Online courses could really use virtual presentations to make the lessons interesting for students. Relying on text alone will make everything boring. Remember that when you create a course intended for online use, you will be contending with a lot of distractions – both online and in the real-world.
An online class can be accessed anywhere and your students might be in a place where distractions can easily happen. Make sure you create the class with these distractions in mind. You have to ensure that your course will capture the complete attention of your students wherever and whenever they access it.
One of the best ways to do this is through a virtual presentation. Most of us want a visually appealing lesson. That is how you keep the students riveted on the screen. Here are a couple of tips that will help you create a virtual presentation for your online courses.
- Know the purpose of the presentation. While all virtual presentations are meant to inform, there is a more specific reason for each material that you will use. For instance, one presentation is meant to provide the meat of the course content. Some may be meant to show the students an example to better illustrate a concept in the course. Once you have the learning goal in mind, it will be easier to create your presentation.
- Plan the contents of the presentation. Once you know the purpose of the virtual presentation, it is time to define its contents. Start with an outline. Will you begin with a video or a text? How will you integrate the video, images, text and audio in the presentation? All of these will be identified in your plan. Make sure to define the flow of the presentation too.
- Be wise about your text choices. The text is still necessary, but it is only to be used to specify important points in the lesson. Use bullet points instead of lengthy paragraphs. Stick to words and phrases and not so many sentences. And if you will use a narrative, try not to be redundant with the voice over and the text flashed on the screen – at least not word for word.
- Use images that complements your text and learning objectives. A picture paints a thousand words – so use them well in virtual presentations. Your online courses will look better with images but make sure it is relevant. Otherwise, you might end up boring your students anyway.
- Be consistent with your overall design. Although you are using images, videos, audios and graphics, make sure that it is still consistent. Try to flash important texts in the same place so the student will know where to expect them to come out. Use the same background if possible. Your colors should also be complimenting. Use contrast colors in perspective.
- Do not forget your links. This will help promote self-exploration in your students. Encourage them to learn more than what they can get from your online courses. Give them relevant links that will help them expand and apply what they just learned.
Virtual presentations can be a great tool to help your students learn but make sure that it will not distract them from the meat of the course.
Image courtesy of nokhoog_buchachon for FreeDigitalPhotos.net