“Be a more engaging and memorable presenter”
By Corianne Way
I first heard about Prezi when I was in college and one of my professors requested that we try using it in lieu of Powerpoint for one of our presentations. Half-kidding she said “...because I don’t know how many more powerpoints I can sit through.”
Prezi is a new, cloud-based presentation tool that is available for free online. It allows users to make the most beautiful presentations. Just do a quick search on YouTube for Prezi Presentations and you can find awesome templates for Prezi presentations that some really creative people have developed.
In the Prezi vs Powerpoint debate there is a lot to say. Powerpoint has hundreds of features and there is a lot of options for customization there. However, Powerpoint has been around for 26 years! So, I think what makes Prezi so appealing is that it looks different. We all know what a Powerpoint presentation looks like and so therefore it is appealing to watch something new and unexpected.
When looked at side by side, the Prezi presentation is very visually exciting compared to Powerpoint. It has movement and really awesome zoom features which make your presentation engaging and interesting to watch. It gives the presenter an opportunity to teach in a creative way that can potentially have students watching with their eyes glued to the projector.
Similar to powerpoint, Prezi presentations can be converted into movies. But, since Prezi has the interesting zoom and movement aspect, this makes the movie-mode look very professional and well-done.
Another huge benefit to Prezi is that it’s free and cloud-based. This makes it affordable to use and convenient because the software is portable and you can open your presentation from wherever you are as long as you are connected to the internet.
Personally, I have found that Prezi is very user friendly. There are a lot of tutorials and help videos published by Prezi that you can find on on YouTube or on their website via their eBook. On their website, check out The Science of Effective Presentations. Although some may consider this a weakness, Prezi has a limited number of features. I find this to be a strength because it makes it easy to learn how to use. After all, DaVinci once said “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.
Researches over the last five years have raved about the use of web-based applications in the classroom. They find that softwares like Pezi are engaging and are well-reviewed by students. Dr. Zafar (2015), for example, recently reviewed the use of Prezi and presentations in the classroom and said:
“You begin your journey with fear and end up with nervousness and anxiety. But it does not have to be that way anymore. Presentations are able to take on a whole new level of enjoyment for everybody. Presentations can stand out and be more compelling, relevant, memorable, and understandable. In recent years, the field of design has changed vividly with the advent of new software that helps designers work in ways they never could or had imagined to do before. (510)”
Safar, A. H. (2015). Educating with Prezi: A New Presentation Paradigm for Teaching, Learning, and Leading in the Digital Age. College Student Journal, 49(4), 491-512.
Hi Corianne! This post is phenomenal! I've never used Prezi before, but you have definitely convinced me to give it a try. Great job!
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