Media Complaints
Many students at my school complain when a teaches uses a Power Point presentation and reads from it. What is the best way to use the Power Point to enhance the lecture without relying on it totally. This was not addressed to every instructor. It seems that certain instructors are able to use it effectively and others are not.
I hated it when teachers used power point and read it to me. I'm an adult I know how to read. If I'm teaching definitions I make flash cards for my class and put the definitions or the vocab word on oneside and we fill in the missing information in class. Putting pictures in also helps them see what you're talking about and how they might be using it in the work place.
Hi Karla,
This is a very good point about PPs. They are to be used to enhance learning not substitute for the instructor. By making them graphic and colorful with key points instead of excessive text an instructor can keep the students engaged.
Gary
I have found PPs to be most effective when I include graphics and visuals that help illustrate concepts. Also, I avoid simply reading from the slides, but rather bullet important topics and use them as discussion points to keep chats interactive.
I use PP for most of my lectures. The 7 by 7 rule is intersting. I will be going over all my presentations now and check to make sure I follow this. Thanks for the tip.
I like using Power Point presentation. The key is that the presentation is an outline of topics and helps stay on track. If you read word for word on the presentation, the instructor needs to study more.
Assume the viewpoint of a student and pretend you are on the receiving end of the PP presentation. Would you like it? Lose interest?
Thanks, I will try to find the book you suggested. At the university where I teach online, we use a "chat" format for teaching students online. I have PPT's for every chat but, I think they could be improved and updated. This book can help with that, I hope!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the book reference and information. You are right that we can be creative in our approach if we will take a little time and plan out what we want to present to our students.
Gary
A book you might find useful is Cliff Atkinson's "Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire." The author argues for getting away from lists and bullet points altogether and instead using a narrative or "storyboard" framework to present ideas.
I think this approach would be easier to implement in a classroom than in a business setting because corporate branding policies so often dictate the look and feel of a presentation. In our courses, we have more creative license to present information in the most engaging way.
When creating a PowerPoint presentation, follow the 7 by 7 rule. Use no more than 7 words per line and no more than 7 lines per slide. This means that you are using key words and ideas rather than complete sentences or paragraphs.
Hi Tanith -
I've wondered about this many times as well. I know many students are visual learners, and I wouldn't dream of presenting a lecture without a Power Point to go along with it.
However, I've had conflicting feedback from students about there being too much text on a slide and complaints about the same presentation not having enough text! Sometimes it seems like you just can't win.
The way I've tried to work around it is to test-run my presentations during the first week or so, asking for student feedback about the layout and content. I'm not saying that I design my presentations around what they want, but I do try to gauge how comfortable they are with the setup. I then take that into account and within reason, apply some of their comments and suggestions.
It helps to start the semester out on a good foot - the students feel like they have some say in class, they see that I'm flexible and interested in their needs, and they are generally happier about sitting in lecture!
Hi Tanith,
PowerPoint presentations are intended to highlight or accent course content. The most effective users of PPs are those that can relate an example or make a good point about something listed on the screen rather than just reading what is on the screen. Also, the PPs should have color, graphics and limited text if they are going to be effective. PP is only one teaching tool not a complete presentation device, instructors need to understand this concept.
Gary
