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Powerpoint sucks - what to use instead?

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JavaJones:
I'm currently having to edit a bunch of Powerpoints for the school I work for because they were created by people who don't know how to make Powerpoints properly. I'm dealing with things like lack of master slide use, inconsistent font types and formatting, horrible color use, photos thrown around randomly on slides, and (not Powerpoint's fault) rampant copyright issues.

My question is twofold.

First, when it comes to making presentations, are there any better options that:
A: Can easily enforce or at least suggest good formatting practices (e.g. auto-align photos, auto-crop text boxes to their necessary size - and no larger, perhaps even automatically select complementary colors)
B: Ensure consistent styling across *multiple* presentations
C: Ideally allow single sourcing and central styling adjustment for all presentations, so for example I could change the border color for all photos using "PhotoStyle1A" and it would change all related presentations

Actually, come to think of it, it sounds like I'm describing HTML and CSS. But are there any good, easy authoring tools that create Powerpoint-like results, and accomplish the above as well?

Second, assuming that visual learning materials that structure an instructor-led class are a requirement, does anyone have any recommended alternatives to a Powerpoint or other slide-based presentation? Particularly something that will enhance engagement and retention for the audience, provide structure and ensure consistency in presentation across multiple sessions of the same class topic, and be easily re-used in other formats (e.g. handouts or workbooks, etc.).

Feel free to think creatively - really creatively if you want to - e.g. web-based Flash learning environment, or whatever. As long as it can be functionally used in the classroom for a lecture-style teaching model at the least. Direct relationship/links to other systems and information would be a nice side-effect, but simplicity is also key.

Oh great DC community, I beseech thee. Rescue me from Powerpoint hell!

- Oshyan

Carol Haynes:
I can't think of anything easier to learn for school kids (but then I haven't really looked).

Rather than bemoaning the lack of control surely this is golden opportunity to teach about the need for consistency and design methods (such as master slides) as well as the need to involve an audience.

Second, assuming that visual learning materials that structure an instructor-led class are a requirement, does anyone have any recommended alternatives to a Powerpoint or other slide-based presentation? Particularly something that will enhance engagement and retention for the audience, provide structure and ensure consistency in presentation across multiple sessions of the same class topic, and be easily re-used in other formats (e.g. handouts or workbooks, etc.).
-JavaJones (April 20, 2010, 07:45 PM)
--- End quote ---

The big problem is that most of these slide presentations are tediously dull and getting duller by the day. The only thing that will make this sort of thing exciting it a good speaker presenting them and getting the kids involved.

I think schools and teachers have a huge problem: as more and more technology is integrated into the teaching process (and in the UK forced upon teachers) it will get harder and harder to be distinctive in classroom presentation.

There are only so many power point shows anyone can watch in a day and I predict that within the next five to ten years either a lot of computer based presentation will go from the classroom or kids will be supplied with a cheap laptop and told to stay at home and be taught remotely - the you could have virtual classes of thousands with automated marking systems ;)

Either welcome back proper teaching (giving teachers real flexibility to be creative) or brave new world here we come.

JavaJones:
Thanks for the reply Carol. Your first sentence confuses me a bit though. It seems to imply you thought I meant that kids were creating powerpoints? If so, that's definitely not the case. Actually, no kids are involved at all, as I work for an adult vocational education institute. ;)

As for your later comment about over emphasis of technology in education, I do somewhat agree. However in our particular case we are teaching a vocational curriculum and it's extremely important to maintain consistency across multiple campuses (and Distance Learning), even while allowing teachers enough room for their own lecture style and added knowledge. We're certifying people in health-advising positions (not medical degrees though), and so having a common standard of education is key.

Anyway, I think perhaps your answer might simply be that we need to train anyone doing Powerpoints on how to do them right. And that's probably true. It's just not something I relish being responsible for doing, let alone doing it myself. The sad thing is this stuff comes intuitively for me, but I'm not the one with the knowledge to write the actual curriculum materials. ;)

- Oshyan

app103:
You know, I have never used Powerpoint, but a quick and easy way to do a slide show is to create a series of images in Paintshop Pro, Photoshop, or some other graphics application, name them beginning with numbers to keep the images in order, and stick them all in the same folder.

When you view that folder in Explorer, there is an option to view the folder as a slideshow. Stick it on pause and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate through the slides.

They get autosized to fit the screen, black bordered if they don't fit quite right (wallpaper sized works best and won't be bordered).

The images can be used for a whole bunch of other things, including printing them or inserting them into other documents, if you want.

And if you need to fix or replace one slide, that's easy enough, and adding more is easy too. Need to change the order? Just rename the files.

And you don't need to install any extra software to show the slideshow. It's built into Windows.

As far as creating consistent looking slides, that can be done with a layered template in PSP or Photoshop, where you set the image size, the background color, a logo in the corner of the top layer, a text layer with the font, style, and color pre-selected, and an image layer to insert a graphic.

When it needs to be edited to make a new slide, you just change the text on the text layer and insert a new image on the graphic layer.

Carol Haynes:
Misunderstanding - the word school doesn't translate well into different countries (in the UK it means for children - adults go to colleges or universities)

If people are having problems using and being consistent in Powerpoint I somehow doubt that moving to PhotoShop (or PSP) will make that any easier!

Why not simply issue a style guide for PowerPoint (if you want people to use master slides try the help option in Powerpoint and lookup Master Slide - it gives a very good overview of what they are and how to create/use them - you can cut and paste from the help section to create a quick style guide with instructions). You could even give them a couple of powerpoint presentations to illustrate how much better a well styled presentation looks (even better run it in a staff meeting and grab their attention).

Give them a handful of master slides to base presentations on - they will probably appreciate that even more!

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