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The lights go out. Slides go up. And
before the instructor begins, students feel lost,
lethargic and bored. On the screen appears a combination
of sentences and rhetorical triangles. The instructor
reads the slide while students scribble information, but
the show moves on. After failed attempts to keep up with
the slides, “classroom coma” sets in. Students ignore
the rest of the presentation preferring to print out the
slides at their convenience, if at all.
This scenario is common in many
classrooms, where the lack of student enthusiasm leaves
instructors both disappointed and frustrated. Many
composition instructors enjoy the benefits of
PowerPoint, hoping it will help electrify the room, but
find themselves wondering about additional ways to
engage students. Without giving up on PowerPoint, there
are additional ways to enhance presentations. Other
multimedia also exist that can be applied in the
classroom, either in conjunction with PowerPoint or on
their own, such as clips from YouTube, movies, magazines
and graphic novels.
PowerPoint has many drawbacks according to
instructors, as well as business professionals. In the
San Antonio Business Journal, Mary Rauch writes, “The
reasons for the PowerPoint backlash are many, but one in
particular stands out: People hate being read to and,
yet, nearly every presenter throws the entire ‘script’
up on the screen and monotonously regurgitates every
single line." Business professionals, which gave
PowerPoint its ubiquity, are finding that such
presentations are not as effective as they once were.
In a survey, Radford University
composition instructors reveal a variety of opinions
about PowerPoint. One instructor says, “It can overload
students if we are asking them to read one thing while
we’re talking about another.” PowerPoint can be “good
for a change of pace but,” as another instructor states,
“students often write down the bullet points and then
simply tune out.” Many instructors are apprehensive
about PowerPoint, referring to it as “power pointless,”
and suggesting it is “overrated.” But others are finding
positive ways to implement PowerPoint in the classroom,
such as using it for writing prompts, administering
quizzes, and providing visual examples as reading
supplements.
For those that enjoy using PowerPoint in
the classroom, here are some ways to reinvigorate your
presentations:
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Keep in mind that PowerPoint is meant
for listeners, not readers.
-
Prepare a feast for your listeners’
eyes and ears. Design is everything. Use color and
pictures whenever possible.
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Do not make yourself part of your
audience. Remain at the front of the class so that
you can be seen clearly. Through voice and
expressions, reveal your passion and commitment to
the material creating a “presentation presence.”
-
Don’t overload your audience with
cluttered slides containing too much information
(suggested limit—seven lines per slide). Slides
should contain only the major points which you can
elaborate on during the presentation (Rauch).
Non-traditional methods can likewise be
used either with PowerPoint--or by themselves--to engage
students. Internet sites such as YouTube and Google
Video are rapidly growing in popularity in the
composition classroom. These sites have grown in
popularity because of the wide range of material
available. Instructors use these sites to show various
forms of media including music videos, television shows,
commercials, and news programs. Such visual aides assist
instructors in teaching analysis and rhetorical
strategies.
A selection of music videos, for example,
can be used to examine political and environmental
propaganda. Movies also can engage students’ critical
thinking skills. Viewing a film such as Candyman
helps students to explore themes of racism and poverty
through the medium of urban legends. Quality magazines,
too, provide a way to allow the students to use their
analytical and rhetorical skills on the articles and
advertisements found within the pages. Some magazines
provide an excellent source of persuasive writing
examples and can be used in many writing exercises as
well. Students can read magazine editorials and then
compose their own in order to understand the concepts of
audience and persuasion.
Now celebrating its 21st birthday,
PowerPoint is no longer considered cutting edge
technology. Will PowerPoint be obsolete in the future?
This remains uncertain. For now, instructors will no
doubt continue to use it in their classrooms. However,
an evolution is occurring in the composition classroom,
paving the way for non-traditional methods and
multi-media.
References
Rauch, Mary E. “Death by PowerPoint: It’s
Time to Stop the Madness.” San Antonio Business
Journal. 2007. 14 Apr. 2008. <http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com>. |
