Working with PowerPoint

PowerPoint and similar software’s offer some of the most diverse feature sets out of all the available presentation software’s. While other software like Google Slides offers the same basic functionality, PowerPoint is the most widely used and most feature-rich software. It’s also easy to use and simple to get started with.

PowerPoint

How long will it take?
  • For a basic, minimalistic presentation – 10-30 mins
  • For the intermediate or advanced presentations – 2+ hours

Is it free?
  • The web version is free however the “Microsoft Office” software would require payment to be downloaded to your computer.

Does it automatically update?
  • Yes.

Can it run on my computer?
  • Yes, since the free version of PowerPoint is online (web), there is no need for a beefy computer.

What do I need to run it?
  • For the absolute basics, a keyboard, a mouse, a computer + monitor/ laptop.

Will it take my data?
  • No.

*Don’t want to go through the trouble of designing your own presentation? Check out one of these free premade themes.

PowerPoint’s Key Takeaways: 

  • Well-suited for point form statements and static images
  • The slide format makes it easy for the presenter to organize sections/subtopics into easy-to-digest slides
  • Easy to share presentations of lengthy topics in a convenient file format
  • Use of “speaker notes” that aids in the delivery of a live presentation and reduces lengthy text segments
  • PowerPoint includes the ability to embed YouTube videos and audio clips
  • Integrated recording functionality built in to PowerPoint

Best Practices for Slide Design:

  1. Simplify slides when possible
  2. Limit the number of bullet points & text per slide
  3. Limit animation use
  4. Use high-quality graphics and images when possible
  5. Use charts and diagrams to explain numerical data
  6. Use colours that are accessible 
  7. Choose clear fonts 
  8. Use video or audio clips to reference external media
  9. Organize slides in a logical order
  10. Clearly indicate a change in topic with titles and images

Some basic features of PowerPoint:

More advanced features of PowerPoint:

Some other similar software’s:

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Making Open Educational Resources: A Guide for Students by Students Copyright © by Ashlyne O'Neil; Jykee Pavo; Mikayla Bornais; Tariq Al-Rfouh; Chris Nardone; Elijah Annoh-Waithe; Lawrence Villacorte; Lorenzo Pernasilici; Marianne Kantati; Mitchel Macmillan; Mohamed Eldabagh; Norman Ha; Devin Wacheski; Anas Al-Chalabi; Dave Cormier; Brandon Mailloux; Ghanem Ghanem; Kamaal Kusow; Kristen Swiatoschik; Patrick Carnevale; Rana Kilani; Steven Shlimoon; and Zain Raza is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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