Christopher, I think you're idea of soliciting ideas or assistance from students is terrific! I'm sure they feel a bit more fulfilled when their teacher askes for their input in this way. I firmly believe that the best PPT slides guide discussions, as there are much better ways for students to get printed information (rather than from a slide and maybe handouts). The exceptions are illustrations, graphs, photos, diagrams, figures, or charts that really do promote better discussions when projected. Otherwise, a category title with a few bullet points is all that is really needed. Inserting intersting links, short videos, and anything interactive makes a PPT presentation more enjoyable, memorable, and contributes to better learning outcomes and information retention. Barry Westling