M8 Presentation Aid in the Speech (1)

Presentation Aids in a Speech

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech CONTENT Module I Presentation aids Module II Functions of presentation aids Module III 1. Improving audience understanding 2. Aiding retention and recall Module IV 3. Adding variety and interest 4. Enhancing a speaker’s credibility. Module V Types of presentation aids Module VI 1. Charts Module VII 2. Graphs 3. Diagrams Representation of real processes or things 1. Maps 2. Photographs and drawing 3. Audio or video recording Low tech presentation aid 1. Flipchart 2. Poster 3. Handouts Summary Self-assessment questions Page 2 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech Module-I Presentation Aids Presentation aids, or sensory aids, are any additional resources used to enhance your speech. On a very basic level, a presentation is a bunch of words used to convey ideas to an audience. Presentation aids are additional devices, techniques, resources, or materials used to enhance the presentation. When you give a speech, you are presenting much more than just a collection of words and ideas. Because you are speaking live, your audience members will aesthetically experience your speech through all five of their senses: hearing, vision, smell, taste, and touch. In addition to your verbal and nonverbal embodiment, presentation aids assist in amplifying your content for the audience’s overall experience. Presentation aids are the resources beyond the speech itself that a speaker uses to enhance the message conveyed to the audience. The type of presentation aids that speakers most typically make use of is visual aids: pictures, diagrams, charts and graphs, maps, and the like. Audible aids include musical excerpts, audio speech excerpts, and sound effects. Visual aids help clarify and contextualize your points for your audience. Whether you deliver your presentation in person or over the web, the goal is to clearly communicate with your audience. Presentation aids help achieve this goal. Visual aids also help a presenter stay on a predefined train of thought while presenting. The entire experience of presenting can be rather nerve-wracking. Studies show that one of the greatest phobias throughout the world is public speaking. When our words fail us, a clear presentation aid can help fill in the gaps and help us be understood. A speaker may also use fragrance samples or food samples as olfactory (sense of smell) or gustatory (sense of taste) aids. A sense of authority and trust can also be established when using visual aids. By delivering hard facts and data in a simple way, trust is established with the audience. The authority and expertise of the presenter is also established. Visual aids should help your audience understand the data in your presentation. When used correctly, presentation aids increase the chance of receiving a positive response when making a call to action. Finally, presentation aids can be three-dimensional objects, or they can change over some time, as in the case of a how-to demonstration Module-II: Functions Of Presentation Aids Page 3 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech Presentation aids can fulfil several functions: they can serve to improve your audience’s understanding of the information you are conveying, enhance audience memory and retention of the message, add variety, and interest to your speech, and enhance your credibility as a speaker.  Improving Audience Understanding Human communication is a complex process that often leads to misunderstandings. If you are like most people, you can easily remember incidents when you misunderstood a message or when someone else misunderstood what you said to them. Misunderstandings happen in public speaking just as they do in everyday conversations. One reason for misunderstandings is the fact that perception and interpretation are highly complex individual processes. Most of us have seen the image in which, depending on your perception, you see either the outline of a vase or the facial profiles of two people facing each other. This shows how interpretations can differ, and it means that your presentations must be based on careful thought and preparation to maximize the likelihood that your listeners will understand your presentations as you intend them to. As a speaker, one of your basic goals is to help your audience understand your message. To reduce misunderstanding, presentation aids can be used to clarify or emphasize.  Aiding Retention and Recall The second function that presentation aids can serve is to increase the audience’s chances of remembering your speech. Moreover, people often can remember information that is presented in sequential steps more easily than if that information is presented in an unorganized pattern. When you use a presentation aid to display the organization of your speech, you will help your listeners to observe, follow, and remember the sequence of information you conveyed to them. This is why some instructors display a lecture outline for their students to follow during class. An added plus of using presentation aids is that they can boost your memory while you are speaking. Using your presentation aids while you rehearse your speech will familiarize you with the association between a given place in your speech and the presentation aid that accompanies that material. For example, if you are giving an informative speech about diamonds, you might plan to display a sequence of slides illustrating the most popular diamond shapes: brilliant, marquise, emerald, and so on. As you finish describing one shape and advance to the next slide, seeing the next diamond shape will help you remember the information about it that you are going to deliver.  Adding Variety and Interest Page 4 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech The third function of presentation aids is simply to make your speech more interesting. While it is true that a good speech and a well-rehearsed delivery will already include variety in several aspects of the presentation, in many cases, a speech can be made even more interesting by the use of well-chosen presentation aids.  Enhancing a Speaker’s Credibility Presentation aids alone will not be enough to create a professional image. As we mentioned earlier, impressive presentation aids will not rescue a poor speech. However, even if you give a good speech, you run the risk of appearing unprofessional if your presentation aids are poorly executed. This means that in addition to containing important information, your presentation aids must be clear, clean, uncluttered, organized, and large enough for the audience to see and interpret correctly. Misspellings and poorly designed presentation aids can damage your credibility as a speaker. Conversely, a high-quality presentation will contribute to your professional image. In addition, make sure that you give proper credit to the source of any presentation aids that you take from other sources. Using a statistical chart or a map without proper credit will detract from your credibility, just as using a quotation in your speech without credit would. Module-III: Types Of Presentation Aids  Charts A chart is commonly defined as a graphical representation of data (often numerical) or a sketch representing an ordered process. Whether you create your charts or do research to find charts that already exist, it is important for them to exactly match the specific purpose of your speech.  Graphs A graph is a pictorial representation of the relationships of quantitative data using dots, lines, bars, pie slices, and the like. Graphs show the variation in one variable in comparison with that of one or more other variables. Where a statistical chart may report the mean ages of individuals entering college, a graph would show how the mean age changes over time. A statistical chart may report the number of computers sold in the United States, while a graph will show the breakdown of those computers by operating systems such as Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. Public speakers can show graphs using a range of different formats. Some of those formats are specialized for various professional fields.  Diagrams Page 5 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech Diagrams are visual representations that simplify a complex process. They may be drawings or sketches that outline and explain the parts of an object, process, or phenomenon that cannot be readily seen. When you introduce a diagram, you are working to label parts of a process for your audience. For example, you may decide to diagram how human communication occurs because simply describing that process would be too complex. Module-IV: Representation Of Real Processes Or Things In contrast, the second set of presentational aids represents real processes, things, persons, places, or ideas. While charts and graphs simplify more complex or abstract ideas, data, or evidence, this set of presentational aids attempts to add emphasis to real, literal stuff. This includes maps, photos, videos, audio recordings, and objects (diagrams can also fall into this category, depending on what you’re mapping).  Maps Maps are extremely useful if the information is clear and limited. There are all kinds of maps, including population, weather, ocean current, political, and economic maps, so you should find the right kind for your speech. Choose a map that emphasizes the information you need to deliver and are trying to represent. For example, you might decide that a map outlining the Hawaiian Islands would be helpful to clarify the spatial dimensions of the state. Although the map may not list the names of the islands, it helps orient the audience to the direction and distance of the islands to other geographic features, such as the Pacific Ocean.  Photographs and Drawings Sometimes a photograph or a drawing is the best way to show an unfamiliar but important detail. For example, if you gave a speech about the impact of plastics on ocean life, you may decide to include a photo of a beached whale who had suffered from plastic inhalation. The photo may emphasize the impact of plastic that speaking otherwise doesn’t capture.  Video or Audio Recordings Another very useful type of presentation aid is a video or audio recording. Whether it is a short video from a website such as YouTube, a segment from a song, or a piece of a podcast, a well-chosen video or audio recording may be a good choice to enhance your speech. When including audio or video in your speech, there are several technical considerations. It is important that the clip be properly cued to start at exactly where you want it to begin playing. It distracts from both your audience’s attention and your credibility when you are fumbling with technology during a speech. It is also important Page 6 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech that your file format can be played on the computer you are using. Since not all computers will play all file formats, be sure to test playability and audio volume before your presentation. Again, going back to providing a professional appearance from your first interaction with your audience, you should iron out the technical details before they enter the room. As with a demonstration, if your clip isn’t playing properly, move on rather than attempt to correct the issue. Fumbling with technology is a waste of your audience’s valuable time. Module-V: Low Tech Presentation Aid  Flipchart Flip charts are large sheets of paper, usually positioned on a tripod, to be used with thick and differently coloured marking pens. They are a simple tool that may seem “old school”, but they have many advantages when making presentations. First, they provide a useful way of interacting with your audience: Not only can you present your own ideas and results on flip charts, but you can also use them to immediately record input, feedback, and ideas from your audience. Flip charts, like chalkboards and whiteboards, allow for a certain amount of spontaneity. They are appealing for drawing out concepts to enable better understanding and to get input directly from a group. A variation on this option is to ask people to fill in cards or large “post-it” stickers, and to stick them onto different flip chart sheets during a brainstorm session. These cards can be used to stimulate more discussion and can be easily moved around between sheets if necessary. The sheets can also be hung up on the wall in a meeting or workshop room, to show ongoing developments in the discussions and to encourage additional comments. Later, when the meeting is over, you can remove the sheets and copy the information into a digitized format.  Poster Posters often represent a key graph, idea, or visualization. For a poster, you likely want to display one key piece of information at one key part of your presentation. Otherwise, posters are probably not the best way to approach presentation aids in a speech. If you are presenting to a small audience, around a dozen people, you may choose to use a poster rather than PowerPoint. The focus of your poster should be to support your core message and can be left behind to remind those in attendance of your presentation after you have left. Posters should look professional (e.g., not handwritten), be visible to everyone in the room, and follow design rules covered later in this chapter. Before your presentation, you should ask whether posters must be hung or be free standing. For posters that will be hung from a wall, sturdy poster or matte boards will suffice. If your Page 7 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech poster is going to be free standing or if you are going to use the same poster for multiple presentations, you should consider using a tri-fold display board.  Handouts Handouts are appropriate for delivering information that audience members can take away with them. Handouts require a great deal of management if they are to contribute to your credibility as a speaker. Handouts are best used to supplement the content of your talk. If you are providing statistical data, your slide may only show the relevant statistic focusing on the conclusion you want your audience to draw. Your handout, on the other hand, can contain the full table of data. If you need to show a complex diagram or chart, a handout will be more legible than trying to cram all that information on a slide. Since you need to simplify the data to make it understandable on a slide, the handout can contain the evidence for your message in a way that is legible, detailed, complex, and shows respect for the audience’s time and intelligence. Module-VI: Summary  Presentation aids must be easily experienced by your audience.  Presentation aids must be portable, easily handled, and efficient. They should disappear when not in use.  Presentation aids should be aesthetically pleasing, which includes good taste. Additionally, electronic media today allows you to create very “busy” slides with varieties of fonts, colours, collages of photos, etc. Keep in mind the principles of unity and focal point.  Colour is another aesthetic aspect. Some colours are just more soothing, readable, and appropriate than others. Also, the colour on your slides may be different when projected from what is on your computer.  Provide credit when using images that aren’t your own.  Presentation aids must support your speech and have high relevance to your content. Module VII: Self-Assessment Questions  Explain reasons why presentation aids are important in public speeches?  Detail how presentation aids function? Page 8 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022

Art of Public Speaking: Presentation Aids in a Speech  Discuss strategies for implementing and integrating presentation aids?  Describe common types of representations?  List four reasons why presentation aids are important in public speaking?  Explain two ways in which presentation aids can increase audience understanding of a message?  What aids are used in a presentation?  What is the purpose of Presentation aid?  How are presentation aids persuasive? Page 9 of 9 All Rights Reserved. Vol. TLE001/03-2022