CS Undergraduates' Perceptions of Self-Tests in PowerPoint: Can learning be enhanced?

PowerPoint is a ubiquitous multimedia authoring tool that is widely used in education for in-class presentations and the distribution of course materials; however a common complaint is that it is linear and noninteractive thus does not enhance learning. Although the research literature describes methods of improving interactivity in PowerPoint such as the use of quizzes, there is a dearth of studies on the effectiveness of these methods. In an attempt to help to fill this gap this paper describes a case study of three undergraduate computer science classes, over three semesters, which utilised selftests that were integrated into their PowerPoint course materials. This study utilised self-reported questionnaires to analyse students’ perceptions of the tests to determine whether learning was enhanced. Many of the participants stated that their recall, understanding and retention were enhanced. These results are important since they help educators to understand and plan how to use PowerPoint more effectively for teaching and learning.