Power point presentations

POWER POINT PRESENTATION: POWER POINT IS EVIL PowerPoint can be one of the most excellent communication medium which can be used in pitching sales, but at the same time, it can be one of the most horrible medium of presentation. However, the effectiveness of this device of presentation highly depends on the skillfulness of the presenter. For instance, in many incidences, the presentation becomes very important than the ideas, concepts and facts to be debated. PowerPoint presentation, by design, compels the presenter to adopt a specified presentation medium due to the functionality of the design and other inherent characteristics. PowerPoint format has limited ability to accommodate relatively large information per slide. Besides, the graphical and statistical holds marginal content, which encourages bulleting form of presentation (Doumont 67).
PowerPoint is criticized for its inability to allow for faster information transfers, and bogging down of the viewers or presented following the saturation of the slides. According to Tufte (5-6) in his theory referred to as “ cognitive style of PowerPoint”, he asserts that the biggest crime leveled against bulleting presentation is the ability and tendency to “ dilute thoughts”. He criticized PowerPoint because bullets were profound of disorganizing speakers while encouraging generic, simplistic and superficial thinking, which in turn ‘ make us stupid’. The same sentiment were echoed by Harvard Business Review, by indicating that bullet statements are incomplete as it fails to state the critical assumptions as well as leaving the relationship unspecified. PowerPoint presents data in a monolithic manner which is historically outlined in a basic linear relationship and is generally acceptable.
However, given the complexity of the results, the outcomes should be determined in a more complex multi-linear relationship. PowerPoint presents limited ideas and concepts which potentially limits the smooth flow of information. Tufte proceed by pointing out that in general, all the slides used by PowerPoint have a limited rate of information transfers compared to formal talk since a normal slide can only show a maximum of forty words, which only constitute eight seconds of any reading material (Tufte 16). Though this may be a significant tool of jarring the memory and organizing talks, the content is inadequate in case of a complex budget argument, solving non-linear multifaceted issues and intricate problems.
In conclusion, the adoption of cognitive style of bullet presentation in our learning institutions is a disturbing issue. Instead of being taught infomercials and formulation of client pitches instead of learning reporting skill using sentences. Evidenced by the elementary school PowerPoint assignments, where students prepare bullets of about 10-20 words in approximately 3-6 slides which totals to about eighty words in a weeklong 15 seconds presentation is inadequate. The learners would even be better-off writing essays to illustrate the concepts. Given the limited capacity of each side, a comprehensive silence reading is only attainable by using many slides, which implies that the audience will have to endure a relentless series damn slides one after another. In addition, graphical and statistical data sets cannot be bulleted as there is need for comparing the information. Hence, PowerPoint presentation is view as being evil and academically undesirable as it punishes the audience as well as the content of the information being presented. A standardized bullet elevates formatting, hence, betraying commercialism mentality which converts all things to sales pitch (Doumont 67).
Works Cited
Doumont, J. The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Slides Are Not All Evil. Technical Communication. Washington: 2005. Vol. 52, Iss. 1; p. 64, 7pgs.
Tufte, E. PowerPoint Is Evil. Power Corrupts. PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely Wired, 2003: 5-17. Accessed February 17, 2011, at: http://www. wired. com/wired/archive/11. 09/ppt2. html.