Teaching with Slideshows

Allow time for students to reflect on what they have seen. Picking up from the previous point it is important to allow students to reflect on what they have seen. This can happen in a number of ways; for example completing set questions or discussing key points in small groups and eventually feeding back what they have discussed to the rest of the class.  Technical quality is important. Make sure playback facilities are available in the lecture theatre or learning centre (and are working). Other areas to consider are whether the screen size is adequate for the number of students? Can you lower the lights near the screen? Is the sound clear enough? The payoff for downloading video resources from the Internet for free is often the quality of the resource. With educational resources that are bought through reputable distributers you avoid such problems and are guaranteed a professional product.   Used as a refresher. The great thing about video is that it can be watche...

Choose your video resources wisely.  The selection of  educational video resources available is astronomical. Pick any subject area and you are sure to find a plethora of video content accessible, ranging from home videos on YouTube to professional programmes on many sites. Therefore, it is vital to spend time prior to the lecture watching a range of educational videos/clips, in order to find the one that best fits its intended purpose.   The ethical issue.  There are a huge amount of educational video resources available to download on the internet. However, it is important as educators that we instil in our students a respect for other people’s property. We spend time warning students about the ethical implications of plagiarism, so it is imperative that we make sure that we reference where the video resource and educational clips have come from, just as we would reference a book or journal. Remember that a number of videos available online have co...

Include audio or video to create a more immersive experience.  Audio or video integration is ideal, especially if you are trying to make your eLearning presentation more dynamic and interactive. Narration, background music, and video explanations are all examples of multimedia tools that you can (and should) use. Some say that videos hold the future of eLearning. Embed links to references and resources.  Including links to articles, reference sites, and other web resources can give you the opportunity to expand the learning experience of your learners beyond the eLearning presentation . Rather than making the learners scour the web for these resources, you can direct them to specific sites that they may find helpful. Integrate real life examples.  Real life examples, such as those that your learners will encounter on the job, allow them to relate to the content. They also help them to see the value of the eLearning experience, given that they are made aware of exact...

Map out your strategy in advance. Before you dive into the creation process, it's always wise to map out your entire eLearning presentation or slideshow. Develop a plan for each page and decide which elements you are going to include. You may want to consider developing a mind map or storyboard to help you with this process. Determine the flow and pace of the eLearning presentation or slideshow, so that you can design the eLearning experience around this structure. Keep in mind that organization is key when creating eLearning presentations, as it will allow you to stay on-topic and only include elements that are absolutely necessary. Always focus on the learning goals.   Always be aware of the  learning objectives , so that you can custom tailor every aspect of the eLearning presentation to help learners get one step closer to achieving their primary goal. Text should be concise, clear, and carefully crafted.   The text you include in your presentation or slideshow ...

PowerPoint is a presentation software developed by Microsoft Corporation. Although the program was designed for creating presentations , it has evolved into a great tool that can be used for many other purposes. By adding sounds and other special features, you can create fun, interactive study tools, like games and quizzes. This is great for all learning styles and grade levels. Make an Animated Map Quiz If you’re studying geography or history and you know you’ll be facing a map quiz, you can create your own pre-test version in PowerPoint. The result will be a video slide show of the map with a recording of your own voice. Click on the locations and hear the site name as the words appear on screen. This is a great tool for all  learning styles . Auditory learning is enhanced as this tool enables you to see and hear names of map locations simultaneously. Use a Story Template Use PowerPoint story writing templates to help integrate literacy and technology in...

Slide presentation software such as PowerPoint has become an ingrained part of many instructional settings, particularly in large classes and in courses more geared toward information exchange than skill development. PowerPoint can be a highly effective tool to aid learning , but if not used carefully, may instead disengage students and actually hinder learning. Advantages Increasing visual impact Improving audience focus Providing annotations and highlights Analyzing and synthesizing complexities Enriching curriculum with interdisciplinarity Increasing spontaneity and interactivity Increasing wonder Challenges Although there are many potential benefits to PowerPoint, there are several issues that could create problems or disengagement: Teacher-centered. Students often respond better when instructors have designed sessions for greater classroom interaction , such as the   use of student response clickers , designing PowerPoint to   facilitate case stud...