PowerPoint-based lectures and students’ experiences in Eritrean Higher Education Institutions

Abstract PowerPoint (PPT) is extensively used in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including those in Eritrea, for lecture delivery and student presentations. This raises questions about whether these lectures or student presentations are effectively designed and implemented and encourage students’ participation. This study explores instructors’ use of PPT-based lectures and students’ experience in Eritrean HEIs. Additionally, it seeks to identify and understand the challenges HEIs face in using PPT-based teaching. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations, involving nine instructors and fifteen students from three Eritrean HEIs. The study indicated a relationship between PPT design and delivery and revealed varied outcomes regarding the design and delivery of PPT-based lectures. The study also found discipline-specific differences regarding students’ experiences of PPT-based delivery. Moreover, it identified challenges related to institutional leadership, curriculum flexibility, internet access, and pedagogical expertise and commitment of instructors as key obstacles to the successful integration of PPT-based lectures within these institutions.