To provide or not to provide course PowerPoint slides? The impact of instructor-provided slides upon student attendance and performance

• We examined student progress across two semesters comparing three slide conditions: No vs. partial vs. full slides.
• We measured actual student attendance: Instructor-provided slides had no impact on actual class attendance.
• We examined student use of partial vs. full slides in class note-taking and studying for exams.
• Instructor-provided slides adversely impacted student course performance on exam items.
• There were no differences by academic group (high/med/low GPA) on use of slides.

As PowerPoint has pervaded today's college classrooms, instructors have struggled with the issue of whether or not to provide students' with copies of course PowerPoint slides (instructor-provided slides). While students report that such slides assist them academically, many instructors have expressed concerns that these slides encourage absenteeism and classroom passivity. To help assess the academic impact of instructor-provided slides, the present study examined two semesters of students' progress in a communication theory course. Across these semesters, the study charted the relationship between access/use of various types of instructor-provided slides on class attendance and exam performance. In its key findings, the study found that instructor-provided slides had no impact on class attendance and an adverse impact on course performance for students using these slides in their notetaking process.