K.I.S.S. with PowerPoints

Keep it simple, stupid. This is the message my students sent me yesterday about my Teachnology PowerPoint. I know students are tired of looking at Powerpoints; the high school teachers use this technology all the time. My students are no longer amazed at crazy fonts, wild colors, lots of pictures or graphics or even whirly animations. Nor are they engaged when the PowerPoint has subtle messages or layered meanings. They are just confused.

While my students watched my PowerPoint, I asked them to write down any thoughts they had. They did say they liked the metaphor when I compared writing to painters or woodcarvers. They liked the pictures, though there were too many of them sometimes on one slide. They liked the idea of explaining the objectives of the course with the PowerPoint over just getting a white piece of paper and having to read them. They did understand my basis message of these are the technologies we will be using in class, but they did not think that pencils and paper were technologies.

When I watched their faces as the PowerPoint was being presented, I could see their confusion or disinterest. As an instructor I hate to be boring. So I am disappointed that this PowerPoint was ineffective. I learned that the basic layout is what my students or audience wants: a heading, one or maybe two pictures, and text on the side. The PowerPoint can only be ten or less slides unless the PowerPoint is paused and the students do an activity. What has been a cool, hip technology for me has become worn out technology for them. In the future I will use the KISS approach with my PowerPoints.