How do I add and arrange images, audio and video on slides, and credit them properly?
Insert and arrange images, audio and video on slides, resize and position them tidily, and credit sources, keeping file sizes sensible
A step-by-step answer to the N-Level Computer Applications outcome on slide media: inserting and arranging images, audio and video, resizing without distortion, crediting sources and keeping file sizes sensible.
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What this dot point is asking
This outcome is about adding media to slides well. You should be able to insert images, audio and video, arrange and resize them tidily without distorting them, credit the sources you use, and keep file sizes sensible so the presentation stays quick to open and smooth to play. In the written paper you explain resizing, crediting and file size; in the practical you add and arrange media on slides.
The answer
Inserting media
You add media with the Insert option: a picture from a file, an audio clip, or a video. Once inserted, the item sits on the slide and can be moved, resized and ordered. Media should support the message, for example a photo of the topic or a short clip that shows something words cannot.
Resizing without distortion
When you resize an image, keep its proportions (its aspect ratio). The rule is to drag a corner handle, not a side handle. A corner handle changes the width and height by the same amount, so the picture stays in proportion. Dragging a side handle stretches only one direction, so people look too thin or too wide (the image is distorted). Holding the proportion-lock key while dragging also keeps proportions.
Arranging items tidily
- Position images so they line up with the text and with each other, not at random angles.
- Order (layering) lets you bring an item to the front or send it to the back when items overlap, so the right one shows on top.
- Space matters: leave room around media so the slide is not cramped.
Crediting sources
If you use an image, clip or video you did not make, credit the source. This respects the creator's copyright and is honest about where it came from, which is good digital citizenship. Prefer images you are allowed to use, such as those with a licence that permits reuse, and add a short credit line.
Keeping file sizes sensible
Large images and videos make a presentation slow to open, save, email or upload, and can make playback laggy on an older computer. To keep the size down, compress the pictures (reduce their resolution) and use short, sensibly sized video clips rather than huge files.
Examples in context
Example 1. A travel presentation. A student adds photos of a city, resizing each from the corner so the buildings are not stretched, lining them up beside short captions, and adding a credit line for photos taken from a website. The deck looks tidy and respects the photographers.
Example 2. A science demo clip. A presenter embeds a short video of an experiment instead of describing it, choosing a small clip so the file stays quick to open on the lab computer, and credits the channel it came from. The clip shows in seconds what a paragraph could not.
Try this
Cue. Explain why dragging a corner handle is better than a side handle when resizing an image. (A corner handle changes width and height together so the image keeps its proportions, while a side handle stretches one direction and distorts it.)
Cue. Give one reason to credit an image you found online. (It respects the creator's copyright and is honest about where the image came from, which is good digital citizenship.)
Cue. State two problems caused by very large media files in a presentation. (The file is slow to open, save and share, and the slideshow may play back slowly or lag, especially on an older computer.)
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original4 marksA student inserts a photo on a slide and drags one corner inwards, but the photo looks squashed and the people in it look too thin. Explain what went wrong and describe how to resize an image correctly. Add one reason to credit the image.Show worked answer →
The photo looks squashed because the student dragged a side or changed the width and height by different amounts, so the proportions (the aspect ratio) changed.
To resize correctly: drag a corner handle, not a side handle, so the width and height change by the same amount and the proportions are kept. Holding the proportion-lock key while dragging also keeps it from distorting.
One reason to credit the image: it respects the creator's copyright and is honest about where the picture came from, which is good digital citizenship.
What markers reward: identifying the distortion as a changed aspect ratio, resizing from a corner to keep proportions, and a sensible reason to credit the source.
Original3 marksGive two reasons to keep image and video file sizes sensible in a presentation, and one way to reduce a presentation's file size.Show worked answer →
Two reasons, for example:
- A smaller file opens and saves faster and is easier to email or upload.
- Large media can make the slideshow slow or laggy when playing, especially on an older computer.
One way to reduce the size: compress the pictures (reduce their resolution) so they take up less space, or use a shorter or lower-resolution video clip.
What markers reward: two genuine reasons such as faster transfer and smoother playback, and a real method such as compressing images.
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