Assignment # 1: PowerPoint

Due:

Percentage of Course Mark: 20%

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

For this assignment you will be creating a PowerPoint presentation about yourself . I've chosen this topic so you can concentrate on the details of learning PowerPoint rather than having to research a new topic. I'll leave the actual details up to you, but you might want to include such information as:

  • Education
  • Work experiences
  • Career goals
  • Hobbies, family, travel, pets, etc.
  • Favourite author or place

EXAMPLE

As you select your topic please keep in mind that the final presentation will be published on the course web site for all the world to see, so you may want to be careful about including any highly personal information such as phone numbers.

Your presentation must include the following:

  • Your name, the course name/number and your e-mail address must be on the first slide [the e-mail address is just typed in -- not "live"]
  • Minimum of 10 PowerPoint slides -- maximum of 18
  • At least three different slide layouts -- of which at least two must be from the "Auto-Layouts" that come with PowerPoint.
  • Use of a design template that comes with PowerPoint [or is obtained from one of the many PowerPoint template sites available on the WWW -- check with me if you want to use one of these]. Do not use the "blank" template. If you are using PowerPoint XP/2002 you will be able to use more than one slide layout in your presentation. This is not possible if you are using PowerPoint 2000.
  • A color scheme [fonts, background, etc.] on at least one slide that it is different from the rest. The presentation will be evaluated on its "readability" -- keep this in mind when you select fonts, background colours or patterns.
  • At least one transition effect when you move from slide to slide. Your presentation must be set up to play automatically with a predetermined time interval for each slide. This interval can be different for each slide -- it's up to you to determine the appropriate amount of time. Too short and the viewer can't read all the content -- too long and they begin to get bored. Test your draft presentation on someone else.
  • At least two different type fonts on the same slide [not just different sizes of the same font]. This is only required on one slide, but you may wish to use different fonts on other slides as well.
  • At least one use of bullets at different indentation levels on the same slide.
  • At least one animated clipart image [can come from online Microsoft Clip Art or elsewhere so long as the image is not restricted by copyright]
  • At least one animation effect on one slide [use the animation effects that come with PowerPoint].
  • No spelling or grammatical errors.

You will be evaluated on the extent to which the above is achieved, plus:

  • Ability to follow the assignment specifications.
  • Clarity -- Don't write every sentence that you would speak.
  • Creativity.
  • Appropriate amount of text & graphics per slide -- slides are not overcrowded and can be fully comprehended in the number of seconds they are on the screen.

Additional features of PowerPoint you can include if wish [optional]

  • Use of sound effects [you can use the ones that come standard with PowerPoint or find them yourself ]
  • Use of video/movies
  • Use of Word Art and Auto Shapes
  • Use of "Action Settings" to create links to WWW sites or to Word/PDF documents [if these are files you've created yourself they will need to be in your the latter must be included in the First Initial_Last Name folder {see below}].
  • Use of drawn shapes with coloured or textured fill
  • Use scanned personal photos

The assignment must be submitted in electronically using your server space.

  • On the computer you are using to create your presentation -- create a folder/directory named using the format First Initial_Last Name. For example, for me this would be T_Cameron
  • Put your presentation in PowerPoint format [has the .ppt extension] inside this folder/directory. Your presentation itself must be named using the format First Initial_Last Name. For example, for me this would be T_Cameron
    [yes, both the folder and the presentation will have the same name -- I need them this way so I can tell the assignments from different students apart once I download them to my computer].
  • If you have used any media [sound or movies] that did not come with the version of PowerPoint you are using, or have links to Word, PDF or HTML files not mounted on the WWW, these files must also be inside the FirstInitial_LastName folder. Make sure there are no "extra" files beyond those.

Good luck and remember you can ask me for help any time you have any questions.

 

 

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