AVOIDING DEATH BY POWERPOINT
ACTIVITY 1 DESIGN
Instructions: Apply principles of good practice to redesign one of the presentations brought by your
group. Make notes on this sheet or directly on the printed handout brought by the group member.
Consider the following factors:
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Colour
Font
Background
Layout of individual slides
Visuals
ACTIVITY 2 INTERACTION
Instructions: Apply principles of good practice to redesign one of the presentations brought by your
group, incorporating interaction. Keep the 20-minute attention span in mind.
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What student interaction do you want?
What key concepts you want students to remember?
How will you reinforce the key concepts?
Map out the timing of the entire lecture period.
AVOIDING DEATH BY POWERPOINT – DESIGN
A COMMON QUESTION
“I want to avoid Death by PowerPoint. How can I make PowerPoint presentations that communicate
more effectively?”
PowerPoint can be used poorly or used well. Many people are put off by PowerPoint because they
have been subjected to poorly-designed or poorly-presented slide shows. This is understandable, but
it is possible to avoid the pitfalls of what is popularly called ‘Death by PowerPoint'.
It helps to remember think of the PowerPoint slide show as a teaching tool, not a prompt for the
lecturer.
The underlying principle behind much of the literature on effective design has to do with dual
processing and cognitive load. A person can absorb information much better if the visual channel
and linguistic channel complement each other, as when a person sees a graph and hears the graph
explained. If the person is presented with large amounts of text and hears the text being read at the
same time, there can be interference. An audience can read faster than the presenter speaks, so
both the visual and auditory information is going through the linguistic channel but at different
speeds (Sweller, 2002). This explains the negative reaction to some PowerPoint presentations. Good
practice involves bringing the visuals in line with the auditory input so that they reinforce each
other, rather than pulling in different directions.
There are many approaches to designing presentations that break away from the default bullet point
style. One strategy, described by Cliff Atkinson in his book and web site, Beyond Bullet Points,
consists of using a single image and a complete sentence on each slide. A wide range of variations is
available on the Presentation Tips blog by Garr Reynolds. Reynolds’ book and the associated web
site, Presentation Zen, is also recommended. See the Resources page for full citations and links.
DESIGN TIPS
PowerPoint default layouts and design themes do not necessarily reflect good design, so break away
from default structures by thinking of a PowerPoint slide as a blank canvas where you can put
images and text anywhere, not just in the placeholders. The tips below for effective PowerPoint
design apply equally well for students, teachers, and professionals.
Just because you can do something with the tools included in PowerPoint doesn’t mean that you
should do it. Many of the effects that are possible can detract from the effectiveness of your
presentation, so use them judiciously.
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COMMUNICATE CLEARLY
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Readability - Make sure that everything in the presentation will be readable from the back
of the classroom. This relates to colour of font and background, font size, and font style.
o Font size should be at least 24 point in order to be readable from the back of the
room.
o Avoid using too many different fonts, colours, or styles in the same presentation.
o Sans-serif fonts such as Arial are easier to read on screen for the body text than serif
fonts such as Times New Roman. It is okay to use a serif font in slide titles, however,
because the font size is usually larger than the body, and titles usually have fewer
words.
o Italics, underlining, reflection and shadow effects make the text harder to read.
o Use bold judiciously for emphasis only.
o Background images that are too ‘busy’ interfere with readability of the text. You can
use a shape fill (with partial transparency) if needed to give a less distracting
background to your text box.
Judicious use of design themes - Most of the design themes and templates that come with
PowerPoint are poorly designed for readability and style, so be selective. Sometimes
readability can be improved by simply changing the background style or removing some of
the more elaborate text effects from the template. The presentation templates and Auto
Content Wizard (which structure content) are not recommended for academic use.
Style reinforces message - Use a style that is not distracting but rather reinforces your
message. Decide if your presentation should have a feel that is formal or informal,
traditional or modern, conservative or expressive.
Colour and graphics for meaning - You can use colour and graphics in a meaningful way,
such as grouping similar items, etc. If you use a different colour to communicate content or
emphasis, however, be sure to use some other means such as bold text in addition to colour.
This way, colour-blind students will still be able to perceive the emphasis. Using both colour
and a font change helps all students.
Avoid use of:
o Too much text on one slide. In particular, avoid putting an entire paragraph on a
slide. Single words or short phrases are more effective than full sentences in most
cases.
o Overly-detailed charts and graphs that can’t be seen clearly from the back of the
room.
o Garish colours, or too many different colours.
o Red/green for contrast – inability to distinguish red and green is the most common
form of colour-blindness.
o Text animation that is slow, excessive, or flashy. Many of the animation effects
included with PowerPoint actually detract from communication, because they are
distracting. Moderate animation used judiciously for emphasis can be effective, as
long as it is not over-used.
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o
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Clipart that has an amateurish style, or several pieces of clip art that have
mismatched styles. This will communicate a lack of professionalism to your
audience.
o Graphics that don't contribute to communication of the message. There is no need
to decorate the empty spaces in the slide, in fact, appropriate use of white space can
improve communication.
o Annoying sound effects.
Consider using:
o Smart Art to communicate a concept visually, and animated where suitable for your
message.
o Alternate ways of organizing the items on the screen instead of using default
layouts.
o Instead of putting the entire content of a lecture into PowerPoint, just put the main
and sub-topics and deliver the content verbally. This may result in fewer slides, while
still enabling students to follow the structure of the lecture.
o Progressively adding items to the slide so that they appear as you discuss each one.
One way to do this is by animation of items on a single slide. Another way is by
having a series of slides where each slide has one new item added.
o Visual cues such as symbols or colours that change when you shift to a new section
or a new type of content.
o Choose a consistent look and feel by selecting compatible styles and themes.
o Cite sources. By doing so, you model good academic practice for your students.
Accessibility – If you keep accessibility issues in mind when you design your presentation, you will
make it more effective for all of your students, not just those with special needs. Good choice of
typeface, font size and colour will help you communicate better with students who have limited
vision. Providing dual-channel information (both visual and auditory) can help both visually- and
hearing-impaired students, moreover, it gives students a choice for their preferred learning style
(visual or auditory). Multi-modal teaching and a structure that reinforces key points can help you to
reach students whose first language is not English, students who have a range of learning styles or
who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia. When delivery of content is enriched for students
with special learning needs, everyone tends to learn better.
INCLUDE VARIETY
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Links to media - Include links within the PowerPoint presentation to other media files or
websites, so that you jump outside of PowerPoint for part of the activity. For example, use
screenshots or links to online articles, web sites with relevant graphics, video clips of
interviews with authors, etc. Be sure to cite all your sources.
Formats other than bullet points - Make use of formats other than bullets where
appropriate. The default format is not necessarily the format that is best suited to all
purposes and material. If you think of a slide as a completely blank canvas, you may find that
other visual arrangements of information make more sense for your particular purposes
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(such as a flow chart created with drawing objects to depict a process, or several images,
each with a caption).
More slides with less text - There is no need to economise on the number of slides you have
in a single presentation. More slides, each with a smaller amount of information, can be very
effective. Consider having some slides with a single full-screen image and a small amount of
text to bring the point across. Handouts need not constrain you – see note below on
managing handouts.
PPT ≠ lecture notes - You need not be constrained by the assumption that your lecture is
just the PowerPoint presentation, and that the PowerPoint handouts are equal to lecture
notes. You can say things that are not on the slides. Your lecture notes or handouts can be
something other than the default PowerPoint handouts, and in fact may be more effective if
so. This can liberate you from feeling that everything in your lecture must be on a slide, and
that every slide should contain as much information as possible. Consider putting your
actual lecture notes in the Speaker’s Notes section of the PowerPoint. You can then print out
selected pages for use during lecture. If you wish, you can put it onto AberLearn Blackboard
so that students have access to both the slides themselves and your speaker’s notes.
Presentation of PPT ≠ lecture - It may not be necessary to use the PowerPoint presentation
for the entire lecture time slot. Consider alternating lecture with other activities. Use
PowerPoint only for the part of the lecture that is most suited to it. It is perfectly acceptable
to use of PowerPoint for part of the class session and write on the white board for other
portions, for example. Use the best delivery method for the specific content and activity.
Non-technical tools - Use any tools that will help you in your teaching task, choosing the
best tool for each task. This may mean that you move back and forth between writing on the
board and using the PowerPoint slide show.
20-minute activity change - The average person's attention span is 20 minutes. Change
activities every 20 minutes in order to retain student attention.
HANDOUTS
It can be useful for students to have some kind of documentation from the presentation because it
can free them from trying to write down every detail of the lecture, thus allowing them to focus
more on the meaning of what you are saying. For factual information that is very detailed, this can
help ensure that students are getting the correct information, rather than relying on faulty notetaking. There are several ways you can approach handouts and notes, so choose the one that best
suits your needs.
There are three approaches to distributing notes and handouts. They can be printed for distribution
during class (to aid note-taking), put on AberLearn Blackboard prior to the lecture (for students to
preview), or put on AberLearn after the lecture (to aid revising). Think about what you want the
students to do with the notes. The advantage of posting something to AberLearn is that it will always
be available, so students can't lose it.
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The entire presentation can be put on AberLearn, but there may be times when another
approach is more appropriate, so consider other options as well.
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Consider providing a more lengthy references list in addition to the content of the slides.
Depending on the content, you may wish to give students a skeleton structure of the lecture in
advance, which they will have to fill in during lecture.
Formats can include an outline, a handout showing six slides on a page, a handout showing three
slides on a page with lines for taking notes. You don’t have to include every slide in the handout.
Choose only the slides that your audience really needs.
If you provide lecture notes, you don't necessarily have to include the entire script of the lecture.
It could be an outline or selected key points and details.
If you want to give students a detailed graphic image or a chart with a large amount of text,
consider giving them a handout instead of showing the image on the slide.
Printed handouts of the slides, especially the format with blank lines, can be useful for notetaking during lecture and students may demand it. However, that may or may not be the best
format for your notes depending on the material and how you have structured the presentation.
Rather than the slides themselves, a selected outline of key points in Word format can be
mounted on Blackboard or given as a handout.
You may prefer to include speakers' notes giving the content of your lecture in more detail, but
it is not necessary and may not be desirable in all cases.
AVOIDING DEATH BY POWERPOINT - INTERACTION
A COMMON QUESTION
“PowerPoint seems so rigid – how can I promote student interaction rather than just delivering a
teacher-centred, transmission-style lecture?”
Student-centred, active learning involves having the students take some of the responsibility for
their own learning. It involves having them actually do something with the material being presented,
rather than passively absorbing content. Student-centred learning activities can be incorporated into
a more traditional lecture format to enrich the student learning experience and enhance retention
of knowledge. PowerPoint need not constrain tutors or inhibit student participation.
BREAK OUT OF LECTURE MODE
How do you use class time? How can you restructure to include interaction without losing coverage
of material?
Most people have a 15-20 minute attention span, so it can be useful to break up lecture every 15 or
20 minutes to refresh your audience’s attention span. This can be done using interaction, and you
may wish to include some non-PPT time in lecture.
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BREAK OUT OF TRANSMISSION MODE - THINGS YOU CAN DO OTHER THAN LECTURE THE
WHOLE TIME
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Plan small group discussion activity embedded into lecture
Periodically stop and ask them questions in or out of PPT
Brainstorm examples of the principles you have just introduced
Think-pair-share – in large classes, only some pairs will be able to share with the whole class,
but it does give every student a chance to test out ideas and rehearse their responses
Have students review or apply concepts just presented
Use Qwizdom interactive voting system to collect student responses, especially in large
classes
Short video clip
Short whole class or pair brainstorm-type activity – it can be useful to have a strategy in
reserve for a short (3-5 minute) activity that you can use when needed
Get up and move around
FREE UP CLASS TIME FOR INTERACTION - FLIPPED CLASSROOM
Consider using the ‘flipped classroom’ or ‘inverted classroom’ model for some of your lecture time
slots. Off-load some of the transmission so that students must prepare before class, and then
require them to do something actively with that information during the normal lecture time. For
example, they might solve some problem sets in small groups, then report back, after which you can
demonstrate correct approaches to solving the problems.
This encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning.
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Reading assignments
Online activities before class
Prepare students by letting them know that you aren’t going to repeat every detail from the
textbook but they are still responsible for knowing it. Have class activities that build upon
the material they were expected to have read in advance.
BREAK OUT OF TEACHER-CENTRED MINDSET
How do you conceive of your role as teacher? How can you put more emphasis on the students?
NOTICE YOUR STUDENTS – USE A RESPONSIVE DELIVERY STYLE
Below are some tips on delivery style that can help reduce the incidence of that familiar glazed look
in the eyes of students who have suffered death by PowerPoint:
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Stand in the light – If at all possible, avoid hiding in the shadows where your students can’t
see you.
Eye contact - Make eye contact with your students, just as you would in an ordinary seminar
or lecture. Don't let the presentation form a barrier between you and the students.
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Avoid reading - Avoid reading directly from the slide – if a presentation consists of the
lecturer just reading the text that is in the slide, the students may feel that they might as
well have been given a printed handout and read it themselves. The slides may give the
outline of the lecture topics but should not comprise the text of the lecture itself.
Embed questions - Consider embedding some questions into the PowerPoint presentation
so that you can interact with your students at key points. When you get to the slide with the
questions, you can stop and focus on a student-centred activity (small group discussion,
whole class seminar-type discussion). This will keep students engaged in active learning.
Move around - Stop the presentation at key points and move around the classroom, talking
directly to students. Turn the lights on if the light had to be dimmed in order to show the
presentation.
BREAK OUT OF LINEAR TEACHING - USE CONTINGENT TEACHING WITH A BRANCHING
STRUCTURE
Contingent teaching means coming to class prepared with a branching structure rather than a linear
one for your lecture. Depending on the students’ responses to questions, you can choose which
branch to follow. This allows you to customise your lecture to meet students’ needs. Teachers often
do this instinctively when in a ‘chalk and talk’ mode, but find PowerPoint fixes them into a more rigid
format. It is possible to break out of the default linear PPT format, however, and use a similar
strategy.
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Prepare small extra bits of material in hidden slides, with Action buttons or links so that you
can get to them if desired from other slides.
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Ask questions to determine prior knowledge, then teach to fill in gaps.
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If there is some ‘wiggle room’ in your lecture planning (i.e. not too much information to
cover in an hour), you can deviate from the PPT entirely for a short while to follow a
tangential but relevant thread as it emerges in class discussion. There is no need to be
locked into only speaking from slides.
BREAK OUT OF DEFAULT POWERPOINT STRUCTURES
How do you organise individual slides? How do you structure the presentation?
BREAK OUT OF RESTRICTIVE PPT PRACTICES
PPT ≠ lecture
As we have said before, not everything in your lecture has to go into the PPT presentation.
Use PPT only when it helps. It may be better to use varied delivery methods, even writing on
the board as needed for part of the time.
PPT slides ≠ lecture notes
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Not every word you say has to go into the PPT slides. Consider another way of giving your
students detailed lecture notes than relying on the slides to provide all the details.
INSERT INTERACTIVE CUES INTO PRESENTATIO N
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Use visual cues to signal when student interaction is intended – a graphic image or change in
colour and/or layout
Use one question per slide, not a lot of text
Provide an image, text or data for students to analyse – keep it clear and simple
ORGANISE FOR RETENTION OF SUBJECT CONTENT
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Intro – body – summary
Use section header slides to signal topic changes
Introduce concepts and then reinforce by asking students to apply them to new situations
Repeat key concepts before moving to next topic
Give students a take-away message at end to reinforce threshold concepts
RESOURCES
GETTING HELP
The E-Services and Communications Group in Information Services supports University staff and
students in the effective use of technology for learning. We provide both technical and pedagogical
guidance through training sessions, consultations, and the Nexus website for good practice in
technology-enhanced learning http://nexus.aber.ac.uk.
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For general e-learning queries, contact us at is-alto@aber.ac.uk.
For AberLearn Blackboard queries, contact us at bb-team@aber.ac.uk.
See our related bookmarks on Delicious http://www.delicious.com/is_alto/ppt and
http://www.delicious.com/is_alto/presentation
Flipped classroom - see our list of bookmarks on this popular idea here
http://delicious.com/is_alto/flippedclassroom
Where to get images - http://www.flickr.com/ Put in your search query, and then click
Advanced Search. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tick the box to search only items with
Creative Commons licence. Any images or other material that you find on the web with a
Creative Commons licence can be used freely, providing that you attribute the source (some
versions of the licence also constrain you from modifying them or using them commercially).
Embedding a YouTube clip into a PowerPoint presentation - This clip provides how-to
instructions that work with most current versions of PowerPoint, including 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hChq5drjQl4 (Accessed 20 March 2012).
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GENERAL RESOURCES ON POWERPOINT
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Atkinson, Cliff (March 2004). “The Cognitive Load of PowerPoint: Q&A with Richard E.
Mayer,” www.beyondbulletpoints.com (Accessed 15 March 2012).
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Atkinson, Cliff. Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft Press, 2007).
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Atkinson, Cliff. Beyond Bullet Points Online Learning Community
http://www.beyondbulletpoints.com/ (Accessed 15 March 2012).
Includes entire selected chapters from his book, Beyond Bullet Points, together with other
useful tips and material. Atkinson has developed a particular approach to PPT design.
Excellent advice primarily focused on design and incorporating scholarly research on
cognitive processing.
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Burke, Lisa A. and Karen E. James. “PowerPoint-Based Lectures in Business Education: An
Empirical Investigation of Student-Perceived Novelty and Effectiveness.” Business
Communication Quarterly 2008; 71; 277 originally published online Jul 17, 2008.
http://bcq.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/71/3/277 (Accessed 15 March 2012).
This article has a good literature review of studies on the impact of PowerPoint in the
classroom and includes a current statistical study. The free text comments from students
who took the survey are reported in Table 4 and underline the importance of including
student interaction when delivering a lecture using PowerPoint.
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Chen, Victor. Designing Effective PowerPoint Presentations. Authorstream.
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/TechGuy-1511-effective-presentationentertainment-ppt-powerpoint/ (Accessed 15 March 2012).
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Death by PowerPoint group pool.
http://www.flickr.com//groups/deathbypowerpoint/pool/show/ (Accessed 15 March 2012).
This set of images on Flickr has been collected by members of a group called ‘Death by
PowerPoint’. It provides examples of poor PowerPoint design and delivery style.
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Duarte, Nancy. (31 October 2012). “Structure your presentation like a story.” Harvard
Business Review Blog Network.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/10/structure_your_presentation_li.html (Accessed 8
November 2012).
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Duarte, Nancy. (February 2012). “The secret structure of great talks.” TED Talks.
http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks.html
(Accessed 8 November 2012).
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Ebbinghaus, Hermann. Translated by Henry A. Ruger & Clara E. Bussenius. Memory: a
contribution to experimental psychology (New York: Teachers College, Columbia University,
1913). http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Ebbinghaus/index.htm (Accessed 15 March 2012).
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Gabriel, Yiannis. “Against the Tyranny of PowerPoint: Technology-in-Use and Technology
Abuse.” Organization Studies 2008; 29; 255
http://oss.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/2/255 (Accessed 15 March 2012).
This article tells the story of one academic’s experience with PowerPoint over a ten-year
period. It highlights strengths and weaknesses of PowerPoint use, and includes good tips on
using it effectively. Well-informed by critical theory.
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Mayer, Richard E., Ed. The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge
University Press, 2005).
Research-based analysis of managing cognitive load effectively when using PowerPoint.
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Middendorf, Joan and Alan Kalish. Teaching Resources Center Indiana University. The
"Change-Up" in Lectures. National Learning and Teaching Forum. Jan. 1996 Vol.5 No.2
http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9601/article1.htm (Accessed 15 March 2012).
Article that cites the original research on attention spans.
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Narratives Supporting Excellent Teaching. “My Students Look Bored in Class.”
http://depts.washington.edu/next/storyID_08953.php (Accessed 15 March 2012).
Excellent case study showing how a large class can be made more effective by including
interaction.
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Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Tips http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/index.html
(Accessed 15 March 2012).
Although not explicitly aimed at educational use of PowerPoint, the Organisation and
Preparation Tips, Slide Tips and Delivery Tips pages on this site give good practical advice
that applies to an HEI environment.
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Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen. (Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2008).
See the associated blog at http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/ (Accessed 15
March 2012).
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Schroers, Wolfram . “Memory Improvement - Spaced Repetition.” In field-theory.org.
http://www.field-theory.org/articles/memory/spaced_repetition.html (Accessed 15 March
2012).
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Sweller, John. “Visualisation and Instructional Design.” Proceedings of the International
Workshop on Dynamic Visualisations and Learning (2002) http://www.iwmkmrc.de/workshops/visualization/sweller.pdf (Accessed 15 March 2012).
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Symmons Russell. “PowerPoint doesn’t Kill Meeting, People Do” presentation delivered
through JISC RSC Wales Lunchtime Bytes series of webinars. http://moodle.rscwales.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=266 (Accessed 15 March 2012).
This useful 45-minute webinar draws upon current research in the field to provide concrete
advice on using PowerPoint effectively.
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The Teaching Center Washington University in St. Louis. “Improving Presentation Style.”
http://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/improving-presentation-style (Accessed 15 March 2012).
Good general tips on presentation with emphasis on PowerPoint.
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University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning. “Tutorial on using Active Learning
with PowerPoint.” http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/powerpoint/ (Accessed
15 March 2012).
The Active Lecturing section is particularly useful. Included is a discussion of varied
approaches to providing handouts in ways that promote active learning rather than simply
printing out the default handouts page from the PowerPoint presentation.
THE IMPACT OF POWERPOINT ON STUDENT LEARNING
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Adams, C. "PowerPoint, habits of mind, and classroom culture." Journal of Curriculum
Studies 38.4 (2006): 389-411.
Catherine Adams is quite critical of the way PowerPoint is often used. She says that it is conducive to
certain habits of mind. Some of the objections raised can be addressed by taking the creative
approaches outlined above and being conscious of the habits of mind one chooses to develop.
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Anderson , W., and B. Sommer. “Computer-Based Lectures Using PowerPoint.” Technology
Source (November 1997). Available from The Technology Source Archive, University of North
Carolina: http://technologysource.org/article/computerbased_lectures_using_powerpoint/
(Accessed 15 March 2012).
See other articles in the archive relating to PowerPoint as well. This article was cited in the more
recent British article by Nicholson (see below).
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Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota. "Active Learning with
PowerPoint." http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/powerpoint/ (Accessed 15
March 2012).
This website has a short tutorial with many concrete tips on using PowerPoint for active
participation.
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Clark, Jennifer. “Powerpoint and pedagogy: maintaining student interest in university
lectures,” College Teaching, 56.1 (2008): 39-45.
[abstract from the article] This author discusses the relationship between the use of presentation
software and the maintenance of student interest in university lectures. The evidence of surveyed
university students suggests that PowerPoint, used as a presentation tool in university lectures, is
pedagogically effective only while it provides variety and stimulates interest in the learning
environment. That stimulation can be increased if Power Point is used to bridge the direct and
constructivist teaching models.
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Griffin, Darren K., David Mitchell, and Simon J. Thompson. “Podcasting by synchronising
PowerPoint and voice: What are the pedagogical benefits?” Computers & Education, 53.2
(September 2009): 532-539. Available online
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.03.011 (Accessed 15 March 2012).
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James, K., L. Burke, et al. "Powerful or Pointless? Faculty Versus Student Perceptions of
PowerPoint Use in Business Education." Business Communication Quarterly 69.4 (2006): 374396.
[abstract from the article] The use of PowerPoint (PPT)–based lectures in business classes across
universities is ubiquitous yet understudied in empirical pedagogical research. The purpose of this
empirical study was to ascertain whether significant differences exist between faculty and student
perceptions with regard to PPT's impact on perceived learning, classroom interactions, and student
behaviors. The results indicated that (a) students have a significantly less favorable overall view of
PPT's influence on cognitive learning and classroom interaction than faculty members; (b) unlike
faculty members, students do not believe that posting notes on the Web will decrease their
motivation to attend class; and (c) both faculty members and students perceive that PPT has a
favorable impact on notetaking quality, content recall during exams, emphasis on key lecture points,
and holding student attention during class.
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Kapterev, Alexei. http://www.kapterev.com/presentation-secrets (Accessed 15 March
2012). Updated presentation demonstrating good practice based on a book by Kapterev,
who made “Death by PowerPoint (and how to fight it)” in 2008.
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Kapterev, Alexei. Presentation Secrets. http://www.kapterev.com/blog/category/blog
(Accessed 15 March 2012). This is his associated blog.
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Nicholson, D. T. “Lecture Delivery Using MS PowerPoint: Staff and Student Perspectives at
MMU”. Learning and Teaching in Action (July 2002).
http://www.ltu.mmu.ac.uk/ltia/issue2/nicholson.shtml (Accessed 15 March 2012).
This article gives a British perspective on the effective use of PowerPoint in the classroom.

Tufte, E. R. The cognitive style of PowerPoint: pitching out corrupts within. Cheshire, Conn.:
Graphics Press, 2006. A portion of the book is available online
http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint (Accessed 15 March 2012).
Click on the link for ‘PowerPoint does Rocket Science' to read a selection from the article with key
illustrations and a discussion that arose in response to the article. Edward Tufte, author of several
books on the effective visual presentation of information, critiques the improper use of PowerPoint.
He attributes the Columbia shuttle disaster to poorly-presented information at NASA that led to
minimising the risk of a technical fault.
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CONTINGENT TEACHING

Higher Education Academy paper describing the navigation in multiple directions from a
central slide: http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/advice/powerpoint.htm (Accessed 15
March 2012).

Example presentation: http://www.economics.ltsn.ac.uk/advice/hyperppt.ppt (Accessed 15
March 2012).
VIDEO CLIPS WITH USEFUL GENERAL POWERPOINT TIPS

Angelo, Tom. “Lecturing for learning: Deep Learning” University of Sydney.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Rja4nrmIhDg (Accessed 15 March 2012). This talk
addresses cognitive load and deep learning.

Death by PowerPoint http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yqzvb8ELACg (Accessed 15 March
2012). A humorous moral tale that also brings out ineffective use of PowerPoint.

Kapterev, Alexei. Death by PowerPoint http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jFfFQ9XU7Jw
(Accessed 15 March 2012). The slide show in this video demonstrates effective use of
PowerPoint while making a number of useful points about good presentation skills and
PowerPoint design.

McMillan, Don. Life After Death by PowerPoint http://www.viddler.com/v/a9611d05
(Accessed 15 March 2012). A comedy skit that demonstrates many mistakes that can be
made with PowerPoint.

“Stop! You’re killing me with PowerPoint” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JU48-FVqvQ
(Accessed 15 March 2012). A humorous musical clip with some serious and useful advice.

University of Sydney video channel
http://uk.youtube.com/profile?user=uniofsydney&view=videos (Accessed 15 March 2012).
See the set of videos by Tom Angelo called “Lecturing for learning”.
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