OTAN News
Are your slides too cute? 3 Presentation Tips That Center Student Understanding
(From article)
Some of us during the Pandemic attempted to keep our adult learners engaged with our presentations. Some of the elements used had nothing to do with the actual content, but the cute bitmoji, animal stickers and blinking lights added a little fun bling. The novelty wore off when eventually a student described the slide and not the actual content.
It’s a delicate balance between designing for accessibility, pedagogy, and visually appealing materials. “Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principle of representation that asks teachers to present information in a way which makes it accessible to all learners.” Christina Scheffel, high school English teacher, presented these 3 useful tips to keep classroom materials clear, accessible and focused on learning goals at the ISTE 2024 Conference.
Choose a design that works for students
- Reduce cognitive load- the amount of information people can process at a given time.
- Reconsider using irrelevant GIFS or images
- Put most important information in the foreground so people know what to prioritize
- Font style and size should be easily readable for all.
- Check color contraster
Limit text on slides
- Group related information or “chunking it” makes it easier for students to remember.
- Limit how many words on a slide
- Post more text-heavy versions online through an LMS like Canvas or Google Classroom. This way a student can access and process in their own time.
Provide multiple forms of media
- Provide multiple visuals, videos, books, text, audio recordings, graphic organizers to provide multiple avenues for understanding.
- Include captions or transcripts for understanding.
Fun, creative energy can be invested into designs for non-instructional content. Check-ins, classroom routines, and transitions are fun places to add to these fun elements. While not every student is bothered by too much on a slide, learning happens best “when we design with all our students in mind.”