Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
Many studies have investigated the value of using PowerPoint as a lecture tool. PowerPoint's strength is often the comfort we have as educators and learners with this lesson delivery format. But sometimes, our comfort level with PowerPoint can make us overconfident in how well it communicates complex ideas.
Most research on the effectiveness of PowerPoint shows that the software has no impact on students' memories or their assessment scores (Clark 2008, Mehta et al 2017). Many criticize text-only PowerPoint lectures as being overly simplistic and impersonal. Bulleted lists, the standard text format on a slide, are often overused. Text can be incomplete, and not meaningful outside of the in-lecture context. Slide decks are sometimes constructed too quickly, without consideration for learning outcomes or accessibility requirements. Graphics and video are often underrepresented and slide decks are often reused each semester, without revision or reflection. Some researchers caution that PowerPoint can "zone out" an audience, neutralizing student-to-student interaction completely (Holstead 2015).
Further, a poorly designed slide deck can detract from the quality of a lecture. PowerPoint can sometimes be too presenter-friendly. The slides conveniently organize our thoughts and jog our memories. Because of this, it's easy to create large PowerPoint slide decks, in our urge to be thorough in the content we cover. But large slide decks are not useful study tools for students, and leave facilitators scrambling to "get through" presentations. The driving force of the lesson delivery becomes the facilitator's voice and personality, rather than active learning of content.
A challenge in using PowerPoint, then, is keeping it learner-focussed. PowerPoint seems to have some real virtues for multimedia classroom presentations. Consider how you might engage in "active lecturing," where you might integrate direct instruction, active learning principles and experiential learning (Clark 2008). Well-designed PowerPoint slide decks can improve student retention of subject matter knowledge, and help students review for tests and exams (Clark 2008). Students report feeling more engaged and interested in course content when presented in PowerPoint (Holstead 2015). When combined with annotations on the board to emphasize definitions and key concepts, students report that they pay better attention, enjoy the approach, and would like more lessons structured this way (Swati 2016; Mehta 2017). Building in active learning strategies, like discussions, games or reflections, also leaves students hungry for more (Fratto 2011).
If a facilitator combines knowledgeable content delivery with active learning practices, a course using PowerPoint could certainly avoid the perils of "sage-on-the-stage" and effectively help students attain course outcomes.