The Learning Circuits Blog has it’s monthly “Big Question” about Powerpoint this month. I’ve not yet had a chance to read all the ideas, but those that I have seem to agree with what I think.

From my perspective, we have a number of conflicting points.

• Presentations have the potential to be very boring.
• Powerpoint (etc) can provide a handy prop for the presenter.
• Students don’t like “boring” presentations - yet often find it hard to articulate what they do want.
• If presentations have very limited content (i.e. the “Good” presentation with the thought provoking image to form a background to a set of useful comments, then students comment that they need more notes…
• What is the presentation trying to get across anyway?

• A marketing message
• Training material - to be learnt & given back to the teacher as is.
• Educational material - to be taken away, digested & given back with other views embedded?