Use PowerPoint Presentations More Effectively

Madison, Wis.—February 6, 2008 — The key to using PowerPoint effectively in your classrooms is making sure you’re asking it to do only what it’s meant to do, said Paul Gibler during his recent online seminar.

PowerPoint presents things visually, so it doesn’t make sense to use it as a written version of a spoken presentation, said Gibler, a communications and marketing consultant who is on the adjunct faculty at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin. Use printed supplements—speaker notes, outlines, or other handouts—for that job.

Consider handing out supplements after class, Gibler said. “You want students to focus on you, you want them to focus on the material you’re talking about, and you want them to listen and engage,” he said.

According to some presentation experts, presenters should limit themselves to six words per slide. In an online poll during the seminar, 85 percent of participants said they do not agree with that suggestion. Gibler himself said he doesn’t believe that it’s necessary to stick to this limit strictly—as evidenced on the slides he used himself during the seminar.

“What I would say is reduce the number of words on your slide,” he said. “But a picture tells your story more effectively.” He also offered before-and-after examples of slide makeovers to show the differences slight changes can make to the overall presentation and its effectiveness.

If you missed the live event, you can order the program in CD or transcript format, both of which include the presenters' handouts.

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For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.