PowerPoint College Lecture Tips

Should college instructors use PowerPoint as tools in their lectures? There's quite a bit of debate about this. On the one hand, PowerPoint allows teachers to organize their notes in a cohesive way to help students follow along. It also can be used to introduce photos and other graphics into a lecture.

On the other hand, PowerPoint isn't very useful if it isn't used correctly. Too much information on a slide can make it difficult for students to follow along. Moreover, students often don't know how to use PowerPoint correctly during lecture classes. They instinctively try to write everything down immediately without thinking about it, which can cause them to stop listening in lieu of copying down what's on the slide.

Here are some tips for incorporating PowerPoint into your classroom successfully.

Preparing the Students for PowerPoint

Before you begin using PowerPoint for your lectures, discuss with your students how you plan to use it in your class, and how they are expected to use it. Explain to them that they should not focus on writing down every word while tuning you out. Instead, they should use the PowerPoint slides to help them organize what you are saying.

After you use the slides a few times, check in with the students. Ask them if the PowerPoint presentations are as helpful as they could be. They might have specific feedback on how to make the slides more readable or effective. This is also a good time to remind them how to properly use the slides to help follow along with your lectures.

PowerPoint Presentation Style

As a lecturer, it's easy to "hide behind' PowerPoint-- that is, to stand at the controls and lose rapport with the classroom. As you show the slides, be sure to communicate verbally and non-verbally with your students. There's no need to stand by the projector the whole time-- walk around, ask your students questions, and be interactive.

In addition, it's always important to make sure the technology is working. In case it doesn't, always bring a backup sheet of notes that you can deliver the old-fashioned way.

PowerPoint Slides

When it comes to lecture materials, less is more. Put as little information on each slide as possible. Remember, you don't want your students to concentrate on writing down lots of words-- you want them to listen to you.

Make sure the slides are as readable as possible. Use a large, clear font. Take the time to preview the slides from a distance to make sure they work. And again, don't be afraid to ask your students for feedback to make sure they can read them easily.

PowerPoint allows users to incorporate all kinds of creative backgrounds on the slides. Use these sparingly. Yes, a nice background will make your slides look presentable and possibly more readable. However, if you're too flashy, you will distract your students.

PowerPoint Visual Aids

With PowerPoint, you can place photos and other graphics onto slides and project them to your students, which can be very handy when illustrating a point. When doing this, be sure to explain clearly what the point of the visual aid is so that students don't have to guess. You can also have students discuss graphics.

Like all technological tools, PowerPoint has its advantages and disadvantages. Take the time to use PowerPoint as efficiently as possible, and you may find that the technology helps your students follow along and learn.

PowerPoint Presentation

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds