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In some of your Walden courses, you may be asked to create a presentation for an assignment. Creating an effective presentation requires more than simply placing content on slides. Whether you’re presenting research findings or sharing professional experiences, your success hinges on careful planning, clear organization, and intentional delivery.  

Identify Your Purpose  

Before you start making your presentation, it’s crucial to understand the purpose of the presentation, as it shapes how you structure your content and engage your audience. Two common purposes you might see for course presentations are to inform and to persuade. 

Inform  

  • Goal: Present information, research findings, or an analysis of a topic. 
  • Example: A research presentation summarizing key findings from a literature review on climate change. 

Persuade  

  • Goal: Convince your audience of a particular viewpoint using evidence, logic, and reasoning.
  • Example: A persuasive presentation arguing for the adoption of telemedicine at your organization. 

Review Key Requirements

Before creating your presentation, review all assignment requirements—just as you would for any course project. Check for time limits, required content, and preferred presentation tools to ensure your presentation meets expectations.

  • If you need to create slides, all Walden University students have access to PowerPoint through Office 365.
  • Some assignments may require you to submit slides along with a recorded presentation using Kaltura, a tool available in Canvas.

Create a Structure

Once you know the requirements and purpose of the presentation, develop an outline before creating slides. Your outline should follow a clear beginning, middle, and end, much like an essay or research paper. 

Introduction 

Capture the audience’s attention with an engaging hook, state the objective, and give an overview of the key points that you’ll cover in the presentation. 

Examples
Engaging Hooks

Use an Interesting Statistic 

  • According to the Pew Research Center (2021), 72% of adults in the United States reported reading a book in any format in the previous year. 

Set Historical Context 

  • When Vygotsky proposed his theory of the Zone of Proximal Development in the 1920s, the implications for classroom instruction were revolutionary but difficult to systematically implement. Today, digital technologies have created unprecedented opportunities to apply these principles at scale.

Body 

Organize topics into logical sections, each with supporting details, evidence, and examples. Consider different organizational approaches based on your content. 

Examples
Organizational Approaches
  • Problem-Solution: Describe a problem, analyze it, and propose solutions.
  • Chronological Order: Arrange the information in the order it occurred.
  • Thematic Categories: Organize related topics together to emphasize themes.

Conclusion

Summarize key takeaways, reinforce the significance of the topic, and end with an engaging prompt (like a call to action or a thought-provoking question.) 

Examples
Examples Engaging Prompt 
  • Call to Action: Integrate reading into your daily routine to support your well-being and cognitive development.  
  • Thought-Provoking Question: How can you leverage today’s digital tools into your daily teaching practices to better support student learning and development? 

Prepare Your Presentation 

A well-designed presentation makes the material more accessible and helps maintain the audience’s attention. If you’re making slides (like in PowerPoint or a similar tool), follow some best practices. 

text_fieldsText
Text should be minimal and easy to read

Clear, readable text is essential for an effective presentation. Your audience should be able to quickly scan and understand key points without straining to read cluttered or small text. Choosing the right fonts, sizes, and formatting will ensure your slides are visually appealing and easy to follow. 

Font, Font Sizes, and Spacing

  • Use fonts that are easy to read, like Arial, Gill Sans, or Calibri. Avoid overly decorative fonts that can be hard to read.
  • Ensure your font is large enough—at least 24-point font for body text and 28-point font for headings.
    • Use consistent fonts and font sizes for body text and headings throughout the presentation 
  • Use adequate spacing between lines (at least 1.2–1.5 line spacing) to improve readability.

Amount of Text 

  • Limit text on slides to avoid overwhelming your audience. Use slides to highlight key points that will guide your spoken explanation.
    • Aim for no more than 5 to 7 bullet points per slide.
    • Bullet points should be short phrases, not full sentences (unless they’re quotes or definitions).

Example That Needs Improvement

The large block of text and decorative font choice make it difficult to find the main points on this slide.

Example That Needs Improvement

The simple font and short statements with bullet points make it easy to spot the main points on the slide.

Need a Space for More Text?

You can use the Notes section in PowerPoint to add speaking notes or to share full paragraphs for your assignment.

Learn How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Slides

paletteDesign
All content should be easy to see on the slides and not overwhelm the audience.

Your slide background should enhance your content, not compete with it. A clean and professional design helps keep your audience focused on your message.

Keep Backgrounds Simple

Choose a clean, professional background that won’t distract from your content. A solid color or subtle gradient works best, while busy patterns, heavy textures, or detailed images can make text difficult to read.

Example That Needs Improvement

This slide uses a background pattern that makes it challenging to read the text on the slide.

Example Revision

This revised version uses a solid color for the background that makes it easier to read the text on the slide. 

Contrast Matters

Ensure your text stands out by using a background color that contrasts with it. For example, pair dark text with a light background or light text with a dark background for better contrast.

Example That Needs Improvement

This slide uses a dark background with a dark font for the bulleted list. This lack of contrast makes it difficult to read.

Example Revision

This revised version uses a light background with a dark font for the bulleted list. This contrast makes it easy to read.

Note: Some presentations may need to follow a specific design. Be sure to review your assignment instructions for any required templates or formatting guidelines.

imageImages and Graphics
Images and graphics should enhance the presentation, not overshadow the content.

Use Relevant Images

Choose visuals that directly relate to your content and support your message. Avoid images that are distracting or irrelevant.

Choose High-Quality Images

Ensure all visuals are high-quality, avoiding anything blurry or pixelated that may look unprofessional.

Keep Visual Effects Minimal

PowerPoint and similar tools offer animations, transitions, and effects, but overusing these can be distracting. Stick to simple, professional effects that enhance your presentation without overwhelming your audience.

Select the Right Charts and Diagrams

Charts and diagrams can help clarify complex information, but choosing the right type is essential:

  • Bar Charts: Best for comparing different categories.
  • Pie Charts: Useful for showing proportions.
  • Line Graphs: Ideal for displaying trends and patterns over time.
  • Flowcharts and Diagrams: Helpful for illustrating processes, relationships, or hierarchies.

Note: Format all tables and figures in your presentation according to APA style guidelines.

APA Style: Tables and Figures

quick_reference_allSources
Properly citing sources in your presentation is essential to maintaining academic integrity.

Always acknowledge the sources of information, images, or data you use, just as you would in other assignments.

In-Text Citations

Include brief in-text citations on slides like you would in a paper, using APA style. Visit the In-Text Citations page for more details and examples.

In-Text Citations

Reference List

Add a reference list on a separate slide at the end of your presentation. Explore APA reference list entries for various source types on our Common Reference List Examples page.

Common Reference List Examples

Rehearse Your Presentation

Taking the time to practice your presentation helps you refine your delivery, adjust pacing, identify gaps, and ensure you meet any time constraints.

mic

Practice Out Loud

Rehearse your presentation several times, speaking as if you were presenting to your audience. You can write yourself notes or even a script for a presentation. Go through it several times, though, so you sound natural, as audiences can tell if you’re reading from a script.  

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Focus on Body Language

Use gestures, maintain good posture, and make eye contact with your audience. This is important even if you’re making a recording. 

timer

Check Timing

During rehearsals, check that your presentation fits within the required time, and that you’re not rushing to get through certain sections. Your pace should be even throughout. 

self_improvement

Stay Calm

If you find you’re nervous or anxious about presenting, explore strategies like deep breathing and positive self-talk. You might also find it helpful to register for an OASIS Live session. Our peer mentors host a session focused on academic anxiety.  

OASIS Live

Use Some Final Tips for Success

Use a Template

To help you get started with creating your presentation, you may find it helpful to use our OASIS PowerPoint Template.

Download the OASIS PowerPoint Template (PowerPoint download)

Let Us Know How We’re Doing!