Back to the dreaded PowerPoint again which I discussed in January - I am presently taking a short course in Political theory - My Tutor Peter Ryley, who has an excellent blog (Fat Man on a Keyboard), pointed me to a recent article in the Telegraph which reports that there is now scientific evidence that our brains are unable to effectivley process information if it is spoken to us while we are reading.
So now when you fall asleep in a seminar you have scientific evidence to validate your behaviour - I shall feel much more comfortable in future when I nod off to the droning sound of a speaker reading their PowerPoint slides. However I have noted that even professional speakers are prone to using too many words on a slide.
PowerPoint is an excellent AV tool - if you need to show images that support a presentation but if you are using it to display words you really should question that. Presenting words both auditorily and visually it seems does not reinforce the message, it actually confuses the brain which starts to switch off.
I suspect that in addition to the problem with trying to assimilate the same information being received simultaneously via two senses, there is another issue. A speakers voice, I notice, tends to become more monotone when they are reading from slides and there is also far less storytelling to engage our interest.
All in all the evidence is clear that if you want to get a message across the best advice is to leave PowerPoint behind and rely on your oratory skills to get attention and be remembered.
Rikki Arundel 
Motivational Speaker
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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Scientific Evidence that PowerPoint can send you to Sleep
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25 Comments:
Yes, I have a study here which intimates that Power Point is not utilizing best learning theory.
As one who comes form the education field into trade and industry, this is of vital importance to those I advise.
Rikki, we seem to be in similar areas.
Just browsing the internet, you have a very, very interesting blog.
Great article, power point presentations can be very tedious if not properly executed.
Bet the people creating them take hours over them too. The main problem is that they're just information overload and that plus a monotone presenter and stuffy meeting room can easily send you to sleep.
Great work. Now I will have documentation to prove why I hate meetings.
Thanks for the great comments - I do wonder though whether people do take much time with PowerPoint presentations. In my experience of coaching, people tend to use PowerPoint as a tool to develop the speech, so that the bullet points are actually their notes and this become a crutch.
If instead you create a speech, and then consider how to use AV to enhance it it is a very different and much longer process. There is no short cut to developing a great speech.
When I speak or coach new speakers, I always remember a rule I was given many many years ago by one of my mentors. With Power Point, always remember 1,2,3. ONE topic per presentation, TWO main points per slide and no more than THREE bullets per slide. I, too, have been a victim of the 24 points on a slide and a presenter who does no more than read what's on the screen (usually slower than we can read them ourselves). If you can't get it on a slide using 24 point or larger, make another slide!
Rikki
My kids can verify this research. When I'm reading a blog my kids can be standing right beside me and call me again and again and I just don't hear a thing. My ears get completely blocked when I start reading.
When speaking I use powerpoint as support with images, highlights, questions and statements. Never any longer text.
The key is in the statement "PowerPoint is an excellent AV tool - if you need to show images that support a presentation." PowerPoint can be effective, but only when used well. As a supplement to PowerPoint, when giving client presentations, I have created a demo reel video that features my work. Video serves as a great way to get the images to stick in the clients' minds--and keep my company at the forefront of their thinking.
Hi,
You have a very interesting blog.
Would it be possible to review the Quickbooks Dashboard and share your opinion
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Thanks and Regards
Nilesh
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Alas that is what I have always suspected as I lay their dreaming to the momotone hum to speakers who insist on using their slides as constant reference for their talk.
Great post Cheers
Rich Muir
www.companiesnow.com.au
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No one ever falls asleep during my meetings because I make 'em laugh and pass out free samples of the essential oils that I market.
Thanks for the ideas and thoughts.
What a great blog, interesting topics! I love reading this material.
"What a great blog, interesting topics! I love reading this material.
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I am not suprised at all regards Powerpoint. I am not a fan at all of Powerpoint and it certainly sends me to sleep.
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Well, PowerPoint has it's downsides, but is remains one of the easiest to use presentation software out there.
The disadvantage of it being so easy to use, is the crap that some people conjure up 5 minutes before a presentation.
Powerpoint is a good tool if not used as the main part of your presentation. It should only lightly supplement your presentation. Otherwise, it will limit your message to the confines of your slide show.
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I agree. So many soporific seminars I've had to sit through in the past! However, I think such presentations are useful for embedding into websites and blogs - especially if they are short and genuinely informative ... Something I plan to develop on my own site.
Thanks for the post.
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