PowerPoint in the Classroom

The current topic of study is presentation software. Of course, this includes PowerPoint...

PowerPoint is a tool that can be extremely effective, but it does have its limits. On more than one occasion, I have fallen victim to the misuse of PowerPoint presentations with far too much written and graphical information. If the goal is to provide a full account of material covered in a lecture, I personally would prefer access to a word document, rather than a lengthy slide presentation.

I think PowerPoint is best used to accompany a presentation as a visual and/or audio aid, opposed to a thorough document that covers all the information. Using minimal text is a good strategy to focus the audience without distracting them from the presentation points. If someone were to print out the slides alone, they would be missing the "meat and potatoes" of the presentation, however those who are present may find it helpful to have a print out of the slides to follow along and add notes.

I also think that sometimes detail can be a good, as long as it is meaningful and displayed in an effective way. For example, in Math I have found that the animation options provide a very effective way to show full Math solutions step-by-step. By displaying each step of the solution individually, I can explain the solution slowly and carefully, while students anticipate the next step before it is displayed.