title: Does a high tech (computerized, animated, PowerPoint) presentation increase retention of material compared to a low tech (black on clear overheads) presentation?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computerized digital presentations have become standard in most medical schools without research proving their effectiveness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to determine if differences in (a) subjective evaluation; (b) short-term retention of material; and (c) long-term retention of material occurred with the use of static overheads versus computerized, animated PowerPoint for a presentation to medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  All students rotating on a required clerkship attended a standard lecture presented by 1 faculty member. The content of the presentation remained the same, but the instructional media varied (overheads on even months, animated PowerPoint on odd months). Students completed a posttest and subjective evaluation immediately following the lecture and repeated the posttest 1 year later. Unpaired t tests were used to compare the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the groups on any parameter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, students rated both types of presentation equally and displayed no differences in short- or long-term retention of material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0582, USA. Rick.Ricer@UC.EDU
authors.forename: Rick E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ricer
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Filak
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Short
mesh_terms: D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D006801:Humans; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013663:Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States