7.3 Visual Aids
Types of Visual Aids
Some of the most commonly used visual aids:
•
PowerPoint or equivalent
•
Overhead projector slides/transparencies
•
White/blackboard
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Paper handouts
•
Flip charts
•
Video
•
Artefacts/props
Which of these have you used or experienced?
7.3 Visual Aids
Graphics in Visual Aids
•
Tables

Use rows + columns to give data/descriptions

Useful for comparing many data points or representing a
large amount of information

Dependent variables (what you want to compare): columns

Independent variables (categories that don’t change): rows

An effective table supplements the text + other figures
7.3 Visual Aids
Graphics in Visual Aids
•
Figures

Graphs, charts, illustrations: emphasise data trends
or specific technical aspects of an object/process

Several types:
Line graphs
Scatter graphs
Organisation charts
Photographs
Drawings
Bar graphs
Flow charts
Illustrations
Pie charts
Gantt charts
Diagrams
Careful when using illustrations: can be distracting +
needs specific context + may not be helpful/appropriate
7.4 Developing Visual Aids
Formatting PowerPoint Slides
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Color
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Text
•
Fonts
•
Images
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Space
•
Animation
Refer to
Chapter Notes
7.4 Developing Visual Aids
Other Tips for Using Slides
•
How many slides?
•
Discuss your slides
•
Practise with the equipment
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Practise with your slides
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Manage the environment
•
Slides aren’t always necessary
•
Slides aren’t the only option
7.4 Developing Visual Aids
Things to Consider When Using Visual Aids
•
Keep visual aids simple + clear + to the point
•
Make sure visual aids are large enough
•
Talk to your audience, not to your visual aid
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