Presentation Packages

TOPIC: Presentation Packages

CLASS: SSS One

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Definition of Presentation Software

A presentation program (or presentation software) is an application software package used to display information in the form of a slide show. It's designed to help you create engaging visual aids for your audience.

Typically, it has three major functions:

• An editor that allows text to be inserted, formatted (like changing font size, color, bolding), and arranged.
• A method for inserting and manipulating graphic images (like photos, clip art, charts) and other multimedia elements.
• A slide-show system to display the prepared content to an audience, often with special effects.

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Examples of Presentation Software

Some popular examples of presentation software include:

• Microsoft PowerPoint (MS PowerPoint)
• Google Slides
• Prezi
• Canva
• Keynote (for Apple devices)
• LibreOffice Impress
• Visme
• SlideShare (a platform for sharing presentations, often from other software)
• Haiku Deck
• Emaze
• SlideWiki

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Features of Presentation Packages

Presentation packages offer various features to help users create dynamic and interactive presentations:

• Creation of Slides: A slide is a single screen of a presentation. Every presentation is composed of several slides, which can contain any mixture of text, images, video, animations, links, and sound. Slides often use placeholders that guide where to put text, images, and other content.
• Themes and Templates:
  • Themes: Provide a consistent design (colors, fonts, effects) that can be applied to all slides in a presentation, giving it a professional and unified look.
  • Templates: Offer pre-designed presentation structures with specific layouts, backgrounds, and sometimes even placeholder content for various purposes (e.g., business reports, educational lectures).
• Animation Effects: Animation effects allow individual elements (like text, pictures, or shapes) on each slide to appear, disappear, or move in a sequence, usually after a certain amount of time or when the presenter clicks.
• Transitions: A transition is how the presentation software "moves" the display from one slide to the next. Transitions can include effects like dissolving, pushing, or fading, making the shift between slides visually appealing.
• Multimedia Integration: Ability to insert and play audio and video clips directly within slides.
• Drawing Tools: Tools to create shapes, lines, and other graphics directly on the slides.
• Charts and Graphs: Functionality to create and insert various types of charts (bar, pie, line) and graphs to represent data visually.

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MS PowerPoint Environment

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Steps Involved in Activating MS PowerPoint

There are several common ways to load Microsoft PowerPoint:

1. If the PowerPoint icon is on your desktop, simply double-click on it to open the application.
2. If the icon is not on the desktop, follow these steps:
   • Click the Start Button (usually in the bottom-left corner of the screen).
   • Click on All Programs (or "All Apps" in newer Windows versions).
   • Select and click Microsoft Office (or just "Microsoft" depending on your version).
   • Select and click Microsoft PowerPoint.

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PowerPoint Operations

The following are common operations you can perform within MS PowerPoint:

1. Create a new presentation from scratch or using a template.
2. Insert text, pictures, shapes, charts, and other graphic elements.
3. Animate individual contents (objects) on slides.
4. Add new slides to your presentation.
5. Save your presentation to a file.
6. Run the slide show (present your slides).
7. Print your presentation (e.g., slides, handouts, notes).
8. Close the presentation.

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Guidelines for Creating a Good MS PowerPoint Presentation

To make your presentations effective and engaging, consider these guidelines:

1. Ensure the font size is large enough for the text to be clearly readable by all viewers, even from the back of the room.
2. Keep your messages and points brief, concise, and straight to the point. Avoid lengthy paragraphs on slides.
3. Maintain consistent use of colors on all slides for a professional and unified look.
4. Avoid too much text on a single slide. Ensure there is good contrast between text color and background color for readability (e.g., dark text on a light background, or vice versa).
5. Use transitions and animations sparingly and consistently to avoid distractions. Overuse can make a presentation seem unprofessional.
6. Add images to compliment your messages and enhance understanding, rather than just to decorate slides.

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Benefits of Presentation Packages

Using presentation software offers many advantages for sharing information:

1. Easy to create colorful and attractive designs and presentations.
2. Helps to convey messages clearly and effectively to the audience.
3. Facilitates easy presentation and helps maintain eye contact with a large audience.
4. Enhances the assimilation (understanding) of information through visual aids.
5. It makes the presentation more interesting and dynamic.
6. It supports multimedia elements like images, audio, and video.
7. Useful for developing speaker interaction and engagement with the audience.
8. It supports Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), allowing content from other applications to be inserted and updated.
9. It engages multiple learning styles (visual, auditory).
10. It helps improve audience focus and attention.
11. Supports easy ways to organize ideas and information.
12. Can be used for presentations in the absence of the speaker (self-running presentations).