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Academic Technology

#39 - Turn a presentation into a slide show with audio narration

  1. Creating high quality online content (for distance, blended or flipped learning) is usually a laborious process requiring advanced IT and production skills.
  2. Many people already have good PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, but they might not make sense when viewed without the teacher's oral explanation.
  3. We can create high quality online content using this simple technique.

Category: Design and develop teaching Create online course materials & activities

Enhancement goals addressed: Blended learning | Distance learning | Flexible learning | Flipped classroom

Tools and how to get support: Office 365 | Keynote | eStream | Moodle Module Space

Solution overview

Presentation tools usually provide a simple means for recording a presentation with an audio narration, which may then be exported as a video file, uploaded to our Echo video streaming platform, and embedded into Moodle. PowerPoint (Windows and Mac) and Keynote (Mac) allow the user to play the slide show and record a narration. The slide timings are synchronised with the audio. To convert Prezi into a video, use screen recording software. Upload videos to Echo 360 and embed in Moodle pages. Students can also do this.

Process
  1. Firstly, you will need to find out specifically how to do this using your version of PowerPoint or Keynote. Use the links in the tools section below to find help.
  2. Next, you should prepare and practice your narration - either as a scripted talk, semi-scripted, or more fluidly improvised - whatever suits you and your content best.
  3. If you have a very long presentation, you might want to break it down into a series of separate recordings. This will help your audience, and make it easier for you to record.
  4. Set up your recording space - you need somewhere quiet, and with good sound properties (soft furnishings help soften the sound, offices are often not very good for this).
  5. Get comfortable, play your presentation through in record mode (however that works with your software).
  6. Listen to your recording, and check that it is OK. Some tools allow you to edit individual slides.
  7. When you are happy, export your recording as a video file (typically a .mp4 or .mov file).
  8. Upload to Echo 360.
  9. In Moodle, use the add from Echo 360 option in the editor to find and add your video to a page.
  10. Or use Echo 360 to get a link to your video, and share that with the students.
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