Steps to be followed
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- Design (the presentation)
- Create (the presentation)
- Present it
Features of Presentation Software
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What are the things that distinguish desktop presentation applications from other software?
- series of slides (slideshow)
- transitions
- builds
- animations
- timings
Presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint is used to easily combine text, graphics, animation, video, and audio to create dynamic presentations to view live or online.
The software formats presentations into slides. Just as you would watch a slide show from 35mm slides, you progress through a presentation one slide at a time.
A Presentation program is a powerful tool for communicating ideas and information. It is used for classroom lessons, sales presentations, training sessions, and any situation in which information is presented to groups of people. It allows you to place your content into a presentation, a series of computer generated "slides" which can then be projected for an audience, printed and distributed as handouts, published on the Internet or used in numerous other ways.
PowerPoint is a multimedia application, meaning that you can add text, various types of images, sound and even video clips to your presentation to help engage your audience.
Advantages of using presentations
- Quick and easy to create.
- Requires little effort to update informationyou can easily change the information at any time.
- Many tools in common with word processing programs.
- Easy to transportdepending on the file size of your presentation, you can carry it with you on a floppy disk or email it to another location.
- Instant handoutsyou can give your audience copies of your slides on paper.
Ethical Issues
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Computer ethics are the moral guidelines (a sense of right and wrong) that govern the use of computers and information systems.
Ethical Issues relating to Presentations
- Copyright
- Plagiarism
- Privacy
- Corporate Confidentiality
- Piracy
- Cultural Sensitivity
Slideshow Dos and Don'ts
- Text: don't have too much. Good rules of thumb are no more than six words to a line, and no more than four or five lines per slide.
- Text: watch out for the "splits". Don't split names, places or dates from one line to the next.
- Text: avoid ALL CAPITALS and underlining. Both make the text harder to read.
- Text: fonts need to be legible and a good size. You should have no more than 2 or 3 fonts per slideshow. Be consistent with fonts used for headings, body text, etc.
- Builds and Transistions: when building up the information on a slide, new elements should not move over existing ones.
- Builds and Transistions: with transitions from one slide to the next, be consistent, and don't let them be distracting.
- Graphics and Colours: be consistent. A picture is worth 1000 words.
- Graphics and Colours: these add visual interest. Slideshows without pictures are perceived as being boring.
Tips for Effective Slideshows
- Be sure you are familiar with the system on which the presentation will be shown.
- Limit the amount of text on each screen. Each slide should cover just one major point.
- Choose a legible font at a size that is easy to read. Make sure your slides are readable from a distance.
- Use informative titles.
- Use key words and phrases.
- Do not use all capital letters. Reserve underlining for links.
- Choose a color scheme and stick with it. Do not use too many different colors. Be sure text color contrasts with the background.
- Use graphics and other media elements for a purpose rather than decoration.
- Do not over-use animations and other effects.
- Make sure your slides are organised in a logical sequence.
- Proofread your work for spelling and accuracy.