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Research points the finger at PowerPoint(major pitfall of powerpoint presentation)
SMH ^ | 04/04/07 | Anna Patty

Posted on 04/04/2007 6:50:36 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

Research points the finger at PowerPoint

University of NSW research shows the human brain processes and retains more information if it is digested in either its verbal or written form, but not both at the same time.

Photo: Andrew Meares

Anna Patty Education Editor

April 4, 2007

If you have ever wondered why your eyes start glazing over as you read those dot points on the screen, as the same words are being spoken, take heart in knowing there is a scientific explanation.

It is more difficult to process information if it is coming at you in the written and spoken form at the same time.

The Australian researchers who made the findings may have pronounced the death of the PowerPoint presentation.

They have also challenged popular teaching methods, suggesting that teachers should focus more on giving students the answers, instead of asking them to solve problems on their own.

Pioneered at the University of NSW, the research shows the human brain processes and retains more information if it is digested in either its verbal or written form, but not both at the same time.

It also questions the wisdom of centuries-old habits, such as reading along with Bible passages, at the same time they are being read aloud in church. More of the passages would be understood and retained, the researchers suggest, if heard or read separately.

The findings show there are limits on the brain's capacity to process and retain information in short-term memory.

John Sweller, from the university's faculty of education, developed the "cognitive load theory".

"The use of the PowerPoint presentation has been a disaster," Professor Sweller said. "It should be ditched."

"It is effective to speak to a diagram, because it presents information in a different form. But it is not effective to speak the same words that are written, because it is putting too much load on the mind and decreases your ability to understand what is being presented."

The findings that challenge common teaching methods suggest that instead of asking students to solve problems on their own, teachers helped students more if they presented already solved problems.

"Looking at an already solved problem reduces the working memory load and allows you to learn. It means the next time you come across a problem like that, you have a better chance at solving it," Professor Sweller said.

The working memory was only effective in juggling two or three tasks at the same time, retaining them for a few seconds. When too many mental tasks were taken on some things were forgotten.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: cognitiveload; powerpoint; spoken; written
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To: HiJinx

I wish that were so but you know that the East Coast Pruple Pampered Princes in the Pentagon won’t hear of it.


41 posted on 04/04/2007 9:44:53 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: TigerLikesRooster; neverdem; SandRat

POWERPOINT HUMOR —

Ballad of the PowerPoint Rangers

PowerPoint Haikus

etc....

http://www.nbc-links.com/powerpoint.html


42 posted on 04/04/2007 9:53:52 PM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

If you have nothing to say, say it in the PowerPoint, as the commandment goes.


43 posted on 04/04/2007 9:58:40 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: TigerLikesRooster
My favorite patch from the Air Force


44 posted on 04/04/2007 10:07:15 PM PDT by JRios1968 (Tagline wanted...inquire within)
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To: JRios1968

Large pictures are a must.

Use short and pithy Anglo-Saxon words rather than Latin-based speech (Churchill’s dictum).

Tolerate no interruptions except to go to the bathroom.

I teach kindergartners.


45 posted on 04/04/2007 10:59:43 PM PDT by Liberty Wins (Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of all who threaten these.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

It will take more than this one study to knock off the Socratic dialog.


46 posted on 04/04/2007 11:04:59 PM PDT by Buckhead
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To: LikeLight
Fascinating. I’ve recently been pondering a gut feeling just like what this study indicates. There is a certain raw power in the spoken word (or for that matter, the written word). But dribbling them out together seems to diminish the impact of both.

Agreed. The worst presentation is to have someone read material that they already have displayed on screen. PP text should be minimal, just the outline of the presentation--the speaker's notes. It's also effective to put in visuals and explain them.

47 posted on 04/04/2007 11:56:14 PM PDT by stillonaroll (Rudy: pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-gun)
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To: Liberty Wins
Tolerate no interruptions except to go to the bathroom.

Thats a good one. If someone chats during one of my presentations, I look directly at the offenders and stop talking until they finish, or will ask them to share their input with the group.

48 posted on 04/05/2007 12:00:31 AM PDT by stillonaroll (Rudy: pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-gun)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

BTTT


49 posted on 04/05/2007 12:17:36 AM PDT by XR7
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To: SamAdams76
"PowerPoint should be ditched."

The entire concept of people showing up for a presentation should be ditched. We now have web pages, email, and discussion boards. If something needs to be seen by a group of people, a very informative web page can be created on a company or school intranet or public website, the people who need the information can be emailed the link, if there are any questions the would be presenter can be emailed the question, and can respond with good answers. Another way would be a discussion board format where a topic could be posted onto a web page at a given time with information and Q&A could happen on a discussion board. If the technology of today were used to its potential, 90% of meetings, presentations, and phone calls would be a thing of the past.

Like I tell the older folks I work with: "Talking to people is so 20th century".

50 posted on 04/05/2007 12:28:30 AM PDT by KoRn (FRED THOMPSON FOR PRESIDENT!)
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To: untenured

I’m not a teacher, but I have what sounds like the same approach.

I do a lot of briefings, and for me PowerPoint is the basic outline or notes and that’s it.

Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I find a speaker with slides much less annoying than a speaker who constantly refers to note cards.


51 posted on 04/05/2007 3:10:42 AM PDT by perez24 (Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap.)
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To: Duke Nukum
In fact, if study is true.....why does closed captioning work so well. I'm not talking about the live captioning that runs a second or two behind with all the typos. I mean good english subtitles in a film.

Today, I can watch a 40's or 50's film and understand every word. Anything made after 1980 is iffy and anything made in the 3rd millenium is total greek.

However, with closed captioning, no problem!

My hoh friends all say after a few days they don't even notice that the cc is there. They actually hear the words because the brain inserts the extra info necessary to sort out the mumbles and funny accents.

Of course, all of us are NOT products of the leftwing school system. We all got out before the left took over.

52 posted on 04/05/2007 4:45:27 AM PDT by cb
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To: cb

This has to do with something called NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). We all communicate using different modalities (aural, visual, kinethetic)

What happens with powerpoint is that if you are geared towards visual learning and someone is talking to you at the same time, you can get a confused message. Especially if they are talking to you in a modality that you don’t use to communicate.

An example: You communicate using kinethetic (feel). A slide is showing a pretty picture of a network diagram. (visual). The person giving the presentation is saying, “when we talk about networks, we are saying that connecting routers to switches to hubs to blah blah blah.. (aural)

At this point you go MEGO (My Eyes Glazed Over)

Powerpoint isn’t the problem. The presenter is the problem because he/she isn’t communicating in a modality that is common among the audience. Basically, they are all over the place, which confuses more then informs.

Hope this helps.


53 posted on 04/05/2007 5:03:49 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (The Clintons: A Malignant Malfeasance of the Most Morbid)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
It is more difficult to process information if it is coming at you in the written and spoken form at the same time. ... They have also challenged popular teaching methods, suggesting that teachers should focus more on giving students the answers, instead of asking them to solve problems on their own.

My husband, [who is a great teacher, by the way ;-) ] would agree with these findings.

I'm anxious to show him this thread.

54 posted on 04/05/2007 5:06:07 AM PDT by syriacus (Truman as president: Korean War; 30,000 US deaths; full wartime censorship; military draft)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

bump for later


55 posted on 04/05/2007 5:11:23 AM PDT by MomwithHope
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To: Apple Blossom

ping


56 posted on 04/05/2007 5:18:45 AM PDT by bmwcyle ( reep Fox they drop the ball on GOE)
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To: ArtyFO
And its corollary, taking notes during a lecture is counter productive.

I know that should be true. My calculus instructor kept telling me I should be watching him, rather than taking copious notes. But I knew what worked for me, and did very, very well in the course.

57 posted on 04/05/2007 5:24:41 AM PDT by syriacus (Truman as president: Korean War; 30,000 US deaths; full wartime censorship; military draft)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

BTTT


58 posted on 04/05/2007 5:35:06 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Buckhead
It will take more than this one study to knock off the Socratic dialog.

I think the well-timed use of questions by a teacher is very useful.

My husband asks questions of his HS astronomy and physics students, before he introduces a topic.

He asks pertinent questions while he is teaching the topic, too, but he doesn't force the kids to continually make stabs at solving a problem. Instead, he presents the material.

I remember a study from a few years back, which said that, if questions are not handled correctly by a teacher, students might remember an incorrect answer, given by a fellow classmate, better than they remember the correct answer.

59 posted on 04/05/2007 5:36:23 AM PDT by syriacus (Truman as president: Korean War; 30,000 US deaths; full wartime censorship; military draft)
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To: Eric
I listen to Fox News Channel through a little transmitter/receiver set up I resurrected from an old hearing assistance system.

Many of their newspeople make an effort to communicate loudly and clearly and could succeed on Talk Radio.

Fox News seems to realize that Conservatives are busy people, who like to listen while they work.

60 posted on 04/05/2007 5:43:24 AM PDT by syriacus (Truman as president: Korean War; 30,000 US deaths; full wartime censorship; military draft)
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