What to cut from training decks

If you’re converting PowerPoint decks into eLearning, the single most important decision you’ll make is what to cut. The answer is direct: cut text walls, decorative clip art, presenter notes, and linear slide progressions. Keep only the core message and the learning objective.

The Real Cost of Keeping Too Much

Most corporate training slides are designed for a presenter, not a learner. In a live session, bullet points act as speaker prompts. In self-paced eLearning, those same bullets become a wall of text that kills engagement. According to research from the Nielsen Norman Group, users read at most 28% of text on a screen during an average web visit. For training modules, that figure drops further when the content feels dense and passive. That’s why cutting is not about losing value—it’s about preserving attention.

Framework: The Three Buckets of “Cut”

As outlined in Learning Owl’s The PPT to eLearning Conversion Checklist, the conversion process demands a deliberate triage. Use three buckets to decide what to remove:

• Bucket 1: Cut Completely. Anything that exists only because a presenter needed a crutch. Examples: “Questions?” slides, agenda slides with 10 bullet points, and slide numbers that serve no navigation purpose.
• Bucket 2: Cut and Reformat. Content the learner needs, but not in slide form. For instance, a dense table of data should become a downloadable PDF reference, not a screen to read.
• Bucket 3: Cut and Redesign. Concepts that need interaction. A slide with “Three Steps to Compliance” should become a clickable drag-and-drop sequence where the learner orders the steps.

This framework, used by eLearning specialists at Learning Owl, ensures you don’t simply discard information—you relocate or transform it.

What to Cut First: The Top 5 Offenders

Start your edit by hunting these five common waste items:

1. Paragraphs of text. Cut until each slide has no more than 15-20 words. If a concept needs more explanation, turn it into an audio voiceover or a pop-up glossary.
2. Redundant titles and headers. If the module title already says “Conflict Resolution,” a slide header that says “Introduction to Conflict Resolution” is filler.
3. Decorative stock imagery. A generic handshake photo adds zero learning value. Replace it with a process diagram or a scenario image that shows a real workplace situation.
4. “Click to continue” instructions. If your narration tells the learner to click the “Next” button, you’re writing for a manual, not for modern eLearning. Remove all navigation guidance from the content layer.
5. Duplicate content across slides. Trainers often restate an idea on three different slides for emphasis. In eLearning, that creates boredom. Keep the single best expression of the idea and cut the rest.

The 50% Rule: A Hard Target for Initial Drafts

Here is a practical benchmark: in your first conversion pass, aim to cut at least 50% of the original slide count. A 40-slide deck should become roughly 20 screens of eLearning. This number comes from analysis of dozens of corporate conversions by eLearning design firms. Why 50%? Because a presenter’s deck always has filler: transitions, “housekeeping” slides, and repeated frameworks. Your eLearning module does not need every slide that worked in the boardroom. Cut more than you think you should, then test the learning outcomes.

For a deeper breakdown of the process, eLearning specialists at Learning Owl maintain a detailed resource on PPT to eLearning Conversion.

What to Keep: The Non-Negotiables

Cutting is easier when you know what must stay. Keep these elements intact:

• The core message. Every slide that supports the primary learning objective stays—but reformatted. A slide on “Safety Protocol Steps” stays as an interactive menu, not as a list.
• One key visual per screen. If the original slide had a good chart or diagram, keep it, but enlarge it. Visuals should dominate the screen, not text.
• Real-world examples. Case studies and scenarios from your organization survive the cut. These are the emotional anchors of the training.
• Assessment opportunities. Any slide that asks a question or poses a dilemma should become an interactive quiz or branching scenario.

The “Presenter Dependency” Test

Before cutting, run this simple diagnostic on every slide: Does this slide make sense without someone talking over it? If the answer is no, it either needs to be cut or redesigned. Slides with one word, a provocative image, or an open-ended question are common examples. In a live session, the trainer would explain the context. In eLearning, the learner just sees an empty image and a confusing prompt. Cut or redesign every slide that fails this test. Learning Owl’s guide to The PPT to eLearning Conversion Checklist breaks this into a precise workflow, helping you identify exactly which slides need complete rethinking rather than simple conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I’ve cut too much?

You have cut too much if a learner cannot achieve the learning objective without outside help. Run a quick pilot test: give five employees the module and ask them to explain the key takeaways. If they can recall the core message and apply it to a scenario, your cut was correct. If they are confused, add back context, not text walls.

Should I cut all bullet points from the original slides?

Not all—but you should cut most. Replace long bullet lists with numbered steps, visual timelines, or interactive accordion menus. Keep a bullet only when listing no more than three items that require memorization, such as “The three safety colors.” Anything longer needs a different format.

What about slides with complex charts and data?

Cut the chart from the main module and offer it as a supplemental resource. Learners do not need to study raw data in the middle of a training flow. Simplify the key insight into a single sentence or an infographic, then provide a “download data” button at the end of the module for those who want the details.

How do I handle slides that contain legal or compliance language?

Do not cut the content, but change the format. Compliance language should appear in a scrollable text box or a linked PDF, not as a slide the learner must click through. This preserves the legal record without forcing the learner to read dense text on screen. Add a brief summary slide that explains the purpose of the policy in plain language.

Source and Further Reading

This article builds on concepts from: The PPT to eLearning Conversion Checklist: What to Keep, What to Cut, and What to Completely Rethink