The slides look great and it's very impressive...

The slides look great and it's very impressive that students built them based on reliable research and without breaking copyright codes.

I've been thinking a lot about presentations lately - bothered by the lack of planning and poor performances in my classroom. I've been wondering what would happen if we took away all of the technology and all of the notes. Would presentations go exactly the same or do students use these visual aids as a crutch? And, if students are just reading during their presentations, are they really thinking deeply about their subjects?