Power Pointless?

17. Sep 2007

1988 was the hour of birth for the Microsoft presentation tool Power Point. It was created mainly for business presentations. Most lecturers cannot imagine life without the proven helper. But an Australian study suggests to try exactly that for once.

According to a study by the University of New South Wales we process information most efficiently either verbally or in writing but not through both channels at the same time. Hearing something while reading the same information is said to divert the audience´s concentration.
The easier a product, in this case the charts and the presentation in general, can be generated the more frequently it is used. Before internet communication became popular the fax form was the fastest way to send information. It was rather complicated to send messages this way and people restricted themselve to sending just the most important contents. Nowadays messages are sent via email. It is easy to use and people do not even have to leave their desk to do it. This is why many emails are sent that are actually very low on the importance scale.
Power Point works in a similar way. Charts can be made with a single mouseclick and be changed in appearance or order anytime. If changing the presentation was more difficult, maybe people would concentrate on the determining contents.
Power Point gives lecturers a false feeling of security. They can hold on to the information of the charts and stop speaking freely because they do not know their speech as well as they should. This is why they appear less convincing and they do not seem to be very thrilling. Michael Gove of the British Times reminds us of great speakers such as John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King whose strength was speaking freely and captivating. „I think that there are few Power Point presentations that can keep up with collective memories in that case“, means Gove.
From the moment we concentrate on real rhethorics we become better speakers. Many people have forgotten how to speak in public or are not prepared to do so. The secret of a good speech is to fascinate with contents and not with creatively animated charts or masses of colorful diagrams. Rhethorics create images in the head and call up own memories and emotions. That means more identification with the topic and higher involvement.

Tipps for a successful presentation:
- Speak at the same pace and the same key that you would use for an easy-going conversation. Make the speech animated and speak loudly.
- Make sure to make enough pauses so the audience can process the information. Seperate the sentences acoustically bv using a distinct melody when talking.
- Form active sentences, ask questions and integrate the audience.
- Stand relaxed, watch out for good eye contact and use your hands to support your speech.
- Do not use a manuscript! Key word cards help to talk more freely.