Computing Center

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is an excellent application for creating multimedia presentations. Presentations may include text, graphics, sound, and video clips. Files created in PowerPoint 2003 on a Windows computer should also be fully cross-platform compatible with Macintoshes running PowerPoint X. However, please be aware that some new features and some images and media files may not be compatible. It is highly recommended that you test your PowerPoint presentation on the computer you will be presenting on before your presentation to make sure everything works.

This documentation will show you how to perform the basic tasks involved in creating presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint 2003; however, many of the principles still apply to previous versions of the software.

About PowerPoint

Accessing Microsoft Power Point

The PowerPoint Screen Layout

Getting Started

Opening an Existing Presentation

Creating A New Presentation

Saving Presentations

Working With Slides

Creating a New Slide

Inserting/Editing Text and Objects

Reordering/Deleting Slides

Additional Slide Design: Color Schemes

Additional Slide Design: Animation Schemes

Using Slide Transitions

The Slide Master

Effective Use Practices

Introduction

Design Tips

Presentation Tips

References and Additional Resources

About PowerPoint

Accessing Microsoft PowerPoint

From the Start menu, select Programs.  Another menu will pop up, and from there navigate to the Microsoft Office folder, and then click the Microsoft PowerPoint icon to launch the program. NOTE:  The procedure for opening PowerPoint may vary depending on the setup of your computer.

The PowerPoint Screen Layout

Every time you open PowerPoint on your computer, a new slide presentation is created. The default view is a tri-panel view, which allows you to see several presentation aspects at once. The toolbar across the top of the window allows you to format and edit text and other objects. Notice that many of the icons are the same as those found in Microsoft word and other MS Office programs, and so function in a similar fashion.

  1. Main Panel

    The main panel is the Slide Editing pane in the center where you can add all of your content and format your presentation. Below this panel is a smaller panel that reads Click to add notes. Here you may type additional comments for your presentation (speaking notes, for example) that will not appear on-screen during a slide show, but may be printed if you select Note Pages from the PowerPoint printing options.

     

  2. Left Panel

    The left panel contains two tabs. Selecting the Outline tab allows you to display the outline of the text in your presentation. Selecting the Slides tab will display thumbnails of each slide in your current presentation.

     

  3. Right Panel: the Task Pane

The panel on the right is called the Task Pane, which gives you a list of functions and commands to perform depending on your current PowerPoint activity.

To open or reopen the Task Pane if it does not appear automatically, go to the View menu across the top of the screen and select Task Pane.

If you want to close the Task Pane, click on the X on the upper right corner of the pane. It may be reopened from the View menu.

  1. Task Pane Title Bar

When PowerPoint is first launched, this will display "New Presentation", and the Task Pane will contain various sections that allow you to choose a design template, open a new or existing presentation, and perform various other functions. The title bar of the Task Pane will change depending on what you are doing in PowerPoint. You can change the options in the Task Pane by clicking on the triangle at the far end of the title bar to access the drop-down menu (next to the X that closes the panel).

 

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Getting Started

Opening an Existing Presentation

To open an existing presentation, select Open from the File menu, and then select the name of the file you wish to open. Alternatively, you may also click on the Open icon from the standard toolbar.

Creating A New Presentation

 
When you launch PowerPoint 2003, it automatically creates a new blank presentation with a title slide for you. You can begin creating your presentation immediately, or click Blank Presentation in the new section of the task pane.
 
  1. Slide Layout Options

The  slide layout options will then be displayed as shown below.

 

When Working with the Slide Layout:

  • Long bars of gray represent text boxes, boxes with little pictures in them represent image objects, and the bulleted lists represent unordered lists.

  • If you choose to select from one of these pre-made slide layouts, keep in mind that you can always modify the layout to better suit your needs. This includes positioning, adding,  and even deleting some of the objects.

  • If you want to try to be a little more advanced, you can choose to make a completely blank slide, and then insert objects and text as you work (the blank slide is the one at the top of the “Content Layouts” area in the “Slide Layout” panel).

  • Find a layout you like, and click on it in the panel window. As soon as you click on the layout in the “Slide Layout” panel, the layout will be applied to the current slide.

  • From this point, you are free to create the rest of your presentation as you see fit. To create a new slide based on a pre-made layout, right-click on the layout you like in the “Slide Layout” panel, and select “Insert Slide.” You will then see the new slide appear on your screen, as well as in the “Slide” view on the left side of your screen.

 
 
  1. Slide Design Templates

In addition to slide layout options, PowerPoint also allows you to use design templates to automatically format text and set background images. To create slides using the Design Template feature, select From Design Template from the New section of the Task Pane. (If your task pane does not currently display the New Presentation panel, click on the triangle at the far end of the Task Pane title bar and select Slide Design - Templates from the drop down menu.) The following options will then appear in the task pane.

When Working with the Slide Design Templates:

  • To apply a design template, simply click on the design, and it will be applied to your presentation. Now, every time you make a new slide, it will retain the design template you selected.
  • You can choose a new design template by clicking on a different design in the “Slide Design” panel on the right.
  • You can right-click on a design template to bring up even more options. You can apply a design template to selected slides, all the slides, use the design for all new presentations you create, or choose to view large preview versions of the slide designs.

 

 

  1. The AutoContent Wizard

Your third option for generating your presentation format is the AutoContent Wizard, which acts like an interactive tutorial. The wizard will make suggestions for the creation of slides and content, so if you have never made a slideshow presentation using PowerPoint before, then you might want to consider using this feature. To use the AutoContent Wizard, click on the From AutoContent Wizard in the New section of the “New Presentation” panel. The pop-up below will appear to guide you through creating your own personalized template. Just click on the Next button to continue.

 

Saving Presentations

It's important to save your work frequently, so that you don't lose your work. To save your presentation, go to the menu bar and select File then Save. When the window appears, find a location to save your presentation on your computer, and give it a file name in the text box. If the presentation has been saved before, PowerPoint will find and replace the older document.

To save a presentation with a different name or in a different folder, go to the menu bar and select File then Save As from the menu. PowerPoint will then ask for the new name and folder for the presentation.

If you plan to make your finished presentation available for download (via Blackboard or the Web), it is a good idea to make your presentation read only, meaning that others can view the content but they cannot edit or change it in anyway. To do so, you must select PowerPoint Show (*.pps) from the Save As Type field.

There is are also two other advanced options for saving your presentation. You may save the presentation as html, enabling you to save it as a format that can be put on the Internet. This option can be useful as a back up method in case something goes wrong with your presentation or if PowerPoint is not installed on the computer you are presenting on. Be aware that some of the PowerPoint features will not be available as a webpage.

To Save As Webpage:

  1. Select the File menu and then Save As Webpage.
  2. In the File Name field, type a name for your file.
  3. In the Save As Type field, select Web Page from the file type drop down menu.
  4. Click on the Publish button.
  5. In the new dialog box that appears choose whether to export your entire slide show, certain slides, and other features you may wish to include.
  6. When you have selected all of your options, click on the Publish button again. A folder will be automatically generated by PowerPoint where your web files will be stored.

The "Package for CD" feature allows you to copy one or more presentations along with supporting files onto a CD. The MS PowerPoint viewer is included by default in the package and will run the packaged presentations on another computer, even if PowerPoint is not installed. If you have a CD burner, the Package for CD feature can copy presentations to a blank recordable CD (CD-R), a blank rewritable CD (CD-RW), or a CD-RW with existing content. Note: existing content on the CD-RW will be overwritten. You can also use the Package for CD feature to copy the presentation to a folder on your computer, a network location, or, if you do not include the viewer, a floppy disk instead of directly to CD.

To Package for CD (or other location):

  1. Select Package for CD from the File menu.
  2. In the Name the CD field, type the name of your project.
  3. If you need to include additional files with your presentation(s), click on the Add Files button.
  4. If you need to include special fonts or password protect your presentation(s), click on the Options button. Do not unclick any of the options that are set by default.
  5. Finally, click on either the Copy to Folder and then save in the desired location on your computer, or Copy to CD button to begin burning a CD.

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Working With Slides

Creating a New Slide

To add a new slide to your presentation, go to the File menu and select Insert, then New Slide, or simply click on the New Slide button at the far right of the standard toolbar, and a new slide will be inserted after the slide currently being displayed in the main panel. Keep in mind that all new slides are placed after the current slide position, whether adding a slide to the end or inserting one between two existing slides. When created, new slides are formatted using the same design template as the previous slide, so you do not need to select design settings each time.

Inserting/Editing Text and Objects

To insert an object (for example, if you are making your slide show from a blank presentation or you need to add more items to one of PowerPoint's pre-made layouts), click on the Insert menu and select the type of object you would like to insert. Your available options include textbox, pictures from files or clipart, movie clips, wordart, and charts among many others.

To edit text on your slide, simply click on the text and the cursor will appear. To edit the attributes of a textbox itself or another object, double click on it. You may then change various attributes of that object.

Reordering/Deleting Slides

You may decide at some point to reorganize the slides in your presentation or even delete some slides. The easiest way to perform these tasks is to click on the Slides tab in the left panel. You can select a slide thumbnail and either delete it using the delete command from the Edit menu, or by pressing the delete key on the keyboard. Selecting a slide and holding down the left mouse button while dragging it up or down will move the slide to a different position in the presentation.

Additional Slide Design: Color Schemes

In addition to using slide templates, you may also select color and animation schemes. Color schemes are useful if you are not already using a design template. To use this feature, select Color Schemes from the Slide Design panel in the task pane. (If your task pane does not currently display the Slide Design panel, click on the triangle to the right of title at the top of the task pane and select Slide Design - Color Schemes from the drop down menu.) The following options will then appear in the task pane.

When Working with Color Schemes:

  • You can apply pre-made color schemes to one, some, or all of your slides. Simply click on a color scheme, and you will see how it looks on the current slide appearing on your screen.
  • If you don’t like any of the available pre-made color schemes, click on the text at the bottom of the panel that says “Edit Color Schemes.” A new window will pop up that will allow you to make your own custom color scheme.

 

 

 

Additional Slide Design: Animation Schemes

You may apply an animation to any object in your presentation using PowerPoint's animation schemes. During your slideshow presentation, instead of the object just appearing on the screen regularly, an applied preset animation uses a special effect to make an object appear on the screen in some sort of action, such as a fade in or grow.  To access use this feature, select Animation Schemes from the Slide Design panel in the task pane. by going to the menu bar and selecting (If your task pane does not currently display the Slide Design panel, click on the triangle at the far end of the Task Pane title bar and select Slide Design - Animation Schemes from the drop down menu.) The following options will then appear in the task pane.

When Working with Animation Schemes:

  • Make sure you have selected an object. Then choose a Preset Animation from the list. If you click on an animation name, you can preview the animation on your screen.
  • If you feel like doing more advanced work with animations, you can choose to make your own special effects to apply to objects. Go to the Task Pane title bar and select Custom Animation. The custom animation options will appear in the Task Pane. Play around with all of the different options until you come up with something you like. You can come up with just about any kind of combination of transitions, directions, timing, and grouping of words/letters/objects.

 

 

 

Using Slide Transitions

Slide transitions between slides--or even a just a select few rather than all--can add some visual interest to your presentation if used with discretion. To access this feature, click on the triangle in the far right of the title bar of the Task Pane and select Slide Transition. Or go to the Menu bar and select Slide Show, and finally Slide Transition.

When Working with Slide Transitions:

  • Transitions can be applied to particular slides or the entire presentation.
  • You can decide on the speed and duration of the transition, add sound, and whether a specified amount of time or a mouse-click will advance to the next slide.

 

The Slide Master

The Slide Master controls the overall formatting and for the objects--text, slide titles, background items, special effects, etc.--and their placement in your presentation, regardless of whether or not you start with a design template or from scratch. Any changes made to the slide master will be automatically applied to all slides in the presentation. Using the slide master helps to create a cohesive, professional look and feel for your presentation, and also ensures that transitions are smooth from one slide to the next.

To edit the slide master:

  1. Click on the View menu and select Master, and then finally Slide Master.

  2. The main panel will now display the master slide for editing. Make the desired changes.

  3. When you are done editing the slide, click on the View menu, and then select Normal. You should now notice that your changes have been applied to the entire presentation.

If you would like to edit the properties of a single slide (for emphasis, etc.), select the Slides tab in the left panel. Select the thumbnail of the slide you would like to work on. The slide will now be appear in the main panel, after which you may make your changes. Any new changes made here will only affect the current slide, and not the slide master or other slides in the presentation.

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Effective Use Practices

When used well, PowerPoint can be an effective tool to help your audience grasp and retain material while allowing the speaker to reinforce their presentation's content. When used unwisely, however, PowerPoint can become a distraction that obscures the content.  Keep in mind that PowerPoint was designed as a corporate presentation tool and not an academic tool. As such, it should be used to support, simplify, elaborate, and review information. PowerPoint should not be used to actually present the information. People respond emotionally to a presentation, so your slides will determine what type of response people have. By using appropriate images, charts, graphs and text you can keep the audience interested instead of being put to sleep.

Although PowerPoint is a presentation tool it can also be used for other purposes. For example, you can create a simple slide show of images which could then be exported to the web or posted on Blackboard. PowerPoint can even be used to display multimedia content using a simple interface. If you were to have various audio and video clips as a part of your presentation, you will need to switch between a number of screens and programs to view them. But if they are embedded into a PowerPoint presentation you can access them from within the slide seamlessly.

 

Design Tips

1. Determine the purpose of each slide

  • Is it for elaboration or simplification?
  • Use slides for preview and review, not presentation.
  • Make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them.

2. Use consistent colors

  • Make use of the templates that come with PowerPoint, or create your own color scheme with the slide master (see directions above).  You can download many more templates from Microsoft’s web site.
  • Do not use too many colors, a combination of a few is usually best.

3. Limit text

  • Strive for at-a-glance comprehension.
    • Think in terms of keywords instead of sentences. You should not have the entire presentation on slides, but only key points and topics.
    • Use the notes feature on handouts for more details if you wish.
  • Bulleted lists
    • Try to limit slides to three or four bullets backed up with only a sentence or 2 of explanatory text at most.
    • Use no more than 7 words per line and no more than 6 bullets per slide. Offer explanations of the bullets yourself instead of trying to fit them on the slide.       
    • For longer lists consider using animations to show one at a time.

4. Use fonts wisely

  • Sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica are easier to read.
  • Don't use font sizes smaller than 24 points.
  • Clearly label each slide and use a larger font (35-45 points) or a different color for the title.
  • Use a single font for most of the presentation. Use different colors, sizes and styles (bold, underline) for impact.
  • Avoid italics as they can be difficult to read quickly.
  • Use dark text on light background or light text on a dark background. Keep in mind that dark backgrounds can make it difficult for some people to read text.
  • Test slides by standing back 6 feet from your monitor and see if you can read everything.

5. Graphics

  • Avoid flashy graphics and animations unless they relate directly to a slide.
  • Use a minimal amount of text to explain charts or graphs.
  • Leave empty space around text and graphics so the design looks clean and uncluttered.
  • Use clipart sparingly, if at all. The graphic should relate to, and enhance the topic of the slide.
  • Limit the use of slide transitions. Use only 1 or 2 if any.

6. Video and Audio

  • Video and/or audio clips can disrupt the flow of your lecture.
  • If the clip is long consider showing it at the beginning or end.
  • If it is short and closely integrated in the presentation consider embedding it into a slide.

7. Use Hidden slides

If you can anticipate some questions but don’t want to include slides explaining them in your presentation, you can create hidden slides.

  • If you decide to show these slides you can right click on the screen and go to the hidden slides.
  • Using hidden slides, you can tailor a presentation to your audience.
  • You may also want to consider creating a non-liner presentation if you have many hidden slides. You can use hyperlinks within a slideshow to navigate to other slides so you can determine the order of the slides as you go.

8. Reuse slides when possible.

For presentation materials to be used on an ongoing basis, concentrate perishable info on a few slides that can be easily revised.

9. Break it up a bit.

If your presentation is long, consider breaking it up by using a slide denoting the change in topic.

  • Consider using a different color for a slide that summarizes a topic you are finishing or to introduce a new topic.
  • Use a slide with an image or even a joke to help keep the audience engaged.

10. Always keep copyright issues in mind when adding content to your presentation.

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Presentation Tips

1. Practice, practice, practice. Run through the presentation to make sure it flows and works the way you want it to. Test it out on the equipment to be used at the time of the lecture. Colors may appear different on different projectors so make sure your color scheme works in the classroom you are using.

2. Distribute printed copies of the slides with room for note taking.

3. Talk to the audience (not the screen) and maintain eye contact.

4. Keep the lights on as much as possible.

5. Do not read the text – talk about it. Make cue cards so you know what points you wanted to make about each slide. 

6. Avoid blocking the view of the screen.

7. Contextualize and explain graphics. 

8. Provide a verbal transition from one slide to the next. Verbally cue the next slide instead of using the next slide to suggest what you are about to say. 

9. Take your time on each slide. Use no more than 3 per minute or take at least 20 seconds per slide.

10. Talk about the current slide. If you need to discuss materials not presented in the slide show consider blacking out the screen.  (Control-B)

11. Avoid switching between programs – web pages, media players etc. Many media types, links, etc. can be embedded in your presentation slides and can be launched from within PowerPoint.

12. Tell the audience what you are going to say, say it, and then tell them what’s been said.

13. Minimize Distractions--both in the room and on the slides.

 

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References and Resources

To learn more about PowerPoint, check out http://www.Elementk.com

Bartsch, R. A., Cobern K. M. (2003). Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures [electronic version]. Computers in Education, 41(2003), 77-86.

Tufte, Edward R. (2003). The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint. Cheshire: Graphics Press.

http://www.colorbrewer.com – ColorBrewer - Selecting Good Color Schemes for Maps - Great site for deciding on color schemes. Rates various colors for compatibility with LCD projectors, color printing, black and white photocopies, and their appropriateness for people with colorblindness.

http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/presentation/Intro.html – Improving Learning with PowerPoint - Designed by the TLT (Teaching and Learning with Technology) Group this site has some good ideas about creating effective PowerPoint presentations. It also has a very detailed evaluation to give your students to improve your presentations.

http://ecglink.com/newsletter/visual.shtml - Effective Slide Design Using PowerPoint - This site is geared towards corporate presentations but has some good guidelines about using fonts, charts, and graphs.

Additional Resources:

The Bartsch and Cobern article referenced above includes a number of references that you may find useful. Trinity does not subscribe to all of these publications:

Cassady, J. C. (1998). Student and instructor perceptions of the efficacy of computer-aided lectures in undergraduate university courses. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 19, 175-189.

Lowry, R. B. (1999). Electronic presentation of lectures – effect upon student performance. University Chemistry Education, 3(1), 18-21.

Mayer, R. E. (2001). Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. (2000). A coherence effect in multimedia learning: the case for minimizing irrelevant sounds in the design of multimedia instructional messages. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 117-125.

Szaba, A., & Hastings, N. (2000). Using IT in the undergraduate classroom: should we replace the blackboard with PowerPoint? Computers in Education, 35, 175-187.

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