1. The Pros & Cons of PowerPoint Presentations
Pros
• they keep the speaker organized
• they present the material in a legible, neat fashion
• students can print out PP slides ahead of time and take notes next to each
slide printout during the lecture
Cons
• important points and large amounts of in-depth information are often
reduced to bulleted points
• presenters sometimes read directly from the PP slides
• students’ attention is on the PP slide and not the lecturer
• they offer little opportunity for intellectual digression, since slides are
presented in sequence
• presenters are often tempted to include trite clip art in their PP slides
and this takes the attention away from serious subject matter
Tips- for successful PowerPoint presentations
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keep font style and color usage consistent throughout the presentation
no more than 15 slides
simple, light-colored backgrounds work best with dark text. Use color
sparingly and for impact. Avoid colors on opposite positions of the color
wheel
avoid pictures or busy template backgrounds and trite clip art if possible
choose a common font that is easy to read (Arial or Times New Roman
are good)
use a dark-colored text with a 28 point or larger font
use italics or color rather than underline to emphasize a point
keep the total number of words per slide to a minimum (5-6 lines)
avoid slang and check for spelling and grammar errors
do not use ALL CAPS, they are more difficult to read
use a consistent transition throughout the entire lecture; for example a
slow fading in and out of the letters between each slide
do not use sound bites with transitions
limit your use of the slide to a guide (outline only) for your presentation
always face the audience when showing the overhead/slide
distribute a copy of the slides (print 3 to a page/Handouts in PP print
option) to students ahead of time if possible and encourage students to
take lecture notes in the column provided next to each slide
pictures, movie and audio clips can enhance PP lectures but use sparingly
and only for impact
prosandconsofpowerpoint-131121072034-phpapp01.doc, updated 6-27-07 km

2. Have a backup plan in case of a power outage or equipment failure!
prosandconsofpowerpoint-131121072034-phpapp01.doc, updated 6-27-07 km