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The Role of Applications

 The Functions of Word Processing, Presentation, and Spread Sheet Applications




Word processor programs create written documents with paragraphs of text or formatted lists. With a powerful word processor such as Microsoft Word, the text can be formatted in various ways utilizing different fonts, text sizes, text formatting, highlighting, text colors, page formatting, and much more. It is possible to insert tables, images, and spreadsheet information into MS Word documents. If formatted a certain way, each page could appear the same as any presentation slide. PowerPoint is a presentation application that allows text boxes, images, and text formatting. PowerPoint offers many themes and design suggestions to make multiple slide presentations orderly, conformed, and interesting. Once a presentation is created, PowerPoint provides various ways to present the information. One way is to record the PowerPoint using a mouse or other device to activate animations and slide transitions. During recording, notes can be arranged so the presenter can follow an organized narration, record a voice-over, and even add background music. Once the presentation is recorded, it can be exported as an MP4. An MP4 is a file containing video and audio that has been compressed using MPEG compression (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019, Section 5.8). Another feature of presenting involves presenting the slides live. This can be set up so that the presenter sees a screen with the slides and narration notes, while the display that the group receiving the presentation sees has the slides and information the presenter wants the group to see. This keeps it orderly and effective. Spreadsheet programs create data tables, graphs, charts, and calculations (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019, Section 5.2). Using Microsoft Excel as an example, once the data is collected, Excel can output calculations using the data, such as sums, differences, averages, and percentages. 

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Application

These apps can format text, use images, and create visually organized, appealing, and effective documents for personal, academic, and professional use. A disadvantage of MS Word would be its inability to foster live or recorded presentation of information. A disadvantage of PowerPoint is that the presented data should be kept simple. Therefore, complicated concepts would be better explained using an alternate method. What adds to this necessity for simplicity is the amount of space a slide offers, which encourages a reasonable size of text, allowing only a small amount of information to be shared per slide. To reiterate, an advantage of PowerPoint is its technology that allows a presentation format either in a pre-recorded or live presentation, which allows a voice narration. “According to widely used theories regarding the use of PowerPoint in educational contexts, such as multimedia learning theory, the best way to improve the effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations is to use a combination of images and voice or images and texts” (Chávez et al., 2020, Section Discussion, para. 1; as cited in Roberts, 2018). 

A disadvantage of Excel is that the tables, graphs, charts, and other data are subject to interpretation and would need a presentation in some instances. Their only use is for this type of information, so explaining complicated concepts would not be helpful in Excel. In an effort to reduce this confusion, my professor teaches the advantage of the function of annotating data is convenient. This allows the file creator to leave notes to assist in data interpretation.

 

The Suitability of Each App. and Some Alternate Uses for Them

A word processor would be the better choice for an in-depth and detailed explanation of a day’s tasks and their intricacies. Word processing could be used for various scenarios, including memos, research papers, essays, standard operating procedures, etc.  

A presentation app would be the most suitable for a simple, exciting summarization of a day’s tasks. PowerPoint presentations can assist with projects where bringing a quick overview of a project proposal for capital is necessary or summarizing the outcome of an experiment or trial run to investors.

For charted daily information, such as time spent on a task spreadsheet application is the most useful. Some other tables pertinent to the day-in-the-life project, calories and macronutrient tracking, or exercise repetitions and weights could be charted and graphed. Spreadsheets are also great for tracking inventory, sales, and money spent over a certain amount of time. “This Microsoft-backed software is often one of the requirements for working in various types of industries. Learning Excel is important if you want to work in any field, especially in Data, Finance, Marketing, and other areas related to budget planning, performance reporting, and data entry” (Umnadmin, 2023, para. 1).

Ultimately, all of the applications are useful. The most practical application depends on the primary purpose of the project. In the Software Application Reflection process, all the apps conveyed information about a day in the user’s life.


References

 

Chávez Herting, D., Cladellas Pros, R., & Castelló Tarrida, A. (2020). Patterns of PowerPoint Use in Higher Education: a Comparison between the Natural, Medical, and Social Sciences. Innovative Higher Education, 45(1), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-09488-4

Roberts, D. (2018). The engagement agenda, multimedia learning and the use of images in higher education lecturing: or, how to end death by PowerPoint. Loughborough University. https://hdl.handle.net/2134/23235 ([])

Umnadmin. (2023, March 6). Students take note! These are the importance of knowing Excel. Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. https://www.umn.ac.id/en/students-take-note-this-is-the-importance-of-knowing-excel/#:~:text=This%20Microsoft%2Dbacked%20software%20is,performance%20reporting%2C%20and%20data%20entry.

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.

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