--- title: The Case Against Powerpoint Presentations description: "I am going to try digital blackboard presentations for a bit to see how that goes largely because research shows that fancy Powerpoint presentations help the audience retain more information than \"old-school\" teaching methods." image: https://aurumnova.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_257765374.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://aurumnova.com/blog/leadership/the-case-against-powerpoint-presentations#main-content) [![AurumNova Logo (Horizontal)](https://aurumnova.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aurum_nova_logo_horz@0.5x-1.png?width=1812&height=348&name=aurum_nova_logo_horz@0.5x-1.png)](https://aurumnova.com/) - [Overview](https://aurumnova.com/) - [Case Studies](https://aurumnova.com/case-studies) Show submenu for Case Studies - [Construction](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-construction) - [Aerospace](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-aerospace) - [Gaming](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-gaming) - [Research](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-research) - [Blog](https://aurumnova.com/blog) - [Our Story](https://aurumnova.com/our-story) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Overview](https://aurumnova.com/) - [Case Studies](https://aurumnova.com/case-studies) Show submenu for Case Studies - [Construction](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-construction) - [Aerospace](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-aerospace) - [Gaming](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-gaming) - [Research](https://aurumnova.com/case-study-research) - [Blog](https://aurumnova.com/blog) - [Our Story](https://aurumnova.com/our-story) - [Contact Us](https://aurumnova.com/contact-us) [Contact Us](https://aurumnova.com/contact-us) Jan 29, 2020, 7:47:00 AM # The Case Against Powerpoint Presentations ![Picture of Daniel Sim](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/29e7cf24c284898ec53631a85ad662d4) [Daniel Sim](https://aurumnova.com/blog/author/daniel-sim) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://aurumnova.com/blog/leadership/the-case-against-powerpoint-presentations) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://aurumnova.com/blog/leadership/the-case-against-powerpoint-presentations) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://aurumnova.com/blog/leadership/the-case-against-powerpoint-presentations) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://aurumnova.com/blog/leadership/the-case-against-powerpoint-presentations) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://aurumnova.com/blog/leadership/the-case-against-powerpoint-presentations) ![AdobeStock_257765374](https://aurumnova.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AdobeStock_257765374.jpeg?width=5390&height=2986&name=AdobeStock_257765374.jpeg) ## How about digital blackboards? I will try digital blackboard presentations to see how that goes, mainly because research shows that “old-school” teaching methods help the audience retain more information than fancy PowerPoint presentations. Kind of like this:   I have seen my share of PowerPoint presentations that make me absorb less information than just saying it without visuals. Being taught with visuals and text scribbled on a board on the fly feels much more personal and interactive. That said, PowerPoint slides have their place. My favorite communicator who uses slides is Steve Jobs; the slides are used as segues or markers, and when a digital picture or animation is used effectively. Here is one of his best:   ## Research However, don’t just take my word for it. Thankfully, some smart people have done their homework to prove the point. Here are some excerpts from research done on this topic: [Information retention from PowerPoint and traditional lectures](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131508002017) > …use in university lectures has influenced investigations of PowerPoint’s effects on student performance (e.g., overall quiz/exam scores) in comparison to lectures based on overhead projectors, traditional lectures (e.g., “chalk-and-talk”)… > Students retained 15% less information delivered verbally by the lecturer during PowerPoint presentations, but they preferred PowerPoint presentations over traditional presentations. [Does a High Tech (Computerized, Animated, Powerpoint) Presentation Increase Retention of Material Compared to a Low Tech (Black on Clear Overheads) Presentation?](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15328015tlm1702_3) > The purpose was to determine if differences in (a) subjective evaluation; (b) short-term retention of material; and (c) long-term retention of material occurred with the use of static overheads versus computerized, animated PowerPoint for a presentation to medical students.” > “There were no significant differences between the groups on any parameter. Conclusions: In this study, students rated both types of presentation equally and displayed no differences in short- or long-term retention of material. 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