Analyzing the “Point” in Powerpoint
Upon reading the title of Edward Tufte’s article “Powerpoint is Evil,” I was intially taken back. I am not the biggest fan of powerpoint presentations, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call them “evil.” However, after reading his article, Tufte does make a valid argument as to why they are corrupt and serve as a representation of our consumerist society. He argues that powerpoints contain less information and more glitz, for fear of losing the attention of the audience.
In certain settings, I agree with Tufte. For example, I do believe that less powerpoint presentations should be used for educational purposes. While they are a good tool to demonstrate to students which information is important, they leave out a lot of other information which could help them better understand why they are studying said material. I agree with Tufte’s statement that students would be more informed if “everyone went to the exploratorium or wrote an illustrated essay explaining something.” As a student, I know I learn more when I am required to do research and write a paper, as opposed to memorizing a bunch of information for an exam. In the future, I hope to eventually become a history professor, and I have began to think about the methods I would personally use to teach students. Especially after reading Tufte’s argument, I feel I would stay away from powerpoint presentations. The best teachers I have had (especially in history) have been the ones which tell the information like a story. If told in the right way, this grabs the attention of the students and forces them to listen attentively and take notes. I have learned much more from teachers who use this method than those who use the conventional powerpoints.
When you think about the purpose, or “point,” or powerpoints, it really is to highlight certain information. For this reason, I see how this feature can be effective in business presentations, especially for advertising or marketing. I disagree with the idea of ditching powerpoints all together, because businesses can greatly benefit from using this feature to promote their assets. However, I feel students could learn better through different means which cover more material. Essentially, there is a time and a place for powerpoint presentations. I feel the classroom is not one of them.
Leave a Reply