How to Supercharge Your Slide Deck

Creating effective slide presentations is crucial for enhancing student learning in traditional, online, or hybrid classrooms. However, many educators may not realize that their current slides could hinder student understanding and engagement. Overly wordy slides and cluttered designs can lead to cognitive overload, leaving students overwhelmed and disengaged from the material being presented.

In this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, Jeremy Rentz, Professor at Trine University, will show you how to transform your presentations into powerful learning tools. Learn to eliminate distractions by using minimalist design principles, with a focus on using no more than 15 words per slide and embracing white space for clarity. This approach not only simplifies complex information but also encourages students to engage actively with the content.

Rentz will also guide you through the art of dual coding—combining images and words to enhance retention—and offers practical tips for creating effective handouts that reinforce your message and support student note-taking. By the end of this program, you will have the skills to create visually engaging, easy-to-digest presentations that promote better learning outcomes and help students process and retain information effectively.

Learning Goals

After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to:

• Discuss how limiting words on slides and using readable fonts can reduce cognitive load
• Incorporate dual coding in the classroom
• Apply the “less is more” approach to slides
• Analyze the impact of text-heavy slides on student attention and learning, specifically in relation to subvocalization
• Create effective handouts that integrate key graphics and promote student engagement through note-taking

Topics Covered

• Creating student-centered slides
• Relieving subvocalization issues
• Avoiding cognitive overload
• Using images to provide instant context for students
• Taking advantage of dual coding

Audience

This program will benefit:

• Faculty teaching in any modality
• Teaching Assistants
• Instructional Designers

Product Code: PM24UA