We had a look at a few alternative tools to create slide presentations. Powerpoint is by far the most well known, but we also looked at Prezi and one I hadn't seen called Nearpod.
Powerpoint is Microsoft's ubiquitous and long-established presentation application. It's by far the most feature-rich of all the tools out there, but that comes at the expense of accessibility, with many functions untouched and unknown about by most users. MS have tried to alleviate this in recent versions with their 'ribbon' interface, but the fact remains most people only scratch the surface of what this software can do. Until recently Powerpoint was a solely paid-for package, but in recent times Microsoft have made multiple entry points, from the full-blown commercial offering to free versions with reduced (but still compelling) functionality. It's now available on pretty much every platform out there, including mobile and the web.
Powerpoint has gained a reputation over the years for being the source of badly designed, heavy slideshows with too much text and animations forced into them. It is often seen as the reliable but dull software to make a presentation with. Most workers will have experienced 'death by Powerpoint' at some point in their careers, but honestly, as with most tools, the functionality can be misused. With a more considerate author Powerpoint is a very powerful tool.
Prezi burst onto the scene several years ago in (I think) a TED talk that drew rapturous applause from the audience when they saw the dynamic slide transition effect. Here was a cool alternative to the stuffy, generic PowerPoints of the world. Of course the transitions - where the slides are laid out on a flat surface and the camera zooms and pans around to bring each one into view - turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Prezi still has the reputation of something 'a bit more interesting' than traditional sideshows (particularly with a younger crowd) but after seeing a few Prezi shows the effect quickly loses its charm, and if used excessively can be quite motion-sickness inducing.
Prezi has a reasonable feature-set, nothing compared to Powerpoint of course but certainly enough to cater for the majority of needs. In particular its media handling is very good, allowing for simple embedding of images and video. It's also cloud-based, meaning you can create a presentation at work then easily pick it up again back home. Used as a companion to Powerpoint rather than a complete replacement it can add some variety to your presentations. Just try to use that zoom subtly, OK?
I've been hunting all over for the Prezi reveal video with no luck. Instead, here's a TED talk by Chris Anderson from 2010, considered to be one of the best uses of Prezi by Presentation Zen author Garr Reynolds.
It's certainly interesting, and the zoom is used sensibly, in a way that enhances the talk rather than shout over it. I am still feeling overexposed to the effect though. Not sure if that will fade.
This one's quite interesting. Nearpod isn't all that useful as a presentation creator in itself, featuring as it does a very limited set of authoring tools. That isn't so important as it can import both Powerpoint and Prezi slideshows. What sets it apart is how it presents the slides. Instead of just sending the show up to the projector any Internet enabled device can 'dial in' to your presentation. The slideshow appears on their screens - controlled by you - and can be enhanced with various forms of feedback, such as forms and quizzes. This allows for an interesting two-way mechanic, where the presentation becomes a form of interaction and communication rather than a passive display of information.
The downside to this method of slaving all your viewers under your control is everyone is forced to go at the same pace. When you advance to the next slide all your subscribers follow suit. In practice this means you will likely go at the speed of your slowest learner, causing frustration to those who wish for a faster pace. There is no way for a student to privately refer to previous slides and they can only interact according to the limited options you give them; you won't be using it for spontaneous or free-form discussion. Nevertheless if utilised in an appropriate way that plays to the strengths of the medium it could be a useful addition to lesson planning. For example, it could work well combined with a tutor-lead, open discussion to advance the topics and provide related information.
MS Powerpoint
www.office.com/powerpointPowerpoint is Microsoft's ubiquitous and long-established presentation application. It's by far the most feature-rich of all the tools out there, but that comes at the expense of accessibility, with many functions untouched and unknown about by most users. MS have tried to alleviate this in recent versions with their 'ribbon' interface, but the fact remains most people only scratch the surface of what this software can do. Until recently Powerpoint was a solely paid-for package, but in recent times Microsoft have made multiple entry points, from the full-blown commercial offering to free versions with reduced (but still compelling) functionality. It's now available on pretty much every platform out there, including mobile and the web.
Powerpoint has gained a reputation over the years for being the source of badly designed, heavy slideshows with too much text and animations forced into them. It is often seen as the reliable but dull software to make a presentation with. Most workers will have experienced 'death by Powerpoint' at some point in their careers, but honestly, as with most tools, the functionality can be misused. With a more considerate author Powerpoint is a very powerful tool.
Prezi
www.prezi.comPrezi burst onto the scene several years ago in (I think) a TED talk that drew rapturous applause from the audience when they saw the dynamic slide transition effect. Here was a cool alternative to the stuffy, generic PowerPoints of the world. Of course the transitions - where the slides are laid out on a flat surface and the camera zooms and pans around to bring each one into view - turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Prezi still has the reputation of something 'a bit more interesting' than traditional sideshows (particularly with a younger crowd) but after seeing a few Prezi shows the effect quickly loses its charm, and if used excessively can be quite motion-sickness inducing.
Prezi has a reasonable feature-set, nothing compared to Powerpoint of course but certainly enough to cater for the majority of needs. In particular its media handling is very good, allowing for simple embedding of images and video. It's also cloud-based, meaning you can create a presentation at work then easily pick it up again back home. Used as a companion to Powerpoint rather than a complete replacement it can add some variety to your presentations. Just try to use that zoom subtly, OK?
I've been hunting all over for the Prezi reveal video with no luck. Instead, here's a TED talk by Chris Anderson from 2010, considered to be one of the best uses of Prezi by Presentation Zen author Garr Reynolds.
It's certainly interesting, and the zoom is used sensibly, in a way that enhances the talk rather than shout over it. I am still feeling overexposed to the effect though. Not sure if that will fade.
Nearpod
www.nearpod.comThis one's quite interesting. Nearpod isn't all that useful as a presentation creator in itself, featuring as it does a very limited set of authoring tools. That isn't so important as it can import both Powerpoint and Prezi slideshows. What sets it apart is how it presents the slides. Instead of just sending the show up to the projector any Internet enabled device can 'dial in' to your presentation. The slideshow appears on their screens - controlled by you - and can be enhanced with various forms of feedback, such as forms and quizzes. This allows for an interesting two-way mechanic, where the presentation becomes a form of interaction and communication rather than a passive display of information.
The downside to this method of slaving all your viewers under your control is everyone is forced to go at the same pace. When you advance to the next slide all your subscribers follow suit. In practice this means you will likely go at the speed of your slowest learner, causing frustration to those who wish for a faster pace. There is no way for a student to privately refer to previous slides and they can only interact according to the limited options you give them; you won't be using it for spontaneous or free-form discussion. Nevertheless if utilised in an appropriate way that plays to the strengths of the medium it could be a useful addition to lesson planning. For example, it could work well combined with a tutor-lead, open discussion to advance the topics and provide related information.
Others
TBC: LibreOffice, Keynote, GoogleComparison (in progress)
| Powerpoint | OpenOffice / LibreOffice | Keynote | Prezi | Nearpod | Google Slides | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac, Mobile, Online | Windows, Mac | Mac | Online, Mobile (view only) | Online | Mobile, Online |
| License Model | Free / Purchase / Subscription | Free (Open Source) | Free with OS (?) | Free / Subscription | Free / Subscription | Free / Subscription |
| Feature Set | Very comprehensive | Comprehensive | Comprehensive | Reasonable | Limited | Reasonable |
| Transitions | Various | Various | Various | Pan & Zoom | Scroll | Various |
| Collaboration | Yes, 1 concurrent user | Single-user | Yes, real-time | Direct control | Yes, | |
| Delivery | Local (multi-screen), packaged, online | Local (multi-screen) | Local (multi-screen) | Local (single screen), online | Online (required) | Local (single screen) |
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