PowerPoint is a presentation software program. There are similar products available, such as Keynote and Google Slides, with comparable functions. As technology evolves, we can expect to see even more new presentation software programs. PowerPoint is commonly used by businesspeople 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.
PowerPoint has almost become a generic term similar to Xerox or Coke or Google. It is often used when one is referring to any computer-supported presentation, thus demonstrating how ubiquitous the program has become.
term to know
PowerPoint
An electronic slide presentation created and presented using the program (verb) to communicate to (an audience) by electronic slides.
2. The Use 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, however, which only project static images, slides in PowerPoint are more dynamic. They can include text, graphics, sound, movies, and other objects, which can be arranged by the presenter.
The PowerPoint presentation can be printed, displayed live on a computer, or navigated through at the command of the presenter. For larger audiences, the computer display is often projected using projection equipment. The slides can also be used as the basis for a webcast.
3. Elements of a PowerPoint 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 4:3 is still available.
Some basic example elements used to compose a slide are as follows:
Titles and subtitles: After first opening PowerPoint to start a new presentation using the blank presentation template, the user can select a title and subtitle for the presentation, using one of a variety 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 resize the photo to fit the slide.
Charts/graphs: Create custom charts or move relevant charts from Excel spreadsheets.
Audio/video clips: Download videos, images, and audio files directly into a slide for a presentation.
Transitions: Transitions move the presentation gracefully from one slide to the next or build the slide dynamically. There are many standard transitions available, or users can program their own special effects to animate the movement of the sides.
term to know
Slide
A single page of a presentation, developed using a presentation program such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Collectively, a group of slides may be known as a slide deck or slide show.
4. PowerPoint: Advantage or Disadvantage for the Presenter?
PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software. It is regarded by many as the most valuable and accessible way to create and present visual aids to the audience.
On the other hand, others believe it has created its own mindset, which forces presenters to spend countless hours thinking in PowerPoint and developing slides. A political party has even formed to ban PowerPoint in Switzerland. Depending on one's perspective, it seems that many advantages could easily be viewed as disadvantages.
When used correctly, PowerPoint is a helpful program for creating an engaging presentation.
Look over the list below to see where you stand—with or against PowerPoint.
4a. Design Advantages and Disadvantages
The following table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of PowerPoint design.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Quick and easy: The basic features are easy to master and can make you appear to be organized, even if you are not.
Simple bullet points: It can reduce complicated messages to simple bullet points. Bullet points are a good basis for a presentation and remind the speaker of the main points and the organization of the message.
Easy to create a colorful, attractive design: Using the standard templates and themes, you can create something visually appealing, even if you do not have much knowledge of basic graphic design principles.
Easy to modify: When compared to other visual aids such as charts, posters, or objects, it is easy to modify.
Easily reorder presentation: With a simple “drag and drop” or using keystrokes, you can move slides to reorder the presentation.
Integration: PowerPoint is integrated with other products that allow you to include parts of documents, spreadsheets, and graphics.
Design “PowerPointless”: Gives the illusion of content and coherence when there may not be much substance or connection 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 messages to simple bullet points and elevates style over substance.
Oversimplification of topic: The linear nature of PowerPoint forces the presenter to reduce complex subjects to a set of bullet items that are too weak to support decision making or show the complexity of an issue.
Feature abundance: While the basic features are easy to use and apply, a speaker can get carried away and try to use all the features at once rather than simply supporting a message. Too many flying letters, animations, and sound effects without seeing much original thought or analysis can be a real issue. In many cases, the medium shoves the message aside.
term to know
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.
4b. Delivery Advantages and Disadvantages
The following table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of PowerPoint delivery.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Audience size: PowerPoint slides are generally easier to see by a large audience when projected than other visual aids.
Easy to present: You can easily advance the slides in the presentation one after another with a simple keystroke while still maintaining eye contact with the audience.
Basic equipment required: You will need to have a computer and projection equipment in place to display the slides to the audience.
Focus on medium, not message: Too many people forget that they are making a presentation first and that PowerPoint is just a tool.
5. Supporters and Critics
Supporters of the software say that PowerPoint can save people time by circumventing the need for other types of visual aids, such as hand-drawn or mechanically typeset slides, blackboards, whiteboards, or overhead projections.
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 the information provided to the audience.
There 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 state of boredom or fatigue as a result of sitting through a presentation that contains too much information.
As is clear from the debate about its merits, PowerPoint can present many benefits and challenges to a user who develops a slideshow to accompany a speech or presentation.
6. Alternatives to PowerPoint Presentation Software
Presentation software is a computer software package used to display information, normally in the form of a slide show.
The software typically includes three major functions:
An editor that allows text to be inserted and formatted
A method for inserting and manipulating graphic images
A slideshow system to display the content
Microsoft PowerPoint dominates the market with 95% of the presentation software market share. However, there are other presentation graphic programs with different features and approaches.
Some of the alternatives to PowerPoint include:
Mind Maps: You can use mind maps to plan and modify your presentation. Mind maps break away from the linear format of PowerPoint by using graphic symbols to show connections between different ideas, allowing the presenter to show a top-level map and then drill down to show details for different connecting ideas. For presentation slides, you can start with a general, top-level map and then create additional slides to drill down to the subtopics. You can summarize the sub-points and then go back to the main, top-level mind map to show the connection to the whole.
Prezi: Prezi is a free application that allows you to create visual presentations by zooming in, out, and around your visual workspace. Instead of individual slides, these ZUIs (zoom user interfaces) are based on one infinite canvas on which all content is presented. This allows for nonlinear presentations, richer detail of content, and a better overview of complex visual messages. Prezi also has a mobile app for tablet users.
Google Docs: Google Docs is now a part of Google Drive's "software as a service" office suite. The free service includes its own presentation software that can be exported in a variety of formats. Google Docs are automatically saved to a Google server, which prevents loss while also offering "anytime, anywhere" access.
Another option with all these different packages is internet-based collaboration. Using this method, several people revise the content or review the changes as they are made by others.
term to know
Presentation Software
A computer software package used to display information; typically includes a text editor, a method for inserting and manipulating graphic images, and a slide show system to display content.
summary
In this lesson, you learned that some people regard PowerPoint as the most useful, accessible way to create and present visual aids; others believe it has its own mindset, which forces presenters to spend countless hours thinking in PowerPoint and developing slides. PowerPoint presentations consist of a number of individual pages or slides, with individual slides containing text, graphics, sound, video, or other objects that can be arranged by the presenter. Elements of a PowerPoint slide include a combination of text and visuals. Advantages of PowerPoint include the ease of use and the ability to create a smooth presentation flow, while disadvantages of PowerPoint include the inability to represent the complexity of certain topics and the need for basic equipment to present the slideshow. Supporters of PowerPoint say the presentation software is easy to use and can save a lot of time by replacing the need for a variety of different visual aids. Some critics of PowerPoint argue that the program encourages the reduction of complex ideas into simplified points, while others contend that the program encourages overstuffing presentations with too much information, both of which negatively affect the audience's experience. There are several alternatives to PowerPoint for creating a presentation.
Bulleted items—known as bullet points—may be short phrases, single sentences, or of paragraph length; used to introduce items in a list.
PowerPoint
An electronic slide presentation created and presented using the program (verb) to communicate to (an audience) by electronic slides.
Presentation Software
A computer software package used to display information; typically includes a text editor, a method for inserting and manipulating graphic images, and a slide show system to display content.
Slide
A single page of a presentation, developed using a presentation program such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Collectively, a group of slides may be known as a slide deck or slide show.
