[edi581] PowerPoint: Pros, Cons and a solution
- From: akom0707@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: edi581@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 04 Nov 2004 15:59:19 -0500
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Summary of =22PowerPoint Is Evil=22 =
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This article explores the negative effects of PowerPoint=2E Edward=
Tufte claims that PowerPoint is nothing but a boring unstimulating way =
of delivering presentations=2E He describes what PowerPoint consist of =
such as 10-20 words and a piece of clip art on each slide in a presentat=
ion of three to six slides -a total of perhaps 80 words (15 seconds of s=
ilent reading) for a week of work=2E Also=2C the encoded legends=2C the=
meaningless color and the logotype branding serves no purpose for the i=
nformation that is being presented=2E Basically PowerPoint is a boring=2C=
meaningless=2C irrelevant way of presenting information=2E PowerPoint =
presentations too often resemble a school play -very loud=2C very slow=2C=
and very simple and ignore the most important rule of speaking=3A Respe=
ct your audience=2E Therefore=2C PowerPoint does not serve any quality =
purpose for educating students or business workers=2E This is just not =
the best technological system that we have available=2E
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Summary of =22PowerPoint Is Not Evil=22=
On one hand=2C PowerPoint may not always be useful for everything=2E=
On the other hand=2C PowerPoint does serve a purpose and can be quite =
useful=2E Tom Rocklin created a journal of a fictitious professor named=
=22Pearl=2E=22 He explores the positive dynamics of using PowerPoint i=
n the classroom=2E Pearl required his students to do a group project an=
d uses PowerPoint to guide his students through this project=2E First=2C=
he made up a slide with roles of each student in a group and the rules =
for each role=2E Then he created a slide with the steps for the day=27s=
group project including approximate times for each step and dimming eac=
h step as time went on indicating to students which step they should be =
completed with at that particular time=2E Also=2C a slide was created t=
o indicate to students the outline of the summary presentation they woul=
d be required to do for the next class=2E This method kept them on task=
and well organized=2E =
Pearl claims that it=27s easier to speak from well-organized slides=
than from scribed notes and that he can post the presentations on the W=
eb=2C where the students review them before the exam and where next seme=
ster=27s class can see them=2E For him=2C PowerPoint is great for lectu=
res in that they keep him organized=2C flexible as to what kind of outpu=
t he wants and helps him keep things legible and neat for students=2E T=
herefore=2C PowerPoint is useful=2C feasible and helps teachers and stud=
ents stay organized=2E
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Summary of =22PowerPoint No=2C Cyberspace Y=
es!=22 =
Electronic communication is much more effective than PowerPoint in =
many ways=2E Tom Creed examines the higher qualities of cyberspace=2E =
First of all=2C electric communication is student centered=2E When tech=
nology is student centered=2C students can work when they work best and =
are able to take as much time as they need to compose what they need to =
say and then post it when they are comfortable with what they said=2E W=
hile students are working=2C their performances are monitored and feedba=
ck can be given to assist students if they are struggling=2E Also=2C el=
ectronic communication allows the teacher to structure when and how stud=
ents interact with course material outside of class=2E One other positi=
ve element of electronic communication is that it does not require great=
sophistication to use =2C and is generally available and ready to facul=
ty and students with no additional costs to the institution=2E =
Creed also explores how PowerPoint is teacher-centered making it a =
poor tool for teachers and students=2E PowerPoint is teacher-controlled=
and can hinder a students understanding of material=2E For example=2C =
if a student did not get a particular point when the slide was up=2C he=27=
s left floundering=2E It=27s gone=2E Also=2C it does nothing to help y=
ou structure how the students interact with the material during the 98=25=
of their lives that they are not in class=2E Most importantly=2C Power=
Point can require expensive equipment in the classroom and it frequently=
doesn=A2t work as expected=2E According to Creed=2C electronic communi=
cation is a much better way of educating than using PowerPoint=2E
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My Reaction
We clearly see that there are several pros and cons to using PowerP=
oint in the classroom or elsewhere=2E I strongly agree with all the qua=
lities of electronic communication=2E In fact=2C this is the system we =
use in our EDI 581 class=2E However=2C I don=27t believe that it=27s fa=
ir to condemn PowerPoint completely and claiming that it is evil=2E In =
a way=2C PowerPoint does rob students of some technological interaction =
between them and their teacher=2E But=2C if PowerPoint is utilized in =
the classroom appropriately=2C it can be a success=2E For example=2C I =
strongly feel that it can keep students organized by listing tasks for s=
tudents=2E I have actually scene teachers do this in their classroom by=
posting the student=27s morning routine as they walk in the door=2E Al=
so=2C Teachers should not depend on PowerPoint as their only source of i=
nformation delivery because it CAN get boring and lose people=A2s attent=
ion=2E =
What teachers need to do is to integrate both PowerPoint and electr=
onic communication in their classrooms=2E There needs to be communicati=
on between teachers and students electronically=2E Meanwhile=2C teacher=
s can use slides to keep students on task and help assist in but not dom=
inate class presentations=2E Slides can also be used to help make conce=
pts more visual for students so they can understand them better=2E Anot=
her use can be to outline a presentation but not be the WHOLE presentati=
on=2E As long as PowerPoint is not the only used technological recourse=
for communicating in school or at work=2C PowerPoint is not a useless p=
rogram=2E They are very visual and organized=2E I also believe that P=
owerPoint can help students study and retain certain kinds of informatio=
n so they can be more successful on quizzes and exams=2E
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