MCM301 Notes by Brick

Lesson 23

Why Visual Aids?

Audiences expect you to use visual aids in your oral presentations. Visual aids can improve the quality and impact of your oral presentation by: creating the attention of your listeners, illustrating points that are difficult to explain in words alone, enhancing understanding of the topic, centering the attention of the listeners, adding variety, helping your speech have lasting impact, emphasizing your information & ideas, and helping your listeners remember your talk.

With the right tools and ideas, you can be a high-impact presenter ready for an increasingly competitive world. Modern technology is providing exciting improvements to the most traditional types of presentation media offering new ways for you to excel at meetings, conferences, conventions, and training sessions.

Yet many of the traditional presentation techniques may still be the best ones. As a presenter with meeting objectives, you may choose to project full-color images that incorporate text, animation, and video. Or possibly your objective may best be met through the advantages of professionally imaged flip charts placed right next to your conference room table.

As contrasting as these two styles are, one is not necessarily better than the other. In order to make educated and informed presentation decisions the following rules will guide you to determine which medium will serve you best, based on your personality, style, the environment, your budget, your material, the audience, and your goals.

To find the right media for your presentation you need to first determine: The size of your audience. Whether or not there will be audience participation. The room size, arrangement, lighting, acoustics, climate and safety of your presentation environment. The presentation budget. Equipment and supply limitations. Time constraints.

Today’s speakers can select from a variety of visual aids to enhance oral presentations. Among the most popular types of visual aids are: computer based presentation, video, 35-millimeter slides, overhead transparencies, flip charts, whiteboards, and handouts.

1.

Computer based Presentation

The availability of affordable software and new technology has made computer based presentations the visual aid of choice in most business situations. What used to take weeks of preparation and an outside production house can now be created by you at your desktop. Computer-based presentations can be real-time or prepared in advance. Real-time presenting is useful when the audience needs to see immediate results or the software in action--like financial brainstorming sessions or software training. Prepared presentations can be simple text slides or--with the integration of text, graphics, animation, video, and sound--sophisticated multimedia productions. In the past, these sophisticated presentations could only be viewed directly from the monitor or projected in a room equipped with a data/video projector and technical support. With the development of portable data/video projectors these presentations can now be transported and projected almost anywhere.

Computer-based presentations bring a level of professionalism that challenges you to be as dynamic as the presentation. With this in mind, it is very important to balance animation, video, transitions and special effects with what you're trying to communicate. Your goal should be a smooth natural delivery of information where the electronics and special effects are not apparent to your audience. Because multimedia software programs provide so many options, it is very easy to overdo them. Beware of creating more interest in the software than the material you're presenting.

Benefits

Dynamic, full-color multimedia presentations are available to the average presenter Data can be presented in real time Supply costs are non-existent Last minute changes are possible Special effects add interest Production costs are low Transmission to remote locations is possible

Projection equipment is expensive Computer and graphic skills are required Presentation depends more upon equipment than the presenter A darkened room is required

Before your presentation check equipment for proper location and function. Use only a high-intensity overhead projector Use a remote control device to advance your visuals If you do not have a remote, have an assistant advance the visuals Back up your computer media and take an extra copy with you Unless you take your own computer, use the view or runtime version on your computer software program so you do not have to load your software to the computer Use a laser pointer to focus the audience's attention

2.

Video

When you need to show real-life motion in your presentation, video is the most effective medium. Video clips are used with computer graphics to create multimedia presentations. These presentations incorporate text, graphics, animation, and motion video.

Portable video projectors have made video practical for everyday meetings as well as group presentations. These cost-effective, plug-and-play projectors allow you to project high-quality video images from VCRs, cameras, laser disc players, and CD players.

You can also use video as a delivery system for larger audiences through the use of desktop conferencing, distance learning, video conferencing, and closed-circuit television systems.

Technological developments have made recording, capturing, sending, viewing, editing, and printing video images easier, more practical, and cost effective. Viewing videos is a passive activity and can allow your audience to lose concentration and focus. If possible, use short video segments (five to ten minutes) during your presentation.

Benefits

Presentations are professional. Full-color motion with sound is possible. Duplicating presentation is simple. Presentations may be more entertaining. Presentation does not require presenter. Small cassettes are easy to store. Presenting to large remote audience is possible.

Professional production is required. Production is expensive and time consuming. Little presenter involvement--can be impersonal.

Before your presentation, become familiar with and test all equipment. Make sure the room can be properly darkened. Be sure that you have enough monitors in place for adequate viewing. Keep video presentations short (ten minutes is considered the limit for attention and concentration). To increase participation, ask your audience to look for a specific idea or activity in the video before viewing it. Then refer to it by asking questions after viewing.

3. 35mm Slides

The content of 35mm slides provides a crisp, colorful, easy to read format for presenting information. 35mm slides are the most universally accepted way to show full-color, three-dimensional still pictures. They are also used extensively to show graphics or pictures. Slides can be used with large or small audiences and, because the projectors are small and portable, they can be taken almost anywhere. Remote operation allows you to move around the room and still control the duration and sequence of each slide.

One of the main advantages of slide projection is that slides can be easily duplicated and sent to multiple locations with assurance that everyone receives an identical message. If it is also important that the verbal element be consistent, include a pre-recorded tape that has been synchronized with your slides.

Because slide presentations require a darkened room and little or no audience participation, presenters who wish to sell, instruct, or teach should limit slide use. Consider incorporating other presentation formats that encourage audience participation instead. Watching slides in a darkened room for an extended period of time causes drowsiness. Even well narrated slide presentations should be limited to ten or fifteen-minute segments. Encourage audience involvement with the use of a rear projection system in a lit room.

Benefits

Images are the highest quality. Presentations can be easily duplicated. Projectors are reliable, portable and easy to use. Remote control enables the presenter to move around the room.