For March’s app review we would like to introduce a presentation and storytelling software called Prezi.

What is Prezi?

Prezi is a cloud-based service for presenting ideas from a virtual canvas. Cloud-based means that it lives on a server on the internet rather than on your computer.

Prezi allows individuals or groups to work online to create ‘Prezis’ using a mix of text, graphic and multimedia content ‘framed’ onto to a scalable 3D canvas.

The interface includes a zoom function which allows users to navigate through frames on the canvas which display using a variation of angles and levels of magnification.

See the following ‘What is Prezi?’ presentation to view an example of Prezi and learn more about how it works.

Is it free?

If you have an email address at an educational institution, for example yourname@sussex.ac.uk then you can upgrade to a second level ‘Edu Enjoy’ account for free.

This will allow access to premium support services, 500mb of cloud storage space, the option to replace the Prezi logo with your own and to make your presentations private.

Will it work on my device?

As Prezi is a cloud-based service it will work online from any computer or mobile device using a modern web-browser. A mobile app version which works both online and offline is also available for Android, iPhone and iPad.

Presentations can be displayed onto a big screen by pairing your Android device with Chromecast or Apple device with Apple TV.  You can also present remotely from your device to a presentation computer or a combination of 30 devices and computers at a time, as well as presenting in the normal way through your web browser.

Ideas for using Prezi in learning and teaching

• Tutors and students can use it as a presentation tool to help visually explain theories and ideas with an abstract or concrete spatial relationship – for example, timelines, storyboards, mind-maps, data visualisation or geographic maps.
• You could also use it in the classroom with your students or classmates to create a mind-map or storyboard.
• Students could collaborate online in group activities to produce artefacts.

What are the alternatives?

Microsoft’s Powerpoint and Apple’s KeyNote are two of the most widely used and established bits of software for presentations. Here are a few more alternatives:

• Nearpod: engage your students with interactive quizzes embedded in a slideshow presentation. See our blog post reviewing Nearpod.
• Haiku Deck: easily design visually engaging slideshow presentations with Creative Commons images.
• MindMeister: browser-based mind-mapping tool. See our 5 essential apps for students.
• Sozi: an open-source zooming presentation tool which is currently in development.

Conclusion

Prezi’s approach to presenting content on a scalable canvas makes it an ideal tool for mind-mapping, visualising stories and ideas, however it can take time to learn to use efficiently and design Prezi’s effectively.

If you would like help with using Prezi or to discuss how this or any other app could help you in your teaching or learning please get in touch with the TEL team. We run regular workshops too.

Prezi Inc. [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons