Using Microsoft Copilot to Create a Teaching PowerPoint Presentation: A Higher Education Faculty Guide

 

A Faculty-Friendly Guide: Using Microsoft Copilot
to Create a Teaching PowerPoint

An introductory, step‑by‑step walkthrough for first‑time users

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Why use Copilot for teaching presentations?

Using Microsoft Copilot, faculty can turn existing lecture notes into organized, university‑branded teaching slides in just a few guided steps.

Creating lecture slides is time‑consuming. Faculty often start with:

• Course outlines
• Word documents
• Lecture notes
• PDFs
• Previous slide decks

Microsoft Copilot, built directly into PowerPoint, can help organize this material into a structured presentation, while still letting you control the content, tone, and teaching flow.

Important: Copilot is an assistant, not an auto‑grader or content authority. You should always review and adjust the slides before using them in class.

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What you’ll need before you start

Before following the steps below, make sure you have:

• A Microsoft 365 account provided by your institution
• Copilot enabled for Microsoft 365
• PowerPoint (desktop or web)
• One or more of the following saved in OneDrive or SharePoint:
  • Word document (lecture notes, syllabus section, outline)
  • PDF
  • Text notes
  • Previous class materials

Copilot works best when your notes have headings or sections, but it can also organize rough notes.

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Step 1: Open PowerPoint and start with your university template

Using your university’s PowerPoint template ensures your slides are on‑brand and meet institutional guidelines.

1. Open PowerPoint
2. Create a new presentation
3. Select your university template
   • This may appear automatically if your institution uses an Organization Asset Library
   • If not, open the template file manually first

Starting with a template allows Copilot to reuse existing layouts, fonts, and colors when it generates slides
[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 2: Open Copilot in PowerPoint

1. In PowerPoint, look for the Copilot icon 
   
   
   
   
2. Select “Create a presentation”

This opens the Copilot panel on the right side of the screen.

Copilot will now guide you through creating an outline and slides.

[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 3: Tell Copilot what you’re teaching

In the Copilot prompt box, describe your lecture in plain language.

Example prompt (copy and paste and make it your own):

“Create a lecture presentation for an undergraduate course on the basics of epidemiology. This is a 50‑minute class.”

You can also include:

• Target audience (undergraduate, graduate, non‑majors)
• Desired length (e.g., 10–15 slides)
• Teaching style (introductory, discussion‑based, technical)

Copilot will generate an outline of slide topics, not the final slides yet.

[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 4: Attach your existing lecture notes or materials

This is where Copilot becomes especially helpful.

1. Select the paperclip (Attach file) icon
2. Choose up to five files (Word, PDF, text, or previous slides)
3. Copilot will analyze your materials and map them to slide topics

Best practice: Notes with headings or section titles help Copilot organize content more accurately

[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 5: Review and adjust the slide outline

Before slides are created, Copilot shows a proposed outline.

Here’s what to do:

• Reorder topics to match your teaching flow
• Remove sections you don’t want
• Add a new topic (e.g., “In‑class discussion” or “Case study”)

You are still in full control — Copilot does not lock anything in.

[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 6: Generate the slides

Once you’re satisfied with the outline:

1. Select “Generate slides”
2. Copilot creates:
   • Slide titles
   • Bullet content
   • Speaker notes (when possible)
   • Layouts based on your university template

The result is a first draft, ready for faculty review.

[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 7: Refine the presentation using Copilot

After slides are generated, you can continue working with Copilot.

Helpful prompts faculty can try:

• “Simplify this slide for first‑year students”
• “Rewrite this slide as discussion questions”
• “Create speaker notes for this slide”
• “Add a summary slide for this section”

Copilot edits inside PowerPoint, so no copying or pasting is required.

[Microsoft details this more here]

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Step 8: Final review before class

Before presenting:

• Verify accuracy of definitions and examples
• Adjust pacing (too much or too little content per slide)
• Add personal teaching notes or examples
• Confirm accessibility (font size, contrast, alt text)

Copilot helps with structure — you remain the subject matter expert.

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Common questions from first‑time users

Does Copilot replace my teaching style?
No. It creates a starting structure. You control tone, emphasis, and examples.

Will Copilot automatically publish or share my slides?
No. Slides remain private unless you share them.

Does Copilot change my university template?
No. Copilot uses existing layouts; it does not overwrite branding.

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Final thoughts

Microsoft Copilot is best thought of as:

A teaching assistant for slide creation — not a replacement for faculty expertise.

Used thoughtfully, it can:

• Reduce prep time
• Improve organization
• Let faculty focus more on teaching and engagement

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Recommended Microsoft resources (optional links for your blog)

• Create a presentation with Copilot in PowerPoint
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-new-presentation-with-copilot-in-powerpoint-3222ee03-f5a4-4d27-8642-9c387ab4854d [support.mi...rosoft.com]
• Keep presentations on‑brand with Copilot
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/keep-your-presentation-on-brand-with-copilot-046c23d5-012e-49e0-8579-fe49302959fc [support.mi...rosoft.com]
• Microsoft Learn: Build presentations with Copilot
  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/present-copilot-microsoft-powerpoint/ [learn.microsoft.com]

Check out the Guides I have listed on Amazon Kindle and leave a review if you find it helpful :  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Keith-Conroy/author/B0GPRZ11VN

See my other blogs on AI in Higher Education especially if you are a faculty member using Canvas LMS or Brightspace D2L.