Image Versus Text in PowerPoint Lectures: Who Does It Benefit?

Abstract

Microsoft PowerPoint has become routine in higher education lectures, yet there is very little research on the effectiveness of text in slides, which is primarily what is used. The current study assessed student satisfaction with images versus text slides in PowerPoint lectures across several classes of one professor in the social work department at a large public university. The survey was sent to 123 BSW students who were instructed by the researcher with PowerPoint lectures that involved primarily images versus text. Seventy-eight students completed the survey for a response rate of 63%. Results indicated that students overwhelmingly reported that images in PowerPoint lectures enhanced their learning. However, further analyses indicated that being African American is negatively associated with enhancing their learning using images. This is important because of the increase in African American students enrolling in college and low institutional retention rates of underrepresented students.