Powerpoint custom animation experiment – check out the animation for yourself
June 17, 2009
Yesterday, I reported on the results of an experiment into the impact of Powerpoint custom animation on learning. I’ve now been given permission by the authors (Dr Stephen Mahar and colleagues) to publish samples of the screencasts used in the research.
Summary of the experiment
The purpose of the experiment was to test the hypothesis that: [Read more]
New research questions the benefits of custom animation in PowerPoint
June 16, 2009
I thought that simple, non-distracting animations that brought in slide elements one at a time as I verbally introduced them was helpful. I thought that it helped members of my audience focus on the slide element that I was talking about.
Seems I might be wrong.
Research carried out by Stephen Mahar, Ulku Yaylacicegi and Thomas Janicki found that students who were shown an animated PowerPoint slideshow learnt less than those that saw a non-animated slideshow.
Are you stuck within the Overhead Projector Paradigm?
November 22, 2008
In the days of overhead projectors, we’d slide a piece of paper down the transparency to reveal information step-by-step. That’s the Overhead Projector Paradigm.
When you’re stuck in this paradigm, you’re not using the full power of PowerPoint. What are the signs that you’re stuck in the Overhead Projector Paradigm?
- You bring on elements one-by-one
- You add elements to the slide from the top to the bottom of the slide
- You never have an element leave the slide
- You never have an element move on the slide
- You never have an element get bigger
- You never have an element get smaller.
