TRICKS FOR UPGRADING YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ASHLEY BUTLER | DIGITAL MEDIA INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIST 

TABLE OF CONTENTS • Some possibilities • Infographics • Brochures, Handouts, Posters • Better Presentations • Websites • Videos • Podcasts • Secondary Tools 

TABLE OF CONTENTS • Some possibilities • Infographics • Brochures, Handouts, Posters • Better Presentations • Websites • Videos • Podcasts • Secondary Tools Why a Table of Contents? In the context of creating instructional materials, it’s important to point out that especially for long, content-heavy presentations, a table of contents allows for easier browsing of material. *Especially important for those using screen readers. 

A NOTE: The information in this presentation is geared toward those who want low-learning-curve options for creating engaging materials…it doesn’t mean you can’t use more advanced tools like tools within the Adobe Creative Suite (which is available on Macs in Library Mod C!) 

SOME POSSIBILITIES • Infographics • Brochures, handouts, or posters • [Better] Presentations • Websites • Educational Videos • Podcasts 

INFOGRAPHICS • Piktochart • Excellent data-driven infrastructure • Examples: • Health Hazards of Being Still: https://create.piktochart.com/output/15455259-health-hazards-of-being-still- by-hovr • Foodborne Illness in Australia: https://create.piktochart.com/output/7658456-foodborne-ilness-in-australia- copy • Canva • Excellent for other learning objects, not sure of how robust the infographics feature is 

INFOGRAPHICS • Piktochart • Perks: • Easy content creation. Drag and drop design. • Has a “Presentation” mode where you can break your infographic up into “slides” (see examples below) • Web-Based • No download required. • Same no matter whether you’re a Mac or PC person • Examples: • Health Hazards of Being Still: https://create.piktochart.com/output/15455259-health-hazards-of-being-still-by-hovr • Foodborne Illness in Australia: https://create.piktochart.com/output/7658456-foodborne-ilness-in-australia-copy • Canva • Visme Perks and Drawbacks to most of these tools: Perks: • Easy content creation. Drag and drop design. • Has a “Presentation” mode where you can break your infographic up into “slides” (see examples below) • Web-Based • No download required.ame no matter whether you’re a Mac or PC person Drawbacks: • Freemium (sometimes premium content or downloading features require you to pay…so be aware of your limitations!) • Accessibility features can be lacking 

BROCHURES, HANDOUTS, POSTERS • Canva • Same perks and drawbacks of Piktochart but plenty robust without paying • Make nearly ANYTHING • Print: Posters, Postcards, Flyers, Brochures, Worksheets, Lesson Plans, Bookmarks • Digital: Instagram or Facebook stories, Presentations, E-Book cover/ebooks • Pages (Mac Only) • Easy, template-based layout design for more extensive publications or text-heavy material • Collaborative (real-time) • Include audio clips (recording and editing feature!) • Compatible with MS Word 

BROCHURES, HANDOUTS, POSTERS • Take your handouts online. • Google Forms • Embed images, figures, videos • Include blocks of text • Ask questions (Import questions from other or previous Forms) • Collect answers and feedback to Google Sheets 

BETTER PRESENTATIONS • Use New Tools • Microsoft Sway • Also makes reports, newsletters, and stories • Canva • Piktochart (although I’m not sure about downloading slides…it may just be web-sharing) 

BETTER PRESENTATIONS • Maximize the tools you already use • Power Point, Prezi, Google Slides, Keynote • Use or modify designs to make your slideshow morepersonalized • Use “Smart Art” features (in Power Point) or get creative with shapes to draw attention • Add a voiceover or record it into a video • Include a table of contents for easy searchinginclude a link for audience to follow along • Make it more inclusive and accessible • Include a table of contents for easy searching • Include a link for audience to follow along • Use interactive polls or quizzing • Poll Everywhere (Live Audience Participation) 

WEBSITES • Easy Website Builders: • Google Sites • Blogger • Wordpress • Wix • Weebly 

EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS • Ways to Create Educational Videos • From Scratch • WeVideo • With Screen Recording • Use tools you already have mastery over, then use a screen recorder to record it! • Works with anything…Power Point, Prezi…anything on your screen! • Screen Recorder: Screencast-o-matic or WeVideo 

PODCASTS • Creating Podcasts • High quality sound! Capturing, finding, editing. • Writing for sound is completely different • Pacing, transitions, pauses, jargon, etc. • Examples: • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/ • Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts: https://podcasts.hopkinsmedicine.org/category/podcasts/ • This Podcast Will Kill You: http://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/ 

PODCASTS • Creating Podcasts • High quality sound!!! Capturing, finding, editing. • Writing for sound is completely different • Pacing, transitions, pauses, jargon, etc. • Examples: • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/ • Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts: https://podcasts.hopkinsmedicine.org/category/podcasts/ • This Podcast Will Kill You: http://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/ But wait! Don’t forget to think about copyright. If you’re using digital media (images, videos, sounds) that you did not create, you have to cite them and practice caution with how you share these materials. This is largely dependent on how you’re sharing what you create…so discuss this with your professor. Try to find items in the Public Domain or use items with a Creative Commons license or ask for permission from the copyright holder. For more on copyright: http://kenyon.libguides.com/copyright 

SECONDARY TOOLS & RESOURCES 

DESIGN & COLOR PLANNING • Tips and tools to make these tools even BETTER: • Kenyon Colors and Fonts: http://www.kenyon.edu/web-content-style-reference/colors-fonts/ • Coolors Color Scheme Generator: https://coolors.co/ • Pixabay https://pixabay.com/ (Free and Public Domain Stock Images!) • IconFinder https://www.iconfinder.com/ (Free and Paid Icons) 

FAIR USE CONTENT: CREATIVE COMMONS • Creative Commons provides free, easy-to-use copyright licenses to make a simple and standardized way to give the public permission to share and use your creative work on conditions of your choice. • https://search.creativecommons.org/ Think of this as a one-stop shop! 

FREE & PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGES & VIDEO • Pixabay • Pexels • Wikimedia Commons • The Commons (Flickr) • Getty Open Content Images • Getty Images List adapted from The Edublogger: https://www.theedublogger.com/2017/01/20/copyright-fair-use- and-creative-commons/ Also includes video! Also includes video and sound! 

CC & PUBLIC DOMAIN SOUNDS & MUSIC • Some video editors have built in sounds and music that you can use. If not, here are some alternatives: • SoundCloud Creative Commons: https://soundcloud.com/groups/creative-commons • Jamendo: https://www.jamendo.com/en • Incompetech: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html • Freesound.org: https://www.freesound.org/browse/tags/sound-effects/ • PD Info: http://www.pdinfo.com/index.php • BenSound: https://www.bensound.com/ Also searchable with in Creative Commons! Requires attribution! 

QUESTIONS?? [email protected] 

TOOLS TO CHECK OUT: CONTENT TOOLS • Piktochart (infographics) • Canva (all the things) • Pages (layout design) • Microsoft Sway (presentations, newsletters) • Prezi (presentations) • Keynote (presentations) • Google Sites (websites) • Blogger (websites) • WeVideo (video editor) • Screencast-o-matic (screen recording) DESIGN TOOLS • Coolers Color Scheme Generator • https://coolors.co/ • Iconfinder (Free icons) • https://www.iconfinder.com/ • Creative Commons Media • https://search.creativecommons.org/