PowerPoint or Power Pointless
Power Corrupts. PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely - Edward Tufte
We have all had the experience of being taught by a teacher who used slides to enhance / improve their lesson plan. Since 1987, Microsoft PowerPoint has been the front-running software for creating and displaying computer-based presentations. Many teachers and students now rely on using PowerPoint or similar software (OpenOffice.org Impress, Apple Keynote, Corel Presentations, etc.) to display information and present projects. These programs allow users to accompany text with graphics, animations, videos, and pictures in an attempt to improve the delivery of the information. The question is, does it actually help or hurt student learning?
In 2003, Edward Tufte of Yale University wrote an article for Wired magazine titled PowerPoint is Evil. Tufte's argument seems to be that PowerPoint has gone from supplementing presentations to being the presentation. He certainly isn't alone in this thought. Many of us have sat through a student or colleague presentation so filled with graphics and tiny print that the viewer suffers some sort of stimulus overload. I'm sure that we can also think of a boring, never-ending presentation from which we have emerged without actually learning or remembering a thing.
Students who read line-for-line text from a PowerPoint presentation have certainly not mastered the art of public speaking or concisely conveying a message. Two skills that they will definitely need in life. Furthermore, students who try to condense complex material into a few bullet points and graphics may confuse the audience more than educate them. The following example summarizes Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 6 slides. Many people would agree with my argument that it lacks some of the power and eloquence of the original speech!
Is PowerPoint evil? Of course not. PowerPoint can be a very useful tool that teachers can use to increase student engagement and active learning. It can also give students a creative means to express their thoughts and ideas. However like any other tool, teachers must take the time to understand its appropriate use. Many tutorials exist to help teachers better educate students on the use of this software. However, I believe that as educators we need to stress in our students to focus less on the technological tools and more on the content. Forget the flash, focus more on the message.
Questions to ponder:
- Does PowerPoint style software improve or detract from speech making and presentations?
- What is the proper use of this resource?
- Is there an overemphasis by teachers and students to rely on new technology when completing instructional goals? Are the "traditional" methods better?
Interesting links for further reading:
- Flickr group, Death by PowerPoint, that is dedicated to posting boring PowerPoint presentations.
- Some of the best PowerPoint presentations ever! http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/05/best-powerpoint-presentations-in-world.html
- An article on the positive side of presentation software:
http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/in_defense_of_p.html - PowerPoint - the Good the Bad and the Ugly: http://www.shkaminski.com/Classes/Handouts/powerpoint.htm
- A humorous PowerPoint presentation on chickens: http://subjunctive.net/klog/2007/09/chicken/
Examples of horrible PowerPoint slides:
