Elizabeth Wooster (OISE/University of Toronto); Andrew Dueck (University of Toronto); Douglas Wooster (University of Toronto)

Synopsis

Electronic presentations (e.g., PowerPoint®) are an important component of scientific communication. Audits of short and long presentations at a variety of levels by professional presenters, educators and trainees show poor skills in preparation of ‘slides’. This workshop will identify common shortcomings in preparation of ‘slides’ and strategies for improvement.

Purpose

Electronic presentations (e.g., PowerPoint®) are an important component of scientific communication. Audits of short and long presentations at a variety of levels by professional presenters, educators and trainees show poor skills in preparation of ‘slides’. There is a role for faculty development, defined instruction of trainees and peer-to-peer promotion to improve the quality of presentations. This workshop will identify common shortcomings in preparation of ‘slides’ and strategies for improvement.

Methods

The facilitators will present audit findings and lead discussion of their relevance. Techniques to improve text slides and optimize images will be presented. Guided interaction will be undertaken to modify a set of slides using 10 techniques to ‘Say-it-Better’. Small group discussion will identify strategies to train others to use these skills.

Outcomes

At the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Describe the current status of text and image use in presentations.
• Demonstrate ten skills in optimizing text and images.
• Present a strategy to train others in the techniques presented.