We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint
The story is about the near obsessive use of PowerPoint presentations in military briefings. It found it both fascinating and entertaining--there are some really fantastic quips and phrases coined by officers regarding the Powerpoint epidemic. Among others, I found this sentence particularly striking:Commanders say that behind all the PowerPoint jokes are serious concerns that the program stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making.Although the topics we discuss do not carry the same weight, I could not help but think that we should perhaps have the same concerns about the PowerPoint (or, for the elite few who have broken free of the chains of Microsoft, Keynote) treatment of our research. PowerPoint infiltrates every data presentation time from conference talks to group meetings. It certainly has its utility and, when applied effectively, can bring order and clarity to a presentation that perhaps cannot be achieved by other means.
But how often does that happen?
Instead we end up in lecture mode: the presenter saying "As you can see here...", "I'll address that in a few moments", etc; the audience, at best, following the linear order of the presentation, expecting their question to be addressed momentarily or, at worst, switching to nap mode. And some of the atrocious slides make it all the more difficult to really think critically about what's being said.
What do you say? Does PowerPoint ever interfere with the discussion of science?
And whilst we discuss this bane of our profession, I think a poll is in order!
Note: Apologies for the technical difficulties. Thanks to several tweeps for letting me know! Sorting them out as I can. Thanks for your patience :)
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@DoctorZen · 779 weeks ago
Back in MY grad school days, we didn't have PowerPoint. We made 35 mm slides. Real slides on film! Obviously, you couldn't animate them. You had to make them way in advance. If there was a mistake, you were stuck with it.
Almost every problem I've seen in PowerPoint existed on those 35 mm slides. PowerPoint doesn't interfere with the discussion of our science any more than those 35 mm slides did. And those 35 mm slides were around for a long, long time.
Why do people make the same mistakes over and over? Fear. Our grad seminars drive me insane, because students all do the same thing. Nobody is willing to take a chance to do anything different. They are bland and mediocre. And indeed, my fellow faculty often complain if one of the expected pieces are missing. They insist on title slides and outlines and other pointless frippery that has everything to do with "We've always done it that way" and nothing to do with communication.
So we have bullet-laden, leaden talks.
PowerPoint makes a lot of bad tendencies worse. But moving to Keynote isn't going to solve the problem. It requires a deeper education and thinking about graphics and design.
@bd_from_sd · 779 weeks ago
Dr. O · 779 weeks ago
unbalanced reaction · 779 weeks ago
Also, are bulleted lists really that bad?
biochem belle 43p · 779 weeks ago
There is nothing wrong, per se, with bulleted lists... but IMO, they are entirely overused, often oversimplified and inefficient. The outlines are generally quite unnecessary--even useless--and the bulleted summary slides have simply become painful to see. I much prefer to see a diagram (just not overly complex) or animation to summarize the talk.
@biomatushiq · 779 weeks ago
Dr. O · 779 weeks ago
Angelie · 779 weeks ago
We believe that the lack of focus, not the complexity of the slide, is the problem. Without focus, you cannot foster a dialogue. And, without dialogue, you cannot make a persuasive point. In Prezi, you can use size and scale for layering information to avoid showing an overwhelming number of details in one view. That way your audience can focus on a specific point, without getting lost in the details. When your audience is with you, they’re more likely to ask questions and engage in dialogue – helping you make your point.
The same slide could have been more clearly presented in Prezi. Here’s how: https://prezi.com/kozirkcvpmzm/de-spaghettization...
We are convinced that the military (and really anyone) could make more persuasive points by conveying information in a way that fosters dialogue.
Warmly,
Angelie
--
Angelie Agarwal, PhD
Chief Evangelist, Prezi
e: angelie@prezi.com
s: angelie.agarwal
t: @prezi
@DoctorZen · 778 weeks ago
Unfortunately, I've seen many presenters for whom Prezi is just PowerPoint with fancy transitions. Then, they might as well stick with PowerPoint.
biochem belle 43p · 778 weeks ago
1) general communication skills
2) failure to understand and/or utilize presentation tools effectively
3) sticking to the formulaic standard for what a science presentation should look like
I don't quite understand the resistance of scientists to deviations from the standard, so long as as the presenter gets his/her point across clearly.
@DoctorZen · 778 weeks ago
It's there, it's dependable, it's cheap, and it's quick. It's not about quality, and you will pay a price for repeated use in the long term.
biochem belle 43p · 779 weeks ago
lack of 'story' behind data
bad colors, e.g. red font on blue background
>>also anything on what in some circles is called chartreuse but I refer to as cow pie green--which I recently saw from an otherwise outstanding scientist and lecturer
It enables individuals to talk for an hour without saying anything !
>>Ah yes, the "hypnotizing chickens" tactic referenced in the NYT article
carnival like color schemes
>>What--no Sesame Street themed slides?
Reading the slide (2 votes)
onceapostdoc · 778 weeks ago
biochem belle 43p · 778 weeks ago
Lab Rat · 778 weeks ago
@DoctorZen · 778 weeks ago
Giving people slide decks and printing them out is a major barrier to critical analysis. The solution is easy in principle: Create documents for people. Take the content of the slides, and put it into Word, and write it in sentences and paragraphs.
superіor papers · 519 weeks ago