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#Powerpoint usage professional
The key to improving your use of PowerPoint as a presentation tool for technical or professional communication is to rethink the usual layout of presentations you have seen. Fortunately, students of technical communication can implement a change of strategy and follow a few guidelines to use PowerPoint more effectively. Many of the problems with PowerPoint presentations are the result of a tool that is readily accessible being used by individuals untrained in rhetorical and visual design. Purely decorative designs can distract from functional visuals and text. Bullet points do not take advantage of the program’s visual potential.
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For example, reversed text on a dark background can be challenging for audiences to read. These can guide a novice user to make inappropriate design choices that affect usability. One issue with PowerPoint is the preset templates and layouts Microsoft provides. PowerPoint does not make students stupid and professors boring rather, poor use of this tool makes for ineffective presentations and can lead to laziness in both the audience and the presenter.
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Although this author and others make good points on the ineffectiveness of PowerPoint, others (Horvath & Lodge, 2015) contend that a tool is only as effective as the person using it. In fact, a 2015 article on the website The Conversation claims PowerPoint “makes students more stupid and professors more boring” (Sorensen). Most students have experienced an ineffective PowerPoint presentation. Unfortunately, PowerPoint is controversial. To more effectively use PowerPoint often requires unlearning many of the common techniques displayed in the typical college class or even in the workplace. Unfortunately, effective use of this tool is not as intuitive as one would think considering its prevalence. PowerPoint can be a very effective tool for students and professionals if it is used appropriately for the purposes of a technical presentation.
#Powerpoint usage software
Other software like Presi or Google Slides are becoming more popular and present may of the same opportunities and challenges that PowerPoint does. Among the presentation software choices, PowerPoint is widely available and widely used in the workplace and in educational settings. Presenters should remember they have an array of options for visual aids from live demonstrations to interactive activities to old fashioned white boards however, presentation software is the most commonly used option. Visual aids are useful for increasing audience understanding of both the subject and the organization of a presentation. In technical presentations, like most other genres of technical communication, good visual information design is essential. Instructional presentations, or “how-to” presentations, are formatted to teach, explain, or train.
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Persuasive presentations can be used to make pitches to clients or supervisors. Informational presentations are useful for reporting on research or giving a project update. For most, that communication includes at least an occasional formal presentation.įormal presentations in the workplace usually take one of three forms: Regardless whether you are an engineer or a writer, a professional or a student, a business person or a scientist, you will be expected to communicate effectively with your supervisors, colleagues, clients, and the public.