Coral Presenter Blog

I’m currently reading Better Than Bullet Points: Creating Engaging e-Learning with PowerPoint by Jane Bozarth. Bozarth proposes and then answers a very good question:

With PowerPoint so familiar, intuitive and easy to use, why would a trainer choose to buy an expensive authoring tool?

She lists the following reasons:

• PowerPoint allows for rapid development and deployment of e-learning
• PowerPoint provides for easy addition of graphics and simple animation
• Many organizations have libraries of PowerPoint presentations originally developed for classroom use which can be republished as e-learning
• Motion path animation gives PowerPoint users animation options previously only available in high-end graphics programs
• Even novice PowerPoint users will find the learning curve shorter than that associated with other tools
• Many other tools involve licencing fees or per-user costs
• Most trainers already own a copy of PowerPoint

All together they make a compelling case in favor of using PowerPoint with an e-learning “enabler” such as Coral Presenter to produce new e-learning and re-publish existing materials for online deployment. Her book does suggest a number of practical ways to make the materials more engaging which will hopefully improve learner acceptance of e-learning as well as raising the effectiveness of the learning process.

In the training world, many people are moving away from PowerPoint. Some completely abstain, while others are occasional users. The biggest critics say PowerPoint is the death of training. It appears, however, that no one asked the learners what they thought. In our study, the inclusion of PowerPoint presentations increased learner enjoyment by 25 percent.

PowerPoint makes it easier for people to follow along. It also keeps people focused, employing a message or image that relates to the topic. If minds do wander, PowerPoint is a reminder to get back in the game. And for visual learners, seeing a representation of information is key to their understanding.

So while much maligned and at times overused, PowerPoint should not be dismissed summarily—at least from the learner’s perspective.

via Everything DiSC Pulse: The Method Makes the Difference.

The number of trainers and teachers using PowerPoint to develop e-learning is still increasing and it’s interesting to see some empirical data showing that learner enjoyment increased (although we have not been told what it was being compared against — Excel perhaps?)