Slides for Video and Zoom Classes

Slide decks are a common tool in an educator's toolbox. BUT if you're teaching in Zoom or if you're making instructional videos, you have probably discovered that the presentations you created for in-person classes often do NOT translate well to the remote or video environment. This module will explore the best choices for your presentations—from color and contrast to fonts, animations and pacing—to create slide decks that are engaging, accessible and ALWAYS in service to what's most important: your content.

Key Points

Avoid:

TOO MUCH STUFF (text, images, different fonts and colors)
Improperly sized/scaled images
Visuals no one can see
Backgrounds that are distracting/reduce legibility
S L O W slide progression
Reading your slides

What Makes a GREAT Presentation?

Students are engaged with the topic and with the presenter
Everyone feels that class time was well-spent
Class time went by FAST!

Remember: an aesthetically beautiful but poorly organized presentation is far worse than a visually simple but clearly organized presentation.

Steps

Write an outline
Get your content into slides; pick a template, colors, fonts
Add images and transitions
Practice timing and pacing

Resources

Free and Diverse Image Collection from the Online Network of Educators
WebAIM: Web with Accessibility in Mind
Contrast and Color Accessibility
Contrast Checker
HTML and HEX Color Codes and Color Picker
Convert a Color (HEX, RGB, HSL, CMYK)
Change the background color of Canvas pages
Color-blindness test
Colorblind-friendly palettes
Explore fonts with Google Fonts
Eye Dropper (to pick colors from the web)
How to Download TechSmith software (Snagit and Camtasia) (video)
Master Screen Capture with Snagit (video)
How I Make YouTube Tutorials from Start to Finish (video)