Patricia McGee, Ph.D.

(2011)

Learning Design Principles for Power Point™ Presentations

See the Structural Design Principles handout for non-instructional principles.

Text and Images

Images should be combined with verbal (text or oral) information. This allows the
learner to make connections with what they already know (language and visual
iconography) and allows them to encode new information in more than one form.

Audience members cannot read text and hear information that is different from
what is in text. Presenters can read the slide text, but many audience members
prefer presenters not to do this.

Chunking
Presentation content should be grouped into logical sections that allow the learner
to organize for memory and recall. In general we can absorb seven pieces of new
information at one time.

• If information is new to an audience the rule of thumb is 7 minus 2 pieces of

information.
• If information is familiar to audience and is a refresher the rule of thumb is 7 +2
pieces of information.

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Cognitive Design Strategies1

When students better understand how to learn, they improve their learning
performance. Cognitive strategies help the learner make sense of information being
presented. The following strategies may be used by the instructor to organize
information for the learner or they may be used by the learner to make sense of
what they are learning. In this way, theses strategies can be used to frame or
organize an assignment or instructional activity VIA PPT or handouts.

Strategy Description Example/Reference

Chunking Rational ordering, • Linear/spatial: spatial, narrative,
classifying, or arranging of procedure, expository
information Prepare for • Classification: taxonomy, typology,
further processing. When sorting (alike/unlike, cause-effect,
we re-chunk, we facilitate forms & functions,
comprehension. advantages/disadvantages)
Frames, Matrix or grid labeled with Problem of Action Results
Type 1 names of concepts, #1
categories or relationships. #2
#3
Learners can complete or
Problem Frame
add information.
Frames, Matrix or grid that is guided Religion Structures Style
Type 2 by a principle that requires elements
learner use logic to fill Africa
Middle
information into slots.
East
Far
East
N.
America
Non-Western Art
Concept Arrangement of concepts What are concept maps? -
Maps into a relational http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/pd/instr/strats/concep
presentation. Lines are tmap/index.html
drawn between related A period Table of Visualization -
concepts and reveal a http://www.visual-
structural pattern; a BIG literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_tab
picture. le.html
Advance Brief, abstract passage that Creating and using advance organizers -
Organizers helps to connect prior http://www.netnet.org/instructors/desi
learning to new material. gn/goalsobjectives/advance.htm
Includes a brief outline of
new material. Must be
created by teacher or
designer.

1
West, C. K., Farmer, J. A. & Wolff, P. M. (1991). Instructional Design Implications from
Cognitive Science. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ
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Strategy Description Example/Reference

Metaphor2 Transpose meaning from Examples by theme,
Analogy3 one idea, concept, http://www.metaphorsandsimiles.com/
Simile4 procedure, or event to
another. Help to make
connections among
knowledge pools.
Metaphors are similar to
AOs but less definitive and
detailed.
Rehearsal Study or comprehension Twelve Active Learning Strategies
strategy: reviewing, http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials
answering questions, /powerpoint/learning/index.html
predicting, summarizing.
Imagery Mental visualization of CreatingAnimationsinPowerPointtoSupportStudent
objects, events, and arrays, LearningandEngagement-
Major device for storing http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUC
knowledge in mind. AUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/CreatingAnimationsinPowe
rPoint/192966

Mnemonics Artificial memory aids: Mnemonics by discipline

letter coding, keyword, http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/_m
chain. nframe.htm

Learning Designs
Follow a narrative format
a. Beginning
i. Get attention by using music, simple and direct text, image(s), and/or
unexpected information.
ii. Focus attention on what is to be learned: agenda, objectives, list of
key terms, etc.
b. Middle
i. Divide presentation into segments with NO more than 12-15 minutes
of lecture.
ii. Integrate activities between segments (see Learning Activities)
iii. Use blank slides so that student responses can be added – this allows
students to contribute and it communicates that they will be expected
to contribute to the class session.
b. End
i. Review or ask students to review topics covered.
ii. Relate to course sequence – what has already been covered and what
will be covered next.

2
Implicit comparison between two unlike entities.
3
Comparison of two unlike things using “like.”
4
Explicit comparison between two things indicated by “is” or “as.”
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iii. Relate to any assignments or assessments.

Follow Keller’s ARCS (Attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction)5

a. Attention. Concreteness focuses the learner and eliminates ambiguity.
Incongruity and Conflict can also gain the learner’s attention and may
involve: humor, variability (pacing, delivery method, modalities, etc.),
participation, inquiry (active investigations by the learner).
b. Relevance. Consider what is relevant to the learner: their prior experience,
what they consider to be a present worth of the course material, the future
usefulness of what they are learning, how what is being learned matches
their needs (in career, success, health, welfare, etc.), what students see
modeled by instructor or other role models, the choices that are afforded to
learners.
c. Confidence.
• Articulate clear learning objectives and prerequisites
• Develop increasing levels of difficulty
• Set realistic expectations
• Provide for learner controlled aspects of experience
• Provide opportunities for increased learner independence.
d. Satisfaction. To be satisfied, learners must be given opportunities to
practice what they are learning, recognized for their developing knowledge,
and know that they were provided what they needed in order to learn.

Learning Activities
Integrate learning activities that engage the learner into your presentation. The
following strategies are not necessarily contingent upon the use of Power Point™.
Most of these can be prompted with one slide. Class size will determine activities
that will be more effective.
a. Think-share-pair. Students are given a prompt or question to discuss. They
are given one minute to think and then asked to pair with another student.
After a few minutes of discussion, the instructor asks students to share their
ideas. A classroom vote is taken to determine consensus. Related to Thinking
Aloud Pair Problem Solving (TAPPS). See
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/archive/CL1/CL/doingcl/thinkps.htm
b. Brainstorming. Students work in pairs or small groups to list ideas without
censorship. For different types of brainstorming, see
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/Supplementary/BrainstormingWarmUps.ht
m
c. Poll. Polls can help you ascertain student understanding. Additionally, they
can spark a discussion, identify errors in thinking, etc.
d. Stump your neighbor. Have students compete to come up with questions,
little known facts, or puzzles to stump their peers. These can be added to an
instructor’s PPT.

5
See http://www.arcsmodel.com/
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e. Note check. Have students check their note taking by exchanging with a
neighbor.
f. Focused listening. After describing or illustrating a concept or point,
include slide that asks learner to give illustrations or examples – collect (in
writing) or add to slide
g. Two-minute paper. Typically used at the end of class to determine student
learning. These can also be assigned within a 24-hour period and posted to a
course management system (e.g., Blackboard™, Moodle™,
h. I still don’t get it. Students report what they are still struggling with.

The following games are highly motivational for undergraduates and even graduate
students, when used appropriately. A search on the Internet will result in many
other PPT game templates.
i. Jeopardy. Divide lecture material into categories. Divide class into teams
and allow students to complete to get answers. Use as practice or rehearsal
strategy.
o Templates -
http://www.jmu.edu/madison/teacher/jeopardy/jeopardy.htm
j. Who wants to be a Millionaire. Have students compete to win points or a
special privilege (e.g., extra time for an assignment, opportunity to re-take a
quiz, or something that is valued and motivational). They may select a
helpline.
o Template and instructions – http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/ppt-
games/Millionaire.ppt
k. Other games - http://eganscorner.wikispaces.com/PowerPoint+Games

Other resources:
Power Point for E-learning - http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/powerpoint-
for-e-learning/
Presentation Tools - http://elearningtools.wetpaint.com/page/Presentation

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UnportedLicense. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-
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California, 94105, USA.