Objective:

When you have completed this module, and given a PowerPoint Programme and a workshop subject to facilitate, you will be able to:

• List items that should be avoided when using PowerPoint in a facilitated workshop
• Explain a basic principle that should to be followed when using PowerPoint in a facilitated workshop
• Design slides that allow Dialogue, and which
  • Support adult learning principles of interaction,
  • discovery and
  • recognition of prior knowledge
• Explain the facilitator dialogue to be used when using the slides

You will have done it correctly when the items listed above all can be ticked “yes”

Relevance:

PowerPoint can illustrate intricate points visually, attractively and memorably. Unfortunately, facilitators who fail to follow principles and guidelines in the use of PowerPoint can lose their participants’ focus and attention.

Items to be avoided when using PowerPoint in a facilitated workshop

• Bullet Points, sentences and too much text

Further items to be avoided:

• Sentences
• Small fonts, Fancy fonts

See examples of this in the You Tube clip below:

Direct link to the above clip

Basic principles that should to be followed when using PowerPoint in a facilitated workshop

Don’t read your presentation straight from the slides

If your audience can both read and hear, it’s a waste of time for you to simply read your slides aloud. Your audience will zone out and stop listening to what you’re saying, which means they won’t hear any extra information you include. Instead of typing out your entire presentation, include only main ideas, keywords, and talking points in your Slide show text. Engage your audience by sharing the details out loud.

Don’t forget your audience

Who will be watching your presentation? The same goofy effects and funny clip art that would entertain a classroom full of middle-school students might make you look unprofessional in front of business colleagues and clients.

Choose readable colours and fonts

Your text should be easy to read and pleasant to look at. Large, simple fonts and theme colours are always your best bet. The best fonts and colours can vary depending on your presentation setting. Presenting in a large room? Make your text larger than usual so people in the back can read it. Presenting with the lights on? Dark text on a light background is your best bet for visibility.

Use animations sparingly to enhance your presentation

There is no need to avoid animations and other effects entirely. When used sparingly, subtle effects and animations can add to your presentation.

Designing slides that allow dialogue and which support adult learning principles of interaction, discovery and recognition of prior knowledge

Present slides which encourage learners to examine them and solve problems on them.

Explaining the facilitator dialogue to be used when using the slides

Examples of Facilitator Dialogue:

Facilitator says:  Here is a picture of a forklift vehicle.

“Let’s label the parts of the forklift illustrated here”

(The whole group participates in labelling parts and explaining what they are for. The Facilitator acknowledges good answers and fills in the information gaps which the group does not cover.)

Once the group has worked through the first slide, the facilitator shows the next slide and says:

“Let’s see if we covered all the parts and their functions correctly”

Again this is time for the facilitator to acknowledge the groups work eg.

“Perfect, we got them all. Let’s move it up a level now and do some load and weight calculations”

In the next example the Facilitator wishes to work with learners about the symptoms of TB

Notice how the Facilitator avoids using bullet point slide which would have looked like this:

Instead, using a slide the Facilitator says:

“Let’s talk about the symptoms of TB”

The Facilitator then draws out the information from the group.

Once the group has participated in listing the symptoms, the Facilitator says:

“Let’s see if we got them”

and proceeds to show the next visual slide.

The Facilitator can recognise the group for their inputs and acknowledge them e.g.:

“Let’s look did we get them all?

(The group can examine the visuals and participate again e.g.: We said night sweats, weight loss, coughing blood, fatigue etc.)

The Facilitator can say;

“Well done, we listed all of these and some extras. Let’s move it up a level now and talk about treatment and prevention of TB…”

Summary

Be sure to avoid bullet points and text as these kill the learning.
Design slides that cause your group to work actively with you as they list items, identify items, name items, explain concepts, and summarise points.