Use of PowerPoint in Learning

Multimedia is the use of various tools to appeal to the student attention. The use of video, tape recorders, music instruments, flipcharts, crayons, PowerPoint, simulations, games etc... Are all example of multimedia. The purpose of multimedia in education is not to entertain but to allow the students to engage the learners.

The use of PowerPoint may be an excellent tool to meet the different learning styles of our students. For instance, the kinesthetic learner may benefit from the creation of the slides and the use of the provided handouts to add their personal notes. The Auditory learner would enjoy the sounds and visual transitions embedded within PowerPoint. Finally, the visual learner's interest is peeked with the proper use of visuals on the PowerPoint.

"Ivers and Barron (2002) propose the DDD-E model." DDD-E stands for Decide, Design, Develop, and Evaluate. This process is similar to the common ADDIE model. Decide: The first step is to determine what your objective is. Brainstorming sessions are good tools to determine what the final use of this product is. This phase should also include content research and collecting the various media tools you wish to incorporate. Design: During this phase, you would identify the metaphor you wish to use throughout the project. It is highly recommended to provide the learner with the ability to start and stop the training based on their needs. Creating flowcharts or storyboards would assist you in putting the pieces together. Develop: During this phase, you start to build the PowerPoint. Evaluate: There are two type of evaluations, Formative and Summative. The formative evaluation should take place at every step of the process (D, D, D) and once the product is completed and rolled out, it is important to complete a summative evaluation.

Resources
Ivers,K.S. & Barron, A.E. (2002). Multimedia projects in education: Designing, producing and assessing (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited
Marcovitz, D. (2004).Powerful PowerPoint for educators: using Visual Basic for applications to make PowerPoint interactive.Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited