Comments on: End of summer http://velohacker.com/lj/end-of-summer/ Ramblings of a Cyclist Hacker Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:16:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: katzj http://velohacker.com/lj/end-of-summer/comment-page-1/#comment-2562 katzj Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:31:35 +0000 http://velohacker.com/2008/08/end-of-summer/#comment-2562 It's not necessarily the existence of slides that's the problem. Slides have existed for a long time prior to PowerPoint. But PowerPoint _encourages_ the creation of non-interactive slides that are filled with nothing more than bullets that you read. A good presentation, instead, uses its slides/visuals to support and reinforce big points. See, eg, some of Lessig's presentations for nice examples on how to do that. A good presentation also works to engage the audience actively rather than treating them passively -- think back to school and whether you preferred classes where the professor just stood up and was writing on the chalkboard without any real interaction with the class or classes where the professor was engaging and maybe still used the chalkboard, but did so as part of an ongoing and engaging conversation. Or switch out "chalkboard" for "overhead project and transparency" (the immediate predecessor of the modern slide). Can you replicate some of this with PowerPoint? Sure. But you have to try hard and basically work against the way the program is designed. It’s not necessarily the existence of slides that’s the problem. Slides have existed for a long time prior to PowerPoint. But PowerPoint _encourages_ the creation of non-interactive slides that are filled with nothing more than bullets that you read.

A good presentation, instead, uses its slides/visuals to support and reinforce big points. See, eg, some of Lessig’s presentations for nice examples on how to do that. A good presentation also works to engage the audience actively rather than treating them passively — think back to school and whether you preferred classes where the professor just stood up and was writing on the chalkboard without any real interaction with the class or classes where the professor was engaging and maybe still used the chalkboard, but did so as part of an ongoing and engaging conversation. Or switch out “chalkboard” for “overhead project and transparency” (the immediate predecessor of the modern slide).

Can you replicate some of this with PowerPoint? Sure. But you have to try hard and basically work against the way the program is designed.

]]> By: usernamenumber http://velohacker.com/lj/end-of-summer/comment-page-1/#comment-2561 usernamenumber Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:56:58 +0000 http://velohacker.com/2008/08/end-of-summer/#comment-2561 I've heard people complain about slides before, but have never quite understood what the alternative is supposed to be. In fact, when I've questioned people about it their complaint often comes down to either "it encourages speakers to just read the slides" or "the slides distract from the speaker", which I see more as problems with content-design and delivery more than the medium. That said, I'd be very interested in hearing more about what you see as the shortcomings of slide-based presentations and some viable alternatives. I’ve heard people complain about slides before, but have never quite understood what the alternative is supposed to be. In fact, when I’ve questioned people about it their complaint often comes down to either “it encourages speakers to just read the slides” or “the slides distract from the speaker”, which I see more as problems with content-design and delivery more than the medium.

That said, I’d be very interested in hearing more about what you see as the shortcomings of slide-based presentations and some viable alternatives.

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