Presentation technologies

I have been exploring some online presentation tools and have been prompted to consider their educational value and also how I currently use such tools in my own practice.

Whilst I do remember the unforgettable overhead projector from my experiences as a pupil (pictured, right) that not only caused photocopy technicians to grit their teeth at the number of crumpled acetate sheets clogging up photocopiers, but provided many a hilarious moment in the classroom when the teacher used to write on them and forget that it was projected back-to-front. People of a similar age will remember those tests - where pieces of paper were candidly placed over the answers - to be revealed later!

Replacing this technology is a multitude of options - portable digital projectors of all sizes that are able to be connected to cameras, iPods,  laptops and more. Also, there is the interactive whiteboard, which I have personally not had the experience of using in my professional practice (I don't work in a school!), but which invites the possibility of interactivity and collaboration.

There are many free online presentation tools available:

Google Docs has enabled digital presentation technology that many people are accustomed to, such as Powerpoint, to be stored, shared and edited online.

Prezi is particularly exciting as it allows for the presentation of information a non-linear way; no longer do you have to order your slides one after the other in a justifiable order, but you can express things, for example, in terms of 'the big picture' and how this is comprised of a multitude of 'smaller issues' - and you can express this in a very helpful visual way that includes zooming and rotating to further emphasise the complex nature of information. As is standard with many of the online presentation technologies, you can also integrate video via you tube and images from different sources. You are also able to collaborate on Prezi and edit presentations with other people online - not to mention, access a huge number of presentations created by other people.

Cosketch allows for real-time drawing that is accessible to a number of online users who can simultaneously collaborate or view the drawing.

It has been possible to project images and text for a number of years, but what is exciting for me about the tools described above is the opportunity for online collaboration and participation. If the above tools are used in traditional ways, i.e. the teacher presenting information to a group of learners, the learning environment will not differ much from the traditional chalkboard classroom of 100 years ago. However, if the opportunity is taken to engage learners in the creation, presentation and processing of information in the way that is made very easy with the above technologies - this will pave the way for a much more interactive and engaging learning environment.