Advantages and

Disadvantages of
Powerpoint in Language
Teaching and Learning
as a Realization of
Computer-Assisted
Language Learning
(CALL) Method
1. INTRODUCTION
Educational technology and Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)
provide many benefits for teaching the Language skills: listening, speaking,
reading and writing as well as vocabulary and grammar. Various CALL programs
involve the use of computer and their application to teach and learn language in
variety of ways. PowerPoint Presentation is also considered as a part of CALL.
PowerPoint Presentation is a type of presentation software (PS) that allows users to
show colored text and images with simple animation and sound (Hlynka, D. &
Mason, R. , 1998). It helps to create audio, visual as well as audio-visual effects in
the classrooms while teaching and can be highly effective in attracting and
sustaining students’ attention. Powerpoint has gained prominence: projecting
information directly from a computer onto a screen. In fact, many colleges and
universities have rooms or mobile carts equipped with technology necessary for
any instructor to display information in this manner. Furthermore, some
administrations are pushing for instructors to use this technology (Carlson, 2002).

1. BACKGROUND OF THE TOPIC

The use of PowerPoint presentations by teachers can offer the opportunity for
presenting lectures more effectively and can be a great tool for making teaching
and learning of English as a foreign language easy, interactive and enjoyable
experience. However, this does not seem to be the reality for some schools in
Semarang. Most of the teachers and the instructors of English language in
Semarang still use the old and traditional techniques like using black and white
boards, or preparing some printed notes to be given in each class and using lecture
method to explain the topic being discussed. This makes the learning of English as
a foreign language quite difficult for the learners. Such methods make it quite
difficult for them to grasp and understand the main concepts and ideas in
theoretical subjects like Linguistics. This leads them to develop negative attitude
not only towards learning of English but also towards their teachers.

1. REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC

Based on the background of the topic, the writer proposes “Advantages and
Disadvantages of Powerpoint in Language Teaching and Learning as a Realization
of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Method, because the writer
wants to provide information about the importance of using powerpoint in teaching
and learning not only for teachers in Semarang but also for all teachers and
instructors around the world. The writer will also covers both advantages and
disadvantages of powerpoint.

1. OBJECTIVES
This paper aims to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using powerpoint
in language teaching and learning.

1. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Researchers have examined how helpful powerpoint is. Overall, research indicates
that students prefer powerpoint type presentations to presentations from
transparencies (Cassady, 1998). Unfortunately, information on whether computer
presentations improve student performance is much less clear. Several studies
point to the idea that graphics improve student recall (Lowry, 1999). One study
states four advantages of using powerpoint in teaching and learning : attracted and
sustained attention, motivated to learn, helped in grasping and understanding
complex concepts, made learning interactive and enjoyable (Alkash & Al-Dersi,
2013). Another study shows some disadvantages of powerpoint : irrelevant
information may be harmful, neglect of interaction with students may make a
lecture a monologue, the high speed may reduce participation of students, too strict
order of slides may limit the extemporaneous performance of instructor (Ding
Xingeng &Liu Jianxiang, 2012).

 
1. ANALYSIS
Powerpoint is now one of the most widely applied software in classroom teaching.
Powerpoint presentation has many advantages over traditional “chalk-and-talk”
lecture. However, Powerpoint is not almighty. An early study compared classes
taught with and without powerpoint materials, and showed no significant change in
student performance with powerpoint though most students prefer powerpoint to
chalkboard (Daniels, 1999). Another study reported that, powerpoint may have
created a generally favorable impression of the class and the professor, but not
significantly affecting grades (Apperson, Laws, & Scepansky, 2008). If
inappropriately used, powerpoint would decrease the effect of the lecture. It is thus
important to realize advantages and disadvantages of powerpoint, as well as
strategies to avoid its disadvantages.

1. Advantages of Powerpoint
Alkash and Al-Dersi (2013) has reported some benefits of powerpoint. They
collected data from the Libyan EFL learners and used interview method prior to
the use of the powerpoint presentation. The summary of their analysis about the
benefits of powerpoint presentation includes :

1. Powerpoint presentation to present the lectures in Teaching Methods and

Micro-Teaching helped in grasping and understanding the main concepts and
theories in these subjects easily.
2. The use of poweroint presentation made learning interactive and easy.
3. The use of powerpoint presentation helped to develop motivation towards
learning English as a foreign language.
4. With the use of powerpoint presentation, studying English was fun and
enjoyable because of various features like graphics and other various audio-
visual features.
It is clear from the results obtained from the research of Alkash and Al-Dersi that
almost all the Libyan students felt the use of the powerpoint presentations
motivating and helpful in their study. It was also observed that the Libyan EFL
learners were more engaged in the lessons when presented with powerpoint.

The writer also proposes some advantages of powerpoint in teaching and learning :

1. Producing Better Visual Effects and Deeper Impression.

By presenting powerpoint slides inserted with pictures, flow charts, schematics,
animations, evenvideo clips, the lecture may become vivid and attractive to
students. Several studies supported the hypothesis that graphics and animations
improve students’ recall (Lowry, 2000). Also,powerpoint lecture may benefit
recall, or perhaps recognition, from memory (Szabo & Hastings, 2000). With the
help of advancedprojector with high contrast and resolution, a better effect of
powerpoint presentation could be obtained.

2. Speeding up the Information Transfer.

In a powerpoint presentation, the teacher can deliver more information than by
traditional lecture. The amount of information transferred in a traditional lecture is
often limited by the writing speed of the instructor on chalkboard. But in a
powerpoint presentation, all outlines were typed previously in slides. Compared
with chalkboard-writing in traditional lecture, a powerpoint file can be easily
copied, maintained, transferred and printed.

3. More Precise and More Systematic.

A well-prepared powerpoint may present students with more precise contents of
English subject. Tostudents, this is essential for correct and accurate
comprehension of the subject. On the other hand, powerpoint slides may be
systemically organized. The clear outline could be helpful for students to construct
correct knowledge in mind.

1. Disadvantages of Powerpoint
2. Irrelevant information may be harmful.
In order to attract students’ attention, some instructor may add some decorative but
irrelevant figures or animations into a slide. Though students might be more
interested in the image-rich slides than bullet points, unrelated graphics are not
helpful for learning.

2. Neglect of interaction with students may make a lecture a monologue.

Though the aid of a powerpoint makes the instructor more confident, usually the
instructor’s eyes will stay more on the screen than on the face of students. The
lecture may thus lack eys-contacts between teacher and students. This may zoom
out the distance between them.

3. The high speed may reduce participation of students.

If there are too many lines in a slide, when projecting, students may soon feel tired
or disappointed when they find it is difficult to follow the instructor. If the
instructor pays no attention to reflect from the students, he may easily accelerate
the speed of presentation. Sometimes, even though he may aware of the feedback
from students, in order to finish the lecture content, he may still go on fast. When
the speed of the instruction continuously exceeds the comprehensive speed of
students, the two parts of a class may separate. It may lead to the failure of the
lecture.
4. Too strict order of slides may limit the extemporaneous performance of
instructor.
In a powerpoint, the order of slides is previously fixed. If the instructor could not
control the rhythm while presenting slides, he might be easily controlled by the
powerpoint. Therefore the instructor may need to adjust the progress by
extemporaneous pause, questions, or even change the order of slides temporarily if
necessary.

 
1. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
2. SUMMARY
Powerpoint presentation can enrich the information presented in a lesson, and
make the presentation more organized and flexible. Main points can be emphasized
by using graphics, animation and sound. Powerpoint can be used for content
review also. It can be highly effective and powerful tool not only to present the
material but also to make the complex ideas in the material easy and simple to
grasp. It can also help in attracting and sustain the learners’ attention in the class
which is the main requirement for making learning successful. However, irrelevant
information in powerpoint slides may be harmful. The lecture may lack eys-
contacts between teacher and students that may make a lecture a monologue. The
high speed of presentation may reduce participation of students. If the instructor
could not control the rhythm while presenting slides, he might be easily controlled
by the powerpoint.

1. RECOMMENDATION
The writer provides recommendation especially some strategies to avoid
disadvantages of powerpoint presentation. Firstly, use powerpoint as an assistant
tool in education. A principle should be hold during preparing and presenting
powerpoint. That is, powerpoint is but a tool of a lecture. Chalkboard writing, as
another useful tool may play unique role. For example, when comparing two
conceptions or processes, or summarizing a story, the instructor may interact with
students, leading students step by step with questions and chalkboard writing. The
effect may be much better than the simple instruction with a powerpoint. Secondly,
design a powerpoint properly and delicately. Many tips for a good powerpoint had
been introduced. For example, only place essential points on the outline slide;
avoid using long sentences, use key words and phrases instead; use proper font,
size, color and background; avoid using animation that may cause distracting; use
graphs rather than charts and data. However, while applying, all above tips should
be considered again to make sure that they are suitable for the contents of the
lecture, and also for students in certain major. Finally, communicate with students
in applying powerpoint. In showing a powerpoint, the instructor should be very
cautious about the feedback from the students.
 
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Szabo and N. Hastings, “Using IT in the undergraduate classroom: should we
replace the chalkboard with PowerPoint?” Comput. Educ., vol. 35, pp. 175-187,
November 2000.

Carlson, S. (2002, March 29). Wired to the hilt. The Chronicle of Higher
Education, A33–A35.

Cassady, J. C. (1998). Student and instructor perceptions of the efficacy of

computer-aided lectures in undergraduate university courses. Journal of
Educational Computing Research, 19, 175–189.

Hlynka, D., & Mason, R. (1998). PowerPoint in the classroom: what is the
point? Educational Technology, 38, 45–48.
J. M. Apperson, E. L. Laws and J. A. Scepansky, “An assessment of student
preferences for PowerPoint presentation structure in undergraduate courses,”
Comput. Educ., vol. 50, pp. 148–153, January 2008.

K. A. Babb and C. Ross, “The timing of online lecture slide availability and its
effect on attendance, participation, and exam performance,” Comput. Educ., vol.
52, pp. 868–881, May 2009.

L. Daniels, “Introducing technology in the classroom: PowerPoint as a first step,”

J. Comput. High Educ., vol. 10, pp. 42-56, March 1999.

Lowry, R. B. (1999). Electronic presentation of lectures—effect upon student

performance. University Chemistry Education, 3(1), 18–21