Presentation :Told that I cannot use any Powerpoint type products. Alternatives?

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Christy

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I hope this is in the right forum. I have to make a presentation next month and have been told that I cannot use any Powerpoint type products. It is part of a Masters programme I am doing and I was wondering has anyone out there done any alternative presentations or got any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Christy
 
Re: Alterntaives to Powerpoint

Very strange one. Don't think I've every seen a presentation state "No powerpoint type products" before. Especially in a college environment.
(Do they go into detail in this? Do they mean no use of any computerised technology or do they mean no use of the Microsoft based technology?)

The only other option that springs to mind is a "whiteboard"/flipchart presentation. I've seen both used to good effect in the past, but something that would need a little thought in advance to ensure you get the content right (e.g. you can't have nice AVI clips prepared in advance, so know what you're going to need in advance and have it pre prepared).
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

Christy said:
...have been told that I cannot use any Powerpoint type products...
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Brilliant! I'm sick to the teeth of suffering through poorly designed, badly executed and content-free "presentations" where the emphasis is on the high-tech AV products and the presenters' mastery of them rather than on the message.

Isn't interesting though that even in academia, Microsft's product promotion has reached a stage where their product name has become synonymous with AV support for lectures and presentations. (refer to Jeep, Hoover, Google, etc. for other examples of this)

Keep it up, whatever institution that is, and put the emphasis back on the message, which needs to take precedence over the medium.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

you might be reading too much into this mathepac - maybe they just don't have a projector, or electricity...
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

rmelly said:
you might be reading too much into this mathepac - maybe they just don't have a projector, or electricity...
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:p These are the only situations where I've previously seen PP not used.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

I think you'd have to be told the why no powerpoint before suggesting an alternative.

Whats the objective they are trying to achieve by this rule?

I'm inclined to agree with mathepac though.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

I suppose you could use your imagination, and try other props relevant to the presentation. Things you can pass around, or that illustrate a point.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

the reason you can't use powerpoint is to prevent you relying on it which can make a very poor presentation. it is for you to demonstrate you knowledge of the subject of the masters and are expected to effectively give a speech.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

NiallA is right, the reason is to get us away from having facts and figures on a PP slide and just calling them out.

What we have in mind at the moment is to have some relevant items to pass around, a few A1 sheets with photos, articles, figures etc and some relevant data on flip charts but beyond that we are not sure. If there are any other ideas out there let us have them.

Thanks

Christy
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

One effective presentation technique I have seen is where the presenter involves the 'audience' by asking questions along the way, to get their opinions or experiences related to the topic.
Usually stops them falling asleep.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

Again it depends on what they mean by no Powerpoint. If it's an anti-microsoft thing or they don't have office, you could always create a presentation in powerpoint and convert it to .pdf format. Of course you need to make sure that they have Adobe reader! Probably best to clarify with them why.
 
Re: Alternatives to Powerpoint

Christy said:
I hope this is in the right forum. I have to make a presentation next month and have been told that I cannot use any Powerpoint type products. It is part of a Masters programme I am doing and I was wondering has anyone out there done any alternative presentations or got any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Forget the tools and technology initially. What's the objective of the presentation? What are you trying to achieve? Are you training? or passing on information? Or selling? or negotiating.

Firm up your message first - then work out the best aids to use. You could try a blackboard, or a whiteboard, or flip-chart, or handouts, or pictures with bits of sandpaper stuck on the back to attach them to an oul blanket.
 
If they have banned the easy option, they are looking for creative presentation, and engagement with the audience. I don't think a few printed handouts will suffice.
 
My guess is that they are trying to determine your ability to communicate verbally. PP presentations etc detract from this objective.

My advice is to concentrate on the audience and the message you want to communicate and to deliver it with out props or notes.
 
Yea Id agree that they are forcing you to be creative with the presentation and that is a good thing.
Go for a variety of methods. You could get some A1 size sheets printed up with bullet points or main diagrams in colour to refer to and provide a visual. Definately involve the audience if at all possible, brainstorming with the person sitting beside them maybe or in small groups. Throw out questions
 
Yea Id agree that they are forcing you to be creative with the presentation and that is a good thing.
Go for a variety of methods. You could get some A1 size sheets printed up with bullet points or main diagrams in colour to refer to and provide a visual. Definately involve the audience if at all possible, brainstorming with the person sitting beside them maybe or in small groups. Throw out questions fairly frequently. Move down around your audience. If there are physical props you can use bring them, maybe practical exercises you can use audience members for? Anecdotes? Personal stories of experience? Flipchart can be really good for recording information and explaining.

Powerpoint makes people lazy and they just put it together on a nice background and read out and elaborate on info.
​
 
Thanks for all the replies, it is a few weeks off yet so I have plenty of time to get ready, I hope.

Christy
 
Do the bob dylan video where he has the lyrics on cards (song name escapes me) with some key phrases. Put one key topic on each and hold it in front of you. Fling it out into the audience at the end of each topic - that ll keep em awake.
 
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