Many of us have struggled to comprehend or even stay engaged when a presenter is reading text directly from their slides. Why is this a wrong practice?
Sweller (1988) the author of Cognitive Overload Theory argues that when presenters read from slides, it overwhelms the audiences’ working memory because they are processing the same information through both visual and auditory channels. Richard Mayer (2005) suggests that multimedia presentations are most effective when visuals and spoken words complement each other rather than duplicate content (reading the slide). Andrew DeBell offers a helpful summary of How to Use Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning.
Nancy Duarte (2008) argues that slides should act as visual aids, not scripts, and should not be read. Similarly, Garr Reynolds (2011) also argues that slides should provide visual reinforcement, and must not be read verbatim because that disengages audiences.
Many experts will also suggest that reading from your slides is a form of disrespect and sends the message that you don’t trust your audience to glean your information or that you are the sole source of authority. There are so many reasons that you should never read your slides in a presentation or in a narrated video.
References
Duarte, N. (2008). Slide: ology: The art and science of creating great presentations (Vol. 1). Sebastapol: O’Reilly Media.
Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2005). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. Cambridge University Press.
Reynolds, G. (2011). Presentation Zen: Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery. New Riders.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem-solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12, 257–285.
