giving better presentations

Giving Effective Presentations

Patrick R. Lowenthalpatrick.lowenthal@ucdenver.edu

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Why are we here? Does this matter to me?

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Agenda• Limitations of PowerPoint• Design strategies• Presentation strategies• Distribution strategies• Good, the bad, and the ugly activity

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Limitations of PowerPoint

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Articles about PowerPoint misuse

• Death by PowerPoint

• Official: PowerPoint is bad for Brains

• Bad PowerPoint: When is enough enough?

• PowerPoint: Shot with its own bullets

• PowerPoint is evil

• Does PowerPoint make us Stupid?

• PowerPoint: Can software edit our thoughts?

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Peter Norvig

http://norvig.com/Gettysburg/sld001.htm

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Edward Tufte

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Limitations of PowerPoint – Tufte

1.Low resolution2.Bullet outlines dilute thought3.Deeply hierarchical and linear

structure4.Fragments narrative and data 5.Preoccupation with format, not content6.Decoration and phluff

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

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Design Strategies

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Design Strategies: According to Tufte

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1.Use more useful visuals or give handouts

2.Use clear headings, numbered lists

or very few bulleted outlines

3.Design and leverage PowerPoint’s non-linear and non-hierarchical capabilities

4.Use plain, non-distracting backgrounds; use information rich and relevant images

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1.Use more useful visuals or give handouts

2.Use clear headings, numbered

lists or very few bulleted outlines

3.Design and leverage PowerPoint’s non-linear and non-hierarchical capabilities

4.Use plain, non-distracting backgrounds; use information rich and relevant images

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1.Use more useful visuals or give handouts

2.Use clear headings, numbered lists

or very few bulleted outlines

3.Design and leverage PowerPoint’s non-linear and non-hierarchical capabilities

4.Use plain, non-distracting backgrounds; use information rich and relevant images

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1.Use more useful visuals or give handouts

2.Use clear headings, numbered lists

or very few bulleted outlines

3.Design and leverage PowerPoint’s non-linear and non-hierarchical capabilities

4.Use plain, non-distracting backgrounds; use information rich and relevant images

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Design Strategies: According to Williams

Robin Williams

ContrastAlignmentRepetitionProximity

Contrast

Good Bad

Alignment

GoodToday I went to the store to buy an apple for my grandmother.

BadToday I went

to the store to buy an

apple for my

grandmother.

Repetition and Proximity

GoodIntroductionxkdkdkdkdkdBodykdkdkdkdConclusionkdkdkdkd

BadIntroduction

xkdkdkdkdkd

Body

kdkdkdkd

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Design Strategies: According to Patrick

(me!)

1.PowerPoint should support objectives 2.Avoid PowerPoint templates3.Avoid using more than one level of

bullets4.Less is better: less words & less slides5.Avoid distracting clip art/unrelated

images6.Avoid distracting slide transitions7.Use CARP to improve design8.Avoid using all CAPS9.Leverage multimedia: visual & audio

when appropriate10.Don’t let PowerPoint control your

presentation

1.Interactivity

2.MS Producer for PPT

3.Articulate Presenter

4.Impatica for PowerPoint

5.Games

6.Digital Stories

We need to think of ways to get students to interact and actively engage in their learning.

Move Beyond Static Text

MS Producer is a good tool if you want to add audio and video to your slides.It is also free!Articulate Presenter offers a seamless (but expensive) alternative to Producer. Also has quiz making tools.

Impatica is an easy tool to covert PowerPoint slides for the web.PowerPoint can used to create learning games to engage students online

Digital stories can be an effective way to build teacher presence online.

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Design Strategies: According to

Pecha Kucha et al.

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1.Pecha Kucha: 20 slides timed for 20 seconds each (total time=6 minutes 40 seconds) www.pecha-kucha.org (e.g., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NZOt6BkhUg)

2.Ignite: 20 slides timed for 15 seconds each (total time=5 minutes) http://ignite.oreilly.com/

3.Guy Kawasaki: 10/20/30 rule – 10 slides, no more than 20 minutes, no font smaller than 30

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Design Strategies: According to the experts

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Presentation Strategies

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

1.Practice your Presentation

2.Test your PowerPoint before giving it

3.Learn how to move from slide to slide

4.Use the “B” key (or the “W”)

5.Don’t be locked to your PPT or the podium

6.Use numbers to navigate your slides

7.Have a “plan B” if the technology fails

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Distribution Strategies

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Activity

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• http://www.socialstartups.com/2007/06/26/microsoft-and-horrible-powerpoint-slides/

• http://christyluther.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/poor-presentation-slides/

• http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/04/worst_powerpoin.html

• http://elmhurst.edu/~jacobh/WorstPresentationEverStandAlone.ppt

• http://www.slideshare.net/jdornberg/worlds-worst-powerpoint

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Questions ?

ResourcesPowerPoint Viewer - http://tinyurl.com/3buwr5 PowerPoint Producer - http://tinyurl.com/4mcn69 Articulate - http://www.articulate.comImpatica - http://www.impatica.comGames - http://it.coe.uga.edu/wwild/index.html Digital Stories - http://www.storycenter.org Ovation - http://www.adobe.com/products/ovation OpenOffice Impress - http://www.openoffice.orgSlideShare - http://www.slideshare.net Inspiration - http://www.slideshare.net/contests/

Patrick R. Lowenthal | patrick.lowenthal@ucdenver.edu