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#220 Circulate your presentation

220

Research suggests that there is more chance that your presentation will be understood and remembered if you circulate it for reading in advance. Scientific study of recall contradicts the common idea that audio-visual presentation is superior to visual only materials.

The finding that people reading stuff is a better way of them ‘getting it’ than a voice-over presentation is called the ‘reversed modality effect’. The explanation is that auditory narrations could negatively affect working memory processing and lead to detrimental working memory overload. Did you get that? In short, reading complex stuff is better than having someone present it on screen and talk over it.

So, if you have a complicated argument to make, an intricate business case, make sure people read it before you talk them through it. Then focus your presentation on the key points of the argument or proposal.

If you want to read the detail – look up work in this field by Wong et al., 2012; Lockhart & Craik, 1990; Bjork, 1994; Kalyuga, 2011.