For some time now my LinkedIn bio has started, “I am an educator, journalist, creator, and recovering PowerPoint person.”
It is true. A couple of years in the past, I vowed by no means to make use of PowerPoint or any comparable slideshow for my displays and lectures. This was partially on account of an trustworthy self-assessment: I used to be objectively unhealthy at creating any. Regardless of how exhausting I attempted to not, I violated each rule in the avoiding demise by PowerPoint handbook. My slides have been textual content heavy and visually unappealing, powered by equal elements insecurity and the self-aggrandizing concern that I would pass over one thing “necessary.”
On high of those private failings, I noticed that I disliked the overwhelming majority of slideshows I needed to sit by way of. Even the uncommon good ones I’ve seen nonetheless undergo from near-constant technical difficulties. (I estimate that the fail fee of a slideshow introduced in a brand new location is 90+ p.c.) We’ve all seen a pissed off presenter clicking in useless at a display frozen on one slide, or exhibiting as much as a lecture solely to search out they didn’t have entry to the projector, despite the fact that the organizer stated they might.
Lastly, my sense is that slideshows can encourage members to be much less lively and engaged as they only watch for the hyperlink to the slideshow or take images of the slides. This doubtless hurts studying as analysis exhibits that when college students take notes they study greater than after they {photograph} or revisit slides.
For all these causes, I’ve stopped utilizing PowerPoint and different slideshows. Listed here are the strategies I exploit in my courses as alternate options to slideshows. I discover these strategies not solely to be simpler and fascinating, they’re additionally simpler for me to place collectively. These additionally foster extra dialogue and permit for extra spontaneity than conventional slideshows.
1. Slideshow Alternate options: Handouts
It’s fundamental. It’s low-tech. But it surely works!
Whereas printing for big teams isn’t sensible and a waste of paper, when presenting workshops for a small variety of members, I discover handing out a packet outlining the highlights and key parts of my presentation is usually a nice technique. If I’m truly in a position to achieve entry to the projector within the room, because the organizers instructed me I might be capable to, I’ll throw the presentation up on the display. If not, it’s no large deal.
An extra benefit is the handout provides members one thing tactile to carry onto and use to take notes. I’ve additionally discovered outdated handouts from displays I’ve lengthy since attended and that may be a pleasant reminder of a optimistic academic expertise.
2. QR Codes
The digital successor the print handout, QR codes let me rapidly create a handout in Google Docs, then generate a code for it, and share with college students or lecture members. I find yourself trying like a tech genius however that is simpler than connecting to WiFi at Starbucks!
Utilizing QR codes has many of the similar benefits of a print handout besides it saves paper and requires much less pre-planning on my half. I generate the QR code utilizing Google Chrome’s QR code generator, which is built-in into Chrome, however there are numerous free QR code mills accessible.
As soon as the code is generated, if I’m truly in a position to achieve entry to the projector within the room (because the organizers promised!), I can share it on the display. If not — as you could be starting to suspect has occurred to me greater than as soon as — I can share it from my telephone, my laptop computer, or if I actually wish to get fancy, from a printed flyer.
3. Surveys and Quizzes
Producing a fast survey concerning the subject you’re talking of could be an attention-grabbing means for college kids or members in a workshop to study from each other. It additionally helps you establish the place your viewers is coming from, and will get them actively concerned within the dialogue. Brief quizzes present comparable advantages and, as well as, pre-testing and quizzing has been proven to assist members study extra.
In my case, when educating college students in an introductory course about journalism, I would begin with a fast quiz on journalism jargon phrases such because the inverted pyramid, the nut graph, and lead. College students gained’t know what these imply and plenty of will do poorly on the pre-test, however it doesn’t rely in opposition to their grade and analysis exhibits taking the take a look at will assist them focus after I clarify the phrases.
I’ve additionally polled college students about matters reminiscent of their opinions on bias within the media and whether or not goal reporting is even doable. The digital survey will get them enthusiastic about these points and helps jumpstart the dialogue.
4. Objects, Giveaways, and Enjoyable Issues Folks Can Contact IRL
Whether or not you’re presenting to younger college students or seasoned colleagues, all of us wish to play. Offering members with one thing they’ll maintain of their hand can improve studying and brighten up the presentation. This might be an object associated to science or historical past that you just hand round, enjoyable and never too costly giveaways, or some kind of artwork and craft associated to the subject at hand.
A professor good friend of mine has his journalism college students discover precise bodily newspapers as one class exercise, and since a lot of them are digital natives, it may be a novel expertise for them. I as soon as gave a workshop on writing about meals and the spotlight was not the slideshow that took me eight hours to place collectively on a Sunday that I ought to have been spending outdoors. As an alternative it was the pastries from a neighborhood bakery I picked up on the best way to the workshop on a whim. I requested members to strive the pastries after which write about their flavors. They began writing like seasoned meals critics. Every chunk was value a thousand slides!
