Riana Helen Agnesia – Visual Aids – ELI L/S 80
Visual Aids to Deliver a Presentation
Pre-activity
Instruction for teacher:
Goal:
 Students will be familiar with various kinds of visual aids.
 Students will be able to use visual aids.
 Students will be able to prepare visual aids.
Activity 1
1. Look at the picture in Handout A and create one topic based on it, for example: Casualties
War or Children at War, etc. Ask students to think about what happens in the topic. Ask them
to share their thoughts with a partner.
2. Still using the same topic, distribute handout A to each student (or use OHP) and ask them
to think about what happens in the picture.
3. After that, ask them to share what they think with a partner. See if the discussion changes.
Ask students why their discussion changes or doesn’t change.
Handout A
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Riana Helen Agnesia – Visual Aids – ELI L/S 80
Activity 2
1. Group students into groups of three. Ask them to discuss and answer the following questions
and write them down in the provided transparency:
 What is visual aid?
 What are the kinds of visual aids?
 What are their functions?
 What are the characteristics of effective visual aids?
2. After the discussion, ask each group to send one/two representative to share the result of
their discussion using the OHP
3. Make a class list of characteristics of good Visual Aids and write it on the board. Make sure
each student keep a record of it.
Handout B
Visual Aids (VA) Feedback Form
Presenter’s name:
____________________________________________________________________________
Kinds of Visual Aids used:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
For the following questions, circle one of the numbers that shows how much you agree to each
statement.
1. Disagree
2. Somewhat disagree
3. Neither agree nor disagree
4. Somewhat agree
5. Agree
Does the VA support the presentation?
1
2
3
4
5
Is the VA simple but clear?
1
2
3
4
5
Is the VA big enough to see?
1
2
3
4
5
Is the VA meaningful?
1
2
3
4
5
Does the presenter use the VA effectively? 1
2
3
4
5
Does the presenter avoid reading the VA?
1
2
3
4
5
Does the presenter show each VA too long? 1
2
3
4
5
Does the presenter block the VA?
1
2
3
4
5
Does the presenter explain all the VAs?
1
2
3
4
5
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Riana Helen Agnesia – Visual Aids – ELI L/S 80
Homework:
Assign one same topic to students and ask them to prepare a three minute presentation. Ask them
to use at least one visual aid that has been discussed (also available in the take home reading.)
Ask students to finish the take home reading. Distribute Handout B and inform students that their
presentation will be evaluated based on the points in the handout.
Take home reading:
VISUAL AIDS
Good visual aids add credibility to your presentation and keep the attention of the audience.
What you show an audience has about three times as much impact as what you tell them.
One picture … a thousand words.
Visual aids consist of anything used to support your message. You need to know the various
kinds of visual aids, know how to prepare them, and know the best ways to use them.
KINDS OF VISUAL AIDS
a. Objects
Using objects in a presentation can clarify or emphasize your points. This might be the real
object you’re discussing or something representing a concept.
EXAMPLE:
For a simple science demonstration on the solar system, a basketball could be used to
represent the sun, a tennis ball for the earth, and a marble might be the moon.
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Riana Helen Agnesia – Visual Aids – ELI L/S 80
b. Models
Sometimes the real item is too large, too small, or too cumbersome to actually show during your
presentation.
EXAMPLE:
Bringing a car engine or motorcycle into a meeting room or most classrooms would not
be appropriate. A model or a depiction of the actual item would be a good representation.
c. The speaker
Sometimes the speaker can act as a visual aid himself.
EXAMPLE:
A speech on healthy lifestyles and getting into shape can be illustrated by the speaker
demonstrating exercises. This is very effective if the speaker dresses appropriately and
looks in shape! If the speaker simply wants to get in shape, he has no credibility with the
audience.
d. Photographs and posters
An enlarged photograph can work in helping the audience visualize exactly what you describe.
e. Slides
Slide projections are large and, if well prepared, are easy to read and visually very pleasing. The
major drawback to using slides is that the room must be darkened and the speaker is invisible.
Bring a backup set in case something is going wrong with your slides.
f. Transparencies
Unlike slides, transparencies can be used in normal room lightning. Transparencies are
inexpensive, easy to produce, and user-friendly. You can convert most graphs, drawings and
pictures to transparency slides. Color can be an important part of the presentation.
g. Videos
Supplementing a presentation with a well chosen, carefully edited video segment can work
effectively. A presentation about “All time great stars of the NBA” can have much more impact
with quick clips of the best shots of Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabar inserted during
intervals. Prepare a back up way to give your presentation without the support of a video, just in
case.
PREPARING VISUAL AIDS
Prepare in advance
Any visual aids should support your presentation not distract from it. The speaker has to
make sure it looks right and function correctly.
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Riana Helen Agnesia – Visual Aids – ELI L/S 80
Make sure that visuals are just … visual
Don’t crowd a slide with the full outline of what you will say. Too many words are one
of the least effective things you can put on a slide. Use pictures, drawings, or models,
with words simply supplementing the visual, not dominating them.
Keep it simple

Use clean and uncluttered visual aids. Complex slides or props serve more to distract
the audience than help them.

Use only one chart or graph per slide.

Use only one font per slide whenever possible. If it helps to get your points across,
you can use two fonts, but not more than two.
Use bullet points
Use short phrases in a bullet point form. Never use full sentences for text unless you
display an exact quote.
Use large print
Print should be readable at a distance of 10 feet. The minimum type to use on
transparency should be 24 point and looks like this:
24 points
Larger type is often better.
Make it meaningful
If a visual aid is not necessary to support something you are saying, don’t use it.
TIPS FOR USING SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Practice, practice, practice
To ensure that each prop works and your presentation flows smoothly, you must practice
using the prop exactly as you’ll use it in your actual speech.
Don’t read
Watching the speaker read the entire presentation is boring and distracting to the
audience. Maintain eye-contact with the audience as you speak for about 85% of the time.
Time your visual aids
Your visual aid is for the benefit of the audience. Show a model or a slide for at least 30
seconds so that they have sometimes to comprehend what you are showing them. Do not
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Riana Helen Agnesia – Visual Aids – ELI L/S 80
leave a slide on when you have finished talking about it. If you won’t be using a slide for
a minute or more, simply turn off the projector. Never offend the eyeballs of the audience
by leaving a projector on without a transparency.
Keep a clear view
Be conscious of how you stand when using slides or transparencies. Be aware of the line
sight of the people on your right and left. If you have to stand in front of them for part of
the time, be sure to move so that everyone can see most of the time.
Think before passing items around the audience
When you pass things among a group of people, their attention is automatically drawn to
the item and away from the speaker. If you have an important point to make, you may
choose to simply hold the item up for all to see or wait until you have finished speaking
to pass it around.
Explain any visual you use
Don’t use a visual that you don’t reference. The audience will wonder what the visual
means or simply be distracted by it. If you don’t need it, don’t use it. If you use it, explain
it!
Post- activity
Goal: students will be able to use at least one visual aid to deliver a short presentation.
Instruction for teacher:
1. Review what students have learned in the previous lesson and the take home reading.
2. Ask them to present their topic in front of the class using at least one visual aid.
3. Ask students to give feedback on a piece of paper (no name) and focus on the effectiveness of
the visual aid used.
References:
Engleberg, I. & Raimes, A. (2002). Pocket Keys for Speakers. NY: Houghton Mifflin.
Harrington, D. & LeBeau, C. (1996). Speaking of Speech: Basic Presentation Skills for
Beginners. Tokyo: MacMillan Language House.
Mandel, S. (2000). Effective Presentation Skills: A Practical Guide for Better Speaking. (3rd Ed.)
California: Crisp Learning.
Reinhart, S.M. (2002). Giving Academic Presentations. Michigan: Michigan Press
Templeton, M. & Fitzgerald, S. S. (1999). Great Presentation Skills. NY: McGraw-Hill.
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