“Since slides packed with long lists of bullet points result in “cognitive overload” for learners, Cliff Atkinson recommends that trainers design their presentations in a format that’s consistent with the way people think.
Atkinson, author of Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft 2005), says most learners can retain only three or four pieces of information at any one time. As a result, he says a “storyboard approach” to PowerPoint presentations is much more effective than traditional bullet points. That’s because the storyboard approach enables you to engage the audience and enhance learning by presenting the information in a format and sequence that keeps people interested.
He recommends that each slide contain a one-sentence headline that summarizes the main idea you’re trying to get across on the slide, as well as a visual to support that idea. Visuals can include photographs, diagrams, charts, or clip art. Although consistency in visuals across several slides can be a powerful learning tool, Atkinson says it’s important not to use the same visual repeatedly, since that becomes tedious for the audience.
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Visual variety is important, he says, noting that a presentation should be “like a filmstrip moving at the speed of conversation.”
Instead of filling up slides with bullet points containing information that is identical to what you’re discussing, you can put those details in PowerPoint’s “Notes” page so that you—but not your audience—can see the information during the presentation. This can have a dramatic effect on learning, Atkinson said. “According to research by Dr. Richard E. Mayer of the University of California Santa Barbara, when you remove text from a screen that is identical to the narration, it increases retention by 28 percent and the ability of the learner to apply that information by 79 percent.
“By using a set of planning and storyboarding techniques, you can coordinate both what you show on a slide and what you say with your words, which reduces cognitive overload and increases the audience’s understanding.”
For more slide design tips from Atkinson, visit his website at www.beyondbulletpoints.com.
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In tomorrow’s Advisor, we learn how to avoid four common PowerPoint mistakes—plus explore a turnkey training resource packed with ready-made PowerPoint presentations on several key topics.