The Increasing Uses For Powerpoint Technology In Educational Settings

Microsoft PowerPoint feels like it has been with us forever, helping us display information during those long, often tedious, meetings/lectures or presentations. But it seems we have taken it at face value and only used it to display the odd chart, infographic or bullet point list.

Which is a real shame, Microsoft Powerpoint is capable of so much more than just showing a bar graph and few slides on soil erosion (or whatever subject matter you’re teaching). It can be a very powerful teaching tool, allowing you to engage your students in the topic and show them at the same time, all you need is the right template.

Fortunately, there is a growing trend taking advantage of this, and a good number of powerpoint based games have started to appear. They give you the ability to structure your classes in a fun and entertaining way without putting undue stress on teachers or indeed for that matter the students.

One such game is a review based jeopardy game, an easy to understand template which is very easy to edit to your needs. In fact, it has become a standard internationally for testing and reviewing students in a more relaxed and less intimidating way. The jeopardy based game also allows the entire class to get involved, removing the worry from both teachers and students of anyone one being singled out. Allowing the many different styles of learning to come together in a review game, helping the room as a whole.

Another plus of group game based learning using powerpoint templates is that it will allow teachers to gauge interest in certain topics which will them help them improve their classes over time, keeping their students engaged, focused and interested in the subjects being taught. Any subject can be used, as can any language, so the same templates and games are as viable in the United States as they are in Japan, China or anywhere around the globe, which is particularly useful for teachers who travel a lot.

At its core the powerpoint template is incredibly simple, utilizing categories, clues, and answers but the scope for personalisation is what makes this method of teaching so great. Once the template is setup with the clues, answer, etc. one simple click reveals a clue, answer or new category.

The potential for a simple game of jeopardy to revolutionize how we use Microsoft powerpoint in an educational setting is amazing.