Abstract

PowerPoint presentations are a standard feature of most college and high school courses. However, educational outcome studies show that this technology does not consistently improve student learning, thereby raising doubts about the effectiveness of prevailing practices. This presentation will address the question of why "death by PowerPoint" occurs. The research is a scholarship of teaching and learning project that provides a student-centered viewpoint of the sensory, cognitive, and motivational influences of PowerPoint presentations. Recommendations will be made for designing presentations in ways that will increase student engagement and critical thinking. These ideas are broadly applicable to anyone who gives presentations, especially scientific presentations. The research process behind this project will also be addressed in order to illustrate key features of the scientific method to an audience of undergraduate researchers.

Gary Fisk

Gary D. Fisk is a Professor of Psychology at Georgia Southwestern State University. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he studied behavioral neuroscience. His research background includes neurobiology, rehabilitation medicine, and experimental psychology. A professional passion is using technology to support and encourage student learning. Examples include instructional web pages, Flash-based animations, online learning management systems, and PowerPoint software. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, community theater, and homebrewing.

Email: gary.fisk@gsw.edu
Phone (office): 229-931-2296; messages: 229-931-2311
Web: https://www.garyfisk.com