QwikSlides is that latest tool developed by Russel Tarr at ClassTools.net. Through QwikSlides you can quickly create slideshows that live on the web and can be viewed on any device that has an up-to-date web browser. Your slides will automatically resize to accommodate the size of the screen on which they’re being viewed. QwikSlides are touch-enabled so that you can swipe through them on a tablet.
To create a set of slides on QwikSlides just go to the site and click the edit icon (it’s a pencil). Then on the next screen write what you want to appear on each slide. A separate slide will be created for each line that you write. The more you write on a line, the smaller your text will be. To include a picture or a video in a slide it has to be hosted online somewhere (Flickr is a good option). Put the link to your picture or video on a line in the slide editor and a slide will be created containing that media. To save your slides just click the save icon and choose a password for editing. Saved QwikSlides projects can be embedded into blog posts and webpages.
Applications for Education
QwikSlides does have some limitations in terms of editing. As of right now you cannot edit the background image, but can adjust the color scheme for the background and text. You also cannot have text and media on the same page right now. I don’t look at these limitations as inherently bad things. In fact, they could be good because they will focus your students on properly organizing their presentations and knowing their content before they present to the class.
QwikSlides does not require users to register which makes it accessible to more students than similar tools on the market.
And as Russel notes at the end of the introduction to QwikSlides, it could be a good tool for showing students a sequence of events.
