What Advice Should You Follow When Using Animals As Presentation Aids?

Affiliate 9 Public Speaking

9.8 Presentation Aids

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Why should yous use presentation aids? If yous take prepared and rehearsed your speech adequately, shouldn't a good speech with a skillful delivery be enough to stand on its ain? While it is truthful that impressive presentation aids will not rescue a poor speech, it is also important to recognize that a good speech can often be made even ameliorate by the strategic apply of presentation aids.  Presentation aids can fulfill several functions: they tin can serve to improve your audience'south understanding of the information y'all are conveying, raise audition memory and retention of the message, add together variety and involvement to your spoken language, and raise your brownie as a speaker. Permit'south examine each of these functions.

Improving Audition Understanding

Homo communication is a complex process that oftentimes leads to misunderstandings. If y'all are like most people, y'all tin hands remember incidents when you misunderstood a message or when someone else misunderstood what you said to them. Misunderstandings happen in public speaking merely as they do in everyday conversations.

I reason for misunderstandings is the fact that perception and interpretation are highly complex individual processes. Most of usa have seen the prototype in which, depending on your perception, y'all see either the outline of a vase or the facial profiles of 2 people facing each other. This shows how interpretations can differ, and it ways that your presentations must be based on careful thought and preparation to maximize the likelihood that your listeners will understand your presentations as you intend them to.

Every bit a speaker, one of your basic goals is to help your audience empathise your message. To reduce misunderstanding, presentation aids can be used to clarify or to emphasize.

Clarifying

Clarification is of import in a spoken communication because if some of the information you convey is unclear, your listeners will come away puzzled or possibly fifty-fifty misled. Presentation aids can help clarify a message if the information is complex or if the point being made is a visual one.

If your speech is about the impact of the Coriolis event on tropical storms, for example, y'all will have great difficulty clarifying it without a diagram because the process is a complex one. The diagram in Effigy 15.1 "Coriolis Result" would be effective because it shows the audience the interaction between equatorial wind patterns and air current patterns moving in other directions. The diagram allows the audience to process the data in ii ways: through your verbal explanation and through the visual elements of the diagram.

Figure 15.2 "Model of Advice" is another example of a diagram that maps out the process of human advice. In this image you conspicuously have a speaker and an audience (albeit slightly abstruse), with the labels of source, channel, message, receivers, and feedback to illustrate the basic linear model of human communication.

Figure fifteen.1 Coriolis Event

Figure 15.two Model of Communication

Figure 15.3 Petroglyph

Another aspect of clarifying occurs when a speaker wants to visually help audience members empathise a visual concept. For example, if a speaker is talking about the importance of petroglyphs in Native American civilization, just describing the petroglyphs won't completely aid your audition to visualize what they look like. Instead, showing an example of a petroglyph, equally in Effigy 15.3 "Petroglyph", can more than easily assist your audience form a clear mental image of your intended significant.

Emphasizing

When you use a presentational aid for emphasis, you impress your listeners with the importance of an idea. In a speech on water conservation, you might try to show the environmental proportions of the resource. When you use a conceptual drawing like the ane in Figure xv.4 "Planetary Water Supply", you testify that if the world water supply were equal to x gallons, only x drops would be available and potable for human or household consumption. This drawing is constructive because information technology emphasizes the scarcity of useful water and thus draws attention to this important information in your speech.

Effigy 15.four Planetary Water Supply

Another manner of emphasizing that can exist done visually is to zoom in on a specific aspect of involvement within your speech. In Figure 15.5 "Chinese Lettering Amplified", we see a visual aid used in a speech on the importance of various parts of Chinese characters. On the left side of the visual assistance, nosotros see how the characters all fit together, with an emphasized version of a single character on the right.

Aiding Retentiveness and Retrieve

The second function that presentation aids can serve is to increment the audience'due south chances of remembering your speech. A 1996 article past the United states of america Department of Labor summarized inquiry on how people learn and remember. The authors plant that "83% of homo learning occurs visually, and the remaining 17% through the other senses—11% through hearing, 3.5% through smell, 1% through gustation, and one.five% through touch" (U.s. Department of Labor, 1996). Most of how people learn is through seeing things, so the visual component of learning is very important. The article goes on to note that information stored in long-term memory is also afflicted by how nosotros originally learn the cloth. In a written report of retention, learners were asked to recall information subsequently a 3 twenty-four hours catamenia. The researchers found that they retained x percent of what they heard from an oral presentation, 35 pct from a visual presentation, and 65 percent from a visual and oral presentation (Lockard & Sidowski, 1961). Information technology'southward amazing to encounter how the combined effect of both the visual and oral components tin can contribute to long-term memory.

For this reason, exposure to a visual prototype can serve as a memory help to your listeners. When your graphic images deliver data effectively and when your listeners understand them conspicuously, audition members are likely to think your message long subsequently your speech is over.

Moreover, people often are able to remember information that is presented in sequential steps more easily than if that information is presented in an unorganized pattern. When yous use a presentation assist to brandish the organization of your speech communication, you volition help your listeners to observe, follow, and recall the sequence of information you conveyed to them. This is why some instructors display a lecture outline for their students to follow during grade.

An added plus of using presentation aids is that they tin heave your memory while you are speaking. Using your presentation aids while you rehearse your speech will familiarize y'all with the association between a given place in your speech communication and the presentation aid that accompanies that textile. For example, if yous are giving an informative spoken language about diamonds, you might plan to display a sequence of slides illustrating the most popular diamond shapes: brilliant, marquise, emerald, and then on. Every bit you finish describing i shape and advance to the next slide, seeing the side by side diamond shape will assistance you remember the information near it that you are going to deliver.

Calculation Variety and Involvement

A tertiary function of presentation aids is simply to make your voice communication more interesting. While it is true that a good speech and a well-apposite delivery volition already include variety in several aspects of the presentation, in many cases, a spoken language can be fabricated even more interesting by the use of well-chosen presentation aids.

For instance, you may have prepared a very good speech to inform a group of gardeners almost several new varieties of roses suitable for growing in your local expanse. Although your listeners will undoubtedly understand and remember your message very well without any presentation aids, wouldn't your speech have greater impact if you accompanied your remarks with a film of each rose? You can imagine that your audience would exist fifty-fifty more enthralled if you had the power to display an actual flower of each multifariousness in a bud vase.

Similarly, if yous were speaking to a group of gourmet cooks about Indian spices, you might desire to provide tiny samples of spices that they could smell and sense of taste during your speech. Taste researcher Linda Bartoshuk has given presentations in which audience members receive small pieces of fruit and are asked to taste them at certain points during the speech (Association for Psychological Science, 2011).

Enhancing a Speaker's Credibility

Presentation aids alone will not be plenty to create a professional image. Every bit we mentioned earlier, impressive presentation aids will not rescue a poor speech. However, even if you give a good speech, you run the take a chance of appearing unprofessional if your presentation aids are poorly executed. This means that in addition to containing of import data, your presentation aids must exist clear, make clean, uncluttered, organized, and big enough for the audience to run into and interpret correctly. Misspellings and poorly designed presentation aids can harm your credibility every bit a speaker. Conversely, a high quality presentation will contribute to your professional paradigm. In improver, brand sure that you give proper credit to the source of any presentation aids that y'all take from other sources. Using a statistical chart or a map without proper credit will detract from your brownie, simply as using a quotation in your speech without credit would.

If y'all focus your efforts on producing presentation aids that contribute effectively to your meaning, that look professional, and that are handled well, your audience volition most likely appreciate your efforts and pay shut attention to your message. That attention will help them learn or empathise your topic in a new way and will thus assist the audience see you as a knowledgeable, competent, credible speaker.

Types of Presentation Aids

In that location are several types of presentation aids, and each has its strengths in terms of the type of information it lends itself to presenting. It'south of import to recall that supporting materials presented on presentation aids should be properly cited. While visual aids tin assist bring your supporting material to life, they can too add more opportunities for things to go incorrect during your speech. Therefore we'll hash out some tips for effective creation and commitment as we talk over the diverse types of presentation aids.

Presentation Software

The prevalence of computers and projectors in near schools, offices, and other presentation facilities has fabricated using figurer-generated visual aids more convenient. PowerPoint is the most commonly used presentation software and has functionality ranging from the most unproblematic text-based slide to complicated transitions, timing features, video/audio embedding, and even functionality with audience response systems like Turning Bespeak that allow data to be collected alive from audition members and incorporated chop-chop into the slideshow. Despite the fact that most college students have viewed and created numerous PowerPoint presentations, I accept still seen many poorly executed slideshows that detracted from the speaker'due south bulletin. PowerPoint should exist viewed as a speech amplifier. Similar an amplifier for a guitar, it doesn't practice much without a musician in that location to play the instrument. The speaker is the musician, the speech is the instrument, and PowerPoint is the amplifier. Simply as the amplifier doesn't dictate what the guitar thespian does, neither should PowerPoint accept over the speaker.

Tips for Using PowerPoint equally a Visual Assistance

1. Exercise non take more than two slides per main signal.
2. Use a consequent theme with limited variation in font way and font size.
3. Incorporate text and relevant graphics into each slide.
4. Limit content to no more than 4-6 words per line and four-six bullet points per slide.
5. Utilize primal words, not complete sentences; exist concise.
6. Avoid unnecessary blitheness or distracting slide transitions.

"Getting Plugged In"

Alternatives to PowerPoint

Although PowerPoint is the virtually oftentimes used presentation software, there are alternatives that can also be engaging and constructive if the speaker is willing to invest the time in learning something new. Keynote is Apple'south alternative to Microsoft's PowerPoint and offers some themes and style choices that tin set your presentation apart from the familiar await of PowerPoint. Continue in mind that you lot will demand to make sure yous have access to Mac-compatible presentation tools, since Keynote won't run or open up on about PCs. Prezi is a new web-based presentation tool that uses Wink animation, zooming, and motion to make a very different-looking computer-generated visual aid. If y'all have the time to play with Prezi and create a visual aid for your presentation, y'all will stand up out. Yous can run across Prezi in action in Note ix.31 "Video Clip 9.one". You can besides see sample presentations on Prezi's website.

1. What are some positives and negatives of using PowerPoint as a visual assistance?
2. What are some other alternatives to using PowerPoint as a visual help? Why?

Video Prune ix.one

In this video, James Geary presents on metaphor using Prezi equally his visual aid.

Whiteboards and Flip Charts

Whiteboards and flip charts can be useful for interactive speeches. If you are polling the audience or brainstorming you can write down audience responses easily for everyone to meet and for afterward reference. They can too be helpful for unexpected clarification. If audience members look confused, you can accept a moment to expand on a point or concept using the lath or flip chart. Since many people are uncomfortable writing on these things due to handwriting or spelling problems, it'due south proficient to anticipate things that you may have to expand on and have prepared actress visual aids or slides that y'all can include if needed. You tin also have audience members write things on boards or flip charts themselves, which helps go them engaged and takes some of the force per unit area off yous as a speaker.

Tips for Using Whiteboards & Flip Chars Effectively

1. Make certain your handwriting is legible
2. Remember then when you write on these objects, you turn your back to your audition and intermission eye contact. Thus, apply sparingly.
3. Dont fill them up with a lot of information before your speech. Y'all dont want your audience reading them while they should be listening to yous.

Objects

Three-dimensional objects that represent an idea tin be useful as a visual aid for a speech. They offer the audience a straight, concrete fashion to empathise what you are saying. I often accept my students exercise an introductory speech where they bring in three objects that represent their past, present, and future. Students take brought in a drawer from a chest that they were modest enough to sleep in as a infant, a package of Ramen noodles to stand for their life as a higher student, and a stethoscope or other object to correspond their career goals, among other things. Models also fall into this category, equally they are scaled versions of objects that may exist too large (the International Space Station) or as well pocket-size (a molecule) to actually show to your audience.

Tips for Using Objects Effectively

1. Make sure your objects are large enough for the audience to meet.
2. Do non pass objects around, as it will be distracting.
3. Concord your objects up long enough for the audience to meet them.
4. Do non talk to your object, wiggle or wave it around, tap on it, or obstruct the audience'south view of your face up with information technology.
5. Exercise with your objects so your delivery will be fluent and at that place won't be whatsoever surprises.

Posters and Handouts

Printing/copying businesses are now good at helping produce professional-looking posters. Although they can be costly, they add to the speaker'due south credibility. University of Fraser Valley – UFV – Pupil Research Day – CC By ii.0.

Posters generally include text and graphics and often summarize an entire presentation or select main points. Posters are frequently used to present original research, as they can exist broken downwardly into the diverse steps to show how a process worked. Posters can be useful if you are going to accept audience members circulating around the room before or after your presentation, and so they can have the time to review the poster and ask questions. Posters are not oft good visual aids during a spoken language, because information technology'south difficult to make the text and graphics large enough for a room full of people to adequately see. The best posters are those created using computer software and professionally printed on large laminated paper.

These professional person posters come at a toll, often costing between forty and threescore dollars. If you lot opt to make your own poster, accept care to brand it look professional. Utilize a calculator and printer to print out your text; do not handwrite on a affiche. Make sure anything yous cut by hand has neat, uniform edges. You can and then braze the text, photos, and any emphasis backing to the poster lath. Double-sided tape works well for this, as it doesn't leave humps like those left by rolled tape or the bubbles, smearing, or gluey mess left by gum.

Handouts tin be a useful alternative to posters. Retrieve of them equally miniposters that audience members can reference and take with them. Audition members will probable appreciate a handout that is limited to one page, is neatly laid out, and includes the speaker'southward contact information. It can exist appropriate to give handouts to an audience before a long presentation where note taking is expected, complicated information is presented, or the audience will be tested on or have to respond to the data presented. In well-nigh regular speeches less than 15 minutes long, it would non be wise to distribute handouts ahead of fourth dimension, equally they will distract the audience from the speaker. It's improve to distribute the handouts after your spoken communication or at the stop of the program if there are others speaking after you.

Pictures, Diagrams and Drawings

Photographs, paintings, drawings, and sketches fall into the pictures category of visual aids. Pictures can be useful when you need to show an exact replication of what you're speaking virtually. Pictures can also connect to your audience on a personal level, specially if they evoke audition emotions. Think almost the use of pictures in goggle box commercials asking for donations or sponsorships. Organizations similar Save the Children and the American Guild for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals successfully use pictures of malnourished children or abused animals to pull at the heartstrings of viewers. A series of well-chosen and themed pictures tin have a meaningful affect on an audience. Although some pictures can exist finer presented when printed out on standard 8 i/two″ x xi″ printer newspaper using a black and white printer, others will need to be enlarged and/or printed in color, which will cost some money. You tin can often avoid this by incorporating a picture into a PowerPoint presentation, equally the pic will be projected big enough for people to meet. Nosotros volition discuss PowerPoint in more than detail later.

Diagrams are skilful for showing the inner workings of an object or pointing out the virtually important or relevant parts of something. Call up about diagrams as blueprints that bear witness the inside of something—for example, central basic in the human body in a speech about mutual skateboarding injuries. Diagrams are skillful alternatives to pictures when yous simply need to point out sure things that may be difficult to run into in a photograph.

You may even be able to draw a simple diagram yourself if you observe information technology would exist useful during your speech. Although non all maps are simple enough to be created by the speaker, many maps can be hand drawn during a speech communication or ahead of fourth dimension to indicate different locations or patterns. While I would recommend that y'all anticipate this ahead of time so you can incorporate a more than professional person version of the diagram created with calculator software or more precise drawing, cartoon a diagram on an overhead projector, whiteboard, or smart board can be useful.

Charts and Tables

Charts and tables are useful for compiling and cross-referencing larger amounts of information. The combination of rows and columns allows yous to create headers and then divide them up into units, categories, dates, so on. Medical data is put into charts so that periods of recorded information, such every bit vital signs, tin be updated and scanned past doctors and nurses. Charts and tables are also good for combining text and numbers, and they are easy to make with give-and-take processing software like Microsoft Give-and-take or spreadsheet software like Excel. Recall of presenting your department's upkeep and spending at the finish of a concern quarter. You lot could have headers in the columns with the various categories and itemized deductions in the rows ending with a final total for each cavalcade.

A pie chart is an culling representation of textual and numerical data that offers audience members a visual representation of the relative proportions of a whole. In a pie nautical chart, each piece of the pie corresponds to a percentage of the whole, and the size of the pie varies with the size of the percent. Every bit with other charts and tables, most office software programs at present hands brand pie charts.

Graphs

Graphs are representations that signal out numerical relationships or trends and include line graphs and bar graphs. Line graphs are useful for showing trends over time. For instance, y'all could rails the rising cost of tuition for colleges and universities in a persuasive speech nearly the need for more merit-based financial help.

Bar graphs are skilful for comparing amounts. In the same speech, yous could compare the tuition of two-year institutions to that of 4-yr institutions. Graphs help make numerical data more digestible for your audition and let y'all to convey an important numerical trend visually and apace without having to go into lengthy explanations. Remember to always clearly label yourx-centrality andy-centrality and to explicate the basics of your graph to your audience before y'all go into the specific information. If you use a graph that was created past someone else, make sure it is large and clear plenty for the audience to read and that you cite the original source.

Video

Video clips as visual aids can be powerful and engaging for an audition, but they tin can also be troublesome for speakers. Whether embedded in a PowerPoint presentation, accessed through YouTube, or played from a laptop or DVD player, video clips are notorious for tripping upwardly speakers. They require more one slice of electronics when they are hooked to a projector and speaker and sometimes also crave an Internet connection. The more than electronic connexion points, the more than chances for something to go incorrect. Therefore information technology is very important to examination your technology earlier your voice communication, accept a backup method of delivery if possible, and exist prepared to go on without the video if all else fails. Although sometimes tempting, you should not let the video take over your voice communication. I recommend that my students non accept more than ten pct of their spoken language be filled with video, pregnant there should be no more than 1 minute of video in a ten-minute speech. Brand sure your video is relevant and that it is cued to where it needs to be. One useful strategy for incorporating video is to play a video without audio and speak forth with the video, acting as a narrator. This allows the speaker to accept more control over the visual aid and to adapt it and make information technology more relevant to a specific topic and audience. Additionally, video editing software like Final Cutting and iMovie are readily bachelor to college students and relatively easy to use. Some simple editing to cutting together various clips that are meaningful or calculation an introductory title or transitions tin can go a long way toward making your video look professional.

Source: https://textbooks.whatcom.edu/duttoncmst101/chapter/presentation-aids/

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