A Comparison of Simplified-Visually Rich and Traditional Presentation Styles

Abstract

Microsoft PowerPoint and similar presentation tools have become commonplace in higher education, yet there is very little research on the effectiveness of different PowerPoint formats for implementing this software. This study compared two PowerPoint presentation techniques: a more traditional format employing heavy use of bullet points with text and a newer format referred to as the Simplified-Visually Rich Approach, which uses frequent visuals and minimizes on-screen text. These techniques were assessed with a quasi-experimental between-groups design that analyzed the impact of these two formats on college student satisfaction and learning outcomes in a general psychology course. No differences in learning outcomes were demonstrated, although the Simplified-Visually Rich Approach produced significantly higher student satisfaction.