How to Lecture Using PowerPoint

Using PowerPoint as you lecture can be an effective way to help students learn the lessons that you are teaching. A large number of students learn best visually, so adding visual cues during your lecture is a good way to reach the visual learners in your class. Using PowerPoint as you lecture can also make your lectures more fun, which can result in making them more memorable.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Brainstorm ways that visual cues could enhance your lectures. For example, provide bulleted lists to coincide with the headings or parts of your lectures.

2. Create a PowerPoint presentation to enhance your lectures. Use the best ideas from your brainstorming session as a starting point for your PowerPoint presentation. Keep the text minimal--just enough to prompt students to remember what you said during your lecture.

3. Add graphics to your PowerPoint presentation. Most slides should include a graphic that enhances the text. Use the same graphic for the same ideas, such as a key each time you present “key points” from the lecture. If you use the same graphic consistently for the same message, it will serve as a visual cue for the students and help them connect the ideas you have presented.

4. Make the PowerPoint presentation interesting. Inject some humor into your presentation where appropriate. Using appropriate humor can help hold your students’ attention.

5. Set up an LCD projector. An LCD (liquid crystal display) projector will project your PowerPoint presentation onto the wall or a screen so that all of your students can view the PowerPoint presentation during your lecture.

6. Display the PowerPoint presentation as you lecture. If you have included a slide for every topic, then your students will associate what you said with the slides that you projected during that part of the lecture.

7. Print out handouts of the PowerPoint slides and distribute them to your class. Students will get a big picture view of the lecture but be responsible for filling in the details. Looking at the handouts of the slides will help your students remember your lecture.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your PowerPoint presentation interesting by using bulleted text and graphics as well as humor. This will help your students pay closer attention to your lectures.
• Set up your bulleted text to appear one bullet at a time as you lecture. This will prevent your students from reading ahead and keeps their focus on the information you want them viewing as you lecture.
• PowerPoint provides a place for lecture notes so you can keep all of the information you need for your lecture in one place. Use the “Notes View” to record your lecture notes in your PowerPoint presentation.
• Do not display slides with nothing but a lot of text on them. This will distract your students from paying attention to your lecture as they try to read all of the text.