Pedagogic PowerPoint

Pedagogic PowerPoint

using presentation software more effectively

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Hello I’m Tony McNeill. I’m Principal Lecturer in Educational Technology and Blended Learning and am based in the Academic Development Centre (Kingston University. These workshop slides are about using PowerPoint better in HE. Staff development sessions are available on how to create PowerPoint presentations and there are also workshops on different pedagogic practices (e.g. small- and large-group teaching). This session meant to bridge the gap. Its focus is on the effective use of PowerPoint for the purposes of learning and teaching.

PowerPoint: much derided

• PowerPoint and the decline of western civilisation

• Death by bullet points

• PowerPoint: tool of the devil

• Is PowerPoint the devil?

• PowerPoint is evilPower corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely

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But first some comments about PowerPoint’s unique position as both the default presentation software used in Higher Education and the corporate world as well as the object of much derision and antipathy. These are just some of the titles of articles, conference presentations and radio programmes taking a negative view of PowerPoint. There’s even a clip of a stand-up routine sending up PowerPoint on You Tube - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cagxPlVqrtM Has there ever been, in the history of software, a more hated application?

i) blame the software

“… the PowerPoint style routinely disrupts, dominates, and trivializes content.”(Tufte 2003: 7)

ii) blame the user

“The stereotypic teacher‐centred, noninteractive mode of lecturing … is simply clarified and amplified by the use of PowerPoint.”(Kinchin 2006: 647)

two positions on PowerPoint

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Let’s take a more detailed look at the critics of PowerPoint who seem to fall into two camps:� those who blame the software; � those who blame the presenter’s poor use of it. 1) The main man in the anti-PowerPoint camp is Edward Tufte, professor at Yale University and author of a monograph called The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint (2006).��Tufte is to PowerPoint what Richard Dawkins is to organised religion. Tufte argues that PowerPoint’s bias towards showy, business pitch-style presentations militates against key principles of good teaching: … the core ideas of teaching - explanation, reasoning, finding things out, questioning, content, evidence, credible authority not patronizing authoritarianism - are contrary to the hierarchical market-pitch approach. (Tufte 2006: 7) �PowerPoint reinforces audience passivity and reduces the complexity of ideas presented. Tufte’s argument tends towards a certain technological determinism; PowerPoint is not a neutral vector for information but actively shapes it (to the detriment of complexity). 2) Other critics of PowerPoint blame presenters’ poor use of it. The emphasis here is to blame the underpinning pedagogy not the software.� The reason there are so many dull and uninspiring PowerPoint presentations is simply that there are so many dull and uninspiring lecturers. �Kinchin – and others - argue that there is nothing inherently wrong about the software per se. PowerPoint doesn’t necessarily establish a relation of dominance between (active) speaker and (passive) audience; that power relation is already inherent in the lecture format, or, if you prefer, how some academics interpret that format (and, I’d argue, in the physical spaces that those lectures take place). …what PowerPoint is actually doing is to make explicit the taken-for-granted assumptions and implicit epistemological leanings of lecturers who are using it. The stereotypic teacher-centred, noninteractive mode of lecturing … is simply clarified and amplified by the use of PowerPoint. (Kinchin, 2006 : 647) � Would the lectures be better or worse without the technology? Kinchin’s critique of PowerPoint (in use) has the advantage of acknowledging human agency; we can change our practices and use PowerPoint differently.

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I think it’s possible to argue that PowerPoint is not pedagogically neutral insofar as it clearly supports a ‘broadcast’ (one-to-many) model of teaching and learning. It’s ‘face-the-front’ software that supports a ‘transmission’ model of teaching. “PowerPoint encourages presentation not conversation. […] A strong presentation closes down debate rather than opening it up because it conveys absolute authority.” (Turkle 2003: 23 ) However, since this is still a model prevalent in many universities all over the world, should we be blaming PowerPoint or the continued dominance of this model of teaching practice? Here’s an image I like. Although it’s about 600-700 years old, it’s a nice example of the lecture as a hierarchical teaching method pre-dating PowerPoint. I particularly like the sleeping figure in the right foreground, the ‘swots (aka ‘spods’, ‘geeks’, ‘keenos’) at the front and the talkers at the back of the class. ‘Mental absenteeism’ in the lecture theatre existed well before PowerPoint. It’s uncomfortably close in design to many of our recently built lecture theatres – and the student behaviours are recognisable today.� Laurentius de Voltolina Liber ethicorum des Henricus de Alemannia�2nd half of 14th century ��http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Laurentius_de_Voltolina_001.jpg��The work of art depicted in this image and the reproduction thereof are in the public domain worldwide. The reproduction is part of a collection of reproductions compiled by The Yorck Project. The compilation copyright is held by The Yorck Project and licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

the uses of PowerPoint

to provide visual support for presentations

to create handouts

to upload to an institutional VLEe.g. Blackboard

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So there we have it: PowerPoint, the software we love to hate but can’t stop ourselves using. If we can’t stop using it then we’re going to have to use it better. So, let’s now consider how we might use it more effectively. I’ve characterised PowerPoint as presentation software but the reality is that in HE it’s actually used for three main kinds of support: as a slide organiser for presentations (e.g. lectures – but not exclusively lectures)� as handout creation software (e.g. print x number of copies of your presentation 3 slides to a page)� as an electronic document that can be made publicly accessible by being uploaded to the web/institutional VLE PowerPoint is used extensively for these 3 purposes in order of priority. �What do you use it for? If you’re reading this on a computer, you won’t know that in workshops I ask for a show of hands. I then use the pen tool to enter numbers against the 3 uses of the software. Generally, most people use it for 1, slightly less for 2, and slightly less again for 3.


PowerPoint as presentation software

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This is the first – and largest – section of this session.

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Let’s start by considering the wrong way to do PowerPoint by listing the things we most dislike about the PowerPoint presentations that have been inflicted on us. In workshops I use a blank slide which I annotate using the pen tool. I ask the question: what really bugs you about the PowerPoint presentations that you have been forced to endure? What’s the wrong way to do PowerPoint? Adventure_Photo: Wrong Way Traffic Sign�http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/transportation/6205482-wrong-way-traffic-sign.php?id=6205482


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• reading notes off the slides

• too much text

• too many bullet points

• inappropriate use of clip art

• distracting animations

common PowerPoint hates

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Here’s what countless colleagues have said, in no particular order: Reading notes off the slides – duh, hello – we can read as well! How is reading the bullet points on the screen helping the audience? � Dense layers of text – often forcing lecturers to rush explanations to get through it all.� Death by a thousand bullet points – unrelieved by any variation in content. One damned thing after another.� Compensating for having too much text by inserting inappropriate clip art and screen beans. Ticksy, gimmicky, tacky. Hallmark-standard – avoid! Use your digital camera, Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa image sharing sites or stock photography sites (see earlier slide for an example) instead. � Animations and sound effects - the joke has stopped being funny long ago. In fact, it was never very funny in the first place.


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• create slides that reinforce your words

• move text off the slide

• use audience input

• segment your presentation

• forget animation – use useful tools

using PowerPoint better

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Create slides that reinforce spoken words �I’m not a fan of indiscriminate use of clip art, screen beans or images downloaded from Flickr or Google images. However, there is something to be said for using images, charts etc. that reinforce your argument. Your words and what is displayed on your slides complement and reinforce rather than repeat one another. ��It is possible to source good quality images without infringing copyright. The ADC web pages have some advice on this and the University has a copyright officer who can advise you. It is also possible to use the CLA digitisation license to scan images and include them in your PowerPoint presentations. JISC has an excellent Online Copyright Activity (http://restricted.jisc.ac.uk/freearea/copyright2/0000.html) worth looking at. �Move words off the slide��I am a fan of the written word and think that there’s a place for lots of text. However, it’s not on a PowerPoint slide. If you have a lot of text, think about moving it to a handout or to the notes pane of your presentation. There’s no need for it to go on a slide – it’s going to be a lot easier for your audience to read from a sheet of A4 in front of them than peering at a screen at the front of the lecture room.� �Use audience input��Whether you’re with Tufte or Kinchin, there are sound arguments to introduce more activity into your lectures. For example, creating a blank slide to capture audience feedback or using PowerPoint in conjunction with an interactive voting system are just two examples, one easy the other a bit more complicated, that you might consider.� Segment presentation (use Slide Sorter)��One of Tufte’s pet hates is what he calls the “relentless sequentiality” (Tufte 2006: 4) of PowerPoint: presentations are just one damn slide after another. It’s a good idea to chunk your presentation and to signpost those chunks in your presentation as well as in your handout. The Slide Sorter view is a good way of getting an overview of your presentation. I’ve tried to segment this presentation – 5 introductory slides followed by three clear segments. Use the useful tools (e.g. right mouse)��Finally, forget about fancy animation, integrating media and so on. PowerPoint has some genuinely useful tools that are worth getting to know. Try right-mouse clicking on a slide. You’ll see that you have access to a menu of options that will help you to better navigate through your presentation (Next, Previous, Last Viewed, Go to slide … etc.) as well as annotate your slides (Pointer options). You can also access these tools by moving your cursor to the bottom left-hand corner of the slide.


PowerPoint for handouts

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This is the second – and probably the shortest – section of this presentation.


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• 3-slides to a page PowerPoint handout?

• an advance organiser?(distributed at the start)

• a take home with additional resources?(distributed at the end)

PowerPoint for handouts

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The 3 slides-to-a-page handout is the default for most PowerPoint presentations. However, does this format really work? It’s certainly easy to get your PowerPoint presentation ready then hit the print button; however a 3 slides-to-a-page handout of your presentation has some major disadvantages. ��One of the problems is that audience members can read ahead, effectively tuning out of your presentation. They also spoil any element of surprise: ‘I know what you’re going to say next because I have your notes in front of me’. An advance organiser that articulates clearly the topics covered and how they relate is a good idea and goes some way in militating against the “relentless sequentiality” (Tufte 2003:4) of PowerPoint. Kinchin (2006) has some interesting case studies of good advance organisers. It might also be useful to create a written document, a leave-behind that can be used for review and further reading. However, this handout need not (should not?) be an exact copy of your PowerPoint. It could include as many footnotes, quotes, references etc. as you like. By the way, this is the best place for all your text, not the slide. Key question: do you distribute your handout before or after your presentation? If you hand out the written stuff at the beginning, there’s a risk that people will read it while you’re talking and ignore you. Maybe it’s best to let your audience know there’s a handout they’ll get at the end?


PowerPoint as online resource

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This is the third – and final – section of this presentation. It gets a little bit techie as it’s about file formats.


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Options available include uploading:

• as .ppt

• as .pdf

• as web pages

• to media sharing site (e.g. SlideShare)

PowerPoint as online resource

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Upload a PPT file��Uploading your PowerPoint presentation to Blackboard as it stands is as good an option as any providing that the file size is not too large. Bear in mind that each image and each animation adds to the file size. Uploading your PowerPoint presentation as it stands will also retain any notes you have written in the notes pane for your students to see. ��Upload a PDF file��Saving as a PDF document is a better option as it reduces the file size – making it quicker to download whilst preserving any notes you have made in the notes pane. When you click ‘Save as’ make sure that you click ‘Adobe PDF conversion options’ and that the ‘Convert Speaker Notes’ box is ticked. The PowerPoint you’re reading now in PDF format was created on a PC with Adobe Acrobat Professional 8 installed which gave me the option of exported the presentation with the notes you’re reading now accessible by clicking the orange speech bubble. This format is ideal for reading on screen but not great if your users want to print the notes as only the slides get printed. � Upload as a web page� PowerPoint allows you to save your presentations in a number of formats, including as a web page which can then be uploaded to the Blackboard Content System and linked to. The process is a little complicated – save as Single File Web Page, upload to Content System, go into relevant Blackboard module and link to Content Collection item. However, it works well in practice and displays both slides and notes. Upload to media sharing site (my preferred option)��There are some great Web 2.0 media sharing sites that you can sign up to for free and that can host your teaching materials. The most popular one at the moment for PowerPoint presentations is Slide Share (known as the YouTube for PowerPoint presentations). When you upload your PowerPoint file, it converts it into a Flash movie. It also produces a transcript of the text of the slides which is an excellent feature in terms of accessibility. It has some YouTube-type features: users can add presentations to their favourites and can tag them with their keywords. It also provides users with an embed code so that they integrate the presentation into a blog post ot a Blackboard page. It’s a bit of a culture shock though to many of us who are still uneasy about sharing our practice – and becoming more transparent – with a broader public. Slide Share’s URL is http://www.slideshare.net

http://www.slideshare.net/amcneill/pedagogic-powerpoint

PowerPoint: references

Appersona, J.M. (et al.) (2008).An assessment of student preferences for PowerPoint presentation structure in undergraduate courses. Computers & Education, 50(1) 148-153

Atkinson, C. (2004). Five Experts Dispute Edward Tufte on PowerPoint. Sociable Media. Accessed 12 March 2007, from <http://sociablemedia.com/articles_dispute.htm>

Bartscha, R.A. and Cobern, K.M. (2003). Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. Computers & Education, 41(1) 77–86

Tufte, E. (2003). ‘PowerPoint Is Evil’. Wired. Issue 11.09. Accessed 12 March 2007, from <http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html>

Tufte, E. (2006). The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within. 2nd Ed. Cheshire Connecticut: Graphics Press LLC.

Kinchin, I. (2006). ‘Developing PowerPoint Handouts to support meaningful learning’. British Journal of Educational Technology, 37 647-650

Turkle, S. (2003). ‘From Powerful Ideas to PowerPoint’. Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 9 (19) 19-25

Delicious PowerPoint links

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Here are some interesting articles to follow up.

http://sociablemedia.com/articles_dispute.htm

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html

http://delicious.com/edtechglossary/PowerPoint

http://del.icio.us/edtechglossary/PowerPoint