PowerPoint in Teaching

Many  faculty use PowerPoint to deliver course information. Some use it to post course notes online through WebCT. This allows students to print the notes and use them during class for reference and as a base to take more extensive notes. Others use it for presentations of visuals, examples, theories etc. in class. To optimize use of PowerPoint and avoid distractions, attention to the amount of text; use of color; font and images is valuable.

Some tips to optimize slides for course notes:

• Use contrasting color combinations such as a light background with dark text, and limit the number of colors to 2-3. Softer colors attract and retain the eye, and brighter colors can be used for headers or logos that aren’t intended to retain extensive attention.
  
  
• Use colors from the images for the text. This will bring the slide together as a whole and help guide the audience in reading it; it should help the slide appear neater while engaging.
  
  
• Contain information at 3 points per slide.

For presentations and lectures, consider:

• Distributing printouts of the slides for the group to follow the presentation while taking notes.
  
• Using a dark background with light text. The more contrast the better.
  
• Limiting slide use to 1 slide for 2-3 minutes discussion. The speaker can explain the details of the main points listed on the slides.
• Using a font size no smaller than 24 points.

This online Office Assistance Center offers design strategies for particular types of presentations, including ethnographic research and the use of Flash with PowerPoint.