Using the assertion-evidence approach leads to better comprehension
and recall by the audience
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Joanna K. Garner, Michael Alley, Keri Wolfe, and Lauren Sawarynski
International Journal of Engineering Education (vol. 29, no. 6, 2013) 2012 ASEE Annual Conference 2011 ASEE Annual Conference Main Takeaway: Two audiences learned a technical subject by hearing the exact same words, but viewing different slides. One set of slides followed the common practice of slides in science and engineering: a topic-phrase headline supported by a bulleted list or a bulleted list and a graphic. The other set of slides followed the assertion-evidence structure of a sentence headline that states the main message of the slide (or scene). In this structure, that message headline is supported by visual evidence. This study found that the assertion-evidence audience understood and remembered the content better than the common-practice audience. In addition, the difference between the learning was statistically significant (p < .01). |
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Using the assertion-evidence approach leads to deeper understanding
of the content by the presenter
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Joanna K. Garner, Michael Alley, and Shannon Aippersbach
International Journal of Engineering Education (vol. 32, no. 1(A), 2016) 2013 ASEE Annual Conference Main Takeaway: This study found that student presenters who created a set of slides using the assertion-evidence approach understood the content better than student presenters who created the slides using the commonly followed topic-subtopic approach. The results of this study suggests that presenters using an assertion-evidence approach think more deeply about the content during the preparation of the slides than presenters following the typical approach. |
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Advancing the Knowledge Base of Effective Presentation Slide Design:
Three Pilot Studies
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Joanna Wolfe, Nisha Shanmugaraj, Juliann Reineke, Laura Caton Peet,
and Craig P. Moreau Carnegie Mellon University Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (July 2023) Abstract: The cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) describes a set of empirically tested principles that technical and professional communication research largely acknowledges as important to the design of presentation slides. However, presenters often run into difficulties understanding how to apply CTML principles to contexts in which it has not been tested. We present three pilot studies that extend our knowledge of how to apply CTML principles. Pilot study one suggests that CTML principles can be effective for presenting advanced research to expert audiences. Pilot study two highlights the importance of user testing nonessential images added primarily for visual interest, specifically finding that visual organizer images such as Microsoft PowerPoint’s SmartArt, can backfire by unintentionally indicating imprecise relationships while adding little in terms of visual interest. Pilot study three suggests that, when needing to present a long quotation, presenters should avoid verbatim reading and consider abridging or paraphrasing the quotation. |
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