Microsoft 365: PowerPoint - A Guide to Getting Started

Question

What are the key elements when making an effective PowerPoint Presentation?

Answer

When designing PowerPoint presentations, it is important to consider the following best practices:

Getting Started

Opening PowerPoint: Launch PowerPoint from your applications menu or start menu.

Creating a New Presentation: Select "New" and choose a blank presentation or from a template. 
Templates contain helpful tips on how to develop your slides.

 

Understanding the Interface: Familiarize yourself with the ribbon, slide pane, and notes section.

Creating a Presentation

Adding Slides: Click "New Slide" to add a slide. Choose from various slide layouts to suit your content.

Organizing Content: Use the slide sorter view to rearrange slides easily.

Using Slide Master: Customize slide layouts and designs that apply to the whole presentation.
When you edit the slide master, all slides that are based on that master will contain those changes.

Designing Slides

Themes and Design Ideas: Use built-in themes or design ideas to enhance your slides' appearance.

Customizing Backgrounds: Change slide backgrounds with solid colors, gradients, or images.

Text Formatting: Use the formatting options to adjust font size, style, and color for readability.

Designer will offer design ideas just by typing in a key word on the slide.

Adding Multimedia

Inserting Images and Videos: Use the "Insert" tab to add images, videos, and audio to your slides.

Embedding Charts and Graphs: Display data visually by inserting charts and graphs.

Using Icons and SmartArt: Add visual elements like icons or SmartArt for better engagement.

 

Using Slide Transitions and Animations

Transitions: Apply transitions between slides to add visual interest.

Animations: Animate text, images, or other objects to highlight key points.

Timing and Effects: Adjust the timing and sequence of animations for smooth flow.

Collaboration and Sharing

Co-Authoring: Work on presentations simultaneously with others using Microsoft 365 or SharePoint.

Sharing Presentations: Share your presentation via email, link, or directly within a learning management system (LMS).

Comments and Feedback: Use the comments feature for collaborative feedback.

Presenting with PowerPoint

Presenter View: Use Presenter View to see your notes, upcoming slides, and a timer while presenting.

Slide Show Options: Adjust settings for slide show playback, including looping, and starting from a specific slide.

Recording Presentations: Record slide shows with voice narration for asynchronous learning.

Accessibility Features

Alt Text for Images: Add alt text to images and other non-text content for screen readers.

Using Captions: Add captions or subtitles for videos to aid comprehension.

Accessibility Checker: Use PowerPoint’s built-in accessibility checker to ensure your presentation meets accessibility standards.

Tips and Best Practices

Keep It Simple: Avoid cluttered slides; focus on one idea per slide.

Use High-Quality Visuals: Use clear, high-resolution images and graphics.

Practice and Review: Practice your presentation multiple times and review for any errors or improvements.

Troubleshooting Common Issues​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Presentation Not Loading: Check your file format and ensure PowerPoint is up to date.

Missing Fonts or Images: Embed fonts and ensure all linked images are properly saved with the presentation.

Slow Performance: Reduce file size by compressing images or splitting large presentations.

Conclusion

PowerPoint is a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can significantly enhance learning and teaching experiences in higher education. Utilize this guide to explore and maximize PowerPoint’s capabilities.

Additional Resources

Microsoft PowerPoint Help Center (use the ribbon menu option)

PowerPoint help & learning (microsoft.com)

Online Tutorials and Courses
themes from templates.office.com

Animations and multimedia - Microsoft Support

Pictures, charts, and tables - Microsoft Support

Print and present - Microsoft Support

Slides and text - Microsoft Support

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