Title: "Overloading on Slides: Cognitive Load Theory and Microsoft’s Slide Program PowerPoint "
    Name: Trudy Pachon
    Date: 12-13-09

    Reference: Cooper, E. (2009). Overloading on Slides: Cognitive Load Theory and Microsoft’s Slide Program PowerPoint. AACE Journal, 17(2), 127-135. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Retrieved December 8, 2009
From: http://www.editlib.org/f/28143

    Problem: The use of Microsoft’s Presentation Software, PowerPoint, may hinder student learning rather than support it. In this paper, Cooper uses the extant literature to look at factors in which PowerPoint can support student learning and those factors related to PowerPoint which impede learning. She states that according to Cognitive Load Theory, visual channels can be overloaded by poorly designed presentations. Presenters in educational settings need to carefully design materials using PowerPoint in order for presentations to support learning.

    Context: Cooper reviewed the literature on Cognitive Load Theory by several authors including van Merriënboer & Ayres, Mayer, and Hede. She then looked at the work of Bartsch and Cobern, Vik and Doumont. These authors were concerned with the use of PowerPoint in an educational setting. She also looked at the work of Tufte who is very critical of the use of PowerPoint.

    Findings: Cooper’s findings suggest that while using PowerPoint can support student learning in some ways, presentations must be carefully designed with learning theories in mind. Specifically she quotes that Mayer’s findings on cognitive theory and multimedia design support the idea that students retain more information when it is presented in multimedia form. Words and pictures are more powerful for learning than words alone, and they need to be presented simultaneously rather than consecutively. However, presenting animation, narration and text at the same time hinders learning because of cognitive overload.

    Cooper then discusses some of the major problems with PowerPoint in an educational setting. In general this medium can be difficult to design effectively due to the small space for text, the use of bullet points, and the temptation to use distracting backgrounds. For example, bullet points can inhibit schema creation due to ambiguity of the relationships in bulleted points. Use of charts is also a problem in PowerPoint. When presenting large data sets, handouts are usually a better choice than a slide. The use of the AutoContent feature is also problematic, as are the distracting transitions between slides PowerPoint features which interrupt relationship building from slide to slide.

    All of the researchers found similar results and Cooper compiles a list of the worst habits of PowerPoint users:

• too many or too few words per slide
• backgrounds that are inappropriate and distract from the content
• too much animation, sound effects, or video
• too many slides for presentation length
• overcomplicated graphics or charts
• lack of presentation structure and content relationships

    Recommendations: I wholeheartedly agree with the author of the paper. PowerPoint is not inherently evil, however well designed presentations are rare. As an educator, I have been guilty of boring presentations, as well as been the victim of them. Good presentations take careful planning with learning theories in mind.

    Cooper recommends that companies should be surveyed to see if proper design techniques are in place. Universities should establish guidelines for proper use of PowerPoint.

     If PowerPoint is the chosen medium for presenting material, these basic guidelines should be applied:

• Presentations should be designed with learning theories in mind.
• Great care should be taken to avoid overloading the audience.
• Choose the best medium for giving information to the audience. Large data sets are better served with handouts, video presentations may suit the material better, and pictures with narration or pictures with text are better than all three combined.