We’ve all been there — sitting in a classroom or lecture hall, staring blankly at a PowerPoint presentation while the instructor drones on. It’s easy to feel disengaged, bored, and even frustrated when you’re forced to consume information in such a way.
Despite being a staple of modern-day teaching and learning, the truth is that PowerPoint presentations are not the silver bullet for effective learning. In this article, we’ll explore why PowerPoints suck in the classroom and how we can move towards more interactive and engaging teaching methods.
Passive Learning
PowerPoint presentations are often used as a one-way mode of communication — the instructor presents while students sit and listen passively. This approach assumes students learn by listening and taking notes rather than actively engaging with the material.
Studies have shown that passive learning is less effective than active learning, which encourages students to interact with the material through discussions, group work, and hands-on activities. When students are actively engaged, they are more likely to remember and apply what they’ve learned.
Information Overload
PowerPoint presentations can be incredibly dense with text, images, graphs, and charts. While this…
