PowerPoint is (not) evil (cont.)

There’s a scientific reason that people will find it harder to understand information when you are reading the information and are having someone read it to you. In other words, speakers, don’t read what is exactly on the screen. You are insulting your audience. A research at the University of North South Wales shows that our brains absorb information if it’s given by speech or by reading out loud but not all at the same time. It shows there is an extent in the brain to receive information. It’s good to present information differently like on a graph or something visual. Then you can explain it. But it’s better without having the same exact words written and read because it’s just too much for the human brain to handle. They recommend teachers to give their students already solved problems and not problems to give the students to solve because you do not have to remember so much and you can actually learn something. John Sweller, a university faculty guy, says that when you face a problem similar to that one, you have a bigger chance at getting it right. If there’s too much information all at once, some things will be forgotten.

Some think PowerPoint should become nonexistent because of the endless parade of slides being read aloud to the audience and with bullet points it provides. Even before PowerPoint, bullet points were used and they were boring. Most speakers give bad talks. They save the interesting points for last but start with the uninteresting ones. The slides are actually an outline to help the speaker so he knows what he should say, or actually, READ. Talks should only be a few points, enough to get them interested in the subject. Don’t overload them with too much or they become uninterested. Keep the slides simple. The readers should get clear information like notes, visual slides (it’s good to have the audience entertained), and handouts. Boring talks are bad. PowerPoint? Useful, but if you hate it, blame the one who made it. They’re the ones giving you the information. It all depends on how they present that.