Power of powerpoint and role of chalkboard

Dear Sir

Over the past decade, the utilization of presentation software applications (e.g. PowerPoint) in medical schools has dramatically increased. Certainly, no one can deny the significance of these technologies in medical sciences; however, attention should be paid on using these technologies in the medical schools when the core learning is more important than mere showing colours and fancy slides. Teachers strive to improve the interaction with the students by using PowerPoint, but what they do not usually do is to realize and understand how students learn particularly at undergraduate levels. In teaching and learning, strategies should be developed to use PowerPoint appropriately in the classroom as tool rather as toy (McDonald 2004). PowerPoint serves more as a means of mapping and directing the flow of a classroom discussion on a topic than as a means of presenting the materials themselves (David & James 2004).

Teaching with chalkboard engages the learners actively and the learner is considerate to what the teacher is discussing, writing, illustrating on the board. In the chalkboard method, student easily makes a summary in his or her own words of the main thrust of the session, concentrates and tries to annotate this in relation to previous learning and possible future application, this may happen in chalkboard method only because teacher easily facilitate the students to discuss, write, think and understand the core information in the class room.

Considering the strengths and limitations of both types of teaching, a lecture in physiology was delivered in two different medical schools and students were divided into three groups. For one group lecture was delivered by using PowerPoint, for second group by using the chalkboard and for third group by using both PowerPoint as well as chalkboard. The same exercise was repeated in other medical science school for the confirmation of validity and reliability. It was observed that the students who attend the lecture on both PowerPoint and chalkboard obtained better score in single best multiple choice question examination, compared to those students who attended the same contents-based lecture on the PowerPoint or chalkboard only. Therefore, it is suggested that integrated approach should be adopted, conceptual figures, flowcharts, video clips may be discussed by using the PowerPoint but core contents must be discussed with chalkboard. Hence, to conclude we may say that the integrated (PowerPoint and chalkboard) method of teaching is more suitable tool of teaching and learning than alone PowerPoint or chalkboard.

Sultan Ayoub Meo

Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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