Learning to live without PowerPoint

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.

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.

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.