How to Learn PowerPoint Online

Microsoft PowerPoint

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If you’re just starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online; learning PowerPoint is no different. PowerPoint is used to create evocative and memorable presentations for professional settings like offices and seminars. It is the most commonly used presentation software across most professional industries. If you’ve always wanted to learn PowerPoint, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you.

What is PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint is the most commonly used presentation software across almost all professional industries. PowerPoint is one of the key components of Microsoft’s Office 365 suite, alongside Word and Excel. PowerPoint lets users easily create vibrant and memorable presentations that quickly communicate meaning in a professional setting. Users can add animations, transitions, graphics, and other imagery to their slides, ensuring they produce both communicative and impressive presentations for their audience.

PowerPoint is a slideshow editing tool built to give users the necessary tools to organize information, communicate effectively, and produce presentations for live delivery or without a presenter. PowerPoint makes the job easier and more efficient, whether you're managing important information ahead of a meeting, preparing a sales pitch for a potential client, or compiling important workplace policies and procedures in one place. This versatility has made PowerPoint an industry-standard tool in almost all professional contexts.

Read more about what PowerPoint is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with PowerPoint?

PowerPoint allows users to create vibrant, memorable visual presentations that can serve a wide variety of purposes. PowerPoint’s advanced features allow users to integrate dynamic animations and 3D-modeled graphics into their designs, enabling them to create more complex presentations than simple text projected onto a screen. Whether you are attempting to keep an audience engaged during a critical seminar or make a sales pitch as memorable as possible, PowerPoint gives you the tools to wow your audience.

Some users use PowerPoint to create informative slideshows that condense complex information into a single, easy-to-digest presentation. This makes the program ideal for both instructors and professionals looking to host informational seminars regularly. In fact, many online classes will use PowerPoint to provide students with the main takeaways from a lecture. Some users, who need to persuade audiences such as entrepreneurs meeting with potential investors, will use PowerPoint to create memorable and persuasive presentations that convince their audience to invest in their product.

Live Online PowerPoint Training

For some students, learning PowerPoint in-person may not be an option. They may be too far away from a training center, or they may be unable to commute. For these students, live online training classes are available to provide them with professional instruction from the comfort of their own homes. These courses provide students with many of the same perks as an in-person training session, mainly by letting them interact directly with live instructors who are prepared to answer their questions and guide them through a PowerPoint education. The downside to these courses is that students won’t have access to any hardware or software and may need to acquire PowerPoint independently.

Noble Desktop offers all its in-person PowerPoint courses as live online seminars. These courses come with Noble’s free retake option, expanding students’ ability to get even more hands-on experience with PowerPoint. Even in a live online course, class sizes remain small, ensuring students can work directly with Noble’s professional instructors. Online training providers such as Coursera and Udemy also offer PowerPoint training in a live online format. Students can compare their options for live online PowerPoint classes using Noble’s Classes Near Me tool.

On-Demand PowerPoint Classes

Some students may find that their schedules don’t allow them to enroll in a live training program. On-demand training options are ideal for students with work or family commitments who still want to learn PowerPoint. These classes, which vary in form and content, offer students greater flexibility in pacing and structure. Rather than adhering to a set schedule, students can learn and practice when it’s convenient for them, which is important for some students. The drawback to these courses is that, because they lack a live instructor, it can be easy to get stuck on complex concepts with no source of feedback.

A wide variety of on-demand PowerPoint courses are available to students, and Noble Desktop can help them find the one that's right for them. Some of these courses are free, while others require students to pay a flat fee or enroll in a subscription service. Some of the courses consist of pre-recorded lectures that allow students to work at their own pace, while others consist of individual modules that students must progress through in a specific order. Each model has advantages and disadvantages, so students should carefully consider their options before enrolling in an on-demand course.

Free Intro Courses and Tutorials

For students who aren’t ready to enroll in a PowerPoint bootcamp or who just want to learn the basics of the program, free introductory resources are an ideal starting point. Noble Desktop offers a free PowerPoint Presentation Design seminar in which students learn the fundamental theories of design used to create evocative and memorable presentations. No one wants their presentations to bore audiences, and this seminar is designed to equip students with the skills required to keep audiences engaged.

Other service providers such as Udemy and Coursera, offer additional free introductory courses teaching students how to use PowerPoint to design presentations. These courses won’t provide comprehensive skills training, but they’re ideal places to start learning the basics of PowerPoint. In addition, Microsoft offers students free training tutorials on subjects ranging from PowerPoint templates to using 3D models in a presentation.

Read about more free PowerPoint videos and online tutorials.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning

Students may find that the number of different options they have for learning PowerPoint can be intimidating. The options can be overwhelming, particularly concerns about where and how to learn it. Students should consider their own needs and limitations when deciding which courses to select.

The primary method of PowerPoint training is through live instruction, either in-person or online. These courses allow students to interact directly with live instructors, who are ready to provide feedback and assistance. Many students find these courses the best way to learn professional skills like PowerPoint.

In-person instruction allows students to receive immediate feedback from instructors and collaborate with like-minded colleagues. Additionally, they will likely have access to the service provider’s computer equipment. However, they will need to commute to a campus, adding both time and cost to what is already the most expensive and time-consuming option for learning PowerPoint.

Live online courses address the need to be in a specific location for training. These courses allow students to learn from expert instructors without leaving their homes. However, they may need to provide their own hardware and software, which can be a barrier for some students, and they will miss out on the advantages offered by working close to other students.

For students who can’t attend a live training session, on-demand PowerPoint classes provide an alternative option. These courses give students greater flexibility over their training’s pace and style, making them perfect for students who need control over when and where their training takes place. These courses lack live instructors, so students who become lost in the material need to find other means of assistance, which can be time- and labor-intensive.

Tips to Succeed When Learning PowerPoint Online

There are many reasons students prefer in-person learning to online learning, though most of these are resolvable. Students new to online learning environments may find it difficult to adjust to the new setting. Students who are worried about their ability to succeed in an online environment should take a few steps to maximize the effectiveness of their online learning.

One of the significant advantages of classroom learning is that the classroom space is designed to minimize distractions and focus student attention on the instructor. Students looking to replicate this in their home workspace should ensure they minimize outside distractions. This can be as simple as closing a few windows or informing a roommate of a class, or it can be as involved as moving to a different office or asking someone to watch children or pets during a class session.

More challenging for some students will be resisting the temptation to multitask or do other work while in a training session. Moving out of the classroom and into one’s home can make it very easy to lay in one’s bed and zone out during a lecture or open another tab and start shopping or filling out paperwork. This will make it more difficult to work, as studies consistently show that students are much worse at multitasking than they think. The only way to address this issue is through an honest self-assessment of their abilities.

Students should also ensure they have a stable workspace and can troubleshoot common computer issues. While students won’t need extensive IT skills, ensuring they don’t miss coursework due to computer problems or connectivity issues can help them succeed in online learning.

Key Insights

• PowerPoint is a presentation design application used in almost every industry and professional context. Anyone working in an office or professional environment benefits from learning PowerPoint skills.
• Students may find they want to learn PowerPoint skills online, either because they cannot attend an in-person course or prefer learning online.
• Students who hope to learn online can choose from live instruction courses or on-demand classes.
• Some students may want to consider assessing and adjusting their home workspaces to minimize distractions for successful online learning.
• While not necessary, learning to troubleshoot common computer problems can help online learners avoid missing class time due to computer failures.
• Students looking for comprehensive, live online PowerPoint training should consult the options available through Noble Desktop.

Learn PowerPoint with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Professionals looking to learn PowerPoint may consider skills development training through Noble Desktop. These courses, available in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and through live online instruction, provide hands-on training in designing and organizing information using PowerPoint. These courses, taught by expert instructors, equip students with the experience needed to create evocative and memorable presentations. Even in online courses, class sizes are kept small to allow for direct interaction with the instructor. Plus, Noble offers free retakes on all its courses, providing students more opportunities to practice building presentations in a professional environment.

Noble offers a PowerPoint Bootcamp, which teaches students how to design compelling presentations, even without prior experience. In this certificate-granting program, students will learn to work with PowerPoint layouts, animations, graphics, layers, charts, and other objects. Advanced skills training includes creating reusable PowerPoint templates, utilizing multimedia features, and recording presentations for later use. These skills prepare students to use PowerPoint professionally.

Since PowerPoint is a design tool, Noble also offers students a PowerPoint Presentation Design course. This class focuses on communicating through PowerPoint and teaches design principles related to color, typography, graphic images, and other visual design elements. While the bootcamp teaches students how to use PowerPoint, this course focuses on designing effective presentations, providing students with the composition and design theories necessary to make their presentations memorable and effective.