By Hannah Miller, MA, Academic Program Manager, General Education
Getting Started
I am required to present in VoiceThread for a class assignment. How do I get started?
I am required to create a video presentation for a class assignment. How do I get started?
There are different types of presentation assignments for different audiences. First, identify the assignment’s requirements and understand your audience. A popular assignment is a narrated series of slides, using PowerPoint or Google Slides, where you would record yourself introducing information about a topic or presenting an argument. Regardless of whether you are narrating a PowerPoint, creating a video essay, or speaking directly into a camera, you will need to write a script. Note that a script is not the same as the information on your PowerPoint slides. You should never read information on a slide, your slides should illustrate or give additional information.
What tools can I use to create a video presentation?
Video recording: To record slides or yourself as a talking head, the free version of Screencast-o-matic is recommended.
If you are narrating slides, you will need to use slide creation software. The two most popular are Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.
PowerPoint is a Microsoft product and should be available to you through the school’s Microsoft 365 subscription.
Google Slides is free and available with a Google subscription account.
Effective Presentations
What are some tips for writing an effective script for my presentation?
First, consider your audience and your presentation’s purpose as you draft your script. Are you talking to adults, kids, people who already know about your topic or newbies? Does your topic allow for informality or humor, or does it need to be formal?
Remember that your script is meant to be read out loud, so it is written differently than a traditional essay. Clarity and brevity are important because it is harder for an audience to understand through listening than reading. As you write your script, you’ll want to read it out loud multiple times to make sure it is easy to speak and easily understood.
I need to present for 2-5 minutes. How many words is that?
The average speaking rate is 173 words per minute. 2-5 minutes would be approximately 346 (2×173) – 865 (5×173) words.
I’m not sure how to pronounce certain words?
There are many videos and websites that will help you with pronunciation. Google “how to pronounce X?”
What do I put on my slides? What are some tips for creating effective slides?
Remember that your script is different from the information on your slides. The information on your slides should serve to illustrate the main points of your script or provide additional information. Every slide should serve a purpose and contain only the most relevant information. Slides can contain main topic headings, a short bullet-point list, and/or images.
Watch this SPS video on Presenting Information: The Structure of a Slide.
Can I include images and/or animations in my presentation?
Images can be a powerful way to communicate the ideas of your script. Unlike bullet points, your audience will not need to read an image in order to understand it. A good practice is to identify your images, either by providing a short caption on the slide or including the image references with your citations. Animations should be used sparingly as they can distract the audience. Learn how to cite and caption images using APA style.
Do I need to include references or citations in my presentation?
Academic presentations are similar to papers in that you need to provide both citations on individual slides and a references slide at the end. For example, if you quote Smith 2010, include the intext citation (Smith 2020) next to whatever text (bullet point, quotation, etc.) references Smith 2010 in the slide. The script can also reference sources in a spoken way, “Smith found in 2010 that…”
Your references slide can include a list of works as well as image references. Read more about citations within a slide presentation and how to cite and caption images using APA style.
Technical Questions
How do I record my PowerPoint?
Most General Education classes recommend the free online tool Screencast-o-matic to record video presentations. If you are recording a PowerPoint using Screencast-o-matic, follow this YouTube video.
Can I use my phone?
It is not recommended that you use your phone.
What are some resources on how to use Screencast-o-matic?
SOM has extensive resources, including tutorials and training.
What do I do if I run into technical issues?
If you have difficulty recording using Screencast-o-matic, most General Education classes have SOM support in the form of a help forum on the Discussions page of the classroom. Tutor.com also has tutors who can help with MS PowerPoint, and SPS provides you with ten hours of tutor.com usage each semester. Click Tutoring (left-hand menu) in your Blackboard course site to access tutor.com and then select Microsoft and Powerpoint in the menus.
