Computer Aided Teaching and Presentation Software

COMPUTER AIDED TEACHING (CAT)

                        Computer Aided Teaching (CAT) approach is a need of the hour in teaching learning sector. Computer Aided Teaching is:

·         an interactive strategy used in organizing teaching materials in a computer environment

·         Presenting these materials to the students in a user-friendly format

·         Promoting learning and detecting and remedying misconceptions of the students with the help of computer.

·         Computer Aided Teaching usually includes multimedia instructional formats, such as animation, video and simulation, and virtual learning environment such as Web Course Tools (Web CT) or Blackboard Learning System (BLS).

            Computer Aided Teaching (CAT) approach is highlighted in all current curriculum reforms around the world. Indian classrooms are also zeroing in on this approach.

            Computer Aided or assisted teaching simply means that teacher make uses the computer and allied systems to take classroom lessons. Teacher can use different soft wares for this purpose. Students learning can be facilitated with the CAT

Using Presentation Softwares in Classrooms

There have many presentation soft wares. Most popular among them is Power Point Presentation.

Linux Impress

                  Linux Impress, a part of the Apache Open Office, developed by Sun Microsystems, is an open source presentation program compatible similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. With this versatile application we can create a series of ‘slides’ that can contain text, images, audio, or even video. Open Office Impress shows can be presented manually, by clicking on the space bar to progress to the next slide. One can also create a stand-alone self -running ‘show’ with the application.

                It can export presentations to Adobe Flash (SWF) files allowing them to be played on any computer with the Flash player installed. It also includes the ability to create PDF files. A presentation consists of page(s) that can be seen on the computer screen as normal and with the use of a projector, can be seen on the wall or on an external screen. Normally, a laptop is used since it has good portability.

          Impress is like a SLIDE SHOW. One page after the other is projected. A page that is projected is called a SLIDE. The following can be included in a Slide.

1. Animation

2. 3-D graphics

3. Bullets and Numbered Lists

4. All the normal stuff that is in a word processor and in spreadsheets such as bold,  colours,  text alignment, borders, drawing, templates, etc. 

POWER POINT PRESENTATION

             PowerPoint was the first presentation software designed for Macintosh and Windows. Power Point was originally designed for the Apple Macintosh computer, developed by Dennis Austin and Robert Gaskins in 1987.

                  Power Point is an effective pedagogical tool in the classroom. It can be used in the classroom for initial teaching, for student projects, for practice and drilling, for games, for reviews, and for tests.

Benefits for teachers:

•      Teachers can use PowerPoint presentations to enhance the effectiveness of classroom instruction in many ways and in every subject area.

•      Teachers can modify lessons and use them over and over again. Therefore, teachers save time on handing out instructional material, writing on blackboard, repeated speech and so on.

•      PowerPoint can enrich the information in a lesson, and make the presentation more organized and flexible.

•      Main points can be emphasized by using graphics, animation and sound.

•      PowerPoint can be used for content review.

•      Rather than handing absentee students written notes of a lesson they missed, you can replay your lesson or presentation using a slide show. Absent students receive the same instruction as those who are present, so they do not fall behind.

•      Teachers can share lessons and presentations simply using a file-sharing system or flash drive. Teachers can share the workload of creating presentations.

 Creating Slides in the Power Point Creating Presentation

Any know how with computer can easily develop presentation in power point. It is not a difficult task. The following steps are suggested to develop a presentation.

Step 1: Launch the PowerPoint Program

Step 2: Choose a Design

Step 3: Create Title Page

Step 4: Add More Slides

Step 5: Add charts, pictures, graphs, etc.

Step 6: Add Transitions

Step 7: Changing the Order

Step 8: Play the Presentation

Importance of creating Slides in Presentation Softwares

                Slide Presentation Softwares such as the Open Office Impress and the PowerPoint;  has become an ingrained part of many instructional settings, particularly in large classes and in courses more geared toward information exchange than skill development. PowerPoint and the Impress can be highly effective tools to aid learning, but if not used carefully, may instead disengage students and actually hinder learning.

                 Potential benefits of using Presentation Softwares include:

•            Engaging multiple learning styles

•            Increasing visual impact

•            Improving audience focus

•            Providing annotations and highlights

•            Analyzing and synthesizing complexities

•            Enriching curriculum with inter disciplinary.  

•            Increasing spontaneity and interactivity

•            Increasing wonder

 Creating Animation in a Power Point Presentation           

            An Animation is the ability to move objects in a slide without your direct intervention during a presentation. Animation can be useful in making a presentation more dynamic, and help to emphasize points, but too much animation can be distracting. Do not let animation and sound take the focus away from what you are saying. Following are the steps to create an animation in the presentation:

STEP:1
Open Power point and create a new presentation. Make a blank slide and set the transition to advance after 1 second. Click Apply to all.

 STEP:2
Draw the first frame of your animation. This one is important - it is the frame that all of the other frames in this scene will be based on. Take your time with it.

STEP:3
Duplicate the slide, and make a very slight change in this slide for the progress of the animation. If you had a ball falling, make it go down one or two places.

STEP: 4

Do not duplicate the new slide and keep going. For things like gravity, make the motion stronger each time, eg: changing it more and more. The most catastrophic thing is to make things go too fast, so don't be afraid to take a lot of slides to do one thing - you can always delete them later.

 STEP: 5

Preview your presentation constantly; changing anything you think needs to be changed. Erase unneeded slides and such, add or delete details until your presentation is perfect

STEP: 6
Add in sounds and other details, then make a beginning and ending slide, maybe even an opening sequence.