The Continuing Education Committee reviews all PDC evaluations and comments, and the 20 top-rated and 20 bottom-rated PDCs are reviewed for common traits, both good and bad. The suggestions below were derived from this analysis and are intended to assist you in making an effective PDC.

Commercialism

PDCs are educational; instructors are not permitted to sell, promote, display, or advertise services, products, materials, books, tapes, or other commercial items. Presentations or handouts that suggest commercialism are not acceptable. Use caution to ensure that examples do not resemble or sound like trade names (for example, ABC Company). Do not use company logos in printed handout materials.

If you possess the content copyright, you may place your organization’s name and the copyright notice on the first page of the presentation and the handout, but that is all. If you are using someone else’s copyrighted content, you must include copyright permission information with your submitted handouts.

Conduct and content

• Coordinate room sets and load-in/load-out requirements with AIHA® staff in advance.
• Arrive a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes prior to the start of the PDC to become familiar with the room, lighting, and audiovisual equipment. Introduce yourself to the monitor, who is there to assist you and the participants.
• Before the presentation, confirm that the monitor has a complete set of your PDC materials and raise any questions or concerns you may have related to the operation of equipment, lights, handouts, support materials, and so on.
• Start your PDC with administrative announcements, including those of the monitor.
• Be brief if you have to introduce members of the audience so instruction time is not lost.
• Review and discuss
  • The PDC outcomes at both the beginning and end of the PDC
  • The topics that will and will not be covered
  • The schedule and agenda
  • The PDC description
  • The learning level
  • Any proprietary or significant financial interests or other relationships with manufacturers of any commercial products, providers of commercial services, or any commercial supporters
• Incorporate demonstrations, hands-on exercises, case studies, and relevant practical information as frequently as possible.
• Be sure instructions are clearly understood before breaking into small groups, which should consist of eight or fewer participants.
• Be sure to allow time for review and wrap-up at the end of the PDC (to review outcomes, answer questions, clarify issues, and so on).
• Provide a reference and resource list including current and correct URLs.

Presentation tips

• Always face the audience and speak in a clear, strong voice.
• Use an informal conversational style, as it is the most effective and comfortable mode of delivery.
• Avoid jargon, highly specialized vocabulary, and abbreviations. Define all acronyms.
• Do not read the presentation word for word.
• Repeat students’ questions for all to hear before answering.
• Provide appropriate tie-ins between speakers; PDCs are not a series of unconnected speakers.
• Utilize innovative and interactive learning aids.
• Develop learning objectives and outcomes that relate to the audience’s expectations.
• Use visuals that support the presentation and emphasize important points.

PowerPoint slides

Note: Instructors are required to bring their own laptops for presentation purposes.

• Keep style and spacing consistent.
• Use a plain font such as Arial or Times Roman in a minimum of 24-point type.
• Number all slides.
• Leave space for note taking.
• Keep in mind the following points for text:
  • It should be at least 24 points
  • Headings should be no less than 36 points.
  • Writing in all capitals and underlining should be avoided.
  • Bold and italics should be used sparingly.
• Avoid background graphics.
• Produce all slides in the same direction, either landscape or portrait.
• Note that slides should
  • Be simple (use basic tables and graphs)
  • Incorporate no more than two fonts apiece
  • Be based on a single point or idea (use multiple slides to expand upon a point)
  • Be double-spaced with five or six lines each
  • Be effective with just three bullets per slide
• Keep slide color schemes simple, and be mindful that participants may be colorblind.
  • Light colors such as white and yellow should be used for text. Never use red, blue, or green for text.
  • Dark colors such as black or blue should be used as a background color.
• Note the following while inserting images:
  • Avoid dated pictures or images.
  • Avoid background graphics.
  • Use images and graphics from digital cameras, scanners, and the Internet. Images that project well on a 17-inch monitor will project well in electronic presentations.
  • Mix images and text on a single frame or alternate frames.
  • Import the images as background. Images should be resized to approximately 800 x 600 pixels and saved as JPEG or TIF files.
  • Insert images from the slide using “the insert/picture/from file” command.
  • Label charts and graphs clearly and include legends; proofread, spell-check, and correct errors.

Helping participants

Offer participants

• Advance reading materials so they are prepared for the PDC
• New tools and skills they can implement immediately
• Creative solutions, processes, and new ideas
• Pre- and post-conference interactivity using innovative delivery methods, such as electronic handouts, AIHA® communities, and surveys

Preparing handouts

• Handouts should not be excessively long; they should include only materials that will be used during the PDC. Page counts should average as follows:
• Half-day PDC – 35 double-sided pages or 70 single-sided pages
• Full-day PDC – 75 double-sided pages or 150 single-sided pages
• Two-day PDC – 150 double-sided pages or 300 single-sided pages
• All required advance reading and reference documents should be distributed separately.
• Instructors must obtain permission for any copyrighted materials, regardless of format.
• The first pages of the handout must contain
  • The PDC agenda
  • Instructors’ names, contact information, and biographies
  • A table of contents and glossary for unfamiliar terms
• All slides presented must be included in the handout and should be arranged in the order in which they will be presented.
• Participants should print handouts and make sure all pictures and images have a good contrast. They should test-print a black-and-white version of the handout to ensure that all graphics appear correctly.

Printing handouts

If you have chosen not to provide your handout electronically you will be responsible for printing appropriate quantities and for bearing all associated costs.

On-site reproduction capabilities are limited and often cannot meet short deadlines or desired quality. When printing your materials you must

• Provide the AIHA® staff with a copy of the handout by April 5, 2010
• Adhere to the commercialism guidelines listed above
• Include any addendums/late-breaking information, articles, tables, and so on
• Make some content available electronically (e.g., AIHA® communities or CD)
• Print two slides per page
• Ensure pages are double sided
• Print materials on recycled paper if possible
• Avoid smudged and hard-to-read pages, and ensure materials are presentable
• Number all pages consecutively with no number gaps or omissions
• Include the PDC number in the footer

Members of the Communications and Training Methods Committee are available to assist any PDC instructor who wishes to improve his or her presentation skills. See the AIHA® staff for details.

Registration information

Register by March 10 for early registration discounts and first-choice hotels and PDCs.