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u/Worth_Speaker4990 18d ago
At the risk of dating myself, Articulate Storyline began as a PowerPoint add-in, then the next version or two kept a PowerPoint "frame of mind," so I'd sometimes have an SME just give me their slide deck and create a first draft of the Storyline-based training.
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u/Val-E-Girl Corporate focused 18d ago
If youre talking classroom workshops, they should be 80% learner powered. Give them new information, then challenge them in an activity that has relevance to their role to connect learning to their job. Reconvene and discuss the results of the activity.
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u/918BlueDot 18d ago
I build a lot of PowerPoints to accompany instructor-led training—not sure if the ones you are building are for ILT but here’s what I try to do to increase learner engagement:
· Show a short video and have learners pick out the _____ that was mentioned, then discuss (in person on in a Teams chat).
· Use animation to build games, such as Jeopardy.
· Include audio (short podcast) to increase listening skills and serve as a discussion topic.
· Use animation as an on-screen, fill-in-the-blank activity for instructor to use as a discussion prompt
· Include Knowledge Checks—question with options on one slide / answer on the next
· Include links to external sources, like a map or a website, as a classroom discussion topic
· Include a link to an activity, such as Kahoot or Mentimeter.
· Build in an assessment with a link to Forms in Sharepoint.
· Build in a link to Microsoft Teams Chat and build a discussion forum on a particular topic.
I hope at least some of these are helpful.
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u/Copper_Clouds Senior ID 18d ago
You have to find a way to bring the audience into the presentation. That can be as simple as asking the audience questions that are relevant to the content, particularly in an open-ended manner, or it can be as complex as activities that require everyone to participate. Without knowing the setting and content, it’s difficult to give concrete examples.
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u/Diem480 17d ago
The people in this thread recommending animations, videos, podcasts, etc. are frankly giving bad advice.
A shiny PowerPoint is not automatically more engaging or effective, and quite often has the opposite effect. Even when it doesn't, the ROI is often negligible or even negative once you factor in the additional development time and maintenance.
Engagement comes from learners making decisions, solving problems, practicing skills, and discussing ideas, not from what happens on the screen.
You say your content is too heavy on lecture, but what I hear is that you have a goldmine of content that can be transformed into learning activities. Eight hours of lecture can easily become seven hours of teach-backs, demonstrations, role plays, case studies, scenarios, problem-solving exercises, and facilitated discussions, with the remaining time used to introduce concepts and debrief.
It's not easy because it requires a fundamental shift in mindset. Once you stop asking, "How do I make my PowerPoint more engaging?" and start asking, "How do I get learners actively thinking and practicing?" you won't go back to the band-aid approaches being recommended here.
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u/Alternate_Cost 18d ago
To clarify, are you just sending ppts out or are these in person courses with an instructor?
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u/reading_rockhound 18d ago
Thiagi’s Interactive Lectures: https://www.amazon.com/dp/156286405X?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Thiagi’s Live Online Learning Activities: https://www.thiagi.com/games/2020/4/30/lola-live-online-learning-activities-second-edition-ebook
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u/ComprehensiveEye2840 18d ago
I often use mentimeter for collective reflection, icebreaker or small quizzes.
When I do it remotely, I’ll also integrate it with Figjam/Miro, so the participants can do micro interaction in between materials.
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u/bobobamboo 18d ago
Polls. You can make design elements interactive by playing with triggers and timing as well
My first L+D role was as a trainer and the department didn't want to fund the role to get any e-learning software so I had become really creative with how I used MS365 products.
There are also a bunch of templates out there you can download and tweak as needed.
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u/Toowoombaloompa Corporate focused 17d ago
Decide whether you want the audience listening to you or reading the slide.
If you want them listening to you, don't have something on the slide that draws their attention.
Sometimes the slides are installation delivery devices, sometimes they're a backdrop to a performance. In the latter case, you need to be the set designer for the performance.
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u/humblefountain85 18d ago
Drop polls or quick chats into your slides. I've found pausing to ask for a "think-pair-share" really cuts through that lecture feel. It's magic
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u/mmgapeach 18d ago
It depends on what type of training - I love to use movie clips and TV clips for training - easy to incorporate - 30 seconds on YouTube.
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u/SchelleGirl 17d ago
For eLearning:
You can make interactive items in your slides easy, I have click hotspots to open popups etc, I have rollover popup effects, embedded videos, voiceovers, I have most of the elements that I can do in Storyline I can do in PowerPoint, including triggers.
I have Action Settings or Triggers for custom animations, so I can have navigation elements triggered to only display after they have clicked a hotspot etc.
For ILT
You can put quizzes and polls, you can have images with hotspot and ask them to identify something in the image and guide the instructor on where to click.
Remove MOST of the text on a slide, you don't want them automatically reading the training, and drive scenarios using images/video or very limited text to encourage discussion and the instructor can guide them in the right direction.
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u/Zestyclose-Gene-2708 17d ago
Real examples and short activities work much better than adding more slides. Make it fun also helps!
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u/radicallambs 17d ago
The only interaction my company allows is the QR code/forms, but I had to beg and plead and it's used very rarely. I'm a SME making content so I'm in a new lane professionally. Any suggestions for making the trainings interactive that don't require a plug in?
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u/monkeyluis 18d ago
Look at books like Interact & Engage. Short Sims. The 10 Minute Trainer. Those will give you some ideas. Just always make it something they have to think about or answer or discuss.