Teaching Effective Presentation Design for the Classroom

Abstract

Many teachers use slideware presentations (PowerPoint, Keynote, etc.) to supplement their classroom lectures, but have no formal training in their design. Research has shown that presentations using slideware can be harmful to the audience’s reception of the presentation content if the slides are poorly designed. The purpose of this instructional design project was to develop and evaluate an online instructional module for teachers on the design of effective slideware presentations for the classroom. The SlidesCool 101 website teaches basic graphic design skills to teachers, so they may create presentations which maximize their students’ content reception and retention. The module also contains interactive elements such as a non-linear option for learning, a forum for community sharing and feedback, and a printable reference guide to aid in usage and retention. Users evaluated the website using a Likert scale and responded positively overall. Open-ended responses indicated the lessons and tools provided improved users’ understanding of how to build effective slides, and requested further iterations of the content. Evaluation results will be used to revise the website, which will be active indefinitely and expanded upon in the future.