Effects of PowerPoint
In “PowerPoint is Evil” by Edward Tufte he criticizes PowerPoint stating that the average PowerPoint elevates format over content and is turning presentations into sales pitches. He then goes on to argue that this infection is not just plaguing the corporate world but that it also negatively affects the education system in the United States. He asserts the idea that children are being taught not how to write sentences but rather how to formulate client pitches.
My response: so what? It is important that when educating students schools provide them with skills that can be applied to the real world. Having a thorough understanding of how to use Microsoft office and effectively create a power point presentation is an important quality that many prospective employers look for and is useful in higher education as well. The author seems to have a problem with PowerPoint’s stating that they are sales pitches, well so are persuasive essays. Mastering the art of persuading people is a very valuable skill crucial in fields like sales, law, politics, business and more. Even an engineer proposing a public works project before a city council needs to be able to persuasively explain why building a new damn in the town reservoir can be done cost effectively and is crucial to the towns safety because the current damn possesses a flawed design. In my opinion whatever delivers the desired result, do it. An entrepreneur has to convince his investors that his cause is worthwhile, if that means sacrificing content for format than it should be done because the ultimate goal is to convince the other party why your side is right and important. The key is to have the most effective visual example possible in many cases a chart or diagram, and to then supplement that visual presentation with a powerful oral argument. The sales pitch aspect the author claims is being taught, requires both factors to be effective. As long as the duality is taught, I see no problem with the troubling trend the author seems to interpret .
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