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PowerPoint Slide Hierarchy Template

Kimberly S. Ervin, Eastern Illinois UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 3-6-2025

Administrative Unit

Faculty Development and Innovation

Abstract or Description

This PowerPoint template is designed to enhance content organization and learner accessibility through a clear visual hierarchy of information. The template features four distinct slide layouts that work together to create an intuitive learning structure:

Major topics 1 (H1) slides establish main topics with distinct visual formatting, serving as clear section markers that learners can easily locate when reviewing materials.
Subtopics (H2) slides (when needed) use related but differentiated styling from H1 slides to show relationships between concepts while maintaining visual distinction.
Sub–Subtopics (H3) slides (when needed) use related but differentiated styling from H1 and H2 slides to show relationships between concepts while maintaining visual distinction.
Content slides complete the hierarchy with a format related but differentiated styling from H1, H2, and H3 slides and are optimized for detailed information presentation.

While the master slides in this template include a specific visual design, faculty can modify colors, fonts, and styling elements to match their preferences while maintaining the essential hierarchical structure that makes the content accessible and organized. The key is preserving the distinct formatting between major topics, subtopics, sub–subtopics, and content slides – regardless of the specific design choices.

For faculty, this template streamlines the creation of organized lecture materials while ensuring content is accessible to diverse learning needs. A standardized format like this helps learners focus on content rather than struggling with information organization, supporting both face-to-face and online learning and independent review. It also helps create course materials that are both structured for clarity and designed for accessibility - whether you are teaching complex concepts or practical applications.