Documenting a Day

In our Role of Applications Reflection assignment, we performed the same task multiple times across 3 separate platforms.  We started with the most commonly used in Microsoft Word and then ventured out to the less frequently used Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.  Each of these platforms has their pros and cons.  There is no right or wrong choice for which was picked, but each has different characteristics that allow it to differentiate itself from the others.

Starting with Word has been the most common platform for writing an essay for the last 20 years.  There are different ways that someone can use Word and have it tell a story.  There is the option to write sentences and paragraphs and also the option to use bullet points.  The latter was used for my journal entry.  Word is best for telling a story through text.  A disadvantage of Word can be too much text given to an individual.  The most important arguments in the essay could get lost in the sea of words.

The next platform used was Microsoft Excel.  If used properly, Excel can be very helpful in handling data.  Excel can take that data and use it to tell a story, similarly to how Word does with text.  By inputting the data, along with entering it into a formula, Excel performs the calculations for you.  Once that data has been calculated, the user can then translate it into a graph or chart.  Excel can do a lot of the work for the individual who is inputting the data, but it is also the most difficult to use to its fullest potential.  There is the very basic way to use Excel, and then there is the proficient way, and most people only know the basic functions.

Lastly, we put together a presentation using PowerPoint.  PowerPoint is somewhere in between Word as the easiest and Excel as the hardest to use.  This is because of the flare and animations, and customizations that are available.  PowerPoint can take the same story that Word writes or that Excel tells with data and brings it to life with images and animations.  It can be simple to use since all the features are directly on the toolbar, but the user should be cautious that they don’t overdo it with the flare.