PowerPoint @ NC Notes V2

Computer Presentations (PowerPoint)

Computer Presentations Level 2

PowerPoint is a slide projection package that allows you to create visually stunning presentations very easily.

It uses text (words) and graphics (pictures) to put together a series of slides. These slides can be set up to be shown in any order. Various effects can be added to introduce text and pictures as well as the way a slide links to the next (transitions).

The main use of presentation software is to convey some message (for example it could be the launch of a new product or information about your hobby) which is both informative and interesting as well as being appealing on the eye.

You don't have to be a computer expert to use the software; the most important thing is an eye for good, clear visual design. The software is a means for you to provide effective communication to other people.

It is often used these days as a replacement for the traditional overhead projector presentations that have been typically used in industry, commerce and education. Being able to use such a package means that you can gain valuable skills in a modern presentation piece of software, which is becoming more and more in demand.

The beauty of such a package is that the slides can be interchangeable. Animation effects can be added to the slides to make the presentation more interesting and interactive. In addition, sound and movie clips can also be added to enhance the presentation.

A variety of slides can be used in a presentation, from standard title slides to slides containing pictures, charts, text and objects as well as embedded sound and movie files. It is very easy to change the slide layout as well.

The links provide access to online materials that will help you to develop skills in this subject area.

Level 2 makes more use of advanced features in PowerPoint such as master slides, links, animation and sound/media files.

Resources
Useful Resources:
PowerPoint 2003 Home Page
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/FX010857971033.aspx
PowerPoint in the classroom
http://www.actden.com/pp/


Computer Presentations Level 2

Aim

The learner will be able to use the functions of a computer presentation package to produce a computer presentation.

Assessment (course) Criteria

Click on any of the links below to learn how to do the relevant skills:

Assessment
PowerPoint basics:
Create a presentation p 5
Insert a slide p 7
Use a variety of slide layouts p 7
File tasks:
Open an existing presentation p 9
Save a presentation p10
Close a presentation p 11
Editing:
Enter text p 12
Delete text p 12
Edit text p 13
Copy blocks of text p 14
Move blocks of text p 15
Formatting:
Use different fonts p 17
Size text p 18
Use bold text p 19
Use italic text p 19
Use underline text p 19
Use justification of text p 19 / Effects:
Use transitions p 20
Use colour and shading p 24
Insert a picture / chart p 27
Use bullets on a slide p 35
Printing & previewing:
Preview a presentation p 37
Print a presentation p 38
Produce handouts / speaker notes p 41
Advanced features:
Use animation within a slideshow p 42
Use a master slide p 50
Insert sound / media file p 54
Insert a link p 62
Use background / design templates p 66
Additional skills:
Use on line help facilities p 75
Assess the use of the package p 77
To create a presentation

A presentation can be created from opening the package:

by selecting PowerPoint as shown above (this may look slightly different on the user's machine)

Another way to create a new presentation is to select New from the File menu for example:

Note, the other shortcut options of CTRL + N or to have clicked on the New button from the Standard toolbar

If this latter option is chosen then a New Presentation Task Pane will appear to the right of the screen allowing the user to select a number of options:

Whichever option is chosen, an opening (Title) slide will be shown:

Inserting a slide and using a variety of slide layouts

To insert a new slide click on the New Slide command from the Insert menu

or from the Formatting toolbar select the New Slide button.

and choose the appropriate slide layout from the Slide Layout task pane:

Here a selection of different slide layouts including text and charts, charts and bulleted lists can be selected.

Click on the scroll bars to examine all of the available slide layouts.

Click on the chosen layout to select the slide. The chosen slide layout will appear prompting the user for input.

To open an existing presentation

To open an existing presentation click on File menu, (part shown)

select Open, or select the Open button from the Standard toolbar:

Next, click on the drop down arrow in the Look in box to select the appropriate folder, which contains the file to be opened.

Next select the file from the available list of files in the Open dialog box and click on Open to open the file.

Note, the keyboard shortcut CTRL + O can also be used here.

To save and close an existing presentation
To save an existing presentation

At the start, to name the file or rename it, select the Save As command from the File menu (part shown).

Next, in the Save As dialog box, click in the File name box and enter an appropriate file name, taking care to select the appropriate folder and / or drive to put the file in from the Save in box.

Alternatively, to update the changes / save, select Save from the File menu:

or click on the Save button from the Standard toolbar:

Note, the keyboard shortcut CTRL + S can also be used here

To close an existing presentation

To close the presentation click on the File menu and select Close or click on the cross in the presentation window.

To Exit from the package click on the Exit command from the File menu (part shown).

To enter, delete and edit text
To enter text

To enter text (in a text placeholder) click into the placeholder and the screen cursor should appear flashing; this is the prompt to type in some text.

To delete text

As in entering text, click in the text placeholder (frame), move the cursor to the point where the text should be deleted from and delete the text using the delete and / or the backspace keys.

Remember, the delete key deletes text from the cursor’s immediate right, the backspace key is used to delete text to the cursor’s immediate left.

Notice that text can also be deleted by highlighting it

and pressing delete on the keyboard.

To edit text

As in entering text, click in the text placeholder and position the cursor within the text at an appropriate point.

Now, either start typing text to insert text or use the delete / backspace keys to delete the text.

To copy a block of text

This makes a duplicate copy of the text to be highlighted. To copy blocks of text the text can be highlighted and then copied through a number of ways.

For example, click on the Copy command from the Edit menu: (part shown)

or select the Copy button from the Standard toolbar.

Note, a keyboard shortcut can also be used here, CTRL + C.

Once the text has been copied, click in the appropriate slide and / or position on the slide to place the screen cursor.

Next click on the Paste command from the Edit menu or click on its button from the Standard toolbar:

Note, a keyboard shortcut can also be used here, CTRL + V.

To copy and move blocks of text

To move blocks of text

This moves the portion of text to be highlighted.

To move blocks of text, the text can be highlighted and then moved by a number of ways.

For example, click on the Cut command from the Edit menu:- (part shown)

or select the Cut button from the Standard Toolbar.

Once the text has been cut, click in the appropriate slide and / or position to place the screen cursor.

Next click on the Paste command from the Edit menu or click on its button from the Standard toolbar.

Note, a keyboard shortcut can also be used here, CTRL + V.

Using different fonts and sizes
Using different fonts

This can be done by highlighting the text that is to be changed.

Next, click once on the Font pick list, from the Formatting toolbar (shown edited):

and click on the scroll arrows up or down to come to the chosen font.

Click on the font and the text becomes formatted to that font.

To change the size of text

As in using different fonts, text can be altered in size by highlighting it and then selecting the Font Size pick list from the Formatting toolbar, e.g.

click on the on the scroll arrows up or down to come to the chosen font size. Click on the appropriate font size and the text becomes formatted to that font size:

Using bold, italic, underline text and justifying text

Using bold, italic and underlining text

To format text to either bold, italic or underline, the text can be highlighted and then the appropriate button clicked on for bold,

italic

or underline from the Formatting toolbar as shown (edited):

Note, keyboard shortcuts can also be used here:-

CTRL + B = Bold

CTRL + I = Italic

CTRL + U = Underline

To justify text

Text can be justified either to the left, right or centre by highlighting the text and then clicking on the appropriate justify button - in order, they are left, centre and right justify, as shown:

Note, keyboard shortcuts can also be used here, CTRL + L for left, CTRL + E for centre and CTRL + R for right justify.

Using transitions

Transitions are used to provide effects as one slide disappears and another appears. To add them to the presentation click on the Slide Show menu:

and select Slide Transition. A slide transition pane will appear on the right hand side of the screen:

Click on the downward arrow against the box that shows the types of transitions available. Click on the chosen transition and will it be applied to the slide (if AutoPreview is ticked).

Using transitions

Transition speed

The speed of transitions can also be changed as well by selecting the speed from the drop down list:

Other options available include the ability to advance the next slide by mouse clicking (a good choice to make when delivering a presentation) as well as being able to apply the changes to All Slides (this is good practice to keep the presentation consistent)

Transitions are by default, usually set to occur when the user clicks with the mouse button. They can be altered to occur after a pre-set time by clicking in the box against the "Automatically after"; this will put a tick in the box.

Next, enter in the box below how long the computer has to wait before advancing to the next slide (in seconds).

Note, the user will also have to click in the box against On mouse click to remove the tick against it as well.

Play and Slide Show

Clicking on Play shows the transition as applied to the slide in the picture part of the window.

Clicking on Slide Show generates the slide show.

Sound

Sound can also be added for the transitions. Click on the drop down arrow in the Sound box to reveal a pick list of available sounds.

Click on the chosen sound to select it.

Using colour and shading

To change the background colour of the slides click on the Format menu:

and select Background from the list. This will open a list where a number of colour schemes can be selected:

Click the downward arrow to reveal a number of schemes, More Colours and Fill Effects.

Clicking on More Colours brings up a palette of available colours, click on the colour to select it and then click OK to make that the selected colour scheme.

Clicking on Fill Effects allows a variety of effects to be added to the colour scheme, the first tab is Gradient.

Click on OK to select the choice. Select Apply to apply the colour to the chosen slide or select Apply to all to apply the colour to all slides.

Inserting pictures and charts

1. From a Slide template

A picture or chart can be included in a presentation by choosing the appropriate slide type from within the Slide Layout pane (see Inserting a New Slide).

Such slides include Title, Clip Art and Text and Title, Chart and Text (see below, edited slide layout)

Clicking on the slide layout changes the slide on the screen to match that layout.

This allows a preset template to be set up where clip art pictures and charts can be added.