I was introduced to a new technique using multimedia this summer that was so simple but worked brilliantly. My colleague, Don Lubach, is a technology junkie, much like my instructor, Patrick Faverty. Don turned me on to the concept of using a PowerPoint presentation with a speech (we both had to act the part of deans at Orientation sessions this summer by presenting a deans address that was packed with information and was also serious) where only a few words or a picture was shown on each slide and was timed with our speech. There were about 25 slides for the 10 minute presentation with some that had a word, or a sentence, or a picture that illustrated or brought home the concept or seriousness of the message. Don learned this technique from Lessig.org. Lawrence Lessig is known for his book Code and other Laws of Cyberspace.
I was nervous about doing these presentations, not feeling like I was dean enough, but using this method I felt like it gave the audience, the presentations were in Campbell Hall in front of about 600 people, something to pay attention to as I read along (there was no way I could have memorized this speech - it was too serious and the message was one that needed to be thorough, not told from the hip. Reading Mayer and Moreno's paper on cognitive theory of multimedia made me think that not only did using this technique during my serious dean talk help me get through it, but perhaps the audience retained more of the information then they would have if I just simple read it to them because they got to see something visual to support the message that was being delivered verbally.