Unit 1 – Improving Productivity

Kristiana Hall

1.1Why did you use a computer? What other systems / resources could you have used?

I could have used paper but chose not to because the audience would not have been engaged. I used a computer because I thought it was appropriate to use in an IT lesson. Using a computer means I can connect it to a smart board so the audience can be increased because everyone will be able to see the presentation clearly. I could have used a black board but that means it would not be a presentation and I would have to keep rubbing information out so I can write other information for the next part, this is inconvenient as it takes time to write the information out and it wouldn’t be very interesting because I am limited with what I can write/draw on a board.

1.2What skills did you need to learn in order to use PowerPoint?

In order to use PowerPoint successfully, you need to know how to add the main components to your presentation such as: text, pictures, videos, animations and hyperlinks. If you learn how to do these then your presentations will be worth watching. Hyperlinks allow you to make links to websites and other slides on the current PowerPoint. It is very easy to learn how to do all of the above, at the top of the application are loads of buttons which will help you create your PowerPoint.

1.2What resources did you need to make the presentation successful?

In order to make the presentation successful, I used the folders in the shared area which provided me with school photos, the latest GCSE results, videos and audio. All of these made my presentation successful because they are not off the internet they are from the school which I am making the presentation about. I also used the school’s website as a resource because it provided me with accurate information that would be very helpful to the viewers of my presentation.

1.4What factors might have affected how well you completed the presentation? (e.g. time / attendance / knowledge of software)

Factors that might have affected how well I completed the presentation would have been punctuality and attendance because if I am not in on time or do not come to school then I will lack the knowledge on how to make a successful presentation because I was not in to be taught. If I was not in school then I would not have been able to complete my presentation to its best standards. If I am late to class then I will be wasting time catching up on the things I missed while everyone else will be moving onto the next step. Knowledge of my PowerPoint software was not to a professional standard – this would have affected my presentation because I am limited to what I can do on there.

1.6Why did you use PowerPoint to make your presentation? What other software was available? Why did you choose not to use them?

I could have used Word but that does not fit the brief of making a presentation because PowerPoint is the only software in which you are able to make a presentation. Also, word is very formal and is not very interesting. The PowerPoint needs to grab the audience’s attention while still providing them with helpful information. PowerPoint lets you do a lot of different things which can help make the presentation entertaining and helpful at the same time. For example using slide transitions make the PowerPoint a little bit more entertaining and hyperlinks make it easier to navigate your presentation.

2.2Which tools within PowerPoint made it appropriate for your presentation?

Tools within PowerPoint that were appropriate for my presentation were hyperlinks and slide master. Hyperlinks allow you to make a link to a website or another slide within the presentation, this was useful because it makes it easier and quicker to present. It was easier for me to get to the navigation slide because in every slide I made a hyperlink in the corner to get to it and then from there I can click on the slide I want to open up next. Slide master was not difficult to use and it meant I could make all of the slides identical in colour and theme; doing this made my presentation look formal and neat.

1.7Were there any legal constraints or local constraints that changed the way you created your presentation? (e.g. copyright, file sizes)

Before I used any resources from the school I made sure I had permission to use them. When I had completed my presentation I noticed that a video file was too big and therefore wouldn’t allow me to upload it onto the examination website for it to be marked. So I went back onto the shared area and picked a smaller sized video with the teacher’s permission. If I had used photos from the internet then that would be copyright and that is illegal because I do not have the owner’s permission.

2.4What improvements do you think you could do to your presentation?

Improvements I could have made to my presentation would have been adding more information about the subjects that get taught and some examples of the topics you learn about. Also I would have added more information about the heads of houses, the nurse, the family workers and support workers. This would’ve improved my presentation because it is helpful to some people and if I didn’t include it in my presentation then they might be worrying about who they go to for any personal problems. Overall, I think my presentation was appropriate and the layout was suitable for what it was about.

3.2What improvements do you think you could have done to improve your work rate?

Being more independent and motivating myself to complete a given task in my own time would have helped me improve my work rate. This means I would have to plan my time more effectively so that I am able to complete my IT work and other work as well. Working solidly on the presentation in the hour lessons I had would have helped rather than working on it for a bit then taking a break and carrying on. Using the shortcuts on the keyboard wold have meant that I could work faster, for example using Ctrl C and V to copy and paste. If I had used that method to copy and paste then I would have been able to work faster and then have extra time to check through my work and add more if needed.