Discourse Analysis: PowerPoint as a Form of Communication

2301 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impacts of mass communication on society

Language is possibly the single most important trait humans posses. We use it in everyday interactions to express feelings, desires, and needs. Technology allows us to pass information, using language, around the world accurately, precisely, and immediately. A hurricane devastating the Philippines is beamed into American homes as it occurs; a car bombing in Lebanon is seen minutes after reporters arrive. The ability to transmit information is taken for granted as sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow family and friends, as well as complete strangers, to communicate instantaneously.
Different modes of communication excel at delivering specific types of communication. Twitter, while immediate, limits users to 140 characters in messages. Cell phones allow users to communicate in words and pictures, but calls involving large numbers of users become unwieldy. Various products attempt to link the ability to communicate using words and pictures, both face to face and over distances. Microsoft’s PowerPoint is perhaps the best known method for the transfer of pictures and written information.
Used by businesses, schools, and government agencies, PowerPoint slides are a common form of communication. Slides are used to present information in a face to face setting, then emailed and provided to those not present. Work teams separated geographically can collaborate by creating slides via email. While convenient, PowerPoint has disadvantages. Poorly created slides inhibit the flow of information, and complex ideas are difficult to reduce into “bullet” statements. PowerPoint slides create large files which are difficult to email over slow internet connections. Despite its disadvantages, the U.S. Army has embraced PowerPoint as...

... middle of paper ...

...mes 27 Apr. 2010: A1. Print.
Fogarty, Mignon. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2008. Print.
Hammes, T.X.. "Dumb Dumb Bullets." Armed Forces Journal 2 (2009): n. pag. Military review. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Jones, Rodney H.. Discourse Analysis: A Resource Book for Students. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Lythgoe, Trent. "Flight Simulation for the Brain." Military Review Nov-Dec (2011): 49-56. Print.
Ricks, Thomas E. Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Print.
Salahu-Din, Deborah , Hillary Persky, and Jessica Miller. "The Nation’s Report Card: Writing." U.S. Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
The Operations Process. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 2012. Print.

Show More
Related

  • BAY OF PIGS

    2847 Words  | 6 Pages

    “The Price of Military Folly.” U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 . Robinson, Linda.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 in Today’s World

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    Matusek, Matt. “Purpose of Iraq war murky to Americans.” 17 September 2004. The Online Rocket. 1 April 2008.

    Read More

  • Critically evaluate the claim that discourse analysis could become the dominant paradigm for psychology in the future.

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...e cited this as another major limitation of discourse analysis, stating that the array of options available through the various methods can create inconsistencies and render issues of methodology problematic. In terms of application, discourse analysis involves a re-design of the topic through the study of interactional order (Schiffrin, Tannen and Hamilton, 2008).

    Read More

  • Physician Assisted Suicide Creates a Great Amount of Debate in America

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    Longaker, Mark Garrett, and Jeffrey Walker. Rhetorical Analysis: A Brief Guide for Writers. Glenview: Longman, 2011. Print.

    Read More

  • Brave New World: Warnings Pertaining to Technological Growth

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    Technology today is more relied upon than ever before. If one needs to call someone half way around the world, simply take out a cell phone and dial their number. Within thirty seconds, one can be speaking to that person just as if two people were conversing face-to-face. In the same manner, one has access to endless knowledge and resources by the push of a few buttons or the click of a mouse. The use of social media today is becoming more prevalent than ever before because of the convenience it offers.

    Read More

  • The Film Kony 2012 and Invisible Children

    3113 Words  | 7 Pages

    Technology is important, but more important is the social context and fundamental structure of human cognition and communication

    Read More

  • Discourse Communities Essay

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    Downs, Doug. "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics." Writing About Writing: A College Reader. By Elizabeth A. Wardle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 520-33, 581-594. Print.

    Read More

  • Intertextuality's Effect On A Discourse Community

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    You belong to a discourse community! Whether you know it or not almost everyone belongs to some type of discourse community, but how does it affect you as an individual? From the studies of multiple authors, it has been established what defines a discourse community, what effects intertextuality have on a discourse community and even the overall dynamics, but even with all this research there is still something missing. Elizabeth Wardle, John Swales, and James Porter all make very good discussion points and arguments in their research, but none of these writers stop to examine the effects that these communities could possibly have on the individuals that make the community what it is. Just as it’s the simple stone block that when combined become

    Read More

  • Common Challenges And Methods Of Effective Communication

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you hear the word communicate many ideas come to mind. To some it brings thoughts of face to face conversations others think of internet based video conferencing. There are many ways to communicate with others in this day and age. Leaders have many tools and methods with which they can communicate with those around them. They must evaluate each situation to determine which method or methods will provide the desired result for what we are trying to communicate to their teams so they can avoid the confusion that comes when they choose the wrong communication method. (Gendron 2015) In this paper we will discuss several communication methods available to leaders and then look at what are some common challenges and barriers they face when

    Read More

  • Grammar in the Classroom

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    A large part of an English teacher’s job deals with helping students find their own voices amidst the many teachings of their parents and peers. A student’s voice can be their values, their interests, and their perspectives of the world in which they live. Their voice can be their critical questioning of the many situations they face, whether in a text, the school cafeteria, or a park after school. It is the job of an English teacher to aid in finding this voice through their writing. It is by putting words and thoughts down on paper that a student can sometimes feel comfortable enough to take risks and find their true voices. Although traditional grammar instruction has long been thought to improve this skill, this is no longer the case. Instead, by providing a classroom environment in which students are immersed in classic literature from many genres including poetry, short stories, and novels, students will learn how to harness grammar for their own purposes of finding their voice in their writing.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Modern Technology

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    With 80% of Americans using internet, and that 80% spending an average of 17 hours a week online (each), according to the 2009 Digital Future Report, we are online more than ever before. People can't go a few hours let alone a whole day without checking their emails, social media, text messages and other networking tools. The average teen today deals with more than 3,700 texts in just a month. The use of technology to communicate is making face to face conversations a thing of the past. We have now become a society that is almost completely dependent on our technology to communicate. While technology can be helpful by making communication faster and easier, but when it becomes our main form of conversation it becomes harmful to our communication and social skills. Technological communication interferes with our ability to convey our ideas clearly. Technology can harm our communication skills by making us become unfamiliar with regular everyday human interactions, which can make it difficult for people to speak publicly. Technology can also harm our ability to deal with conflict. These days it is easier to h...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Media And Technology

    1238 Words  | 3 Pages

    Media and technology have an ever increasing role in how we as humans communicate with one another as well as help impact our culture. The printed word, once able to be mass produced helped usher in an era where where people could seek the education and reading skills they desired, brought print and knowledge to the masses. Now with the more common use of digital communication and media outlets, our options for information and communication are almost entirely unimpeded. Technology allows us to live through multiple Renaissance type periods filled with ever growing pools of information from which to share, and culture changing happenings coming from every corner of our connected world.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Effective Communication In The Workplace

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    Effective communication is essential for success, both for organizations as a whole and individuals working in those organizations. “Ambition and great ideas aren’t enough; you need to be able to communication with people in order to succeed in business.” (Bovee & Thill, 2014) Using technology as a tool to communicate can be effective at times, but it does not replace interacting with coworkers face-to-face. Effective listening is an important part of effective communication. Good communication is essential to managing and working in a productive

    Read More

  • Communication Technology

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    People in the present society have turned from the use of the old means of communication to the more advanced and technological ways of communicating. Technology has made it easier for people to communicate in a faster, efficient, and cost saving means through the introduction of the communication channels. The world has turned out to be the centre for technology with different technologies emerging daily as the people continue to develop from time to time to cope with the growing technology. The benefits of adopting the communication technology are explained in this article which shows why people do not function without technology.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Online Communication

    3041 Words  | 7 Pages

    In recent years, technology has become the most used and preferred way of communicating, extending across many platforms. All of these programs, such as e-mail, instant messaging, social networking websites in conjunction with text messaging and the ability to access all of these entities on the go, have come into fruition based on the immense and widely found growth made in technological advancements that have occurred in our society. With this, a massive change has developed in regards to referencing how we as humans engage in communication. We have now shifted into a society that relies heavily on the existence of digital communication, whether it be through the means of a mobile device (text messaging) or the Internet (Facebook, Twitter,

    Read More

More about Discourse Analysis: PowerPoint as a Form of Communication

Open Document