Blocks of text, distracting or extraneous visuals —you can end up competing with your deck for your learners’ attention. As noted by Harrington and Zakrajsek (2017), students struggle in these situations because they are trying process your verbal instruction and your slides simultaneously and “are propably not very successful at doing either” (pp. 70-71).

Instead, your slides should be simple and concise: a few words or phrases, a single image. Remember your deck is meant to compliment your instruction, not replace you as the conveyor of content.

Researchers have found that not only are learners able to process images faster and with more efficiency than text, but they’re more likely to retain and later recall information because of those images (Foos & Goolkasian, 2008; McBride & Dosher, 2002). The key for the instructor, then, is to ensure that the images illustrate or expand upon—not distract from—the verbal instruction being delivered concurrently.

Augmenting examples and case studies (see Teaching and Reflecting) with visual components (e.g., photos, charts, graphs) can be particularly effective in clarifying concepts and ensuring your content is relatable, relevant, and seen as meaningful outside of the learning session (Harrington & Zakrajsek, 2017)—all expectations of adult learners.

When used judiciously, bold, italics, and other visual signifiers like arrows can help your learners focus on what really matters (Harrington & Zakrajsek, 2017). As a general rule of thumb, content with the strongest connection to your learning objectives is probably most appropriate to emphasize in your deck. Some exceptions, like specific data points in a busy graph, may make sense to highlight as well.