Creating Digital Presentations

Introduction

A digital presentation is a set of slides that helps you explain an idea to other people. A strong presentation does not simply place lots of words on a screen. It combines a clear message, useful pictures or charts, readable text, and confident speaking.

In this aiMOOC, you will learn how to plan, design, check, and deliver a digital presentation. You can use the ideas with tools such as Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, Keynote, or another presentation program available at your school. The most important skill is not choosing a brand. It is making good choices for your purpose and your audience.

Look at the presentation scene above. The screen supports the speaker, but the speaker still has to explain the ideas. Your slides and your spoken words should work as a team.

The video above introduces useful ideas about giving a presentation. As you watch, notice that a good presentation depends on both the content and the way it is shared.

What Is a Digital Presentation?

A slide is one page of a presentation. A group of slides is often called a slide deck. Slides may contain text, photographs, drawings, diagrams, maps, charts, audio, or video. During a presentation, the slides are usually shown on a computer screen or projected for an audience.

A digital presentation can help you:

Explain an idea: Show the main points in a clear order.
Show information visually: Use pictures, diagrams, maps, or charts when they help.
Support your speaking: Give the audience key words and images while you explain the details.
Share your work: Present a project, report, story, experiment, or proposal.

Presentation programs offer tools for making slides, but the program cannot decide what your audience needs to understand. You make those decisions.

From Projectors to Digital Slides

People used visual aids for presentations before today's digital slide programs. For example, an overhead projector could display a transparent sheet on a large screen.

Digital presentation tools make it easier to edit, reorder, copy, and share slides, but the basic goal is still the same: help an audience understand an idea.

Start with Purpose and Audience

Before you open a presentation program, answer three questions:

What is my purpose? Are you explaining, informing, persuading, reporting, or telling a story?
Who is my audience? What do they already know, and what may be new to them?
What is my key message? If your audience remembers only one big idea, what should it be?

For example, imagine that you are presenting a class project about saving water. Your purpose may be to persuade classmates to waste less water. Your audience already knows that water is important, so your presentation should focus on practical actions and strong examples rather than basic definitions.

Plan a Simple Story

A presentation is easier to follow when it has a beginning, middle, and end.

Beginning: Introduce the topic and give the audience a reason to care.

Middle: Explain two or three important points with evidence, examples, images, or data.

End: Summarize the message and give the audience something to remember, answer, or do.

A quick storyboard can help. Draw small boxes on paper, one for each slide, and sketch what each slide should do before you spend time choosing colors or animations.

The image above is an example of a slide created for a school-related presentation. When you examine any example slide, ask: What is the main idea, what does the visual add, and what could be made clearer?

This beginner-friendly video shows how students can create slides in Google Slides. The design ideas can also be used in other presentation programs.

Building Clear Slides

Give Each Slide One Main Job

A useful slide usually has one main job. It might introduce a question, explain one idea, compare two things, show a result, or summarize a section.

Use a short, meaningful title. Instead of a title such as Facts, try a title that tells the audience what the slide is about, such as Most of Our Class Walks to School.

Avoid filling a slide with a full paragraph. Put only the most important words on screen and explain the rest aloud. This helps the audience listen to you instead of reading a wall of text.

Make Text Easy to Read

Choose a simple font that is easy to read. Use a size that can be seen from the back of the room. Keep the number of font styles small and use the same style system throughout the presentation.

Good contrast makes text easier to see. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background is usually clearer than two colors that are very similar.

Keep lines short. Leave empty space around text and images. Empty space is not wasted space; it helps important information stand out.

The photo above shows digital slides and learning materials being prepared on a computer. Good design often comes from careful planning and editing, not from adding more decoration.

Use Images That Teach Something

A picture should have a purpose. It can show what something looks like, help explain a process, create a comparison, provide evidence, or make an abstract idea easier to understand.

Choose clear, relevant images. Do not add a picture only because an empty corner looks boring. One strong image can be more useful than five tiny pictures.

When possible, add a short caption if the audience needs help understanding why an image matters.

Use Charts for Data

Charts can turn numbers into patterns that are easier to see. A bar chart is useful when you want to compare amounts in different groups. A line chart is useful for showing change over time.

A chart still needs explanation. Tell your audience what they should notice. Do not simply say, Here is the chart. Explain the important pattern or comparison.

Use Motion Carefully

Transitions are effects that happen when one slide changes to the next. Animations make objects on a slide move or appear.

A small amount of motion can guide attention, but too much can distract the audience. Use motion only when it helps people understand the order, focus, or meaning of information.

Using Media Responsibly

Images, music, and videos on the internet were usually created by someone. You should not assume that everything online is free to copy.

When you add media to a school presentation:

Use your own work when possible.
Use media that you have permission to use, including suitable Creative Commons or public-domain media.
Follow the license rules.
Give credit to the creator and source when required.
Ask a teacher if you are unsure whether a source is suitable.

Attribution means giving credit. A simple image credit can include the creator, title, source, and license when those details are available. Wikimedia Commons is useful because each file page explains the source and license.

Do not share private information about yourself or other people in a presentation without permission. This includes home addresses, private phone numbers, passwords, and personal photographs that should not be public.

Accessibility and Inclusion

An accessible presentation is designed so that more people can understand and use it. Good accessibility often improves the presentation for everyone.

You can make slides more accessible by using strong color contrast, readable text, clear headings, and simple layouts. Do not use color as the only way to show meaning. For example, if a chart uses two colors, also use labels or patterns so the groups can still be told apart.

Add alternative text or a useful description for important images when your presentation tool allows it. If you show a chart or image while speaking, explain its important meaning aloud. Add captions to video when suitable captions are available.

Keep language clear. Explain unfamiliar words. Give the audience enough time to look at a visual before moving on.

Presenting to an Audience

Slides support you, but they do not replace you. Practice your presentation so you know the order of your ideas.

Speak loudly enough to be heard, and use a steady pace. Look at the audience regularly instead of turning your back to read the screen. Use brief speaker notes if you need reminders, but try not to read every sentence word for word.

When you rehearse, check both your speaking and your technology. Open the presentation, test any video or audio, check that the text is visible, and know what you will do if the internet connection fails.

The video above compares less effective and more effective presentation habits. While watching, list three changes that make the improved presentation easier to follow.

Working as a Team

A group presentation works best when everyone understands both the shared message and their own role.

Agree on the purpose, key message, and visual style before each person builds separate slides. Use the same fonts, title style, and general layout across the deck. Decide who will introduce the topic, explain each section, and close the presentation.

Give one another helpful feedback. Instead of saying I do not like this slide, name the problem and suggest a change: The title is hard to read from far away. Could we make it larger and increase the contrast?

Practice handovers between speakers so the presentation feels connected rather than like several unrelated mini-talks.

A Simple Presentation Workflow

Choose the purpose and audience. Decide what you want people to understand, feel, or do.
Research the topic. Collect accurate information from suitable sources.
Select the key message. Remove details that do not help your purpose.
Storyboard the slides. Put ideas in a logical order.
Build the slides. Add short text and useful visuals.
Credit your media. Record creators, sources, and licenses as you work.
Check accessibility. Review contrast, text size, descriptions, labels, and captions.
Rehearse and improve. Practice aloud, ask for feedback, and edit.
Present and reflect. Share your work and think about what you would change next time.

Presentation Checklist

Before you present, use this checklist.

Check	Ask yourself
Message	Can I explain the main idea in one clear sentence?
Structure	Do my slides have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
Text	Is the text short, readable, and large enough?
Visuals	Does each image or chart help explain something?
Sources	Have I credited media and information when needed?
Accessibility	Can people understand the slides without relying only on color or tiny details?
Speaking	Have I practiced my pace, volume, and eye contact?
Technology	Have I tested links, video, audio, and display settings?

Mini Project: My Five-Slide Presentation

Choose a topic you know well, such as a hobby, a local place, an animal, a book, a science idea, or a class project. Create a five-slide presentation.

Slide	Main job
Opening slide	Introduce the topic and your key message.
First idea	Explain one important point with a useful visual.
Second idea	Add a new point, example, or comparison.
Evidence slide	Show a fact, image, diagram, or chart that supports your message.
Closing slide	Summarize what you want the audience to remember.

After you build the slides, rehearse for a partner. Ask your partner to tell you the main message and one thing that was easy or difficult to understand. Use the feedback to improve your work.

Interactive Tasks

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

What is the main purpose of a slide during a presentation? (To support a clear message for the audience) (!To include every fact you found) (!To replace the speaker completely) (!To display as many effects as possible)

What should you decide before choosing colors and animations? (The purpose and audience) (!The transition sound) (!The number of decorative stickers) (!The final file name)

Which title is most useful for a slide about a class travel survey? (Most Students Walk or Cycle to School) (!Facts) (!Slide Three) (!Interesting Information)

Why is strong color contrast useful? (It makes text easier to read) (!It makes every slide look the same) (!It removes the need for images) (!It makes the presentation longer)

When is a bar chart especially useful? (When comparing amounts in different groups) (!When writing a long story) (!When adding a video clip) (!When choosing a font)

What does attribution mean? (Giving credit to a creator or source) (!Making an image move) (!Changing the slide background) (!Reading the slide aloud)

Which use of animation is best? (Using it when it helps guide attention) (!Making every word spin) (!Using a different effect on every slide) (!Adding motion even when it distracts)

What is a good way to prepare for presenting? (Practice aloud and test the technology) (!Read every slide for the first time in class) (!Skip checking videos and links) (!Turn your back to the audience)

What makes a presentation more accessible? (Readable text clear labels and useful descriptions) (!Tiny text and low contrast) (!Color as the only sign of meaning) (!Fast slides with no time to look)

What is useful feedback for a teammate? (The title is hard to read so let us make it larger) (!I hate this slide) (!Just make it better) (!Do not change anything ever)

Memory Game

Slide	One page in a digital presentation
Audience	The people who watch and listen
Contrast	A clear difference that can make text easier to see
Attribution	Credit given to a creator or source
Storyboard	A rough plan showing the order of the presentation
Transition	An effect used when changing from one slide to another
Rehearsal	Practice before the real presentation

Drag and Drop

Match the correct terms.	Topic
Large readable text	Easy viewing from across the room
One main idea	Clear purpose for each slide
Image credit	Responsible use of media
Useful visual description	Better access to important image meaning
Practice aloud	More confident speaking

...

Crossword Puzzle

Slide	What is one page of a digital presentation called?
Audience	Who watches and listens to a presentation?
Contrast	What design quality helps text stand out from its background?
Rehearse	What should you do aloud before the real presentation?
Copyright	What protects many original creative works?
Storyboard	What rough visual plan can show the order of your slides?

LearningApps

Cloze Text

Open-Ended Tasks

Easy

Slide Makeover: Choose one crowded slide from a practice file or make your own crowded example, then redesign it with one main idea, less text, and more empty space.
Picture Message: Find or create one image that teaches something about a school topic, then write a short caption explaining why the image is useful.
Title Challenge: Write five weak slide titles such as Facts or Information, then replace each one with a title that tells the audience the main point.
Speaking Practice: Present one slide for one minute to a partner without reading every word, then ask your partner which idea was easiest to remember.

Standard

Five-Slide Story: Create a five-slide presentation with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and include at least two useful visuals.
Data Display: Collect a small class survey, turn the results into a simple chart, and create one slide that explains the most important pattern.
Media Detective: Find three possible images for a presentation, check their source and reuse information, and choose the one you can use responsibly.
Peer Feedback: Exchange a draft presentation with a classmate and give three specific suggestions about clarity, design, accessibility, or speaking.

Advanced

Accessibility Audit: Check a presentation for contrast, readable text, labels, image descriptions, captions, and color use, then redesign two slides to improve access.
Team Presentation: Work in a small group to plan and deliver a shared presentation with a consistent design, clear speaking roles, and smooth handovers.
Tutorial Video: Record a short screen video that teaches younger students how to improve one part of a digital presentation, such as titles, images, or charts.
Community Interview Presentation: Interview a suitable adult about a local topic, select the most useful information with permission, and present the findings with credited media and a clear conclusion.

Learning Assessment

Purpose and Audience Analysis: You are given a topic and two different audiences; explain how you would change the message, examples, and design for each audience.
Slide Redesign Assessment: Improve a crowded slide and explain how each change makes the message clearer or more accessible.
Visual Evidence Choice: Choose between a photograph, diagram, and chart for a sample message, then justify which visual communicates the idea best.
Responsible Media Use: Examine a media source with reuse information and explain what credit or permission would be needed before using it.
Presentation Delivery Reflection: After a short presentation, use peer feedback and your own observations to identify one speaking strength and two specific next steps.
Transfer Challenge: Plan how presentation skills could help in another subject, club, community activity, or future job, and give a concrete example.

Evidence of Learning

Your learning can be shown through the knowledge you explain, the skills you demonstrate, the products you create, and the way you transfer these ideas to new situations.

Area	Evidence
Knowledge	You can explain purpose, audience, slide structure, visual choice, attribution, accessibility, and rehearsal in your own words.
Skills	You can select key information, design readable slides, choose useful media, credit sources, give feedback, and speak clearly to an audience.
Products	You can produce a planned slide deck, a storyboard, a chart or other visual, source credits, and a revised presentation based on feedback.
Transfer	You can apply presentation skills to another school subject, a team project, a community topic, or a real communication task.

Media Sources and Further Learning

The images in this course come from Wikimedia Commons. Their file pages provide creator and license information.

The embedded videos provide additional examples of presentation design and delivery. When you use any video for schoolwork, check that it is suitable for your class and follow your teacher's instructions.

OERs on the Topic

The English Wikipedia article below explains what a presentation slide is and gives background about slide software and slide shows.

You can also explore Wikimedia Commons for openly licensed images. Always open the file page and check the license and attribution information before reusing media.

Linked Learning Areas

Creating digital presentations connects language, technology, design, research, media literacy, and speaking skills.

Creating Digital Presentations

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