Effectively using your slides in combination with encouraging students to take notes can improve your students' learning outcomes. But if done incorrectly, it can have the opposite effect. So how should you do it? Below you'll find some tips!
Tip 1: make slides accessible for every type of student
Making the information you share accessible and effective for all students is also known as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It's a comprehensive framework, but for slide design, it means the following:
- Clear and concise text, use easy-to-follow bullet points.
- Visual and auditory elements that support the text.
- Good readability (fonts like Arial or Calibri) with sufficient contrast between text and background.
Tip 2: ensure verbal and visual information reinforce each other
Dual Coding Theory suggests that information is better remembered when presented both verbally and visually. Make sure your slides contain both text and images to support students' memory. For example, use graphs, diagrams, or illustrations alongside your text to clarify and reinforce concepts. What you say as a teacher should also be reflected in your slides. It's important not to provide an overload of information, as this will actually hinder comprehension according to Mayer's Multimedia Principles.
Tip 3: encourage active notetaking
Research shows that active notetaking contributes to better learning outcomes (Williams and Eggert, 2002). Re-reading one's own notes has also proven to be more effective than re-reading the original text (Kiewra et al., 1989). Therefore, encourage your students to take notes during your lessons by:
- Pausing for reflection and note-taking.
- Asking questions that prompt them to think and write.
- Sharing slides on Canvas prior to the lecture, so students don't copy the text on the slides but only write additional information to clarify it for themselves. This way, they can focus more on understanding the information instead of passively copying.
- Possibly encouraging them to make handwritten notes, which research by Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) shows has a greater effect on learning than laptop note-taking.
Tip 4: use 'fill-in-the-blank' slides
'Fill-in-the-Blank' slides or supplementary sheets can help students stay actively engaged and better remember important information. For example, leave parts of your slides empty for students to fill in during the lesson, or hand out worksheets. This guides students through your lecture, with key points and blank spaces for important facts, concepts, and relationships. Supplementary notes work for every type of student but are especially helpful for students with physical or cognitive disabilities who struggle with notetaking. According to the Kennisrotonde, this has positive effects on learning performance, accuracy of notes, and engagement in the lesson.
Tip 5: provide clear instructions for notetaking
Help your students by teaching them how to take effective notes. This can be done by:
- Explaining which information is important to write down.
- Providing examples of good notes.
- Emphasizing the importance of structuring their notes.
Tip 6: use apps for notetaking
Make use of available technologies to support your slides and note-taking. Consider using online platforms where students can share and discuss their notes, like Microsoft Teams or Google Docs.
Tip 7: use interactive slides
Interactive slides increase engagement and provide a richer learning experience by challenging students to actively participate (Prince, 2004). Use tools like Mentimeter to promote real-time feedback and interaction. As students participate more actively, they process and analyse the material better, instead of just passively listening. Additionally, they correct their potential mistakes immediately when there's real-time feedback on the interactions.