Despite not being common practice, many master's classes in engineering schools use PowerPoint presentations taken directly from textbook captures. This fact is reflected in subjects such as Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer at the University of the Basque Country, which for years have been presented without adding improvements or adaptations to the needs of the students, even been designed at the beginning of the current Bologna Plan. These subjects, with a strong abstract component, require previous knowledge and are taught during the first years of the degree. The difficulty lies in the understanding and assimilation of fundamental concepts, such as the properties of substances, in a limited time, in order to subsequently apply them to more complex equations, such as entropy balances or heat transfer principles.

Experience shows that engineering students tend to lose interest when learning formulas derived from differential equations and complex mathematics, as they try to memorize and apply these formulas without understanding their relevance and practical application in everyday situations. Therefore, it is crucial that PowerPoint presentations not only contain basic information, but also highlight the applications and utilities of the concepts covered, motivating students and giving value to the content.

This work, based on creativity and teacher improvement courses, proposes a Decalogue aimed at optimizing PowerPoint presentations to increase student involvement.

The keys proposed include:
1. Including images and photographs that represent real-life applications of thermodynamics in everyday life, alluding to students' activities.
2. Incorporating interactive questions, encouraging active discussion and reflection.
3. Using short videos that visually explain complex concepts, linking them to other engineering subjects.
4. Narrating stories and case studies that demonstrate the relevance of thermodynamics in various industries and sectors.
5. Employing technological tools and real-time software to avoid losing interest in the mathematical content.
6. Carrying out practical demonstrations in class that exemplify thermodynamic phenomena.
7. Analyzing real-world case studies that require the application of thermodynamic principles.
8. Simplifying textual content by using lists and highlighting key words.
9. Implementing gamification strategies to promote active student participation.
10. Developing summary outlines that consolidate information by topic.

This work incorporates the key points defined in the Decalogue throughout the subjects of Heat Transfer and Thermal Engineering. As a result, applying these strategies has shown a noticeable increase in student engagement and maintained higher attendance throughout the course compared to the non-updated presentations. In addition, students report that thermodynamics-related subjects are less abstract after implementing the improvements. It is emphasized that, although the presentations may remain relatively unchanged in future courses, it is advisable to update them annually to adapt them to the changing needs of students and society.

Keywords: Student involvement, optimising presentations, teacher improvement.