What Can You Use Powerpoint For

The Advantages and Disadvantages of PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a quick and easy mode to organize ideas and information, merely tin can encourage the cosmos of presentations that lack substance.

Learning Objectives

Proper name the advantages and disadvantages of using PowerPoint

Fundamental Takeaways

Key Points

PowerPoint is regarded every bit the virtually useful, attainable way to create and present visual aids; others believe it has its ain mind-set which forces presenters to spend endless hours thinking in PowerPoint and developing slides.
Reward—easy to create colorful, attractive designs using the standard templates and themes; piece of cake to modify compared to other visual aids, such equally charts, and easy to drag and drib slides to re-order presentation.
Advantage—easy to nowadays and maintain eye contact with a large audience by merely advancing the slides with a keystroke, eliminating the need for handouts to follow the bulletin.
Disadvantage—speakers create slides so they have something to present rather than outlining, organizing, and focusing on their message.
Disadvantage—the linear nature of PowerPoint slides forces the presenter to reduce complex subjects to a set up of bullet items which are too weak to support decision-making or evidence the complication of an issue.
Disadvantage—bones equipment required to present. You will need to have a estimator and projection equipment in place to brandish the slides to the audience.

Fundamental Terms

PowerPoint: (substantive) an electronic slide presentation created and presented using the program (verb) to communicate to (an audience) by electronic slides
bullet points: Bulleted items – known as bullet points – may be short phrases, single sentences, or of paragraph length; used to introduce items in a list.

Advantages and Disadvantages of PowerPoint

PowerPoint—Advantage or Disadvantage for the Presenter?

PowerPoint is the most pop presentation software. It is regarded by many every bit the nigh useful and accessible manner to create and present visual aids to the audience.

On the other hand, others believe information technology has created its own mind-set which forces presenters to spend countless hours thinking in PowerPoint and developing slides. A party has fifty-fifty formed to ban PowerPoint in Switzerland. Depending on one'southward perspective, it seems that many advantages could hands be viewed as disadvantages.

A screenshot of a slide in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Using PowerPoint: When used correctly, PowerPoint is a helpful program for creating an engaging presentation.

Look over the listing below to see where you stand—with or against PowerPoint.

Advantages

Design

Quick and piece of cake: the basic features are easy to primary and can make you appear to be organized, even if you are non.
Simple bullet points: it can reduce complicated messages to simple bullet points. Bullet points are a skilful basis for a presentation and remind the speaker of principal points and the system of the message.
Easy to create a colorful, attractive pattern: using the standard templates and themes, y'all can create something visually appealing,even if you lot do not accept much noesis of basic graphic design principles.
Piece of cake to modify: when compared to other visual aids such as charts, posters, or objects, it is easy to alter.
Hands re-gild presentation: with a simple drag and driblet or using key strokes, yous tin move slides to re-order the presentation.

Finally, PowerPoint is integrated with other products that let you to include parts of documents, spread sheets, and graphics.

Delivery

Audience Size: PowerPoint slides are mostly easier to meet past a large audition when projected than other visual aids.
Easy to present: you can easily advance the slides in the presentation one later another with a simple key stroke while however maintaining eye contact with the audition.
No need for Handouts: they wait proficient visually and can be easily read if you have a projector and screen that is large enough for the unabridged room.

Disadvantages

Pattern

Design ability pointless: gives the illusion of content and coherence, when in fact there is really not much substance or connectedness between the different points on the slides.
PowerPoint excess: some speakers create presentations so they have slides to present rather than outlining, organizing, and focusing on the message.
Replaces planning and preparation: PowerPoint is a convenient prop for poor speakers, as it can reduce complicated letters to elementary bullet points and elevates way over substance.
Oversimplification of topic: the linear nature of PowerPoint forces the presenter to reduce complex subjects to a fix of bullet items that are besides weak to support decision-making or prove the complexity of an issue.
Feature abundance: while the basic features are piece of cake to use and apply, a speaker can get carried away and try to use all the features at one time rather than simply supporting a bulletin. Also many flight messages, animations, and sound effects without seeing much original thought or analysis can be a existent issue. In many cases, the medium shoves the bulletin aside.

Delivery

Basic equipment required: you volition demand to have a computer and projection equipment in place to display the slides to the audition.
Focus on medium, not bulletin: Too many people forget that they are making a presentation offset and that PowerPoint is just a tool.

An Overview of PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is a computer software package that displays information in the form of a slide show.

Learning Objectives

State the arguments for and against using PowerPoint as a visual aid

Key Takeaways

Key Points

PowerPoint presentations consist of a number of individual pages or " slides," with individual slides containing text, graphics, sound, video, or other objects that tin can be arranged by the presenter.
A PowerPoint presentation tin can be automatically controlled by pre-programming transitions from one slide to another, or manually controlled by a user.
Supporters of PowerPoint say the presentation software is easy to use and can relieve a lot of fourth dimension for past replacing the need for a multifariousness of different visual aids.
Some opponents of PowerPoint argue that the programme encourages the reduction of complex ideas into simplified points, while others contend that the program encourages overstuffing presentations with too much data, both of which negatively effect the audition 'southward experience.

Central Terms

PowerPoint: (noun) an electronic slide presentation created and presented using the plan (verb) to communicate to (an audience) by electronic slides

An Overview of PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a presentation software program. A presentation program (likewise called a presentation graphics program) is a figurer software package used to display information, normally in the course of a slide prove. Information technology typically includes three major functions: an editor that allows text to be inserted and formatted, a method for inserting and manipulating graphic images, and a slide-evidence system to display the content.

Commander Naval Reserve Force, Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, stands in front of a PowerPoint presentation at the Naval Station North Island's theater.

PowerPoint: PowerPoint software runs on Microsoft and Mac operating systems. It allows users to create visual presentations comprised of private slides.

Microsoft PowerPoint 9 is piece of cake-to-utilise presentation software that runs on Microsoft Windows and Mac Os operating systems. PowerPoint is ordinarily used by concern people and students to create slide show presentations. The ease of use is demonstrated by the fact that the program can be used by junior high and high school students. PowerPoint can accommodate a range of uses, with intermediate to more technical options. Microsoft estimates that thirty million presentations are made each solar day using the PowerPoint programme. As of 2012, various versions of PowerPoint claim approximately 95% of the presentation software market share, having been installed on at least 1 billion computers.

PowerPoint Logo: With 95% marketplace share, PowerPoint presentation software is one of the well-nigh widely used programs for developing visual presentations.

PowerPoint has almost become a generic term similar to Xerox or Coke or Google and is often used when one is referring to any calculator supported presentation, thus demonstrating how ubiquitous the program has become.

The Utilise of Slides in PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint presentations are comprised of a number of individual pages, or "slides. " The "slide" analogy is a reference to slide projectors. Unlike slide projectors notwithstanding, which only projected static images, slides in PowerPoint are more dynamic. They can include text, graphics, sound, movies, and other objects, which tin can exist bundled by the presenter. The PowerPoint presentation can exist printed, displayed live on a computer, or navigated through at the command of the presenter. For larger audiences the reckoner display is often projected using project equipment. The slides tin also be used as the basis for a webcast.

After designing the individual slides for your presentation, you can command the presentation by pre-programming the transitions from one slide to another with the exact timing yous desire. Or, yous tin advance the slides manually as you speak nearly each.

Supporters and Critics

Supporters of the software say the PowerPoint can salve people time by circumventing the need for other types of visual aids, such as mitt-fatigued or mechanically typeset slides, blackboards, whiteboards, or overhead projections. Because the software is easy to use, information technology encourages people to requite presentations that contain visual aids who otherwise may not have even given a presentation.

PowerPoint does have its critics, and the benefits of the software are continually debated. Some critics of PowerPoint argue that condensing complex issues into simplified bullet points is detrimental, and compromises the quality of information provided to the audience. This view finds that audience do non receive enough detailed data to make informed decisions about presentation topics. Additionally, in that location are also some critics who say that rather than providing too little information, PowerPoint allows users to put too much information into presentations. This can lead to "death by PowerPoint," which is a country of bordem or fatigue as a consequence of sitting through a presentation that contains besides much information.

As is clear from the debate virtually its merits, PowerPoint tin can nowadays many benefits and challenges to a user who develops a slideshow to accompany a speech or presentation.

The Elements of a Slide

PowerPoint is a multi-media platform that incorporates elements of written, sound, video, and graphical advice.

Learning Objectives

Break downward the elements that comprise a PowerPoint slide

Key Takeaways

Key Points

The about basic chemical element of a PowerPoint presentation is the slide.
Slides are comprised of a combination of textual and visual elements.
Text may be organized every bit captions, paragraphs, or bulleted points.
Add graphics such as shapes, pictures stored on your computer, pictures retrieved online, and charts or tables from other programs such equally Excel.
To add video clips, search for them from within the PowerPoint platform using Bing, Flickr, and Youtube, and import them directly into a slide.

Key Terms

slide: A unmarried page of a presentation, adult using a presentation program such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Collectively, a group of slides may be known equally a slide deck or slide show.

Elements of a Slide

The basic element of the presentation is the slide. The new default aspect ratio of the slide is 16:9 for wide screens, but the previous aspect of 4:iii is nevertheless available. Some basic example elements used to etch a slide are every bit follows:

Titles and sub-titles: Later on start opening PowerPoint to commencement a new presentation using the Blank Presentation Template, the user can select a title and sub-title for the presentation, using one of a diverseness of fonts and colors.

Text: Users can enter the content as bullets on the slide along with a title for the slide. They can also select the font style, size, and content to support their message.

Shapes: PowerPoint can merge two shapes together to create a custom shape.

Pictures: Users can search for and insert their own photographs. Remember to re-size the photo to fit the slide.

Charts/Graphs: Create custom charts or move relevant charts from Excel spreadsheets.

Sound/Video Clips: Download videos, images, and audio files straight into a slide for a presentation without first downloading to the computer. Search for sound and video from inside PowerPoint to find images using Bing or Flickr and videos on Yous Tube. After locating the desired supporting media, incorporate it into the slide. Past default, the results show images that are licensed nether Creative Common, so the images can exist used in presentations without violating an owner's copyright, simply users can also view all results.

Transitions: Transitions move the presentation gracefully from one slide to the next or build the side dynamically. At that place are many standard transitions available, or users can program their own special effects to animate the movement of the sides.

A screenshot of an empty slide in PowerPoint 2013.

PowerPoint Slide: PowerPoint allows users to create slides and add together blitheness, transitions, and video and audio clips.

Formatting Tips

Formatting choices, including layout, font pick, transitions and use of infinite and color, are important components of a presentation.

Learning Objectives

Give examples of how to all-time format a PowerPoint presentation

Key Takeaways

Primal Points

The blank template provides an initial format that allows a user to clearly distinguish chief points from subpoints and supporting material.
In the body of a slide, apply keywords and phrases instead of sentences every bit listed bullet items to help the audience skim the slide and run into relationships between chief and sub-points.
Insert and re-size visuals such every bit WordArt, shapes, charts, graphs, images, or pictures from your own calculator or from the internet, into a slide to provide back up for claims.
Audio and video clips of a high quality non simply clarify or provide back up an thought, but also improve the quality of a presentation. Avoid videos with depression resolution or poor quality audio clips, equally they may bear upon audience perception.
When using furnishings to transition from one slide to another, avoid slow moving or fancy effects such as crawl in, swivel and spiral. Don't overuse special furnishings and go on transition choices consequent.
After the Presentation – y'all can format and export your slides to a Discussion Document for handouts or share by email, pdf, or cyberspace.

Key Terms

Placeholder: dotted or hatch-marked borders for entering text, charts, tables, or images on a slide.

PowerPoint Features

PowerPoint incorporates elements of written, oral, and visual communication. By focusing on decisions regarding blank infinite or colour, contrast, and font, you can pattern a presentation that is not only aesthetically appealing, but likewise enhances and underscores key content and objectives. The following tips volition help you and your audience go the well-nigh from your presentation.

Formatting the Slide

Templates: Yous may either select an existing template or pattern your own. The blank template allows y'all to modify colors, themes, and the style of different elements to best accommodate your needs.

Normal view – Bare Presentation template: The blank presentation template provides placeholders for title and sub-title on the first slide, and additional placeholders for the title on each blank slide. This allows you to distinguish your main points from sub-points. Follow basic blueprint rules:

Use bare infinite to group or split up items.
Use visual rest to delight the eye.
Create contrast to make objects stand out. Contrast occurs when whatever two elements are unlike.

Colors: Choose colors so that text is clearly legible. In addition, consider how the colors will look in the space where the slideshow volition exist presented. For example:

A graphic that uses colors to show the interrelationships between main areas of sustainable development.

Picking Colors: In a presentation, there tin exist unlike colors and fonts, simply all of the text must be easy to read for the audience.

Strong calorie-free reduces dissimilarity on dark background.
In a well-lit room, apply light background with dark text and visuals.
In a dimly-lit room, use dark background with light text and visuals.
Avert vibrating colors. Vivid complementary colors that are close to each other in intensity "vibrate" or reduce legibility.

Calculation Content

Text: Use text properly.

Use keywords and phrases instead of sentences.
Be consistent in your use of capitalization.
Put similar ideas in the same formatting past using the same parts of speech, same clauses, phrases, or all consummate sentences.

Organization: On a slide, data can exist organized using bullet points or lists.

Use bullet points. Bullets help the audition skim the slide and see relationships betwixt main and sub-points. Here is how to use bullets:

Select the "bulleted list" or "ii-column list" slide (from the pre-designed slide formats).
Type a phrase then hit "return."
Blazon a second phrase, hit "return" then hitting "tab" to indent.
OR apply "promote" or "bench" arrows at acme to create a bulleted bureaucracy, in order to distinguish master claims from subclaims.

A heading that uses contrasts and says "Principles of Design."

Creating a Contrast: A speaker can create contrast in a presentation irresolute the font, color, or size.

Fonts: Choose easy-to-read fonts.

Select fonts that are practiced for projecting, not ones that are simply good for printing.
Pay attending to the legibility of the font you cull, such as the contrast between background and text, size of the font, and any type treatment such as shadowing that may reduce legibility.

Graphics: Insert needed visuals such as WordArt, shapes, or images. Brand certain to re-size the images to best fit the slide. Here is how to re-size images:

Click on the visual you lot wish to resize.
Go to "format" and then "object" or "autoshape."
Select "size."
Alter size and scale.
OR, simply click and drag the corners of the epitome.
You can also combine two different shapes past selecting one then selecting and dragging another into it for a custom epitome.

Video and Audio: You can search and select video in different media formats. Just click to select the video/sound and insert where you want them to play on the slide. You can also tape your own audio to add to a slide. When choosing video or audio to add to your presentation, make sure that it is of a loftier quality. This enhances the authority of the presenter as well every bit improves audience receptivity.

Moving Between Slides

Effects and transitions: PowerPoint comes with a preset drove of transitions. You lot can choose different types of transitions to movement betwixt slides. Newer versions of PowerPoint even have some 3D transitions. In addition, there are many free transition templates available from Microsoft and open sources.

Furnishings betwixt slides: Effects should accept a bespeak and back up the overall concept of the presentation. Avoid boring moving or fancy effects such equally crawl in, swivel, and spiral. Don't overuse special effects every bit they can distract your audience from your main points. To avoid this from happening, keep effects and transitions consequent.

Afterwards the Presentation

Handouts: Yous can export your PowerPoint presentation to a Word Certificate. When you do this, there are different choices available for how slides and notes are positioned. In the latest version of PowerPoint you lot can become to File—-> Export and so click on the {Create Handouts} button. Your presentation will and so be exported to a Word document for formatting.

Share: You lot tin can also share your PowerPoint presentation past email, through web access. or publish your slides so that others tin can access them electronically rather than having to distribute handouts.

Delivery Tips

PowerPoint presentation software is your assistant and should help you by supporting your presentation, not taking over the evidence.

Learning Objectives

Illustrate how PowerPoint features can exist used to communicate to audiences

Key Takeaways

Key Points

Rehearse the show to see what it will really wait like when it is presented to an audience; attempt controlling the move from i slide to side by side or preprogramming the amount of time for each slide to appear on the screen.
The content of the slides serves as a guide or outline for you lot and the audience, so you want to brand sure y'all talk nearly each slide, not read the content to the audition who can read what is projected.
Presenter View allows y'all to see your notes on your monitor while the audience just sees the slide. While yous move from one slide to the side by side you can besides zoom in on a particular function of the slide or employ a pen or laser pointer to call attention to specific details.
Relational presentation practitioners construction small message units that are rather self-contained and tin exist pulled together as the speaker interacts with the audience.

Key Terms

Relational: A type of interactive presentation using presentation software that is structured to allow dynamic customization of the message while presenting.
linear: Pertaining to or resembling a line; step-by-step in lodge.

PowerPoint Software Is Your Assistant

PowerPoint presentation software is your assistant and should help you, non take over the show. Nothing can substitute for a advisedly prepared bulletin, whether that message is a standard linear message or a relational interactive bulletin. The commitment of the message is guided by the best practices that you lot have been using throughout your speeches; however, there are some special considerations when working with PowerPoint.

Practice and Rehearsal

After putting together a PowerPoint slide show, you lot will desire to get a "reality check" by really running the show to come across what it volition look like when you lot present it. You may control the movement from one slide to the next as y'all speak, or yous may preprogram the amount of time that each slide appears on the screen and speak merely for that corporeality of time.

If at all possible, rehearse with the same display equipment in a similar space. If you are speaking to a colocated audition, make sure that your projected slides are big enough for all members of the audience to see (ordinarily about one inch high for each 10 anxiety that separates the audition from the projected slide). Additionally, if you are speaking to a remote audience, check your brandish so that you can see the presentation in the same fashion that the audience will see information technology on their screens.

Basic Delivery

1 disquisitional attribute of delivery is fugitive the temptation to read the content to the audition; the audience tin read what is projected themselves. The content of the slides serves as a guide or outline for yous and the audience. Stand to the left of the screen. For the English speaker who reads from left to right, the audience will encounter you as their eyes motility beyond the screen in 1 continuous left to correct eye motility. And remember to speak WITH the audition, non AT them.

Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, is silhouetted during PowerPoint Presentation.

Delivering a Speech: The speaker delivers the voice communication with assistance from PowerPoint slides in the background.

Using Views

Using PowerPoint Views allows you lot to follow a linear path or relational interactive paths for commitment.

Slide Show View

Yous can use the Slide Show view to deliver your presentation. The slide occupies the full screen and displays the style your presentation volition await when you project it. Yous can use the Slide Show view to see the slide evidence on your computer screen one slide at a time. You can move to the next slide by clicking the mouse or using the upwards and downwardly arrow keys.

Presenter View

You can encounter your notes on your monitor while the audition only sees the slide. You can also zoom in on a detail role of the slide or utilise a pen or light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation pointer to call attention to details. In Presenter view, you lot tin display the current slide on the left side, the next slide on the right, and the notes at the lesser right of the screen.

Interactive Relational Delivery

Relational presentation (besides known as visually interactive presentation) uses standard presentation software such as PowerPoint in a way that allows for dynamic customization of messages while presenting.

Relational presentation practitioners construction their material using a combination of strategies to develop and access small-scale message units. Each minor message unit of measurement is rather self-contained and can be pulled together as the speaker interacts with the audition. While presenting, you interact with the audience rather than "talk at" them. Yous can use the Presenter view to quickly select and navigate to each message unit spontaneously inside and between collections of interconnected shows. Some of these navigation devices use text links and others incorporate picture thumbnails or miniature screenshots as link sources.

Navigation in a Presentation

Whether you lot are delivering a traditional, linear bulletin or an interactive, relational presentation, it is helpful to proceeds control of the bones movements for the slide show.

A man sitting at a desk with a laptop. He is speaking to the audience.

Collaborate with the Audience: It's important that the speaker maintains center contact with the audition while projecting the slides.

Motion to the final slide: Drag the scroll box to the bottom of the gyre bar or press [Ctrl] and [End]

Motility to the first slide: Drag the scroll box to the pinnacle of the curlicue bar or press [Ctrl] and [Domicile]

Move to the next slide: Click in the scroll bar below the scroll box or press [Page Down]

Motion to the previous slide: Click in the scroll bar above the scroll box or press [Page Up]

Move to a specific slide: Drag the whorl box up or downward until y'all displays the slide you want

Delivery Wrap-Upward

Then to wrap it up, y'all should prepare your lecture earlier firing upward your software. Remember that the technology is your assistant and should help you, not accept over the show. You may creatively deliver a linear presentation, only you can also use PowerPoint to arts and crafts a highly interactive relationship experience with the audience.