PowerPoint Presentation – Updates for Lecturers and Students By Kohol Shadrach Iornem, MBA, B.Eng, PgD., MIMC, MBAM

Kohol Shadrach Iornem

A PowerPoint presentation is one of the best ways to convey knowledge to an audience and advancing technology demands that presenters keep in step with the latest innovations.

The target audience has the right to expect the best presentation of the topic and this includes the use of media.  

As lecturers, we are accountable to acquit ourselves to the best of our professional abilities in order to ensure that fees paid by the audience are honoured, the reputation of our university / college / school is not tarnished and our ability to impart knowledge is respected.

Personal experience is often the best teacher and my skills continue to develop from observing, reading and then practising. I hope this will bring be a small contribution to enable colleagues to continue striving for excellence. 

The aim of this write up is to:

·         list the importance of using Microsoft PowerPoint effectively

·         suggest a comparative use of other media programmes and to share information about other effective presentation tools.  

Let us consider improving our use of the Microsoft PowerPoint programme – and remember, it is not rocket science!

Firstly, the use of the bullet points:

·         draw attention to important information within a document so that a reader can identify the key issues and facts quickly

·         introduce the amplification of the content by narrator and could refer to a related document or hand out. Check out the useful information on bullet points in the Oxford Dictionary, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/bullet-points (Accessed 2 September 2014)

Secondly, paragraph script, graphics and fonts:

·         PowerPoint usage is best effective with key word / key phrases and not lengthy lines of script

·         PowerPoint content is best served by the use of relevant graphics – remember that one picture is worth a thousand words

·         a 40 point heading and 28  or 30 point font size always gives a readable presentation

·         stick to one theme font – for example, Ariel, Calibri or Times Roman. The simpler, the better, so KEEP IT SHORT and SIMPLE (KISS)

·         be cautious about using the dock camera to display written material because this asset is not always available on every computer – have a hard copy backup on hand.

Thirdly, we must own the content:

·         there is a danger of using a prepared set of slides because we do not own the content

·         If we do not manage the slide content ourselves we may lose impact and, for the seasoned audience, we will show up as being ill-prepared. For example, I recall how a particular speaker being all over the place when he could not control his slide presentations because the automatic settings had taken over the show! On another occasion, a presenter thought he had finished explaining a page, only to encounter more text flying in with every click of the mouse!

Fourthly, let us expand our horizons and learn about other digital alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint:

·         For example, Slide Share, Google Presentations, Prezi, Slide Rocket, Zoho Show, Keynote, Haiku Deck and many more. Fresh approaches break the monotony of “the same thing” syndrome – how we present our content affects how  our  audience receives it.  

Finally, be prepared:

·         Enquire from the course organisers the systems that are available in place for presentation when being invited to speak.

·         Get information on the presentation requirements, for example, if PowerPoint should be used or if the presentation will involve case studies or syndicate groups