PowerPoint: A Potent Teaching Tool

Dolores LehrDolores LehrLa Salle University

ABC ConventionABC ConventionOctober 28, 2004

Popularity

30 million presentations every day (1.25 million every hour)

The No.1 choice of students when giving oral presentations

Problem: ”Death by PowerPoint”

Edits ideas Squeezes ideas

into preconceived format

Homogenizes discourse

Cause: Lack of Preparation Not taught except

as part of discussion on visual aids or in an introductory computer class

Little discussion in textbooks on business communication

Solution: Teach its Composition and Delivery

Follow the steps for constructing any means of communication

Steps

Determining the Purpose Identifying the Audience Planning Composing Formatting Editing Delivering

Determining the Purpose What is the

general purpose?

What is the specific purpose?

Determining the Audience

Who is this audience?

Planning Brainstorming

Outlining with parallel structure

Storyboarding

Composing Introduction &

Closing Blueprint slides Conciseness Guidelines for the

number of words on slides

Formatting Type fonts White space Color Graphics Effects

Editing Organization and

writing of the presentation

Organization and writing of each slide

Editing: Check the Organization

Logical orderTransitions (words

and effects)

Editing: Check the WritingCorrectnessConsistencyClarityConciseness

Delivering Appearance Eye Contact Voice Projection Interaction with

the slides

Delivering: Appearance

Posture Facial

expression Confidence Enthusiasm

Delivering: Eye Contact Make contact at

least once within a room of 20-25 people

Delivering: Voice Low and high Projection Pronunciation

Delivering-Interaction Look at the slides Comment and

point Interact with

audience

Benefits

Reinforces the teaching of other communication media

Emphasizes graphics and layout

Combines the teaching of the verbal, visual, and vocal

Benefits

Create LIVELYLIVELY PowerPoint presentations