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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
May 21, 2009 by Business Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
This site is comprised of links to eight different speeches and PowerPoint presentations focusing on a variety of issues for individuals (parents) and small business owners. Current titles categorized for individuals are: 1) Tax Saving Tips for 2008, 2) College Planning: Easing the Financial Burden, 3) How to Afford a Long Happy Retirement, 4) Setting Your Financial Records Straight, and 5) 360 Degrees of Financial Success. For business owners the titles include 1) Securing Your Business Financing, 2) Ten Ways to Protect Your Business, and 3) Selecting the Right Structure for Your Business. The first presentation has 51 slides. The remainder of the presentations range in length from 13 to 21 slides. The speeches consist of the narrative (also found in the slide note pages) that coincides with each slide. |
| Learning Goals: |
To provide basic information on a variety of financial issues of interest to parents and business owners. |
| Target Student Population: |
Adult Education |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
These presentations are really for a very specific audience and might be best for a community college setting for parents, non-traditional adult learners, and entrepreneurs. |
| Type of Material: |
Collection |
| Recommended Uses: |
Entrepreneurship workshops
Professionals interested in delivering a presentation on the topics listed above. |
| Technical Requirements: |
Browser/PowerPoint |
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| Strengths: |
The material is well informed by scholarship and has been prepared by individuals who are knowledgeable about the subject matter. Having the PowerPoint file embedded with text as note pages is perhaps the greatest benefit to someone who is preparing to give a presentation, as opposed to someone who wants to learn. Content is delivered in a clear and concise fashion in presentations 2-8 that summarizes core concepts. |
| Concerns: |
The first presentation is information overload.
The material is also self-serving in that it promotes work for CPAs. |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
Rating:   |
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| Strengths: |
Given the expertise of the authors, the collection would certainly be viewed as effective for the very particular audience mentioned previously. Each presentation is very efficient and focused on specific concepts. Readers of the content could learn much in a short time. The 360 Degrees of Financial Success presentation provide excellent examples regarding credit card debt. |
| Concerns: |
For a very specific audience, this material has the potential to be somewhat effective. It doesn't seem applicable for incorporation into courses 19 to 23 year old students might be taking in college. Most of the collection comes from a tax perspective.
Tax Savings Tips for 2008 is too long to be effective for anyone other than a preparer.
It is unclear how the content could be incorporated this material within a course.
No objectives are explicitly listed. No overview slide indicating the major topics to be covered.
No prerequisite knowledge is identified. Small business owners do need some familiarity with accounting terms, such as factoring receivables.
The different speeches and PowerPoints are not presented in a manner that reinforces concepts progressively or builds on prior concepts. |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
| Rating: |
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| Strengths: |
In the right context, this material can be quite informative and appropriate.
Each presentation is easy to use and somewhat visually appealing. The content of the speech files is includes as note pages for each PowerPoint presentation. The placement and use of white space is good.
Setting Financial Records Straight incorporates a humorous tone to engage the reader/viewer. |
| Concerns: |
Materials are not interactive.
Introduces a number of topics at a very basic level that would need significant follow-up.
Several of the presentation use a pastel color for the background and white font. Contrast is low, making the slide difficult to read.
Tax Savings Tips for 2008 will likely become dated. |
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
Focus of the collection is really not for most post secondary education and is somewhat self-serving. |
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