I haven't been following this thread closely, so apologies if I've missed a similar post.
I disagree, at least in part. Powerpoint lectures do not _necessarily_ disallow an active learning environment. It all depends on the presentation, no pun intended. I've found that PP frees me from writing on the board. I can move as I talk, something that helps me frame the direction of the lecture. I can better gauge comprehension and engagement if I am watching the class, much more so that if my back is to the students half the time while I write on a board. And, if the slides are only outlines that the instructor fleshes out with details and examples, I can be sure students will attend class. Mine know that's a strategy for failure. The outlined material enables the kind of "discuss with your partner this: if A and B, what does that imply about C?" Let's not even talk about the value of images. Isn't anyone out there old enough to remember lectures for which text on a board was the rule?
