PowerPoint KILLS
Effective Teacher and Student Presentations
Spiro Bolos, New Trier High School

PowerPoint KILLS ?

“Imagine a widely used and expensive
prescription drug that claimed to make us
beautiful but didn’t. Instead the drug had
frequent, serious side effects: making us
stupid, degrading the quality and credibility of
our communication, turning us into bores,
wasting our colleagues’ time. The side
effects, and the resulting unsatisfactory cost/
benefit ratio, would rightly lead to a
worldwide product recall.”
— Edward Tufte, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint

COLUMBIA
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD
ENGINEERING BY VIEWGRAPHS
The Debris Assessment Team presented its analysis in a formal Tufte also criticized the sloppy language on the slide. “The
briefing to the Mission Evaluation Room that relied on Power- vaguely quantitative words ‘significant’ and ‘significantly’ are
Point slides from Boeing. When engineering analyses and risk used 5 times on this slide,” he notes, “with de facto meanings
assessments are condensed to fit on a standard form or overhead ranging from ‘detectable in largely irrelevant calibration case
slide, information is inevitably lost. In the process, the prior- study’ to ‘an amount of damage so that everyone dies’ to ‘a dif-
ity assigned to information can be easily misrepresented by its ference of 640-fold.’ ” 40 Another example of sloppiness is that
placement on a chart and the language that is used. Dr. Edward “cubic inches” is written inconsistently: “3cu. In,” “1920cu in,”
Tufte of Yale University, an expert in information presentation and “3 cu in.” While such inconsistencies might seem minor, in
who also researched communications failures in the Challenger highly technical fields like aerospace engineering a misplaced
accident, studied how the slides used by the Debris Assessment decimal point or mistaken unit of measurement can easily
Team in their briefing to the Mission Evaluation Room misrep- engender inconsistencies and inaccuracies. In another phrase
resented key information.38 “Test results do show that it is possible at sufficient mass and
velocity,” the word “it” actually refers to “damage to the protec-
The slide created six levels of hierarchy, signified by the title tive tiles.”
and the symbols to the left of each line. These levels prioritized
information that was already contained in 11 simple sentences. As information gets passed up an organization hierarchy, from
Tufte also notes that the title is confusing. “Review of Test Data people who do analysis to mid-level managers to high-level
Indicates Conservatism” refers not to the predicted tile damage, leadership, key explanations and supporting information is fil-
but to the choice of test models used to predict the damage. tered out. In this context, it is easy to understand how a senior
manager might read this PowerPoint slide and not realize that it
Only at the bottom of the slide do engineers state a key piece of addresses a life-threatening situation.
information: that one estimate of the debris that struck Columbia
was 640 times larger than the data used to calibrate the model on At many points during its investigation, the Board was sur-
which engineers based their damage assessments. (Later analy- prised to receive similar presentation slides from NASA offi-
sis showed that the debris object was actually 400 times larger). cials in place of technical reports. The Board views the endemic
This difference led Tufte to suggest that a more appropriate use of PowerPoint briefing slides instead of technical papers as
headline would be “Review of Test Data Indicates Irrelevance an illustration of the problematic methods of technical com-
of Two Models.” 39 munication at NASA.
The vaguely quantitative words "significant" and
"significantly" are used 5 times on this slide, with de facto
meanings ranging from "detectable in largely irrelevant
calibration case study" to "an amount of damage so that
everyone dies" to "a difference of 640-fold." None of
these 5 usages appears to refer to the technical meaning
of "statistical significance."
Review Of Test Data Indicates Conservatism for Tile The low resolution of PowerPoint slides promotes
Penetration the use of compressed phrases like "Tile Penetration."
As is the case here, such phrases may well be ambiquous.
• The existing SOFI on tile test data used to create Crater
was reviewed along with STS-107 Southwest Research data
(The low resolution and large font generate 3 typographic
orphans, lonely words dangling on a seperate line.)
– Crater overpredicted penetration of tile coating
significantly
• Initial penetration to described by normal velocity
Varies with volume/mass of projectile(e.g., 200ft/sec for This vague pronoun reference "it" alludes to damage
3cu. In) to the protective tiles,which caused the destruction of the
• Significant energy is required for the softer SOFI particle Columbia. The slide weakens important material with
to penetrate the relatively hard tile coating ambiquous language (sentence fragments, passive voice,
Test results do show that it is possible at sufficient mass multiple meanings of "significant"). The 3 reports
and velocity
• Conversely, once tile is penetrated SOFI can cause were created by engineers for high-level NASA officials
significant damage who were deciding whether the threat of wing damage
Minor variations in total energy (above penetration level) required further investigation before the Columbia
can cause significant tile damage attempted return. The officials were satisfied that the
– Flight condition is significantly outside of test database reports indicated that the Columbia was not in danger,
• Volume of ramp is 1920cu in vs 3 cu in for test
and no attempts to further examine the threat were
2/21/03 6
made. The slides were part of an oral presentation and
also were circulated as e-mail attachments.
In this slide the same unit of measure for volume
(cubic inches) is shown a different way every time
3cu. in 1920cu. in 3 cu. in
rather than in clear and tidy exponential form 1920 in 3 .
Perhaps the available font cannot show exponents.
Shakiness in units of measurement provokes concern.
Slides that use hierarchical bullet-outlines here do not
handle statistical data and scientific notation gracefully.
If PowerPoint is a corporate-mandated format for all
engineering reports, then some competent scientific
typography (rather than the PP market-pitch style) is
essential. In this slide, the typography is so choppy and
clunky that it impedes understanding.
The analysis by Dr. Edward Tufte of the slide from the Debris Assessment Team briefing. [SOFI=Spray-On Foam Insulation]
Report Volume I August 2003 191

The vaguely quantitative words "significant" and
"significantly" are used 5 times on this slide, with de facto
meanings ranging from "detectable in largely irrelevant
calibration case study" to "an amount of damage so that
everyone dies" to "a difference of 640-fold." None of
these 5 usages appears to refer to the technical meaning
of "statistical significance."
Review Of Test Data Indicates Conservatism for Tile The low resolution of PowerPoint slides promotes
Penetration the use of compressed phrases like "Tile Penetration."
As is the case here, such phrases may well be ambiquous.
• The existing SOFI on tile test data used to create Crater
was reviewed along with STS-107 Southwest Research data
(The low resolution and large font generate 3 typographic
orphans, lonely words dangling on a seperate line.)
– Crater overpredicted penetration of tile coating
significantly
• Initial penetration to described by normal velocity
Varies with volume/mass of projectile(e.g., 200ft/sec for This vague pronoun reference "it" alludes to damage
3cu. In) to the protective tiles,which caused the destruction of the
• Significant energy is required for the softer SOFI particle Columbia. The slide weakens important material with
to penetrate the relatively hard tile coating ambiquous language (sentence fragments, passive voice,
Test results do show that it is possible at sufficient mass multiple meanings of "significant"). The 3 reports
and velocity
• Conversely, once tile is penetrated SOFI can cause were created by engineers for high-level NASA officials
significant damage who were deciding whether the threat of wing damage
Minor variations in total energy (above penetration level) required further investigation before the Columbia
can cause significant tile damage attempted return. The officials were satisfied that the
– Flight condition is significantly outside of test database reports indicated that the Columbia was not in danger,
• Volume of ramp is 1920cu in vs 3 cu in for test
and no attempts to further examine the threat were
2/21/03 6
made. The slides were part of an oral presentation and
also were circulated as e-mail attachments.
In this slide the same unit of measure for volume
(cubic inches) is shown a different way every time
3cu. in 1920cu. in 3 cu. in
rather than in clear and tidy exponential form 1920 in 3 .
Perhaps the available font cannot show exponents.
Shakiness in units of measurement provokes concern.
Slides that use hierarchical bullet-outlines here do not
handle statistical data and scientific notation gracefully.
If PowerPoint is a corporate-mandated format for all
engineering reports, then some competent scientific
typography (rather than the PP market-pitch style) is
essential. In this slide, the typography is so choppy and
clunky that it impedes understanding.
The analysis by Dr. Edward Tufte of the slide from the Debris Assessment Team briefing. [SOFI=Spray-On Foam Insulation]

meaning
calibrati
everyone
these 5 u
of "statis
Review Of Test Data Indicates Conservatism for Tile
“In the reports, every single text-slide
The low
Penetration the use o
As is the
usesreviewed along tile test data used 4 create Crater
was
bullet-outlines with to to 6 levels
• The existing SOFI onwith STS-107 Southwest Research data (The low
orphans,
of hierarchy. Then another multi-level
– Crater overpredicted penetration of tile coating
significantly
list, another bureaucracy of bullets,
• Initial penetration to described by normal velocity
Varies with volume/mass of projectile(e.g., 200ft/sec for This vag
3cu. In) to the pr
starts afresh for a new slide.
• Significant energy is required for the softer SOFI particle
to penetrate the relatively hard tile coating
Columbi
ambiquo
Test results do show that it is possible at sufficient mass multiple
and velocity
• Conversely, once tile is penetrated SOFI can cause were cre
How is it that each elaborate
significant damage
Minor variations in total energy (above penetration level)
who wer
required
architecture of thought always
can cause significant tile damage attempte
– Flight condition is significantly outside of test database reports i
• Volume of ramp is 1920cu in vs 3 cu in for test
fits exactly on one slide?”
and no a
2/21/03 6
made. T
also wer
In this sl
(cubic in
rather th

“Life After Death By PPT”

“Particularly disturbing is the adoption
of the PowerPoint cognitive style in
our schools. Rather than learning to
write a report using sentences, children
are being taught how to formulate
client pitches and infomercials.”
— Edward Tufte, “PowerPoint is Evil”

RESEARCH

dual-channels

“Multimedia Principle”

“Contiguity Principle”

“Coherence Principle”

(cognitive load)

versus

“[I]n designing a PowerPoint slide it is
important to not present an overwhelming
amount of information (i.e., coherence
principle) and it is useful to have simple
graphics to supplement words (i.e.,
multimedia principle).”

“Personalization Principle”

EXEMPLARS

The “Lessig Method”

www.ted.com

GUIDES

danger,
alert
renewal
fave
trust

SOURCES

flickrSTORM
http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/

AFTERWARDS

“Studies by...Mayer et al. (2003) showed
beneficial effects of giving learners
control over the pacing of their
multimedia instructions in terms of
learning results” (346).
The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning
— Richard E. Mayer

“PowerPoint is a competent slide manager
and projector. But rather than supplementing
a presentation, it has become a substitute for
it. Such misuse ignores the most important
rule of speaking: Respect your audience.”
— Edward Tufte, “PowerPoint is Evil”

• PowerPoint icon: http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/File:Powerpoint_mac_2008_icon.png
• Dr. Richard Mayer: http://
www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/mayer/
index.php
• The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia
Learning by Richard E. Mayer
• Bill Gates: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
worldeconomicforum/350245689/

• Interview with Richard Mayer: http://
www.sociablemedia.com/
articles_mayer.htm
• Edward Tufte, “PowerPoint is Evil”: http://
www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/
ppt2.html
• Columbia shuttle debris: http://
history.nasa.gov/columbia/debris_pics.html
• Sunset: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
wavy1/2303062662/

• Columbia launch: http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/
BROWSE/columbia_1.html
• Richard E. Mayer: http://www.udel.edu/PR/
UDaily/2008/jul/Mayerlg.jpg
• The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: http://
www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint
• “Entering Hyperspace”: http://
www.flickr.com/photos/eole/380316678/

• Sports Designer of the Year: http://
www.sportsdesigner.com/
1/2007/02/2006_sports_des.html
• 2 computers image: http://www.flickr.com/
photos/timsamoff/144022496/
• Limited capacity image: http://
www.flickr.com/photos/fotex/217896072/
• Steve Jobs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
acaben/541334636/

• Lawrence Lessig: http://www.flickr.com/
photos/joi/2115184003/
• “Dodging Bullets in Presentations”: http://
www.slideshare.net/RowanManahan/
dodging-bullets-in-presentations
• “Our Direction”: http://www.flickr.com/
photos/b-tal/116220689/
• One Hour PPT: http://jakes.editme.com/
onehourppt

• “Sources”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
theklan/527782553/
• An Introduction to FlickrStorm: http://
www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?
viewkey=6fa63738371ec0d5df81
• Ear: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
lintmachine/2251514423/
• Eye: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
simonpais/59039141/