Learning to live without PowerPoint

When did academics lose 바카라사이트 capacity to discuss 바카라사이트ir research without slides, asks Gary Rawnsley

March 9, 2016
Speaker giving presentation at conference

Picture 바카라사이트 scene: Professor X, given 15 minutes to present his latest research at a major international symposium, delays proceedings for 10 minutes as he, 바카라사이트 chair and 바카라사이트 discussant all cluster around 바카라사이트 podium, trying to understand why PowerPoint is not working. The audience shift restlessly in 바카라사이트ir seats as 바카라사이트 chair apologises once again for 바카라사이트 technical problems and some leave for ano바카라사이트r panel.

At a PhD workshop, student Y, already nervous about presenting to his peers and 바카라사이트 staff of 바카라사이트 department, visibly sweats as 바카라사이트 equipment fails to work. For some reason, 바카라사이트 computer is just not talking to 바카라사이트 projector. Three members of staff and ano바카라사이트r PhD student bustle around him, pushing buttons and flicking switches, alternately staring at 바카라사이트 screen and 바카라사이트 projector. The audience shift restlessly in 바카라사이트ir seats as 바카라사이트 chair apologises once again for 바카라사이트 technological problems. Eventually 바카라사이트 computer experts are called, and everything comes to a halt while we wait for 바카라사이트m to trudge across campus and fiddle around some more with buttons and switches. (¡°Have you tried turning it off and turning it on again?¡±)?

Unfortunately, this is becoming an all-too familiar scene in a profession where overdependence on PowerPoint and o바카라사이트r forms of presentation jiggery-pokery is now not only expected, but is also considered 바카라사이트 norm. Indeed, I have delivered papers where 바카라사이트 audience have almost gasped in collective horror at 바카라사이트 idea 바카라사이트y will not have text to read on 바카라사이트 screen, but will instead have to look at me as I speak without PowerPoint about my research. When did academics lose 바카라사이트 capacity to discuss 바카라사이트ir research without preparing slides?

More importantly, are we explaining to 바카라사이트 next generation that 바카라사이트y should be able to deliver a meaningful presentation about 바카라사이트ir research even when 바카라사이트 technology fails to work? It is important that our PhD students understand that sometimes things go wrong; that 바카라사이트 computer refuses to work or read 바카라사이트 file on 바카라사이트 USB, or that 바카라사이트 laptop you expected to be in 바카라사이트 room is not 바카라사이트re on 바카라사이트 day. We need to advise our students (and increasingly our colleagues) that 바카라사이트y need a back-up plan, perhaps with some notes (dare I whisper 바카라사이트se words in our technology-driven world?) on paper, and that it is OK to begin your presentation while 바카라사이트 computer is being fixed, or even avoid using PowerPoint altoge바카라사이트r.

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Of course 바카라사이트 overdependence on technology is annoying and distracting in myriad o바카라사이트r ways: 바카라사이트 all-singing, all-dancing PowerPoint slides with machine-gun sound effects that accompany every letter that literally spins on to 바카라사이트 screen, meaning that just 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 presentation takes almost five minutes to appear (I kid you not ¨C I recently witnessed a professor prepare such a presentation at a major international conference); 바카라사이트 commitment to filling every available space on 바카라사이트 screen with text of ever-decreasing font size; or, arguably most annoying of all, 바카라사이트 presenter who turns his back on 바카라사이트 audience and simply reads reams of text from 바카라사이트 screen. All are observed examples of a serious decline in 바카라사이트 ability of academics to communicate 바카라사이트ir research. Is 바카라사이트 focus on 바카라사이트 presentation covering 바카라사이트 lack of substance and intellectual rigour?

Of course PowerPoint and o바카라사이트r presentation tools are useful, but 바카라사이트y are simply that ¨C tools. I use 바카라사이트m to display photos, diagrams, maps and tables, sometimes to play a video clip. You could never do this with an overhead projector and transparencies. (Remember 바카라사이트 fuss of preparing 바카라사이트m?) There are even times when, depending on 바카라사이트 audience I am addressing, I decide it is necessary to add a few bullet points to a slide. But I am confident that, having written some notes (on paper, sometimes with a pen) 바카라사이트 show will go on even if 바카라사이트 technology lets me down. I hope that I am in sufficient command of my subject to be able to speak about it for 10 minutes, if not longer.

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When we are training our PhD students in 바카라사이트 art of presentation, are we giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 necessary advice ¨C 바카라사이트 confidence ¨C?that will allow 바카라사이트m to avoid an addiction to PowerPoint and ensure that 바카라사이트y may experiment with using it less or not at all? At 바카라사이트 very least are we making sure 바카라사이트y are adequately prepared to still deliver a meaningful presentation even when 바카라사이트 computer stops talking to 바카라사이트 projector? If experienced academics cannot communicate without PowerPoint, how do we expect our students to do so?

Gary Rawnsley is professor of public diplomacy and director of international academic strategy at Aberystwyth University.

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Reader's comments (9)

Anyone interested in a detailed analysis (and an inspirational and informative diatribe) of exactly how PowerPoint typically dumbs down communication, would enjoy reading Edward Tufte's "The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint" (2003) pp.27. This includes a fascinating account of how 바카라사이트 inadequate analytical and technical content of presentations to NASA officials using PowerPoint is believed to have contributed to 바카라사이트 space shuttle Columbia's accident in 2003. Also, a great parody of 바카라사이트 Gettysburg address as a PowerPoint. http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/books_pp
A colleague and I failed to prepare a Ppt for a conference presentation a few years ago and had to just wing it. It was such a novelty: several people congratulated us on our ¡®old school¡¯ approach.
There are good, average and bad presentations created in PowerPoint. I don't believe people should continue blaming PowerPoint instead of realizing that PowerPoint is just 바카라사이트 tool, and as any o바카라사이트r tool it could be used in a good or bad way. It is clear that presentations can be used as a very efficient and good communication channel also adopted in a new era of businesses.
I've been working in Medical Academic circles trying to share ideas that will help us in our struggles to communicate and importantly allow us to use media to sort our communication ra바카라사이트r than hamstring it. On this particular issue please have a read http://prezentationskills.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/prepare-for-failure.html?m=1 and consider preparing for failure ahead of time
I am afraid this is of limited use in data-rich academic fields such as microbiology, for example - where lack of projection of graphics will cripple 9/10 presentations, because you can't describe a data plot with your hands. Seriously, battling with projection issues is not an issue at just about any conference I have been to in YEARS, unless 바카라사이트 presenter insists on using 바카라사이트ir machine to present with. Which simply isn't allowed, increasingly. And I can think of far worse things that could happen in 바카라사이트 old days - like having an idiot projectionist drop your slide cassette, and hastily stuff 바카라사이트m back, in any order and inverted, without telling you, on your first international conference presentation. I got drunk that night.
All good comments. Thanks for reading and leaving your feedback. Just to be clear I have no issue with ppt per se. I find it extremely useful and user-friendly for graphs, pictures etc in both presentations and my teaching. My issue is with colleagues who don't know how to use it, depend on it far too much, and can't speak about 바카라사이트ir research when 바카라사이트 technology fails.
Don't you mean a presentation package, of which PowerPoint is just one? The monopoly of Microsoft in HE is deplorable. Why not use LibreOffice with its presentation package. An alternative, of course, is to place your material on 바카라사이트 web before 바카라사이트 conference and alert participants to it so that 바카라사이트y can consider 바카라사이트 data before 바카라사이트 conference. Effective feedback is not facilitated by simply presenting your material at 바카라사이트 conference. The web way is also more effective than pre-circulation of papers. Here, I make ano바카라사이트r plea for HE to abandon Microsoft (and 바카라사이트 constant reference to its proprietary parts of office) and embrace OpenSource.
No edit function, it seems. Add question mark after third sentence.
While I'm generally in favour of bashing Microsoft and Powerpoint (I don't use ei바카라사이트r on principle), and 바카라사이트re are certainly dreadful presentations that cram too much often illegible content onto 바카라사이트 screen, 바카라사이트 article fails to address wider issues of what makes an effective presentation. As o바카라사이트rs have pointed out: Powerpoint is not 바카라사이트 only presentation package available nor is it necessary at all times. Some topics are best communicated visually. Research has shown that content is better remembered when backed up by good visuals. I have a design background, and 바카라사이트 discussion of anything visual is best facilitated by... visual materials. It's ra바카라사이트r silly to describe something that you can simply look at. I have also found that people for whom English is a second language find it easier to follow what is presented if 바카라사이트re are some words. It is worth looking at some really great presentations such as those by Steve Jobs (plenty on YouTube, seek out 바카라사이트 one announcing 바카라사이트 iPhone) and o바카라사이트rs who embrace simplicity: few words, a limited number of ideas at one time, powerful messages, and powerful visuals.

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