Slip-Sliding-Away: A Review of the Literature on the Constraining Qualities of PowerPoint

Sebastian Kernbach Università della Svizzera italiana ; Sabrina Bresciani University of St. Gallen ; Martin J. Eppler University of St. Gallen

Abstract

PowerPoint is a dominant communication tool in business and education. It allows for creating professional-looking presentations easily, but without understanding its constraining qualities it can be used inappropriately. Therefore we conducted a systematic literature review structuring the literature on PowerPoint in three chronological phases ( Early Criticism, Heated Debate, and Scientific Take-Off) and identifying 18 constraining qualities classified into three categories: cognitive, emotional, and social. This article provides implications for educators’ and practitioners’ use (and nonuse) of PowerPoint through synthesis and description of such constraining qualities. Directions for future research are developed by identifying theoretical gaps in literature on PowerPoint.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2015-09-01
DOI
10.1177/2329490615595499
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

References (68)

  1. 10.1080/00220270600579141
     ↗
  2. Technical Communication
  3. Atkinson C. (2004). Five experts dispute Edward Tufte on PowerPoint [Online forum article]. Retrieved from ht…
  4. 10.1177/1080569903262046
     ↗
  5. Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method
Show all 68 →
  1. Successful Meetings
  2. Bresciani S., Blackwell A. F., Eppler M. (2008, January). A collaborative dimensions framework: Understanding…
     ↗
  3. Brown D. (2002, September 29). Understanding PowerPoint: Special deliverables No. 5 [Blog post]. Retrieved fr…
  4. Bumiller E. (2010, April 26). We have met the enemy and he is PowerPoint. The New York Times. Retrieved from …
  5. 10.1177/1080569908317151
     ↗
  6. PowerPoint—Macht und Einfluss eines Präsentationsprogramms
  7. 10.1007/s10755-006-9017-5
     ↗
  8. 10.1177/1080569904671008
     ↗
  9. 10.1287/orsc.5.2.121
     ↗
  10. 10.1016/j.cognition.2010.09.012
     ↗
  11. 10.1515/sem-2013-0078
     ↗
  12. Slide:ology: The art and science of creating great presentations
  13. Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences
  14. 10.1177/1080569904671009
     ↗
  15. Multidisciplinary Newsletter for Activity Theory
  16. Farkas D. K. (2005, May). Understanding and using PowerPoint. Proceedings of the Society of Technical Communi…
  17. 10.1075/idj.14.2.08far
     ↗
  18. Technical Communication
  19. 10.1177/0170840607079536
     ↗
  20. 10.1145/1323688.1323710
     ↗
  21. Across the Board
  22. The theory of affordances
  23. The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration
  24. 10.1177/0092055X12444071
     ↗
  25. Visual language: Global communication for the 21st century
  26. Educational Leadership
  27. 10.1177/1080569906294634
     ↗
  28. 10.1287/orsc.1100.0531
     ↗
  29. Paper presented at the 20th EGOS Colloquium
  30. International Journal of Media, Technology and Lifelong Learning
  31. 10.1177/1749975507086275
     ↗
  32. 10.1177/1080569904672010
     ↗
  33. 10.1016/S0079-7421(02)80005-6
     ↗
  34. Empowering organizations: Enabling platforms and artefacts
  35. The basic works of Aristotle
  36. Understanding media: The extension of man
  37. Laws of media: The new science
  38. Context and consciousness: Activity theory and human-computer interaction
  39. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2003). Report of Columbia accident investigation board. Retri…
     ↗
  40. Norvig P. (1999). Gettysburg PowerPoint presentation. Retrieved from http://norvig.com/Gettysburg/
  41. Fortune
  42. 10.1037/h0027272
     ↗
  43. The New Yorker
  44. 10.1080/00220489909595980
     ↗
  45. 10.1177/002194369102800303
     ↗
  46. 10.1111/1467-8330.00317
     ↗
  47. Schwartz J. (2003, September 28). The level of discourse continues to slide. New York Times. Retrieved from h…
  48. Searls D. (1998). It’s the story stupid: Don’t let presentation software keep you from getting your message a…
  49. Harvard Business Review
  50. Communication Insight
  51. Simons T. (2005). Does PowerPoint make you stupid? Retrieved from http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/at…
  52. 10.1177/0263276408095215
     ↗
  53. Fortune
  54. The cognitive style of PowerPoint
  55. Tufte E. (2003b, September). PowerPoint is evil: Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely. Retrieved fr…
  56. The cognitive style of PowerPoint: Pitching out corrupts within
  57. Life on the screen: Identity in the age of the Internet
  58. Globalization culture and education in the new millennium
  59. Change: Principles of problem formation and problem resolution
  60. 10.1177/1080569903262027
     ↗
  61. 10.1177/1080569904265536
     ↗
  62. 10.1016/j.infoandorg.2013.07.003
     ↗
  63. 10.2190/CPIC4
     ↗