Avoiding PowerPoint Overload

By Liam, Deloris, Daniel,and Lizzy

The brain has two channels for processing information

The Verbal Channel– Processes sound

The Visual Channel– Processes diagrams, writing, pictures, etc.

There are information capacities

Know your audience and communicate with them.

Five Fabulous ways to make a fantastic

PowerPoint!

Write a heading instead of a title

The Signaling Principle-mind learn better when more organized (outlines and headings)

Tea making instructions could be…

Tea

This is bad because:– It doesn’t really tell you what the slide is about…

Instead, you should put:

How to make a cup of Tea:

This is much better because:– It shows the same as the previous slide in a less

useless way.

– It tells you exactly what is in the slide.

Use the Slide Sorter view when creating the PowerPoint

The Segmentation Principle-people learn better when presentation is in smaller sizes

Helps the author identify:– A flow– Missing information– Repetition– Clutter– Slide crowding

Slide Sorter View

Do not clutter your slides

The Modality Principle-people learn better hearing the lecture instead of the text on screen

Main ideas--too much text or visuals overloads the mind’s visual channel

Narrate more, write less Use Notes Page view

Present your information with visuals

The Multimedia Principle – the mind learns better with visuals

Some ways– Charts/ Graphs

– Reduce words

– Diagrams

Apple

Include only necessary information in your presentation

The Coherence Principle- reduce irrelevant details that could lead to different subjects

Summarize the topic with main idea and control bullet points

Include only necessary information in your presentation (2)

Don’t copy and paste information from sites, use your own words

Make sure text covers topics and make sense without unnecessary details

Remember: Less is more!

Credits

http://esl.vcc.ca/eslvoc/ESLWEB/HEAR.GIF (hearing) http://www.best-of-web.com/_images/080521-151906-007007.jp

g (eye)

http://se.ethz.ch/people/leitner/erl_g/image/tea_cup_small.jpg (tea)

http://www.guidesandtutorials.com/image-files/ppt_08-03.gif (slide sorter view)

http://adairjones.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/apple-full.jpg (apple)

http://www.guilamuir.com/ideasource/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/man-presenting-at-a-business-meeting.jpg (presenting)

http://www.getentrepreneurial.com/images/Life%20Success%20in%203%20Steps.jpg (success)