Using Visual Aids Effectively “Where’s the darn flipchart in this room?”

Why Use Visual Aids? u They save time and add interest u They improve listener retention u They allow for different learning styles

Verbal and Visual Recall

Types of Visual Aids: Advantages and Disadvantages u Overhead Transparencies u Slides u Flip Charts and Posters u Objects and Models u Handouts u Whiteboards and Chalkboards u Computer Assisted Audiovisuals

Guidelines for VAs u The VA should never become the REASON for the speech u The VA should be appropriate for the length and format of the speech u Know what technology will be available to you u The higher the tech, the more you need redundancy and backup--Burnett’s rule of VA

Size Matters u This is a 20 point font u This is a 32 point font u This is a 48 point font u This is a 60 point font u This is a 72 point f

Type Fonts u Serif fonts versus Sans Serif fonts u This is a sans serif font --This is Arial u This is a font with serifs--This is Times New Roman

Additional Guidelines for Text u Use only 4-6 lines of text per VA u Use phrases, not full sentences u Use Upper Case and Lower Case for ease of reading u Leave the same space at the top of a VA u Limit lines to no more than 40 characters

Use Clip Art to Keep Interest u The text can be placed here on the left, and the picture on the right

How Not to Use PowerPoint u In most situations, PowerPoint should NOT be used as a running outline as we do here! u Use PowerPoint to generate illustrations of particular data points or pieces of support u Slides are easily printed to overheads using specialized inkjet and laser jet overheads (print on the rough side!) u Kinko’s (and others) can do the job!