IGCSE ICT
Communicating Ideas
Lesson objectives
identify the advantages and disadvantages of using common applications to communicate ideas: Multimedia presentations Printing flyers and posters Websites Music production Cartoon animations
'Multimedia' refers to documents / software applications that contain a mixture of:
text images animations video audio
Multimedia Presentations 1:
Multimedia applications are commonly used for training / education. Compared to learning from a textbook, multimedia applications allow students to see animations, videos, etc. This can bring a subject to life and make it much easier to learn.
Multimedia Presentations 2:
Presentations using animations, video and sound are generally much more interesting than a presentation done on slides or on paper.
Presentations are generally used with a multimedia projector so that many people can see the presentation at the same time.
Multimedia Presentations 3:
Can use sound, animation and video to engage the audience & enhance the experience
Interactivity & hyperlinks can be built in
More likely to hold an audience’s attention than a static presentation
Advantages
Need special equipment which may be expensive: Projector Screen PA system
Need live internet access if hyperlinks are used
Disadvantages
Multimedia presentations can be produced in hard copy (paper) format Speaker’s notes Handouts Slides
Paper-based presentations
Disabled people do not have to go to the venue to see the presentation
It is possible to print it in Braille for the benefit of blind people!
Audience can read the presentation again any time they want
Permanent copy
Advantages
Distribution – will copies be given out individually, or left for people to pick up?
No special effects/transitions/sound etc
Printing costs – paper, toner
Disadvantages
These are usually produced using Desktop Publishing software. DTP is a system of software and hardware that allows a user to create and print documents such as:books posters flyers Magazines & newspapers Business cards & tickets etc...
Flyers and posters 1
DTP software is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get - meaning that the document looks the same on the screen as it will when it's printed).
Flyers and posters 2
Most web authoring packages are WYSIWYG, too.
Document layout is produced using 'frames' - areas of the page that can contain text or images.
Flyers and posters 3
Text in frames can 'overflow' into other frames. Images can be added from scanners or digital cameras, then cropped, rotated, resized, etc. Where text and images overlap, text can be 'wrapped' around images.
Advantages
Can be used to raise interest/publicity
Colourful Flyers – can be
given to people to take home
Posters – one poster can reach 100’s of people
Many flyers need to be printed – cost
LitterLimited audiencePosters: graffiti & costLimited audience
Both: Limited space, so need to limit information that is included
Disadvantages
Producing a DTP document:
1. Open application2. Create frames, boxes and text
boxes3. Take/import photos4. Edit photos if necessary5. Insert photos into document6. Crop/resize7. Enter or import text8. Format text9. Layout/wrapping etc
Websites 1
Rather than producing flyers and posters, it is possible now to use websites for advertising and communication.
A website is a collection of web 'pages' that provide a mixtures of content: Text & Images Animations Video & Audio Hyperlinks (to jump to other content)
Can be accessed by literally millions of people, all over the world, 24 hours a day
Ability to add sound/video/animation
Links to other websites Hot spots Navigation Hit counters/stats Web sites never close/get
covered in graffiti/thrown in the bin
Advantages
To view a website, you need: a computer (expensive) Internet connection (not always available, and it can
be expensive) training to know how to use a computer (you don't
need training to use paper!) Websites can be hacked into/contain viruses Websites need maintaining once they have been set
up A website is not as portable as a flyer
Disadvantages
Homework
Go to bbc.co.uk/bitesizeMake notes on the features of
presentation software: Slide master Transitions Animations Notes
Complete the Activity and the TestWork through the Presentations
PowerPoint