw attention to specific points.

Additionally, PowerPoint allows you to easily and quickly create professional-looking presentations, even with limited design skills.

This makes it a great tool for businesses to use when presenting complex concepts to their audiences.

Additionally, PowerPoint provides tools to help you keep your presentations organized, such as a built-in outline feature and the ability to add notes to slides.

This makes it easy to quickly review your presentation and ensure that you have included all the necessary information.

Finally, PowerPoint allows you to easily share your presentations with others, either online or as a printed document.

This makes it easy for businesses to collaborate and share ideas with colleagues and clients.

Making the Most of PowerPoint’s Features

PowerPoint is an incredibly powerful presentation tool, with a wide array of features and capabilities that make it perfect for creating engaging and informative presentations.

It allows users to easily create professional-looking slides with text, graphics, and animations, as well as a range of tools for organizing and delivering complex concepts.

One of PowerPoint’s most useful features is its ability to create effective visuals that can engage audiences and help them to retain information better.

By using transitions, animations, and other effects, the presenter can create captivating visuals that will help to keep their audience engaged.

Furthermore, users can also make use of the wide selection of templates available to create visually appealing slides in no time.

PowerPoint also offers a range of tools for organizing and formatting presentations.

By using tables, charts, and diagrams, users can easily present complex information in an understandable manner.

Additionally, the Outline View feature allows users to quickly create and organize their presentations, while the Notes and Comments features can help to provide more detailed explanations of the content.

Finally, PowerPoint also includes a range of tools for sharing and collaborating on presentations.

Users can easily share presentations with colleagues, and the SharePoint feature allows for real-time editing of documents.

This makes it easy to collaborate on presentations and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

In short, PowerPoint is an incredibly powerful tool for creating engaging and informative presentations.

Its wide selection of features make it easy to create visually appealing and complex visuals, as well as organize and share presentations with ease.

By making use of its powerful features, businesses can ensure that their presentations are both informative and visually appealing, helping to engage audiences and ensure that they retain information better.

Creating Compelling Presentations with PowerPoint

PowerPoint is an incredibly powerful presentation tool that can help businesses create compelling presentations that engage their audiences and effectively communicate complex concepts.

By combining text, graphics, animations, and other visuals, PowerPoint enables users to easily create attractive presentations that are both informative and visually appealing.

PowerPoint’s features also make it easier to organize and deliver complex concepts in an understandable manner.

The ability to add multiple slides and easily rearrange them allows users to structure their presentation in a logical order that is easy to follow.

Presenters can also use PowerPoint to create animations, transitions, and other visuals that make the presentation more engaging and help audiences retain the information they see more effectively.

Furthermore, PowerPoint allows users to add multimedia content to their presentations.

This can include video clips, audio clips, images and other visuals.

With these features, businesses can create presentations that are more dynamic and engaging, and can further help audiences retain the information.

Overall, PowerPoint is an essential tool for every business, and its features make it easy to create compelling presentations that engage audiences and help them to better retain the information.

By combining text, graphics, animations, and multimedia content, businesses can make use of its powerful features to create engaging presentations that are both informative and visually appealing.

Final Thoughts

PowerPoint is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used to create visually appealing and engaging presentations.

It gives users the ability to easily organize and deliver complex concepts in a way that is understandable and memorable.

By taking advantage of its many features, businesses can make use of PowerPoint to create compelling presentations that can help them to reach their goals.

With the right approach, PowerPoint can help you make a lasting impression on your audiences.

James Wilson

James Wilson has extensive knowledge in the information technology industry.His second love, besides dealing with computers, is smart home technology. He is continually updating information to better comprehend this problem and has a deep understanding of the apartment’s support system.

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What is PowerPoint?

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Importance of Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most popular technology that is being used by many of us in our day in day out to present our views in more attractive and precise way with numerous special effects. With a few clicks, user can add graphics, text, visuals, sounds and many more effects. In most of the Business meetings, PowerPoint presentation making the sessions more interesting for the listeners compared to old traditional way of representation. 

Here are some benefits of the Microsoft PowerPoint which adds importance to any of the presentations for any kind of users.

Point-Point Focus:  PowerPoint helps in driving presentation focused detailed by pointing on important ideas or points through the slides. Rather writing paragraphs or stories on what you would like to present, a detailed statement with some voice or Animated or Graphical representation will make more eye catchy and interesting for listeners. This will help in letting us convey the message in a very detailed way with less of efforts and time saving.

Attractive Visuals – Visual representation leaves an impression in our mind rather listening to verbal statements. PowerPoint have different multimedia options that will help users to represent with a colourful background, text and animation giving striking look to the representation.

Numerous Resources:  PowerPoint have capability to add references from Internet by a single click offering a series of cues.

Breaking the complexity:  In traditional way, either in educational system or professional life, illustrating a concept to the audience is through white board, which is a time consuming and effort taking. With the Presentation, presenter uses his skills to represent in a more simpler way and saves efforts of users and his own.  PowerPoint also has the capability of using laser pointers for narration that helps presenter to have an eye-eye contact with the audience at the same time concentrating on the bullet points.

User Ownership:  PowerPoint gives an option to digital signature to the presentation that will not let any of users modifying or adding any of the content to presentation without the consent of the user.

Multimedia capability:  PowerPoint has ability to convert the presentation into Video or audio and can be shared on Internet and can be saved in DVD through DVD burner for parties, functions, academics, entertainment, etc. It also has the capability to be viewed on any device like iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Blueberry etc.

Easy accessible:  PowerPoint can be easily sent on email, shared on a low memory device.

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Liberia: SCNL Holds Eight Edition of Nature Talk With Students in Rural Montserrado

Monrovia — Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia has broadened its insight on Biodiversity sustainability, enlightening high school students on the need to contribute to the fight against environmental threats.

Over the weekend, November 24, SCNL in collaboration with the Liberia Geographical Society, with support from its partner, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) initiated a daylong educative awareness for over five high school students in the Johnsonville Community, as the Eighth Edition of "The Liberia Nature Talk."

This, according to Johnson G. Koikoi, lead on the program, is in fulfillment of SCNL's mission to educate the public, encourage and assist the public in understanding the importance of biodiversity conservation and natural resources management in Liberia, SCNL will ensure this through its environment program and awareness with students at primary, secondary & universities which enhances their learning.

Koikoi said the awareness at the school is a part of SCNL strategies to ensure biodiversity conservation and natural resources management awareness is carried out to the public through environmental education programs with Schools Nature Clubs (SNCs), universities, and Coordination meetings with Conservation Partners by using the various methods.

These methods according to him, include Conference Hall Meetings with participants (students) in the cluster,

PowerPoint Presentation, Awareness of Nature (Wetlands in Liberia & Biodiversity Research done in Gola Forest Nature Park).

During the event, Environmental Protection Agency National Focal Point on Ramsar Levi Z. Piah drill students on the importance of protecting the environment and how they can help to educate the public against environmental hazards.

He places special emphasis on swamp land, wetlands, and other areas that contribute significantly to environmental security as well as how society can preserve the environment to get economic gains.

Piah said it was important for students to understand the dos andon'ts't of the environment since it raised the question about why their work sometimes interfered with development which the EPA viewed as dangerous to nature.

According to Piah, the preservation of areas like Magroswap is important in so many ways, including curbing flooding, reducing carbon gases as well and contributing to the livelihood of fish.

"Don't built-in swap. Wetlands are government land. If you fill in them and build houses, wetlands won't be able to absorb carbon dioxide," Piah stressed.

"Also don't cut the mangroves, they play a key role in saving the environment."

Piah noted that failure to preserve the environment leads to global warming that can result in uncontrollable sunshine on earth, which will hurt the environment and man.

Piah encouraged students at the school to be ambassadors for saving the environment.

For his part, Diekarmien Alvis Deemie, SCNL Science and Conservation Officer informed the students of the importance that the environment plays in bringing resource generation to Liberia.

He said Liberia is blessed to have some of the scarce species which are often not seen in other areas around the world and killing them would not be helpful for wildlife conservation.

Diekarmien added that the Liberia reserve is important and has the proficiency to attract tourists as well as contribute to sustainable biodiversity.

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He encouraged the students to take advantage of the environmental sector of study, citing that the protection of the environment is everyone's business.

The Eighth Edition of 'The Liberia Nature Talk was held at the End Time Reminder Ministries Christian Academy in Johnsonville Township by SCNL and partners.

Society for the Conservation of Nature Liberia (SCNL) is a non-political institution, serving as the lead National Civil Society Organization for nature conservation in Liberia.

SCNL's mandate is to educate, encourage, and assist civil society in understanding the need and patterns of conserving nature, and to build consensus on the effective management of biodiversity by ensuring the use of natural resources is sustainable and that biodiversity is effectively managed and appropriately utilized.

Read the original article on FrontPageAfrica .

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The Ultimate Guide to Effective Teacher Presentations: Strategies & Tips

Dianne Adlawan

Teachers, by nature, are considered professional presenters. Their main responsibility is to talk in front of their students to relay educational knowledge, sharpen their minds and skills, and even serve as a second guide alongside their parents. They also speak in front of parents, co-teachers, and school administrators. This just means that preparing for a presentation is already not new to them.

Still, teachers can become so comfortable with their presentation routine that their techniques turn into autopilot. The result of a repetitive task can become tiring and not challenging anymore which may result in students losing interest or attention span in the process.

The tips featured in this article are dedicated to these hard-working professionals. This will help them prepare and perform a better presentation in front of any type of audience.

Why You Should Prepare for a Presentation

• Preparation helps you build to structure your thoughts to create a well-organized presentation. By taking the time to prepare, you can decide what information is most important, plan the flow of the presentation, and make sure that everything is connected and easy to follow.
• Second, it allows you to think ahead of the questions that your audience might ask. Especially if you’re giving a presentation to a group of various audiences, who are curious about the topic at hand. By preparing in advance, you’ll be able to answer any questions they may have, which will not only increase their understanding but also boost your credibility as a teacher.
• Lastly, preparation helps you make the most of your time. Advanced preparation ahead of the presentation can ensure that you’re not wasting time trying to organize your thoughts at the last minute.

Effects of an Organized and Well-Planned Presentation

An audience engages with a speaker who knows their words and poses a confident attitude. While the projector may display clear and concise slides, the presenter is the main ingredient to every presentation.

For teachers, a well-planned lesson presentation helps the teacher maintain the attention and interest of their students, which is crucial for effective learning. Additionally, being organized and prepared will help teachers convey their ideas more effectively and it will help the teacher to feel more confident, which also impacts their teaching and in turn can help to build trust and rapport with their students.

Possible Outcomes of An Unprepared Presentation

Let’s suppose you haven’t allocated enough time to plan and prepare for an important presentation. What could be the potential outcomes?

• Increased Stress and Anxiety: Lack of preparation can lead to increased anxiety and stress, which can not only hinder your ability to deliver a convincing presentation but also hurt your mental health and work balance. It can cause a “mental block,” causing you to lose focus and concentration during your delivery.
• Poor Presentation Delivery: Without proper preparation, your presentation can appear scattered and disjointed. This can lead to an incoherent message that fails to convince your audience.
• Diminished credibility: Delivering an unprepared presentation can harm your reputation as a professional. It can portray you as disorganized and unreliable which could lead your colleagues or students to question your competence and reliability.

Effective Visual and Content Organization Tips

Consider this as the first stage towards an effective teacher presentation. Before moving on to improving your verbal communication cues, let’s enhance first your presentation visuals and content.

Visual Tips

1. add powerpoint animations and different media.

Establishing an attractive slideshow is one of the keys to a successful presentation. This will put a good impression on your audience that you’re prepared just by seeing how well-designed your presentation is. Of course, images add to slideshow attraction, but consider adding another forms of media such as GIFs and videos, as well as animations! Microsoft PowerPoint has a lot of fun & captivating features that you may not be aware of. Check out this example of an easy yet appealing Slide Zoom trick in PowerPoint that you can add to your presentation to wow your audience.

@classpoint.io Did someone say FREE??? Yes, we did. Here are free websites to help you upgrade your next PowerPoint presentation! 😎 #powerpoint #presentation #design #studytok #edutok #tutorial #tipsandtricks #ai ♬ original sound – r & m

Read Next: Make Your Presentations POP With This PowerPoint Animation Template

2. Use Readable Font Styles

Make sure to use the best font style that makes your presentation look sleek, readable, and won’t strain your audience’s eyes while reading. We all want to use a fancy font, trust me, I get it. But most of the time, simplicity is beauty, especially if you’re presenting a professional-looking slideshow. Font styles such as Poppins, Tahoma, Verdana, Montserrat, and Helvetica are great examples of font styles that screams simple yet professional to look at.

On the other hand, font styles such as Bradley Hand, Comic Sans, and Chiller are not ideal choices as they are not meant to captivate your audience’s eyes. And another tip is to stick to two or three fonts only!

3. Use Relevant Graphics

Selecting graphics for designing your presentation depends on your audience and the goals you aim to achieve with the presentation. For example, if you are presenting in front of students and your goal is to keep them engaged, motivated, and actively participating, then you might consider incorporating charts, tables, and relevant shapes into your design.

It’s important to remember that your presentation design should align with the theme of your topic.

Free Websites to Upgrade your Presentation Graphics:

• Craiyon. com
• The Noun Project

4. Use Audience Engagement tools to Activate Learning

Want the quickest solution to an engaged audience? Well, it’s audience interactive activities! Adding interactive activities to your presentation can help keep your audience engaged and interested. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use ClassPoint, an audience engagement tool added right into PowerPoint presentations.

With ClassPoint, you no longer need to worry about strategies to keep your students engaged, as this tool transforms PowerPoint into a teacher presentation tool with a teacher toolbelt and student quizzes , polls, and games that make presentations more fun & engaging.

By combining ClassPoint with your presentation techniques, you can focus solely on setting up your lesson content in PowerPoint and allow ClassPoint to handle the rest for achieving a learning-activated presentation lesson .

🔍 Learn more about ClassPoint, the teacher add-in for better lessons & student engagement 👍

5. Use a Laser Pointer

Help focus your audience attention by using a laser pointer!

With the help of a laser pointer device, teachers are able to attract the attention of their audiences and concentrate on essential points in their presentations. Highlighting these main ideas and terms assists the speaker in organizing their speech, preventing distraction, and increasing retention of the information presented.

You can use a physical laser pointer & clicker, or with the addition of ClassPoint into PowerPoint, presenters can easily turn their cursor into a laser or a spotlight . This can make it even easier for students to follow along and is a convenient tool for creating a more captivating teacher presentation.

Secret tip: if you write on your slide with the laser, it will leave disappearing ink! 🪄

Content Tips

1. research and fact-check your presentation.

As educators, it is crucial to equip ourselves with reliable and accurate information before presenting to our students. We have a responsibility to not only educate them but to also mold them into critical thinkers who are equipped with factual knowledge. Without thorough fact-checking, we risk disseminating misinformation and hindering their intellectual growth.

To avoid such situations, we must prioritize research and fact-checking before presenting any information. Conducting research helps us not only in finding accurate information but also in ensuring that the sources we use are reliable and credible. Moreover, taking the time to fact-check demonstrates our commitment to providing students with high-quality education and the desire to create a safe and accurate learning environment.

2. Be Prepared to Anticipate Questions during the Presentation

It is important to be well-prepared for a presentation especially anticipating and addressing questions. This applies particularly to a teacher presentation, as educators face varied expectations and questions. Adequate preparation allows you to organize ideas and justifications, and it can deepen understanding, boost confidence, and improve adaptability. Addressing questions, makes your audiences feel heard and appreciated. This will result in comprehensive presentations, enhanced confidence, improved information flow, and an atmosphere of respect and understanding.

A great & visual way you can elaborate, or explain your material in new ways, is by using ClassPoint’s whiteboard tools added to PowerPoint. ClassPoint’s added toolbar presents teachers with unlimited whiteboard slides they can open whenever they need, and user-friendly yet comprehensive pen tools with available shapes, and text boxes. Plus you can also use ClassPoint’s quick poll or other question types to assess students’ understanding with hard data & insights.

Addressing questions well makes your audience or students feel heard & appreciated leading to improved learning, enhanced confidence, and a respectful, safe learning environment.

3. Provide an Outline Structure of your Content

When you are preparing your presentation, it is best to first create an effective outline structure that will guide your presentation flow and help you focus on the main learning objective. But what you may not be doing, is offering that outline structure to your students, but you should!

Providing students with a clear understanding of what this lesson is about, the structure of the lesson, and what they will be able to take away from it is important. By doing so, you can help students stay focused and follow along with the material. Additionally, you are setting expectations and ensuring that everyone is on the same page, which can help promote student autonomy. So, include an outline at the start of your presentation lesson.

Step-by-Step Strategies for a Successful Presentation

Before presentation, know your audience, your students, or observers.

Once you have completed your deck, you may want to add a guide script and any additional notes with important points you don’t want to forget or you want to highlight in your presentation to impress your students .

Practice your presentation delivery/lesson

Practice delivering your presentation give you a chance to fine-tune your content and get your facts down. This will help you become more comfortable with the material and identify areas that need improvement. You can practice in front of a mirror, record yourself and watch it back, or even rehearse with a colleague or friend. When practicing, pay attention to your posture, tone of voice, and pacing. By doing so, you’ll be able to deliver a confident and engaging presentation that will captivate your audience.

Use a friendly tone of voice and pace

Adjust your tone to match your message, and avoid speaking too quickly so that your audience will get the chance to absorb the information you’re sharing. By being mindful of these aspects, you will capture your audience’s attention and leave them feeling informed and inspired.

Use engaging body language

Body language is essential for engaging your audience during a presentation. Stand up straight, make eye contact, and use hand gestures to emphasize important points. You can also move around the classroom to keep your students’ attention. By using engaging body language, you’ll be able to convey your message more effectively and keep your students interested throughout the presentation. You’ve got this!

During Presentation

Create an icebreaker.

Having an icebreaker is a warm-up for your students’ brains, allowing you to focus and engage with the material being presented. It also helps break down any barriers or tension between the presenter and the audience, making for a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, an icebreaker provides an opportunity for the presenter to showcase their creativity and personality, adding an extra level of excitement and engagement to the presentation.

Good thing that ClassPoint has numerous features to help you perform an entertaining and unforgettable icebreaker. Here are some examples that you can use during an icebreaker.

• Quick Poll : Quick Poll allows you to create interactive polls right inside your presentation. When used as an icebreaker, it can engage the audience, initiate discussions, and provide valuable insights that help tailor the content to participants’ preferences.
• Word Cloud: Presenters can ask thought-provoking questions related to the topic or general interest. Using Word Cloud, the audiences can answer through their mobile which can be instantly seen as collective responses, with the most frequently mentioned words appearing larger.
• Short Answer : In short answer, you can challenge your audiences’ thought process in a short-form writing activity with no options to get from to test their ability to understand.
• Image Upload : Using single image, audiences can interpret what they feel like, or their mood using only the photos in their gallery or surroundings. A creative yet fun way for an icebreaker!

Speak clearly

Effective communication is crucial when presenting important information to students. Speaking clearly helps ensure that students understand the concepts being taught and follow instructions effectively. As a teacher, it’s important to focus on clear speech to promote effective communication and help your students comprehend the material being presented.

Pay attention to your audience’s attention

Since distractions are aplenty, attention spans are dwindling, it’s important for presenters to captivate their audience’s attention right from the beginning. For teachers, when speaking in front of your class, you should not only focus on the content of your presentation but also on your students’ attention.

To ensure that your students won’t start drifting away or zoning out, start with a compelling opening that immediately grabs their attention. Use vivid storytelling, examples, or demonstrations to engage your students and drive home your message. Don’t forget the power of humor, and never be afraid to be yourself – authentic, passionate, and confident.

Add Personality: share short relatable stories

“A great personality makes everyone feel energized; just like a flower’s fragrance that freshens ups the complete surrounding.” 29 Personality Quotes to Achieve Greatness

As to what is stated in the quote, having a positive and vibrant personality affects the overall mood of your surrounding, it can capture the audience’s attention and maintain their interest throughout the presentation. While the ultimate goal is to deliver a presentation rich with new learnings and knowledge, adding humor can do no harm to lift up the mood in the room. You might want to start by segueing a short story that your students can relate to and make interactions by encouraging them to share a story too or ask questions.

Post-Presentation Reflection

Take the comments by heart.

Receiving feedback from your students is a great way for evaluating the efficacy of a teacher presentation. This can help you identify areas where you can improve and tailor your teaching tactics to better suit the needs of your students. Listening to your students’ feedback can also promote a feeling of cooperation and enable them to become more actively involved in the learning experience. So, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and take it to heart in order to continually improve your presentations.

Experienced educators understand that they are perpetually crafting their skills, and feedback from their audience brings an opportunity for professional advancement. In addition, accepting audience feedback illustrates esteem and worth for the students’ views. It promotes a feeling of cooperation and enables students to become more actively involved in the learning experience.

Preparing for a presentation is essential for teachers to deliver engaging and impactful content to their students. By structuring thoughts, anticipating questions, and preparing ahead, teachers can achieve a well-organized presentation that will enhance the students’ understanding and leave them feeling confident.

By following our strategies and tips teachers can achieve successful lessons using PowerPoint presentations. And, with the help of an advanced educational technology tool like ClassPoint, teachers can create dynamic and memorable presentations that their students will enjoy and actively participate in.

Try out ClassPoint today and experience a whole teacher presentation in PowerPoint! ✨

About Dianne Adlawan

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