Pedagogic 

PowerPoint
using presentation software 
more effectively
PowerPoint: much derided

• PowerPoint and the decline of western 
civilisation
• Death by bullet points 
• PowerPoint: tool of the devil
• Is PowerPoint the devil?
• PowerPoint is evil
Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely
two positions on PowerPoint 

i) blame the software ii) blame the user

“… the PowerPoint  “The stereotypic teacher‐
style routinely  centred, noninteractive 
disrupts, dominates,  mode of lecturing … is 
and trivializes  simply clarified and 
content.” amplified by the use of 
(Tufte 2003: 7) PowerPoint.”
(Kinchin 2006: 647)
the uses of PowerPoint

1 to provide visual support for

presentations

2 to create handouts

3 to upload to an institutional VLE

e.g. Blackboard
the uses of PowerPoint

1 2 3

PowerPoint as presentation software

the uses of PowerPoint
common PowerPoint hates

1 2 3
• reading notes off the slides

• too much text

• too many bullet points

• inappropriate use of clip art

• distracting animations
the uses of PowerPoint
using PowerPoint better

1 2 3
• create slides that reinforce your words

• move text off the slide

• use audience input

• segment your presentation

• forget animation – use useful tools

the uses of PowerPoint

1 2 3

PowerPoint for handouts

the uses of PowerPoint
PowerPoint for handouts

1 2 3
• 3-slides to a page PowerPoint handout?

• an advance organiser?
(distributed at the start)

• a take home with additional resources?

(distributed at the end)
the uses of PowerPoint

1 2 3

PowerPoint as online resource

the uses of PowerPoint
PowerPoint as online resource

1 2 3
Options available include uploading:

• as .ppt

• as .pdf

• as web pages

• to media sharing site (e.g. SlideShare)

PowerPoint: references
Appersona, J.M. (et al.) (2008).An assessment of student preferences for PowerPoint
presentation structure in undergraduate courses. Computers & Education, 50(1) 148-153

Atkinson, C. (2004). Five Experts Dispute Edward Tufte on PowerPoint. Sociable Media.
Accessed 12 March 2007, from <http://sociablemedia.com/articles_dispute.htm>

Bartscha, R.A. and Cobern, K.M. (2003). Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures.
Computers & Education, 41(1) 77–86

Tufte, E. (2003). ‘PowerPoint Is Evil’. Wired. Issue 11.09. Accessed 12 March 2007, from
<http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html>

Tufte, E. (2006). The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within. 2nd Ed.
Cheshire Connecticut: Graphics Press LLC.

Kinchin, I. (2006). ‘Developing PowerPoint Handouts to support meaningful learning’. British

Journal of Educational Technology, 37 647-650

Turkle, S. (2003). ‘From Powerful Ideas to PowerPoint’. Convergence: The Journal of Research
into New Media Technologies, 9 (19) 19-25

Delicious PowerPoint links