Tips for Using PowerPoint™ for Academic Presentations

As educators, it would be an advantage to us and to our students to use powerpoint slides to present our lessons. Our students would enjoy a more visual, creative and interactive lesson.

THE SLIDESHOW is a visual supplement to your presentation, not the presentation itself. At best, it can only help illustrate your points, not give your presentation. What you say is the main event. Spend more time on what you plan to say than creating the slideshow. Be careful that your slideshow provides a visual supplement to what you say instead of limiting what you say or distracting you or your audience. Most of these tips apply to any slideshow presentation program (aka slideware), not just PowerPoint.

Here arew some tips for using powerpoint for academic presentations:

Content

1. Finish text first. Write your text or outline first, spell check it, and double-check the grammar. People will be looking at what you've written—because they'll have little else to do—and will notice any mistakes.

2. Content before form. Don't get caught up with clip art, animations, transitions, sounds, etc., before finishing your text—if at all. Focus on content before form, just as in your writing.

3. First and last slides. Your first slide should be a title slide and the last a closing slide, either may stay visible to your audience for considerably longer than any other slide. Make both informative and interesting.

-- A title slide should include your name, presentation title, and class information with a relevant, complex graphic to stir interest.
-- A closing slide should include your contact information and references for further information.
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