powerpoint

[adaptation1]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Sometimes I wonder how professors--of anatomy, biochem, genetics, you name it--ever taught without powerpoint lectures. Could their teaching without, perhaps, force them to actually organize and condense the material and actually get the class to listen? I realized this situation after the professor literally went through 20 slides in 2 minutes, by simply reading lines he obviously copied and pasted from a textbook teacher handbook. Sometimes I think I could even teach the class -- and that scares me.

Any of your teachers still use chalkboard? Or actually master the pointpoint lecture? So far I've only seen mere recitation of powerpoint slides in medical school.

 

[Isoprop]

Sometimes I wonder how professors--of anatomy, biochem, genetics, you name it--ever taught without powerpoint lectures. Could their teaching without, perhaps, force them to actually organize and condense the material and actually get the class to listen? I realized this situation after the professor literally went through 20 slides in 2 minutes, by simply reading lines he obviously copied and pasted from a textbook teacher handbook. Sometimes I think I could even teach the class -- and that scares me.

Any of your teachers still use chalkboard? Or actually master the pointpoint lecture? So far I've only seen mere recitation of powerpoint slides in medical school.

Before powerpoint, the bad professors did this:

talk for about 5 minutes
write down a random word on the chalkboard
repeat

at the end of class, the chalkboard had just random crap everywhere.

 

[bomgd3]

Powerpoints may not be hip but they are sure as hell better than professors spewing random crap for an hour. Whenever we have chalk talks, my notes wind up an utter mess.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

There is another powerpoint thread already.

Powerpoints create a vehicle for mediocre professors to organize a lecture. In general, they mean the person talking is knowledgeable but terrible at communication. It also allows professors to say "it was in the lecture, you have to know it"

As far as "chalk talks" I use White Boards to lecture and Tutor students. When you prepare well, and know what you're going to say and when, they can be powerful tools for lecturing. My personal perspective on education is that the student (particular in medical school) can learn the details by reading independent of lecture, while the lecture coordinates the details into meaningful knowledge and relates it to medical practice.

In addition, the two people who are respected as being the best lecturers at our school, use only the whiteboard. When you walk out of the lecture you are stunned by how well you were taught, and how much you remember. Its stunning when people who are educators (not smart people who happen to lecture) educate, and educate well.

 

[Isoprop]

I'm going to have to disagree. Powerpoint can also be just as powerful of a tool in teaching. The best lectures I've attended were done on Powerpoint.

However, the worst "chalk talks" were nowhere near as bad as the worst powerpoint lecturers. I've helped bad teachers improve their lectures, and if they doesn't use powerpoint, it's the first thing I make him do. Yes, they will end up using it as a crutch, but they will become at least mediocre teachers. It forces them to put effort into their discussions instead of walking in and blabbing on for an hour.

As a teacher, I've done both powerpoint and chalkboard. I personally do better on chalkboard b/c that's my style. But it also depends on the material. I probably wouldn't be using the board to teach a histology or an art history class.