PowerPoint Introduction

Course Overview

Create compelling presentations with confidence from the very start.
This course introduces Microsoft PowerPoint from the ground up, focusing on creating professional and visually appealing presentations. Learners will gain the fundamental skills needed to design slides, manage content, and apply basic formatting and graphics effectively. This course is essential for anyone who wants to communicate ideas clearly and professionally using PowerPoint.

________________________________________

Who Should Attend?

This course is suitable for:
• Individuals with little or no formal training in PowerPoint
• Participants who have only used PowerPoint for simple slide creation
• Office staff, administrative professionals, or support personnel who need to create presentations
• Anyone who wants to learn PowerPoint correctly, following business best practices

Required Knowledge:
• Basic computer literacy (keyboard, mouse, file handling)
• No prior experience with Microsoft PowerPoint is required

________________________________________

What You Will Learn

Getting Started with PowerPoint
• Understanding the PowerPoint interface and its components
• Navigating ribbons, menus, and panes efficiently

Creating a Presentation
• Inserting new slides and choosing appropriate layouts
• Applying recommended techniques for clear, structured content

Manipulating Slides
• Customising slide layouts and background colours
• Reordering, copying, and deleting slides

Themes and Formatting
• Applying and modifying themes and theme fonts
• Ensuring consistent and professional slide design

Working with Text
• Using placeholders: editing, resizing, and moving text boxes
• Manipulating text: moving, copying, deleting, and editing content
• Font formatting: type, size, colour, and attributes
• Paragraph formatting: alignment, columns, bullets, numbering, spacing, and text direction

Incorporating Graphics
• Creating and formatting tables and charts
• Designing simple organisation charts

Basic Animation and Transitions
• Applying simple slide transitions and object animations for impact

Printing and Proofing
• Preparing presentations for printing
• Checking spelling and reviewing slides for consistency

________________________________________

Exclusions:

This course does not cover:
• Advanced animation and transition techniques
• Slide master and custom layouts
• Advanced charting and graphic design
• Collaboration and sharing features
• Macros, VBA, or automation tools

These topics are covered in higher-level PowerPoint courses.

________________________________________

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
• Navigate the PowerPoint interface confidently
• Create well-structured and visually appealing presentations
• Insert and manipulate slides, text, and graphics effectively
• Apply formatting and themes consistently across slides
• Use basic animations and transitions to enhance presentations
• Prepare presentations for printing, sharing, and professional delivery

________________________________________

Delivery Format

This is a classroom-based course. Each participant will have access to a fully equipped workstation with Microsoft PowerPoint installed. The instructor will guide the course using live demonstrations, practical exercises, and real-time feedback.
Training Environment Includes:
• Individual PCs with Microsoft PowerPoint
• Course materials and online notes
• Comfortable classroom setting conducive to learning

Participants are not required to bring their own laptop.

________________________________________

Recommended Progression Pathway

After this course, participants may choose to advance further into:
• Microsoft PowerPoint – Level 2 Intermediate & Level 3 Advanced: Advanced slide design, multimedia, and efficiency techniques, Interactive presentations, custom templates, and professional storytelling
• Microsoft PowerPoint – Level 4 Graphics & Animation

________________________________________

Learner Support

Participants will have indefinite online access to all practice files and notes at https://www.dti.ie. Email support will also be offered on items covered during this course at support@dti.ie.