Using the TEL PowerPoint® Templates

These TEL PowerPoint® (PPT) templates can be used as a guide to create your TEL content. You can change colors, etc., but please follow these general rules for USGS standardization and accessibility:

• Use the same content layout as the template. For example, each course will have a pre- and post-course assessment, all lessons will have a post assessment and summary, the course will have a summary, a glosssary, an "additional resources" page, and a certificate of completion.
• The USGS Identifier with motto must go on top of first slide, and the DOI and USGS (spelled out) must go on the bottom of the first slide.
• The USGS identifer must appear on every slide after the first slide, either at top or bottom of slide.
• Never use a dark background and light foreground for the "content" area of the slides. This is statistically proven to be hard to read.
• Do not use the same size fonts that you'd use for a PPT presentation to an audience sitting 5 or more feet away from you. Remember that your students will be about two feet or less away from their computer monitor when taking your TEL course.
• Do not use more than four different colors for fonts. Less is better. Use only web-safe colors.
• Use font faces of Arial or Univers for content.
• Make sure graphics or photos that you import into slides are meaningful to the content on the slide. Only use graphics and photos if they truly add to the understanding of the content on the slide.
• Make sure all graphics and photos have Alt tags describing the graphic or photo.
• Add punctuation to the end of each bulleted list items. This is an accessibility issue so that screen readers (such as Jaws) for the blind will pause before going on to the next item.
• Row and column headers must be identified for data tables.

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