PowerPoint is Evil
June 14th, 2008 Tagged education, powerpoint, technologyThis commentary gives an interesting, if somewhat damning, overview of Microsoft PowerPoint. The writer is highly critical of the manner in which many PowerPoint presentations sacrifice content for the sake of design or ‘decoration’, ie. “Presentations largely stand or fall on the quality, relevance, and integrity of the content… if your words or images are not on point, making them dance in colour won’t make them relevant. Audience boredom is usually a content failure, not a decoration failure” (Tufte, 2003). This is an important consideration, ie. If teachers or students intend to use PowerPoint as a presentation medium, care needs to be taken to ensure that the content is meaningful and relevant. In a recent posting, Matt shares some interesting observations about commonly accessible technologies available in schools, and how these are not necessarily used to their full potential as tools for learning.
The author also comments on the way he perceives PowerPoint is being used in schools, stating that “rather than learning to write a report using sentences, children are being taught to formulate client pitches and infomercials…” (Tufte, 2003). Although perhaps controversial, Tufte’s remarks provide food for thought about appropriate and inappropriate uses of technology in educational contexts. Whether the planned activity involves online or face-to-face approaches, the key question that teachers must ask is: Will this task enhance teaching and learning?
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmv/98787687
Martin Luther King Jnr was assassinated 40 years ago today. An inspirational leader and tireless campaigner for civil rights, his profound words advocating equality and the brotherhood of mankind are as relevant today as they were during his lifetime.