Chapter 26 Quiz: Presentations, Slides, and Visual Communication
Question 1: In the SCQA framework, what does the "C" represent and what is its function?
A) Content — the main body of information in the presentation B) Complication — the change or problem that creates urgency and a need for action C) Conclusion — the final summary of the presentation's key points D) Context — the background information the audience needs
Answer
**B** — Complication — the change or problem that creates urgency and a need for action. The Complication is the "but" or "however" that disrupts the established Situation and creates the need for the presenter's message. Without a well-defined Complication, presentations often feel like status updates ("here's what's happening") rather than calls to action ("here's why something needs to change"). The Complication drives the Question that the Answer resolves.Question 2: What is an "assertion title" and why does it improve presentations?
A) A title that accurately describes the category of information on the slide B) A title that states the key claim the slide supports, rather than labeling the topic C) A title that is assertive in tone, using strong action words D) A title generated by AI that has been fact-checked
Answer
**B** — A title that states the key claim the slide supports, rather than labeling the topic. An assertion title communicates the conclusion, not just the subject. "Revenue growth accelerated in Q3" is an assertion title; "Q3 Revenue" is a category label. Research shows that assertion titles improve information retention because audiences process them as the main point — which is exactly what they are. A well-titled deck tells the complete story through titles alone, which is especially valuable for audiences who skim.Question 3: Which principle guides the decision of when to use bullets vs. a visual vs. a single assertion on a slide?
A) Visual consistency — all slides in a deck should use the same format B) Audience preference — ask the audience what format they prefer C) Content type — different types of information communicate best in different formats D) Time constraints — visuals take longer to create, so use bullets when pressed for time
Answer
**C** — Content type — different types of information communicate best in different formats. Lists of parallel items work well as bullets. Data comparisons work better as charts. Processes and sequences work better as diagrams. Single powerful insights work better as large-type assertions. The format should serve the content's purpose, not default to the easiest option (bullets) or the most visually impressive (complex graphics). AI can help identify which format best serves each slide's specific content.Question 4: Elena's case study describes converting a 40-page analysis to a 10-slide executive deck. What was AI's most critical contribution to that process?
A) Improving the visual design of the slides B) Identifying the three decisions executives needed to make, then rebuilding the narrative around those decisions C) Writing more concise versions of the analysis text D) Generating charts that replaced the analysis tables
Answer
**B** — Identifying the three decisions executives needed to make, then rebuilding the narrative around those decisions. The key insight in Elena's case is structural, not cosmetic. The problem wasn't that the analysis was too long — it was that it was organized around the analysis rather than the audience's decision-making needs. AI's most valuable contribution was reframing the entire presentation from "here's what we found" to "here's what you need to decide." This is the "audience-centered structure" principle applied to deck reduction.Question 5: What is the "comprehensiveness trap" in AI-assisted presentation creation?
A) AI generating too many slide options, making it hard to choose B) AI defaulting to including more information rather than less, producing data-dense decks rather than persuasive ones C) AI creating presentations that are too long for the available presentation time D) AI using too many charts and visuals, making slides visually overwhelming
Answer
**B** — AI defaulting to including more information rather than less, producing data-dense decks rather than persuasive ones. AI is trained to be helpful and comprehensive. When asked to build a presentation, it will generally include more rather than less — adding context, caveats, and edge cases that clutter the narrative. The discipline of ruthless editing — asking "what is the minimum content required for this audience to understand and accept my key message?" — must be applied explicitly. Telling AI to "force you to choose" is more effective than asking it to cover everything.Question 6: According to the research cited in Section 26.8, what happens when slide content and spoken words communicate different things simultaneously?
A) Audiences remember more because they receive the message in two channels B) Comprehension improves because redundancy reinforces learning C) Comprehension and retention decrease as audiences split attention between reading and listening D) No significant effect — the audience generally ignores one channel
Answer
**C** — Comprehension and retention decrease as audiences split attention between reading and listening. This is the cognitive load research finding. When slides show dense text while presenters speak about different content, audiences face a "split attention" effect — they can read or listen, but not fully do both simultaneously. The implication for presentation design: slides should show the same key message the presenter is speaking, not a different or more detailed message. Speaker notes should expand on the slide, not provide different information.Question 7: What is the primary weakness of Gamma.app for AI-assisted presentation creation?
A) It cannot generate presentations from text briefs B) It only works for specific presentation types (business, academic, etc.) C) Its AI-generated structures tend toward comprehensiveness over narrative focus D) It doesn't support export to PowerPoint or PDF formats
Answer
**C** — Its AI-generated structures tend toward comprehensiveness over narrative focus. Gamma is praised in the chapter for speed and visual appeal. Its weakness is structural: AI-generated presentations from Gamma tend to cover a topic thoroughly rather than argue a specific point compellingly. This is a common AI failure mode in presentation creation. The remedy is to do the narrative development work (SCQA, audience-centered outline) before using Gamma, rather than having Gamma generate the structure from scratch.Question 8: When should Q&A preparation be completed relative to presentation delivery?
A) During the presentation, responding to questions as they arise B) Immediately before delivery, as the last step in preparation C) Before the presentation is finalized, so Q&A preparation can reveal structural weaknesses D) After the presentation, to prepare for follow-up questions
Answer
**C** — Before the presentation is finalized, so Q&A preparation can reveal structural weaknesses. The chapter recommends Q&A preparation as part of the presentation development process, not just pre-delivery rehearsal. When you generate likely questions and discover you don't have strong answers, that often reveals a structural gap in the presentation itself — missing evidence, an unaddressed objection, or a "so what" that needs to be made explicit in the deck. Q&A preparation also reduces anxiety, which improves delivery performance.Question 9: What does the "one idea per slide" discipline achieve?
A) It ensures presentations are the right length for the allocated time B) It makes presentations easier to design by limiting content per slide C) It forces each slide to contribute a specific, identifiable claim to the narrative D) It improves visual consistency across the presentation
Answer
**C** — It forces each slide to contribute a specific, identifiable claim to the narrative. The discipline of one idea per slide is an editing tool, not just a design preference. When each slide must make exactly one claim, slides that aren't making a clear claim become visible — they're either information without insight (missing "so what") or trying to make multiple points (needs to be split). The discipline also makes assertion titles natural: if a slide makes one claim, that claim is the title.Question 10: Which AI presentation tool is best suited for converting a Word document into a presentation?
A) Gamma.app B) Beautiful.ai C) Microsoft PowerPoint Copilot D) Canva AI
Answer
**C** — Microsoft PowerPoint Copilot. PowerPoint Copilot's integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem allows it to generate presentations directly from Word documents stored in SharePoint or OneDrive. This document-to-presentation conversion capability is its distinguishing feature. For organizations that use Word for analysis, reports, and briefing documents, this workflow is particularly efficient. The chapter also notes this as a reason to create source material in Word when the downstream use case is a PowerPoint presentation.Question 11: What is the "AI-looking deck" problem and how can it be avoided?
A) Presentations that are technically accurate but visually boring; fix by adding more charts B) Presentations that look generic due to stock imagery, template layouts, and committee-style language; fix by using organization-specific examples and custom content C) Presentations that use too much AI-generated text, making them too long; fix by editing for concision D) Presentations that use AI visuals that don't match the brand; fix by using a brand template
Answer
**B** — Presentations that look generic due to stock imagery, template layouts, and committee-style language; fix by using organization-specific examples and custom content. AI-generated presentations have recognizable patterns: symmetric three-column layouts, perfectly generic stock photography, phrasing that sounds like it came from a corporate template. The remedy is not to avoid AI, but to use AI for structure and content backbone while adding specific, authentic elements — organization-specific examples, real data, actual quotes, custom language. The goal is a presentation that could only have come from you, built with AI assistance.Question 12: According to the research in Section 26.8, which factor most significantly affects post-presentation credibility assessments?
A) Slide visual quality B) Length of the presentation relative to the allocated time C) Q&A performance D) Use of data and statistics
Answer
**C** — Q&A performance. Research consistently shows that audiences form significant credibility impressions based on how presenters handle questions — particularly whether they're clearly prepared for predictable questions or appear to be caught off guard. A strong deck with weak Q&A leaves a poor impression. Strong Q&A can recover a mediocre deck. This is one of the most underinvested areas of presentation preparation.Question 13: What is the primary consideration when choosing between Gamma.app and Beautiful.ai?
A) Gamma generates content while Beautiful.ai focuses on making existing content look professional B) Beautiful.ai is better for technical content while Gamma is better for business content C) Gamma requires more technical skills while Beautiful.ai is more beginner-friendly D) Beautiful.ai generates more slides per prompt than Gamma
Answer
**A** — Gamma generates content while Beautiful.ai focuses on making existing content look professional. This is the fundamental distinction the chapter draws. Gamma is a content + design tool — it will generate both structure and visual treatment from a brief. Beautiful.ai's "smart slides" system is primarily about design intelligence — layouts that automatically adapt as you add content. If you have content and need it to look good, Beautiful.ai; if you need to generate content as well, Gamma is more appropriate.Question 14: In Elena's scenario, she notes that AI's first executive deck attempt was still "too comprehensive." What did she do to correct this?
A) She asked AI to reduce the word count on each slide B) She explicitly told AI to "force her to choose" and treat executives as busy people who will only read what's in front of them C) She switched to a different AI tool that was better at executive communication D) She manually cut slides herself without using AI for the reduction
Answer
**B** — She explicitly told AI to "force her to choose" and treat executives as busy people who will only read what's in front of them. The constraint framing is key. AI defaults to comprehensive because it tries to be helpful. The correction is an explicit constraint — "force me to choose" — that overrides the comprehensive default. This is a general principle: when AI defaults to a behavior you don't want (in this case, comprehensiveness), the fix is usually an explicit instruction that reframes the task, not a request for small modifications to the existing output.Question 15: What does the chapter recommend as the best use case for AI image generation in presentations?
A) Replacing all stock photography with AI-generated images for a unique look B) Generating images for every slide to avoid the generic stock photography problem C) Generating specific images for slides where stock photography can't find the right visual D) Using AI image prompts to describe what to create or find, regardless of which tool generates the final image