Ed Tech Tuesday: PechaKucha

PechaKucha is a tool I heard of several years ago. The odd name is really what caught my eye, and then when I found out what it means and what the tool aims to do, my curiosity was piqued even more. In today's blog post, I'll share a little about this tool, what makes it a powerful tool for online educators and how you can use it in your online course.

What is PechaKucha?

PechaKucha is a Japanese word that means "chit chat". Once you learn more about the tool, you'll see that it's a very fitting word to describe it. PechaKucha was developed by 2 architectures who wanted to find a way to streamline presentations in a brief but engaging way. The main premise behind this technique is to make a presentation using only 20 slides where each slide only stays on the screen for only 20 seconds. This means you have only 20 seconds to speak over each slide. 

Why is PechaKucha ideal for online courses?

This approach works really well in an online class because it is important to minimize lecture/video lecture time. As we know, learner attention span begins to wane at about 7-12 minutes after which point, the student may begin to tune out what is being said. With the PechaKucha technique, the entire presentation lasts only 400 seconds (approximately 6.7 minutes) and includes transitions every 20 seconds which helps with engagement. In addition to this, most PechaKucha presentations are graphics heavy which also helps to help the learner focus on the words being spoken while the image reinforces the ideas. 

What to keep in mind when creating a PechaKucha presentation?

Some things to keep in mind when creating a PechaKucha presentation include:

• Preparation- As each slide in the PechaKucha presentation lasts only 20 seconds, it is imperative that you prepare a script or at outline of what you will say on each slide. 
• Select a presentation tool- You can create a PechaKucha presentation using your favorite presentation tool such as PowerPoint or Keynote. Most tools will allow you to set the presentation slide transition timer as needed
• Select good graphics- Since PechaKucha is a graphic heavy tool, be sure to select graphics that really emphasize your points and also heighten curiosity and engages students.

Ready to give it a try? Give it your best shot and share your best PechaKucha presentation in The Online Educator Facebook group!