A500.8.3.RB_PALUGODCAROLYN

I am a creative person by nature.  The most effective mode of learning for me must include lots of visual aids.  For one, I have a slight reading disability and therefore it takes me twice as long to read a paragraph from a textbook then the average person.  I’ve always learned best through live lecture, videos and mostly interactive forms of instruction.  Text on paper seems too abstract sometimes and I find myself reading things over and over again but never actually grasping the meaning.  Power Points that are loaded with text have the same type of negative and ineffective effects on me.

Everyone always hears about that instructor who kills you through death by Power Point.  We laugh about it when it happens to someone else, but when we are the victims of a bland, flat, monotone presentation that is loaded with text, bullet points and endless lists, we want the earth to swallow us up where we are sitting.  And I am only criticizing because I too have subjected people to this same torture by creating the same types of presentations.  You would think I wouldn’t inflict the same type of suffering on others when I personally can’t stand these types of presentations, but I think we do it out of habit.  Most of us just learn how to put a Power Point presentation together by seeing other examples.  We don’t tend to think outside the box and feel that we have to adhere to certain standards.

Ten years and a thousand Power Points later, I finally realize what a good presentation needs.  I’ve learned over the years, and just recently in this course, that in order to capture an audience you have to make your presentation meaningful.  People only learn if they can resonate with the information and own it.  In this sense, a presenter can use stories, analogies, and even pictures to make the information presented personal.

Another important aspect of creating a good Power Point presentation is to use imagery.  It has been scientifically proven that people retain information better when it is accompanied by pictures.  In fact, the rule of thumb should be more pictures and minimal text.  A truly effective presentation can consist of only pictures accompanied by an attractive narrative.  People don’t want to read words on a screen.  People want you to tell them what those words mean and at the same time be entertained.  This is the essence of an effective presentation.

Most importantly, we need to tap into our creative nature when creating a presentation.  We get so caught up in following standards instead of creating our own standards.  By this I mean not being afraid to incorporate different ideas or media even if it’s unconventional, as long as you stay within the parameters of professionalism.  The most important question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you would be entertained and intellectually enlightened by your presentation. 

Reference

Reynolds, G. (2010). Presentation Zen: How to Design & Deliver Presentations like a Pro.

Retrieved from http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/pdf/presentation_tips.pdf