On the week after Memorial Day Weekend, my family went to Charlottesville, Virginia because my father had a conference there. Three of us enjoyed spending time around town, looking at independent bookstores, and admiring parts of the University of Virginia campus. My father, on the other hand, was at a conference where PowerPoint presentations were given all day. My father’s conference made me think of how classrooms and the professional world lean on technology, especially PowerPoint, to the point that the attempt at effective communication produces a result that is anything but effective.

One problem with PowerPoint is that so many presenters read off the slides. Instead of the resource being used as a supplement to what is being said, it can instead be used as a crutch for people who are afraid of public speaking. There is nothing stimulating about people reading off PowerPoint slides. For goodness sakes, all of the words are already there!!! People can read, and if the presenter has nothing to add, maybe the person should ditch the PowerPoint or ditch the speaking. Between those two choices, the presenter should ditch the Power Point, because otherwise the lights need to be turned off during the presentations. Unless the presenter is really engaging (and people who read off slides are anything but that), it is easy to fall asleep physically and/or mentally. This is a lose-lose situation for the presenter and the audience, because nobody will be able to learn anything beneficial constructive, significant, meaningful out of the presentations.

But there is a pet peeve of PowerPoint that applies to Dickinson. Some professors post the presentations up on Moodle, and as a result it can give students the false sense that going to class is redundant. The end result is often lackluster attendance. I know this because some of my fellow students have told me that they just read off the slides on their computers instead of going to class. Some professors try to correct this problem by having attendance requirements, but professors who do not have such requirements still face attendance problems, based on my experiences. While I wholeheartedly disagree with the philosophy that PowerPoints on Moodle can effectively take the place of a professor articulating what he or she has to say, there are some students who still think otherwise.

Instead of just saying that PowerPoint is a big problem, presenters should also reflect on the solutions. For those who are afraid of public speaking, it is best to rehearse what you have to say beforehand. If, even after the rehearsing, the presenter still feels tempted to use PowerPoint as a crutch, the slide shows should be ditched in the name of effective presenting. For professors who are concerned about class attendance, yet still feel that PowerPoints are absolutely necessary, they should not put the slide shows on Moodle. Of course, taking away PowerPoint altogether will not create the need for placing slide shows on Moodle in the first place.