Be able to add alternative text/screentip to an object

Presentations – Adding Alternative Text / ScreenTip (Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417)

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson students will be able to:

• Create a new presentation and apply a master slide before inserting any objects.
• Insert, edit and format every object type required by the syllabus (text, images, charts, tables, audio/video, shapes, hyperlinks, action buttons).
• Apply a consistent house‑style using themes, Quick Styles and the master slide.
• Choose purposeful, non‑distracting transitions and animations.
• Proof‑read using spell‑check, grammar checks and style‑consistency validation.
• Save the editable file as .pptx and export a hand‑out as .pdf.
• Add clear Alternative Text (Alt Text) and ScreenTips to any informative object, demonstrating awareness of e‑safety (Section 8.2) and audience needs (Section 9).

2. Why Alt Text & ScreenTips Matter

• Accessibility (Section 8.2 e‑Safety): Alt Text is read aloud by screen‑reading software for users with visual impairments.
• Audience awareness (Section 9): ScreenTips give extra information to sighted users without cluttering the slide.
• Exam requirement (Section 19): Candidates must demonstrate that every informative image, chart or diagram has appropriate Alt Text, and that decorative objects are left blank.
• Good digital citizenship: Providing accessible content shows respect for all users.

3. Key Terminology

4. Full Presentation Workflow (PowerPoint 2021 – Windows)

1. Create a new file – Ctrl + N → select Blank Presentation.
2. Apply a Master slide (Section 14 – house‑style) – View → Slide Master.
   • Choose a built‑in layout or design your own (logo, footer, colour scheme).
   • Close the Master view before inserting any objects so the style is applied automatically.
3. Insert objects (all required types)
   • Text box – Insert → Text Box.
   • Picture – Insert → Pictures → This Device….
   • Chart – Insert → Chart → pick a style → an Excel‑style worksheet opens; edit the data directly, then close the worksheet.
   • Table – Insert → Table → specify rows/columns.
   • Audio/Video – Insert → Audio/Video → Audio on My PC / Video on My PC.
   • Shape – Insert → Shapes.
   • Hyperlink – select text or object → Ctrl + K. In the dialog you can link to:
     • A web page (URL)
     • Another slide in the same presentation
     • A file on the computer
     • An email address (mailto:)
   • Action button – Insert → Shapes → Action Buttons → set the desired action (e.g., “Go to slide…”, “Run program”, “Play media”).
4. Apply styles & layout – Use the Home tab (Font, Paragraph, Quick Styles) and the Design tab (Themes, Variants). Align objects with Home → Arrange → Align / Distribute or Gridlines (View → Gridlines).
5. Transitions & animations (purposeful, not distracting)
   • Open the Transitions tab – choose a subtle effect such as “Fade” or “Push”. Set a consistent duration (e.g., 0.5 s).
   • Open the Animations tab – apply an effect only when it adds meaning (e.g., “Appear” for bullet points). Avoid flashy effects like “Fly In” from opposite sides on the same slide.
6. Insert presenter notes – Click the Notes pane below the slide and type key points or speaker cues.
7. Proof‑read
   • Press F7 for spell‑check.
   • Review → Language → Set Proofing Language to ensure the correct dictionary.
   • Manually verify consistent use of terminology, headings and colour scheme (validation of style).
8. Save & export (both required formats)
   • Save the editable file as .pptx – Ctrl + S.
   • Export a hand‑out as .pdf – File → Export → Create PDF/XPS Document → .pdf. Both formats appear in the syllabus file‑format table (Section 11).
9. Add Alt Text & ScreenTip (see Section 5)

5. Adding Alternative Text & ScreenTip (PowerPoint)

1. Select the object you wish to describe.
2. Right‑click and choose Format Shape… (or Format Picture… for images).
3. In the formatting pane, click the Size & Properties icon
4. Expand the Alt Text section.
5. Enter a Title** (optional) and a **Description**:
   • Title – a short label (e.g., “World Population Chart”).
   • Description – a clear sentence (≈ 125 characters) that conveys the meaning (e.g., “Bar chart showing population growth in Asia from 2000‑2020, highlighting China and India.”).
6. To add a ScreenTip, stay in the same pane, locate the ScreenTip box (under Alt Text) and type the tooltip text (≈ 50 characters). Example: “Sales increased 20 % in 2024”.
7. Press Esc or click Close to apply.

Software‑agnostic tip box

Software	Where to find Alt Text / ScreenTip
Google Slides	Select object → Format options (right‑hand pane) → Alt Text tab.
LibreOffice Impress	Select object → Properties (right‑click) → Alt Text tab.

6. Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows)

Action	Shortcut
Create new presentation	Ctrl + N
Open Format pane for selected object	Ctrl + Shift + F
Move focus to Alt Text box	Alt + N, then A (Home tab) → Tab until Alt Text field is highlighted
Insert hyperlink dialog	Ctrl + K
Spell‑check	F7
Save	Ctrl + S
Export as PDF	Alt + F, E, P
Close Format pane	Esc

7. Best‑Practice Checklist for a Fully‑Compliant Presentation

• ✅ Master slide created and applied before any objects (enforces house‑style – Section 14).
• ✅ All required object types inserted and edited (chart data edited, hyperlinks set to slide/file/email, action buttons functional).
• ✅ Consistent theme and Quick Styles used throughout.
• ✅ Alt Text added to every informative image, chart or diagram; decorative objects left blank.
• ✅ Alt Text uses Title + Description, ≤ 125 characters, avoids “image of …”.
• ✅ ScreenTip provided only when extra clarification helps the audience.
• ✅ Transitions and animations are subtle (e.g., Fade, Appear) and purposeful.
• ✅ Presenter notes contain speaker cues and key points.
• ✅ Spell‑check, grammar check and style validation completed.
• ✅ File saved as .pptx and exported as .pdf (both required – Section 11).

8. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Copy‑pasting the same generic Alt Text for several objects – each description must be specific.
2. Describing visual details that are already obvious (e.g., “blue circle”) unless the colour conveys meaning.
3. Leaving Alt Text empty for charts, diagrams or photographs that carry essential information.
4. Writing overly long Alt Text – keep it concise (≈ 125 characters).
5. Using flashy transitions or animations that distract from the content.
6. Saving only in a proprietary format; the exam requires both .pptx (editable) and .pdf (hand‑out).

9. Quick‑Reference Mapping to the Cambridge Syllabus (Section 19)

Syllabus Sub‑topic	What to do in PowerPoint
Create a presentation	File → New → Blank Presentation
Use a master slide	View → Slide Master → edit layout → Close Master view
Insert & edit objects	Insert tab → Text Box, Pictures, Chart (edit data in Excel‑style sheet), Table, Audio/Video, Shapes, Hyperlink (URL, slide, file, email), Action Button
Apply consistent styles	Home → Font/Paragraph; Design → Themes & Variants; Master slide enforces house‑style
Layout & alignment	Home → Arrange → Align / Distribute; View → Gridlines
Proofreading	Review → Spelling → Spell Check (F7); set Proofing Language; manual style check
Transitions & animations	Transitions tab → subtle effect; Animations tab → purposeful object effect
Presenter notes	Click the Notes pane below the slide and type
Output (print, hand‑out, slide‑show)	File → Save As .pptx; File → Export → Create PDF/XPS Document; Slide Show → From Beginning (F5)
Alt Text / ScreenTip	Right‑click object → Format Shape → Size & Properties → Alt Text / ScreenTip

10. Suggested Diagram

11. Assessment Activity

Provide each learner with a slide containing:

• A photograph of a rainforest.
• A column chart showing annual sales for three products.
• A decorative star shape used only for visual flair.

Students must:

1. Add Alt Text (Title + Description) to the photograph and the chart.
2. Leave the decorative star without Alt Text (demonstrating understanding of decorative objects).
3. Enter a ScreenTip for the chart: “Sales increased 20 % in 2024”.
4. Insert a brief presenter note summarising the key points to say.
5. Run spell‑check, apply a consistent theme, and export the file as both .pptx and .pdf.
6. Present the slide in Slide Show mode and verify that the ScreenTip appears when the mouse hovers over the chart.

Marking criteria (aligned with the syllabus)

• Use of Master slide and consistent theme – 2 marks.
• Accurate Alt Text for informative objects – 2 marks.
• Appropriate ScreenTip – 1 mark.
• Consistent styles, proof‑read text, functional presenter notes – 2 marks.
• Correct export of both .pptx and .pdf – 1 mark.

12. Extension – Cross‑Platform Comparison

Students may research how Alt Text and ScreenTips are added in other presentation tools and produce a comparative table.

• Google Slides: Format options → Alt Text. ScreenTips are not a native feature; they can be simulated with Insert → Link → Text to display plus an add‑on.
• LibreOffice Impress: Right‑click → Properties → Alt Text. ScreenTip entered in the same dialog.

Present findings to the class, highlighting any limitations (e.g., lack of native ScreenTip in Google Slides).