Designing PowerPoint Slides
Sessions, 2.5 hours
Good research communication skills are important for your students’ PhD journeys and beyond. In this session, guide them to “package the message” effectively, using PowerPoint. Key presentations are likely to include:
- The research proposal.
- Doctoral progress.
- Seminar and conference contributions
- Teaching.
- The final thesis to examiners.
Making good PowerPoint slides alone is not enough: students must also learn to deliver a memorable presentation.
Download the curriculum for this session.
Outcomes
By the end of the session, students can:
- Design their own PowerPoint slides.
- Deliver PowerPoint presentations effectively.
Preparation
Gather examples of PowerPoint slides that demonstrate common mistakes or top tips.
To demonstrate how to design PowerPoint decks, prepare steps to project. Ensure that you can project these steps online or on a screen.
Check that each student has their own laptop and PowerPoint program.
Consult these resources. You may decide to share one or more with your students.
- How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation.
- Cartwright, J. (2022). 17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips to Make More Creative Slideshows.
- NCSL. (2017) Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint Presentations.
- Smith, B. (2021) 60 Effective PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks (To Improve Your Skills).
Assessment
Students submit their designed PowerPoint slides for feedback from you or a co-facilitator.
Steps
| Time | Step | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 1. Present the use of PPTs in research | Facilitator |
| 90 minutes | 2. Demonstrate and practise PPT design | Facilitator, students |
| 15 minutes | 3. Present PPT tips | Facilitator |
| 30 minutes | 4. Present and discuss PPTs | Individual students, group |
Step 1. Present the use of PPTs in research
15 minutes
Give a short introductory presentation about the use of PowerPoints in research and common design mistakes.
Step 2. Demonstrate and practise PPT design
90 minutes
Demonstrate important design points, including how to:
- Make slides less crowded.
- Use fonts, colours and templates.
- Drawing tables, figures and flow charts.
- Record narration for voice-over PowerPoints.
- Add videos to slides.
Each student works on their own laptops to design a set of PowerPoint slides to show elements of their own research concept or proposal.
Step 3. Present PPT tips
15 minutes
Present tips on the delivering PowerPoint presentations that audiences will understand and remember.
Step 4. Present and discuss individual PPTs
30 minutes
Select a few students and ask them to present their PowerPoint slides to the group. Invite constructive feedback from other students. Encourage a lively, supportive atmosphere. Finally, invite feedback from co-facilitators and give your own comments.
