Recontextualising PowerPoint in higher education: Teacher perceptions and pedagogical affordances.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Recontextualising PowerPoint in higher education: Teacher perceptions and pedagogical affordances.
Authors:	Pengfei Zhao¹ zhaopengfei2014tr@gmail.com, Todd, Richard Watson¹
Source:	Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 2025, Vol. 41 Issue 5, p89-102. 14p.
Subject Terms:	Higher education, Visual communication, Language teachers, Cognitive load, Teaching methods, Teacher attitudes, *Audiovisual education
Reviews & Products:	Microsoft PowerPoint (Computer software)
Abstract:	Despite the widespread use of PowerPoint in higher education, little is known about how teachers perceive and use its pedagogical affordances - the potential actions enabled by its features. This qualitative case study examined the perceptions and slide design practices of three Business English teachers at a Thai university. Drawing on affordance theory, cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, data were collected through interviews, observations and slide analyses. The findings reveal distinct pedagogical approaches: Teacher A favoured a textbook-driven minimalist design to reduce cognitive load; Teacher B utilised multimedia-rich slides to promote interactive and culturally contextualised learning; and Teacher C adopted a task-focused minimalist approach, aligning slides with real-world communication scenarios. The study highlights that the instructional value of PowerPoint depends on teachers' pedagogical priorities, emphasising the need for a purposeful alignment between slide design and teaching objectives. Implications include the strategic integration of multimedia to enhance student engagement without overwhelming learners. The study also discusses limitations and suggests directions for future research on multimedia in language teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Despite the widespread use of PowerPoint in higher education, little is known about how teachers perceive and use its pedagogical affordances - the potential actions enabled by its features. This qualitative case study examined the perceptions and slide design practices of three Business English teachers at a Thai university. Drawing on affordance theory, cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, data were collected through interviews, observations and slide analyses. The findings reveal distinct pedagogical approaches: Teacher A favoured a textbook-driven minimalist design to reduce cognitive load; Teacher B utilised multimedia-rich slides to promote interactive and culturally contextualised learning; and Teacher C adopted a task-focused minimalist approach, aligning slides with real-world communication scenarios. The study highlights that the instructional value of PowerPoint depends on teachers' pedagogical priorities, emphasising the need for a purposeful alignment between slide design and teaching objectives. Implications include the strategic integration of multimedia to enhance student engagement without overwhelming learners. The study also discusses limitations and suggests directions for future research on multimedia in language teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	14493098