Effective use of Media in
Medical Education
Dr. Brijesh Rathore
Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry
Visiting Faculty-American University of Barbados
bsr2911@gmail.com
Learning Objectives
To know various audio visual aids
 To know demerits and merits of each
 To know the do’s and don'ts while using
them
 To select an appropriate teaching aid
 To express enthusiasm about making
efforts to for the preparation process

Teaching
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Is a skill
Requires
 Expertise of the
subject
 Grasp of the language
 Skills to communicate
Choosing an appropriate teaching aid
Audio Visual aids
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Writing boards
Flip boards
Transparencies on Over head projector
35mm slide projector
Power point presentation
Video on LCD panel
Use of audio visual in special
circumstances
The writing board
Most commonly used—Black/white board
 Easy to use
 Inexpensive
 Quickly cleaned and reused
 Reliable aid
 Convenient to list item and draw diagrams
 Allows step by step building
 Students can keep pace with the teacher
Disadvantages:
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Cannot hold a large amount of matter
Has to be erased so no permanent
record
Time consuming
Difficult to keep attention of students
Not an appropriate medium in large
audiences
Guidelines for effective use:
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Availability of material
Arrange it in sequence – PLAN ahead
Good illumination
Ensure clarity
Emphasize key points
Position of teacher
Rubbing of board
CHALK BOARD
ADVANTAGES:

Convenient to list items, draw charts and to
solve problems.

Inexpensive and easily cleaned.

Usable for wide range of graphic
representation.
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Allows step by step build up, organization of
structure of concept.
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Helps student in note taking.
CHALK BOARD
LIMITATIONS:

Back to audience.
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Can be seen only by small group.
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Careful drawing are erased & not preserved for
future use.

Considerable skill required for effective use.

Difficult to move from place to place.
APPLICATIONS:

Don’t crowd the chalk-board a few points make a
vivid impression.
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Make the material simple.
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Plan the presentation earlier.
The Flip Chart
Large chart with a pad of paper on a stand:
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The notes, diagrams and flow charts can
be prepared well in advance
Revealed at the appropriate point of
presentation
Pages can be preserved for display after
class and future references
Disadvantages:
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Not effective for large audience
Cannot hold large amount of data
Writing may consume time.
Intermittently loose contact
audience while writing
Sometimes writing is illegible
with
Guidelines for effective use:
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Availability of material
PLAN ahead
Good illumination
Ensure clarity
Position of teacher
Audio-Visual Aids
Types of Audio Visual Aids
1.
2.
3.
VISUAL AIDS: those communication
devices which use seeing as primary
process of communication.
Non-projected visual aids
Projected Visual Aids
Non-projected visual aids:
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Chalk Board
Flannel Graphs
Flash cards
Posters
Diagrams and Photographs
Charts
Specimens
Models
Projected Visual Aids:
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Overhead projector
Slide projector: 35 mm Slides
Film Strips
Epidiascope
Micro-projector
Silent cine films
Transparencies and Projector
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A transparency is
plastic film with
written material usually in horizontal
format
Magnification is 5 times
Letter 1-1.5 cm in height (Printed >18pts)
Rule 2/6—nearest viewer should not be
closer than distance equaling 2 screen
widths and farthest not more than 6
screen widths
Transparencies and Projector
Advantages:
 Simple, easily available and inexpensive
 Can be used with lights on
 Can be projected high
 Can be prepared quickly and in advance
 Allows step wise presentation—Masking
 Can be preserved for future use
Advantages:
 Simple, easily available and inexpensive
 Can be used with lights on
 Can be prepared quickly and in advance
 Allows step wise presentation—Masking
 Can be preserved for future use
Disadvantages:
 Technical snags and problem of focus.
 Over crowding.
 Inertia to update material .
AUDIO AIDS
P.A. System (Public address system)
 Record players and discs
 Cassette tape recorders
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AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS
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Synchronized Tape-slide projector
Cine movies
Open T.V. Broadcasts and Video-tapes
Closed Circuit T.V. and Video-tapes
FLANNELOGRAPHS
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The flannel-board is
covered with flannel or
khadi cloth. The picture or
materials with same
material are used to stick
It helps to build
presentation in a sequence,
piece by piece.
FLASH CARDS
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One of cheapest and effective aids to
communicate an idea or sequence.
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Each card contains words, phrases, or
symbols or photographs.
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It is flashed before a group of people with
verbal commentary.
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Suitable for small group.
MODEL AND SIMULATION DEVICES
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ADVANTAGES:
Three dimension, concept of reality.
Size allows close examination.
Good for magnified situation
Can permit learning and practice of
different techniques.
Can be used to demonstrate function as
well as construction.
Some can be made with locally available
materials.
MODEL AND SIMULATION
DEVICES
LIMITATIONS:
 Simulation models are often expensive.
 Craftsmanship required for local construction.
 Usable for small groups.
 Models often easily damaged.
 Never the same as performing techniques on a
patient.
APPLICATIONS:
 Models can be used for demonstration when actual
specimen is not available.
 Simulation devices are used in situation where the
real object or patient cannot be obtained.
 Useful for instruction.
Projected Visual Aids
GUIDELINES FOR
PREPARATION OF MATERIAL
FOR VISUAL AIDS
NON-PROJECTED MATERIAL:
Maximum Viewing
distance
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8 Feet¼”
16 Feet½”
32 Feet
64 Feet
1”
2”
Minimum height
of letter ‘M’
OVER HEAD PROJECTOR
OVER HEAD PROJECTOR
ADVANTAGES:
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Projectable in daylight, high to audience, darkening
of the class rooms is not needed.
The image can be projected high on the screen or
wall enabling the whole class to see the projector
image clearly.
Presented while facing the audience.
Relatively easy to prepare with local materials.
Subjects can be drawn in advance or developed be
stages with the group.
It is easy to handle
LIMITATIONS:
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Use of the over head projector for
very large audience is limited.
Equipment and materials for making
sophisticated transparencies are
expensive.
Not easy to adopt for self study.
APPLICATIONS:
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Use several sample transparencies rather
than complex one and limit each visual to
one message.
Use chemical pencil, overhead projector,
pencil or wax crayon for writing on
transparencies.
Use colour transparencies for better
attention from audience and to emphasis
details.
Projection transparencies, well fixed can
be used by the teacher.
Density & Legibility
Limit text to about 7 lines with 8
words/line
 10 lines and 10 words for overhead
transparencies
 Use an active “voice” that emphasizes
key words or phrases
 Use at least 18-point font size
 Use a simple style of lettering
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Density & Legibility
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Limit use of italics, underlining, bold
and capitalization
Watch line spacing
Keep images simple
Use special effects sparingly
(shadowing, 3-D)
Use 4 – 5 colors maximum
Increase color contrast with color
hue and brightness
Keep it Simple
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Effective slides emphasize and
illustrate what the speaker says
Presents information succinctly
Presents information that is selfexplanatory
Layout
Use horizontal (landscape) slides
rather than vertical (portrait)
 Try to be consistent about where you
place information on the slide
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Titles, bullets, logos, etc. should have a
designated spot on slide
Layouts may be formal and balanced
(entries centered/left-justified) or
informal (entries off-centered yet
balanced)
Color
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Use contrasting colors for text
and background
Use about 4–5 colors per slide and
be consistent
Highlight important information
with contrasting color
Light-colored lettering or lines on
dark background often preferred
Visibility ratio
Dark Background
white
yellow
Light Background
black
dark red or brown
orange
orange
green
green
red
violet
light blue
yellow
35 mm SLIDES AND SLIDE PROJECTOR
35 mm SLIDES AND SLIDE PROJECTOR
ADVANTAGES:
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Suitable for small and large audience.
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Preparation of slides is very easy and not
so expensive.
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Slides sets and projectors are light and
easy to carry.
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For projection, no specific technical
knowledge or skill necessary.
LIMITATIONS:
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For front projector, darkening of the
auditorium or class room in necessary.
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Amount of information in one slide (in
number of lines of matter) is limited.
APPLICATION:
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Useful for teaching in class rooms and self
study units.
Can be used repeatedly.
With automatic projectors, slides can be
changed, can be programmed, also advanced or
reversed.
Using a trans- focuser lens you can focus the
details
Using a special light pointer you can pin point
the details.
Epidiascope
Opaque projector, episcope, Spencer Delineascope.
Epidiascope
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Projects any non-transparent pictures photographs, charts, sketches and hand written
materials.
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It can be used to project coins, sheets books etc.
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The principle of reflected projection is used in
the use of opaque projections.
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The opaque projection can be used to project
variety of materials in any teaching situation.
OVER HEAD PROJECTOR
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This system is still found in schools,
but is being largely replaced by LCD
projectors.
Spatial light modulators (SLMs)
Many OHPs are used with a flat panel
LCD which, when used this way is
referred to as a spatial light modulator
or SLM. Data projectors
NEWER ELECTRONIC
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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Teleconferencing / Telemedicine
Teletext
Videotext
Computers