Do Lecture Pace, Detail, and Segmentation Affect Students' Comprehension of and Memory for a PowerPoint-Assisted Lecture?

Color poster with text and graphs describing research conducted by Carson A. Maule et al., advised by Kathryn L. Hamilton and Allen H. Keniston.Research on the PowerPoint's efficacy as an aid to lectures is rarely guided by cognitive theory. However, Mayer's cognitive theory of multimedia learning is well-suited to guide the design of PowerPoint presentations. In this experiment student participants heard either a complete lecture at once or the same lecture interrupted by memory testing, the lecture itself delivered at a slow or fast pace, and both combinations of these variables accompanied by either detailed or briefly outlined PowerPoint slides.Unitersity of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs