Flashcards just got smarter with Present Pal V6!

Say goodbye to the tedious process of typing out flashcards. Present Pal V6 allows you to create flashcards using your voice effortlessly. Speak your thoughts or paste your notes and your words will be transformed into concise, effective talking points.

Personalised Learning Experience

No two learners are alike, and we recognise the importance of customisation. Present Pal V6 lets you edit your flashcards and add safety nets to match your unique learning style and support you during your presentation.

Informed by Students

At Present Pal, we believe in the power of feedback. The Smart Flashcard Creation feature is a result of listening to our community. Student insights and suggestions have played a crucial role in shaping the new release.

Update the Present Pal app now to access the new feature.

While you are here find out about our events…

Drop-in Q&A sessions with Joe

In addition to the innovative features of Present Pal V6, we're excited to introduce recurring meetings with Joe – your go-to expert for all things Present Pal. These sessions will be Q&A style and are an opportunity for you to come with any questions about Present Pal and have them answered!

These will be every Wednesday from 11-1pm, join us on the link below.

Webinar: Unpacking Masking and the Impact on Students

When we think about masking, many people might think about it as a universal experience. We're all professional at work, and more carefree at home, right? While there is some truth in this, autistic masking is much more complex, multifaceted, and has actually led to many misconceptions and myths about what it means to be autistic.

In this webinar, Liss and Lucy will discuss their experiences as late-diagnosed autistic students, and how masking has affected their mental health, sense of identity, and university experiences.

Introducing the new Live Editor update!

At Present Pal we’ve long prided ourselves on creating an app that champions accessibility and empowers people in communication tasks in education, the workplace and beyond. We always look to continuously improve our suite to meet this, take a look at our brand new Live Editor feature part of the integrations family in our Present Pal suite!

Find out how we improved this new feature and how it elevates the user experience…

Goodbye to awkward pauses…hello to seamless transitions!

Our new Live Editor update means students will enjoy a smoother and more controlled experience when using the Present Pal PowerPoint Add-In, allowing users to create their presentation flashcards and PowerPoint slides side by side in real-time. 

This will make presentation prep seamless and make it easier for users to connect with the audience. The major benefit of this update is that you can create your digital flashcards on-the-go which will automatically sync to your smartphone, so you can work from anywhere, anytime, which improves the accessibility of the app.

Our interface has also had a makeover which makes the creation of presentation notes more effortless, meaning you can control your PowerPoint slides easily with your smartphone. 

This feature makes creating your presentation notes straightforward, while reducing the cognitive load of planning and creating your slides and notes, offering a user experience that alleviates some of the stress and anxiety that goes into preparing a communication task. This is particularly useful for neurodiverse students, as the Live Editor feature helps you to focus and avoid task paralysis while increasing your confidence as you feel more in control of your presentation. 

Key benefits of the Live Editor update

• Faster note creation 

• Improved slide control 

• Automatic syncing between the app and the PowerPoint Add-In

• Reduces cognitive overload

Why was the Live Editor updated?

Our tech team received some feedback from our users about the integration of PowerPoint slides and how this experience could be made more seamless, so our tech team naturally got to work. 

“We could really see the need for a feature upgrade around how the mobile app and the PowerPoint app communicate”

- Jamie, Tech Developer and Lead on the Live Editor feature

Start using the integrations today!

Want to learn more about how the integrations work? If you’re a DSA assessor or trainer you can meet with Joe here.

Find out how to install it the integrations here.

Present Pal ADHD Webinar - Rebranding ADHD: Demedicalising Neurodiversity

Exploring neurodiversity and lived experience, our latest webinar delves into what it means to demedicalize neurodiversity, with a spotlight on ADHD. Our UK Education Manager, Joe Dawber, welcomed our wonderful guest speaker Liss Chard-Hall, an AuDHD Study Skills Tutor for students in receipt of the Disabled Students’ Allowance, as well as a speaker and consultant for neurodiversity in higher education. 

Liss is passionate about helping people to understand the challenges that students with ADHD face and in this webinar she discusses some misconceptions around ADHD, and how to better support students. 

Here’s what we learnt…

The history of ADHD

Language is essential when we talk about neurodiversity, it shapes our connotations and perceptions. Before the introduction of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, ADHD was referred to as ‘minimal brain damage’ and even ‘witchcraft’. ADHD was also originally thought to only affect children, and it was only diagnosed in adults from the 1980s. Since then, our understanding of ADHD has evolved. 

What is ADHD? 

For Liss, having ADHD feels like living life with everything playing at the same volume. She explains that the hyperactivity element of ADHD is often misunderstood, and it can present in ways that we wouldn’t expect. Rather than just associating hyperactivity with physical manifestations, Liss explains that particularly for women, girls and non-binary people, this hyperactivity is internal and manifests in the mind. This is a huge reason why this demographic often goes underdiagnosed, or is diagnosed much later in life. 

The inattentive element of ADHD in lived experience does not mean a lack of attention, but often not knowing where to focus attention. The features of ADHD that Liss is affected by most are executive dysfunction, lower levels of dopamine and rejection sensitive dysphoria. 

Liss says, “ADHD described is not ADHD as lived experience”.

There are multiple traits of ADHD that aren’t necessarily listed in diagnostic criteria - there is a dissonance between what people think ADHD is and what it actually is. 

What can educators do to better support students with ADHD?

• Show that you’re on their side and that you understand where they are coming from. For example, rejection sensitive dysphoria affects ADHD students to the extent that they worry about disappointing the people they’re getting support from

• Acknowledge that certain things won’t change and support them with managing their traits in healthy and useful ways, so that coping techniques can reduce stress

• Believing students when they talk about their challenges, learn from ADHDers themselves rather than outdated psychiatrists 

How Present Pal supports students with ADHD

Present Pal supports students with ADHD and learning differences when it comes to communication tasks. The main challenges that students with ADHD face when it comes to presentations and public speaking are:

• Working memory

• Attention and focus 

• Task initiation paralysis

• Time keeping

• Impulsivity 

Present Pal’s features are created specifically to support students with these challenges:

• Checkpoints help to minimize distractions and guide students through their presentation 

• Lessons and the Presentation Planner give users a place to start to help to overcome task initiation paralysis and anxiety

• Integrations with PowerPoint and Google Slides helps to reduce the cognitive load of presentations, giving students more control over their presentation and one less thing to worry about 

Watch this space for our next ADHD webinar in September with Liss, ‘The reality of ADHD late diagnosis’. Check out our events and webinars page to find out more.

Student Ambassador India Shares Her Experiences of Present Pal V5

At Present Pal, we’re passionate about accessibility and helping students to alleviate their anxiety around public speaking and presentations. We’ve upped our game with V5 with a refreshed design of seamless, interactive flashcards, and a brand new presentation planner. 

Our amazing student ambassador India Blakemore talks us through her favourite features of Present Pal V5, and how it’s helped her on her presentation journey. Check out the video below 👇

India shows how easy it is to edit and navigate between flashcards, segment your ideas into bullet points, and link up your presentation notes to Google Slides and Powerpoint.

Present Pal V5

Refreshed interactive flashcards

Our new intuitive design means you can navigate seamlessly between flashcards, and design and edit with ease. 

Use the Presentation Planner

The Presentation Planner provides structure and support on creating, rehearsing and delivering your presentation. Simply add the date of your presentation to receive content to help you up your presentation game, from ways to overcome procrastination to holistic exercises for self-confidence.

Our Student Ambassadors

We’re proud to have built a strong-knit community of student ambassadors who talk about their experiences of Disabled Students’ Allowance and help us to spread the word about the benefits of Present Pal. 

Our ambassadors create authentic content about their lived experience of studying with a disability for our TikTok channels This Student Needs and Present Pal.

Our Present Pal channel showcases the latest features of the app alongside presentation hacks.

This Student Needs is our sister channel, where we answer all questions regarding Disabled Students’ Allowance, promoting our DSA Guide. Trusted by over 10,000 students, with 200K likes, we’re the No 1 DSA community on TikTok, powered by Present Pal.

Presentation 101: Understanding the brief

“Identify one core message that your presentation will revolve around, then be as focussed and specific as possible in the areas you’re analysing.”

Public speaking can be anxiety-inducing for the best of us, but couple that with the dilemma of understanding the assignment, and it can feel really overwhelming. Especially for those of us who have disabilities or learning differences, it’s super important for us to feel confident in how we are going to approach a task. Luckily, the Present Pal team have got our back. Here’s our guide for understanding the assignment brief, to set you up for success.

Know the basics

Check the presentation length, deadline, format and any guidance issued by the department or your tutor. Depending on what school you’re in, your module handbook will be able to tell you what is and is not appropriate for your course, and will also detail the learning outcomes. If you’re not sure, you can always hang back after class to ask your lecturer questions, email them, or check your course information online.

Know your goal

Start by answering the following:

• What topic am I presenting on?

• What angle/perspective will I bring to the conversation?

• What key areas am I going to analyse?

• How long do I have to deliver the presentation?

• What are the key points I need the audience/my lecturer to take away?

This will help you create the basic building blocks of your presentation when it comes to structure and content.

What are you key points?

Identify one core message that your presentation will revolve around, then be as focussed and specific as possible in the areas you’re analysing. Identify three or four subheadings, with three or four points for each. Think about the order and why it matters, and include examples or evidence that support your statements. For example:

The question or topic is ‘Digital marketing trends’. 

The core message: Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of current digital marketing trends. 

Subheading example: The rise of Tik Tok:

• The appeal of short form video

• User-generated content

• Gen Z and online habits

Where to start? Using Present Pal to create your notes

Beginning your presentation can often be the biggest challenge - should you dive straight into building your slides? Or begin with notes and research? Whatever route you take is up to you. Present Pal is an accessible presentation support app that will make the process of planning and delivering your presentation that much easier. Use the app to create your notes, and personalise them by changing colour and fonts. To practise and refine your content you can listen to past rehearsals and set target times to help you identify areas for improvement. Present Pal will also guide you through your presentation and help you stay on track by allowing you to check off each talking point as you go, and connect to PowerPoint or Google Slides.

How will it look? Less is more

You can control your slides as you present (like a clicker) by connecting the Present Pal app to your PowerPoint or Google Slides integrations (you check out the installation guide here). As well as your content, the visuals are an important component of a presentation, but not the most important. While it may be tempting to add animations, graphics and fancy fonts to your presentation, the content should always be the part that shines. Think about consistent colour schemes, clear and legible fonts, and images and video that support your statements. 

Looking for more presentation advice? Read our full list of advice and hacks here.

3 ways to kickstart building your presentation

Struggling to get started with your presentation? We’ve all been there. Especially for the more nervous among us (*stares in fidget spinner*) it can feel like a mammoth task to begin a presentation, never mind structure it, plan it, and deliver it. At Present Pal we’re pros when it comes to creating presentations in an accessible way, and so we’ve learned a few tricks over the years. Here are three ways to kickstart building your presentation, and overcome that procrastination temptation. 

1. Define your goals

There’s no point hurtling full force into presentation-writing-mode unless you have a really clear idea of what your presentation is going to be about, and why. Defining your goals is a great first exercise and will help you stay focussed during the process of building your presentation. 

Take a look at the brief that you were given, and ask yourself the following: Why am I doing this presentation? Why does this subject matter? How will this task benefit my studies? What new or interesting information can I personally bring to this and why?

Once you’ve identified your goals it will be much easier to create a plan of action. 

2. Break your tasks into bite-size steps

Don’t overwhelm or pressure yourself into completing a perfect presentation in the speed of light, taking the time to process your task and breaking it into manageable steps will ensure greater chances of success. 

Here are some suggestions for steps, you can alter these or add your own, whatever best suits your learning style:

• Create a structure: break your presentation topic into three major areas

• Take each area at a time, identifying key points for each

• Work out how you learn best - .e.g are you a visual learner or a verbal learner?

• Decide what style and tone you’re going for

• Create a realistic timeline for completing tasks

• Factor in time for corrections, rehearsals and reviews

Jump into the Present Pal app to start creating your notes and building your presentation. You can also listen to past rehearsals and set target times. Present Pal will also guide you through your presentation and help you stay on track by allowing you to check off each talking point as you go, and connect to PowerPoint or Google Slides. 

3. Promise yourself a reward

One of the best ways to keep motivation levels high is to incentivise. Who else remembers the absolute glory of getting a gold star at school for completing a task? Well, it works the same way in your adult life.

After you’ve broken your presentation building plan into manageable day-by-day steps, you can plan rewards for yourself once you’ve completed X amount of steps. Not only will this make the process more bearable, it can actually increase your productivity and motivation. For example, if you managed to plan a structure for your presentation that day, reward yourself by buying an iced vanilla oat milk latte or pampering yourself with a facemask and hot bath. 

Interested in more presentation advice and hacks? Read and watch them here. 

How to prepare for a Q&A

Picture this: you’ve spent weeks practising your presentation and you finally deliver it - it’s just how you always dreamed. Despite your anxieties you nailed it. Your class applauds and you heave a sigh of relief, wiping your brow like a cartoon character. But then you hear the lecturer bellow those terrifying words: does anyone have any questions? You’ve completely forgotten about this part, and you don’t know what to do. Sometimes the most challenging element of a presentation can be the Q&A. But it can also be the most impressive, if you’re prepared. Here’s some pointers from the Present Pal team…

Remember that questions are a good sign

While you may be worrying that your presentation Q&A will kick in your fight-or-flight response, causing a brain-wobble, remember that people asking questions and being curious about your topic is a good sign, it means they were engaged with your presentation. You could even write a little note to yourself in the

Present Pal app on your final slide, to remind yourself of that in the moment, to help calm your nerves.

Research FAQs

One of the simplest ways of preparing for a Q&A is to research commonly asked questions for your topic, exploring every possible angle. This will also help you feel more confident in your overall knowledge, and give you the tools to answer any tricky questions. If you don’t know the answer to something, that’s okay, you won’t be an expert on every presentation you give. So it’s acceptable to say that you don’t know the exact answer, but you can follow up with something related to the question that you do know, to convey your competence. 

If you rehearse your presentation for friends or family beforehand, ask them what questions they have after the presentation. This will give you an idea of what people want to know. Using the Present Pal app is a great way of rehearsing, you can listen to past rehearsals and set target times.

“What if someone asks a question because they disagree with your statements? Use what psychologists call ‘in group’ thinking.”

Connect with your audience

It’s likely that your audience are your peers and so they’ll be in the same position as you in being tasked with delivering a presentation. So while you’ll feel like you’re in the hot seat, remember that your classmates will be too. Using that empathy will help you feel on more of an equal level with your audience during the Q&A portion and help you connect with them, which in turn will allow a more relaxed and conversational approach.

But what if someone asks a question because they disagree with your statements? Use what psychologists call ‘in group’ thinking, to make you and your audience feel like you share common ground. Start by thanking them for a great question, identifying the areas that you both agree in, echo their question back to them to show you understood, then explain your perspective. 

Demonstrate your knowledge

If you’ve spent a few agonising weeks preparing and rehearsing your presentation, thinking about the Q&A as an opportunity to make all of that work worth it. It’s a great way to show off your knowledge on the topic, and this will definitely impress your lecturer and increase your chances of a good grade. 

Keen to know how Present Pal can help you nail your presentation? Find out more here.

Top 3 presentation rehearsal techniques

Have you ever been halfway through your presentation, your mind goes blank and all you can hear is your heart like a cursed techno beat in your brain? This is a pretty common scenario, and it never gets easier. Public speaking is the most common fear, and 86% of disabled students experience presentation anxiety. So what can we do about it? 

Alongside creating a killer presentation with excellent content, your delivery is just as important. Rehearsing is a key part of this process, and helps massively with presentation nerves. Instead of focussing on memorising your content (which isn’t a great method once you forget something) focus on practicing it. Here are three presentation rehearsal techniques to help you up your game.

The gospel of 10

Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor is a scientist who gave one of the most viewed TED talks in history, and when asked how many times she rehearsed her presentation beforehand, the answer may shock you. It wasn’t five, it wasn’t ten…it was 200. 

Which is a little intense, and by no means necessary for a uni presentation! But it proves that practicing your presentation is a crucial part of the public speaking process. Many experts claim that the magic number is 10. Rehearsing ten times is a great technique for success.

The 20-20-20 rule

Experts suggest going over your presentations for 20 minutes, then repeating the information twice or more. Repeating the content within 30 mins of the task means it’s more likely to stay in your long term memory, and thinking about the 20-20-20 split is an easy way of segmenting and prioritizing your rehearsal time.

Practice with a little pressure

Find ways to rehearse that help to mimic the real life presentation environment, whether that’s going to familiarize yourself with the room you’ll be doing your presentation in and practicing there, or using family or friends as audience guinea pigs. You can also practice in front of a mirror or record yourself in video or audio to identify areas that need improvement in your speech or body language. You can rehearse with Present Pal, listen back to records and set target times to help perfect your presentation.  

Get more pro presentation advice and find out more about Present Pal here.

What is your learning style?

Have you ever sat down to start writing an essay or been asked a question in a tutorial and you feel like you can’t quite grasp the concept? But you know that you’re capable of understanding but you feel like you don’t have the right tools? 

Everyone’s learning style is different and, especially when you have a disability or are neurodivergent, finding the best ways that you learn is crucial for meeting your needs in your educational development. You could be a rainbow highlighter, doodle and diagrams kind of person, or you might prefer to take a more physical and hands-on approach with your learning. 

That’s where we come in - Present Pal is an accessible presentation support app that prepares and guides you through presentations in the style that works for you. So before you get started with your presentation, it’s important to find out which learning model suits you best, to alleviate some anxiety and give you the best chances of presentation success. 

The VARK model

The VARK model is the most widely accepted theory for different learning styles. Look at each one below to see what might be the best fit for you. Many people have a dominant learning style, but you could also have a hybrid learning style - there is no right or wrong answer. 

Visual - learning through seeing (spacial)

• Images, graphics and visuals

• Mindmaps and diagrams 

• Animation

• Colour based

Auditory - learning through hearing (aural)

• Listening and speaking

• Verbal repetition

• Verbal discussion 

• Sound recordings and mnemonic devices 

Read/Write - learning through reading and writing

• Reading and writing

• Note taking

• Information in written word 

Kinaesthetic - learning through the body, moving and doing

• Tactile learning

• Physical activity and movement

• Physical experience and practice

• Models and 3D objects

What are memletics?

After years of extensive research and testing an MVP of Present Pal, the app officially launched in September 2018. Chris made the decision to leave university at the end of first year to focus on Present Pal. He later became the youngest ever recipient of the Strathclyde Entrepreneurial Program’s Rising Star award. This platform allowed him to go on to get over £700,000 of funding through competitions and funding and earn titles such as ‘The Herald Digital Student Entrepreneur of the Year’. Alongside success in the higher education market, the Estendio team has also secured £50,000 Scottish Edge funding and Present Pal has been announced as Microsoft’s first-ever European AI for Accessibility grantee. 

Present Pal has arrived!

Presenting information clearly and effectively is a key skill in getting your message across. Today, good oral communication skills are indispensable in almost every field, and most of us are often required to give in-person and remote presentations.

But presenting can be hard. You have to remember your content, keep track of time, interact with your audience, all while trying to reduce the presentation anxiety that 77% of the general population experience.

Today, we’re excited to announce Present Pal V3 — an app to help individuals excel in communication tasks in education, the workplace and beyond. Present Pal has been rebuilt from the ground up to make it even easier for our users to create their notes, rehearse their content and present it confidently.

Our brand new app is an accessible presentation support that helps individuals create easy to digest and accessible notes that guide them through their presentation. Present Pal works like a set of interactive flashcards and is the ultimate app to help individuals deliver presentations with confidence. Here's a short video on the new Present Pal experience:

Introducing the new and enhanced Present Pal V3 features

Enhanced accessibility

Accessibility has always been at the core of everything we do. For us it is important that Present Pal is accessible to everyone and provides equal access and equal opportunities to individuals with disabilities. Present Pal V3 is up to WCAG level AAA Standard and is now screen reader friendly! 

Additionally users can customise the app by selecting from 10 expert chosen colour overlays and 5 fonts. Accessible scrolling, stopwatch and audio cues can be turned on or off depending on the user preferences and if a bright background causes visual stress users can select dark mode to view the app in inverted background colours!

Create Notes Your Way!

We have all been there: sitting at your desk trying to write up legible and condensed notes on paper flashcards to assist you during an incredibly important presentation you have to give. Then, on the day of the presentation, your hands are sweaty, your body is trembling with anxiety and your mind feels scattered… The last thing you need is to realise that the flashcards are put together in the wrong order!

Present Pal V3 makes creating notes effortless. Simply create your virtual flashcards and add bullet points to guide you during your presentation or communication task. Users can also add safety nets - additional images or text to support their working memory. And with the new update Present Pal can be used in both Landscape and Portrait modes!

If you don’t like typing your notes up using your mobile device, Present Pal now fully integrates with Microsoft PowerPoint with the Present Pal add-in. This feature allows users to create their notes on desktop through the add-in and sync their notes across devices. It also allows users to switch between slides using Present Pal as a slide clicker! 

No more messy notes and paper flashcards!

Rehearse your content!

Most people assume that the presentation is ready as soon as it’s written, but real preparation addresses so much more than content. Much of the nervousness felt at the beginning of a presentation comes from unfamiliarity with the process and the realisation that you’re not as prepared as you thought you were. Your voice sounds strange in the room. Words that looked good on paper seem awkward coming out of your mouth. Transitions from one point to the next seem abrupt and too obvious. If the actual performance is your first experience of the speech, no wonder it’s nerve-wracking!

Therefore, we are excited to introduce enhanced Rehearsal Mode. It allows users to improve their oral communication skills by making the rehearsals process easy and convenient . Individuals can record audio, keep track of individual slide timings, flag sections that need improvement and track their progress with rehearsal mode!

Once a presentation is rehearsed users can rate their performance on content, timing, speech, and memory, edit their notes and track their improvements by self-assessing. The app encourages users to complete 5 rehearsals and displays how users improved over time!

When you rehearse, you become your own coach, you can spot what’s working and what’s not, and improve the content and structure of your speech. You get rid of the clutter and make it more clear and concise. The improvements just keep coming and the speech gets better and better!

Present like a Pro!

Being a good public speaker can help you achieve top grades in your course, advance in your career, grow your business, and form strong collaborations. However, like any skill, becoming great at presenting requires a fair amount of practice, which means standing in front of an audience and delivering an idea or a presentation.

Present Pal V3 is ready to support users on their way to becoming professional presenters! The app guides individuals through their presentation with easy-to-follow notes and improved readability. Users will never have to lose their place during a presentation with the linear focus scroll feature which magnifies the bullet point they are on. Moreover, individuals can add Safety Nets, a feature that allows them to have additional information or images and can also be used as a calming or motivational device! 

Whether you are a  student, educator or professional public speaker, Present Pal will support you every step of the way to help you become a confident, prepared speaker and enhance your communication skills. This is an A+ App for students and individuals to excel in communication tasks in education, the workplace and beyond.