ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Personally, I am convinced that the real problem is with over-use of
bullet-points. Used well, Powerpoint is a beautiful and important
communication tool.  

The issue of bad Powerpoint presentations often arises at the ECSITE
Conference in Europe (see you in Budapest next month?), where everything is
in English although this is not the first languange of the majority of
delegates. 

Native English-speakers clutter up each slide with bullet-pointed text and
find it easy to chatter away far too quickly. Non-native English-speakers
make heroic efforts to rehearse their presentations, but many still fill the
screen with text which they read aloud as quickly as they can manage, often
with an accent making it even more difficult for other nationalities to
follow.

I'm sure Pecha Kucha speed-rules are great on the right occasion, but would
be highly intimidating, and quite unfair, for someone struggling to present
in a language other than their own. 

My preference is to show lots and lots of pictures, with no more than a
couple of words underneath, and wherever possible with no words at all. I
find 'talking about the pictures' in a very informal way makes me (and the
audience) feel so much more relaxed and comfortable. I can speak slowly
where necessary, occasionally varying the pace by flicking through a short
sequence of images or cartoons very quickly to make the audience laugh.

Powerpoint 'slides' can just as easily include moving pictures. I find WMV
video files work best. They can be great if ruthlessly trimmed to no more
than 5 or 10 seconds, with or without sound, then freezing as a still image.

Don't ban Powerpoint. Ban the bullets! 'Talk about the pictures'.

[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
*
Ian Russell 
 

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]