ENroute Yearbook 2019-20
Using Narrated PowerPoint Slides Sheena Travis , School of Applied Sciences , Associate Fellow
In addition to my part-time Associate Lecturer role with Edinburgh Napier University , I deliver some occasional lectures for CIPD Intermediate Diploma students at Edinburgh College .
I was asked to deliver a course unit in May 2020 , during the heart of the COVID-19 lockdown , when all further and higher education facilities were firmly closed .
With no access at that time to Microsoft Teams or to Webex , the best option available was to add audio to the PowerPoint slides for each session .
As someone who is passionate about being able to engage students , this initially filled me with dread . How can you engage students when you are not in the same room ?!
I am now very reassured about the potential benefits of narrated slides , and would like to share the following learning points from my experience .
1 . Although it may not be possible to be in the same room , photos can help to personalise the situation for both you and your students ( see slides 2 and 5 of the video below ).
2 . Be as expressive as possible and demonstrate genuine reactions to the slide content ( see slide 3 ).
3 . Build student activities into the lecture , as you would normally when faceto-face . Ask students to take time to carry out the task ( s ) before progressing onto the following slide ( see slide 4 ).
4 . And most of all , imagine the students are in the room with you as it enables you to engage with them ! ( see slide 1 )
10