MOOCs from the Student Viewpoint

How to see what the lecturer is pointing to

I'm now taking MOOCs.  So as I do so I'll be making a few random comments on my experience.  This is the first.
 
Every online lecturer  talks about what's on their slides; most point as they do so.  How they do this makes a difference.  There can be a simple cursor, showing the location of what is being pointed to.  This is often difficult to see, especially if it's the same colour as the text.  Better is the ability to write on the slide in a contrasting colour, although this does seem to require skill from the lecturer in manipulating the pointing device.

There may be another way, that doesn't use slides.  See the lecture by Donald Knuth (still an innovator) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axUgEAgrSB8.  Here Knuth lectures and we see alternately a picture of Knuth himself and then we look over his shoulder as he writes his notes on a large piece of paper in front of him.   We get a sense of immediacy and involvement in what he is saying.  It takes us back to the whiteboard.  Perhaps the days of Powerpoint are over and maybe few lecturers will mourn it's passing.