Article Review – Death by PowerPoint

Isseks, M. (2011). How PowerPoint Is Killing Education. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 74–76. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ972036

In this article, Isseks (2011) makes the case that using PowerPoint in the classroom has been changing learning in the classroom, and not in a good way.  Instead of a class where the students have to read information, take notes from a lecture, or analyze information in some way, they are simply to sit, watch the presentation and “absorb” it.  It makes it easy for one to feel like they have covered the material, but no critical thinking has occurred, and all the knowledge that is to be conveyed is somehow converted into a bullet point.  Occasionally they are told to simply copy it down or they are given a printout to copy on to.  But then the teacher feels the need to lecture while students are copying and the students are missing what the teacher is saying.  Also there is an incredible amount of down time while they wait for the students to copy things down.  He gives the example of military strategists summing up battle plans on a few quick slides and how it can’t possibly convey every aspect of an intricate thing such as that.  All of this sums up to be not a direct problem with PowerPoint, but with the presentation.  Isseks argues that PowerPoint could be a good tool, however thought must be deep, it can’t just be summed up in a few quick points.  Notes should be on discovery and discussion.  And for goodness sake, get rid of all of those fancy transitions and sound effects.