Best Practices for Slide Presentations
(such as PowerPoint, Google slide presentation, Keynote)
Electronic Presentations support the Presenter
- Slide presentations provide an outline for you, the presenter
- You should know and understand the information you are to present
Prepare a storyboard or outline of the content before creating slides.
- Use a Graphic Organizer and transfer your outline to the presentation software.
- Use the outline function of your slide presentation software.
- Put your notes into the presenter notes of the software.
- Slides should be your outline and most of the content is in your notes.
Elements of the presentation should be consistent throughout.
- Color scheme
- Solid fill colors are the best.
- Dark or Light background acceptable, but text and objects should contrast with the background.
- Font
- Select one or at the most 2 fonts on a slide.
- Plain fonts such as Arial or Verdana are easiest to read.
- 18 to 24 point are a good size for the audience to read.
- Choose color contrasting with background.
- Slide transitions & animations
- Minimal use of animations is best.
- Stick to one style of transition.
- Overuse of transitions & animations distracts from content.
Limit the amount of information on a slide. Content should be...
- No more than 5 bullets
- Single phrases
- Short lists
- Questions for audience
- Quotes
- Photographs
Use ethical practices in creating the presentation.
Copyrighted material was included in this presentation
after review of the Fair Use Reasoning process.
- Cite all information and graphics used in the presentation.
- Make your Works Cited list available to your viewer.
- Method 1: Include the following on your first or last slide: Works Cited List available upon request. Contact: xxx00@scasd.org
- Method 2: Last slide contains your Works Cited List.
- Put your Works Consulted List into a Word document. (Use the directions in NoodleBib)
- Take a screen shot of the list and place the screenshot on your last slide
Practice your presentation.
- Know your content
- Face the audience and engage them with good eye contact
- Use laser pointer only if necessary
- Use the presenter tools and presentation mode of your software so you can see the slides and your notes on your computer screen.
- Don't read your slides.
This website created by Dotty Delafield dkd11@scasd.org librarian @Mount Nittany Middle School, State College Area School District, 656 Brandywine Drive, State College, PA 16801. Further educational use with proper attribution is encouraged. Last Updated: 3 November 2016.