Abstract:

The use of software designed to develop presentations is essential today, both in the professional world and in education. Who has not ever made a slide presentation in the classic PowerPoint?, practically everyone. However, the learning curve of this tool is high and requires time to acquire a certain skill in the use of its different features. On the other hand, every time appear in the market a greater number of alternatives to the famous Microsoft Office software. These applications allow you to add not only audio and video, but also create cartoons, infographics, dynamic animations, interactive maps, online content, zoom effects, voice instructions, etc. Some examples are: Prezzi, Emaze, Knovio, Hakiu Deck, Slidebean, Canva, Google Slides, VideoScribe, PowToon, Sway,… The main advantage of these multimedia tools is that they are free software. Therefore, they are resources with great potential for education. In general, these applications are easy to use, intuitive and complete; since they have a friendly user interface. At the same time it is possible to find a large number of tutorials on the web to increase their performance. Thus it is possible to create, with relative ease and simplicity, animated and attractive presentations for the audience. In many cases they are online tools that can be used on any device and platform. In addition, the use of technology can help to attract the student's attention.

The functions and results of these programs have evolved significantly in the last decade. Thus the knowledge and use of different applications can be very interesting. Although the purpose is: how and where to use this tool properly; as well as determine the contents to be treated in the presentation, define the central theme, the type of audience, level of knowledge, etc. An oral presentation without slides is unthinkable today. Just to remember that an image is worth a thousand words. TED Talks (Education Conferences) are usually excellent examples of presentations in which the attention is directed exclusively to the speaker, due to the energy it manifests. But what characteristics should a presentation design tool have? e.g. free-software, real-time collaboration, audio-video, animation, import/export abilities, online sharing, template availability, etc. Most presentations are shared and presented on a larger screen or through a digital projector. In rare occasions, slide presentations are printed as a replacement for text documents.

It is clear that the technological possibilities are endless, allowing to generate even virtual reality and augmented reality environments in the classroom. The ideas are innumerable always in order to complement the information through online content. Now, just like any other ICT resource that you want to implement in the classroom, it should help and complement the student's learning dynamics. The aim is not to use new ICT tools for the sole purpose of entertaining the students in the classroom. Therefore, before designing an educational activity, it is advisable to reflect on the use of this technology and the added value it brings to learning. The purpose of this academic document has been to show different tools to develop dynamic animations, presentations or multimedia resources in a simple way. At the same time, for each case studied, its functionality and manageability were analyzed, indicating its most important characteristics.

Keywords:

Multimedia learning material, Animations, Audio & Video presentations, Augmented Reality, Presentation design tools, Flipped Classroom, Higher Education.