An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Provide clear objectives for presenting the webinar and list any intended outcome(s).
Know your WebEx® software.
Provide clear instructions on the collaboration tools and ground rules (ie..mute your phone) etc.
Use a headset with a microphone.
Vary your tone of voice and enunciate.
Speak slowly.
Limit “pause” words like: “um,” “like you know,” “ah,” etc.
Avoid reading your slides to the audience.
Interact with and engage your participants every 4 minutes or so.
If you are using a webcam, stay in frame, be still, and in focus.
Enlist a producer to assist you during the webinar (OED can help).
Practice your webinar with your producer.
Acknowledge your participants by first name.
Enthusiasm works!
Be prepared and practice.
Avoid “information dumping” on your students!
PowerPoint® Tips
Create a powerful Welcome slide.
Use relevant graphics to emphasize key points.
Use animations and transitions wisely. For example, having text and graphics appear on screen just when you need them can be a nice touch, but overdoing animation detracts from your presentation.
Avoid using all-text slides and reading to the audience.
Use high-contrast colors on your slides.
Choose a light slide background color with dark text.
Use the SmartArt tool in PowerPoint® to create interesting graphics with text. Animate parts of the SmartArt graphic so that each object can be displayed as you present them.
Leave some white empty space on your slides.
Use sans-serif fonts, such as Helvetica or Arial for text.
Include appropriate USGS branding on your slides.
Include accessibility (Section 508) requirements for people with disabilities:
Have a script for your presentation and make it available to your participants.
Make sure all graphics or photos have an ALT tag describing the image.
Videos must be closed-captioned or a script provided for your blind participants.
Avoid using red, orange, or green as a text color. Eight percent of men and 0.5 percent of females have a form of color blindness. (Wikipedia, Color blindness)
For tables, make sure each column has a heading.
Use a live, real-time, captioning service for deaf or hard-of-hearing participants.