Visual Aids

Boards and Power Point Presentations

 VISUAL AIDS IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

• Visual aids can be used to explain

• Concepts This element depicts non-physical, conceptual things and their
relationships
• Objects Photographs, drawings, diagrams, and schematics are the types of
graphics that show objects
• Numbers Numbers are used while presenting data and statistics
• Words Graphics are also used to depict words. You have probably noticed
how textbooks put key definitions and examples in boxes with words.
To further understand visual aids, let us
answer the following questions:
• When to use?
• Why to use?
• How to use?
• What are the types?
When
• Illustrations are very effective when there is a mass of statistics and
complex ideas to be represented.
• Statistical data is best explained through tables, graphs, charts, maps,
diagrams, or photographs.
• Whenever the information to be communicated is too complicated or
technical to transmit just through words, we use visual aids
Why
Visual communication has more impact than verbal communication. Using
illustrations has many advantages:
• Arouses interest and focuses on essentials
• Leads the reader to quicker comprehension
• Supports and reinforces words
• Saves much time and effort in explaining and interpreting complex ideas
• Explains the data in much less space but with greater accuracy
• Simplifies numerical data
• Emphasizes and clarifies certain facts and relationships
• Makes the descriptions vivid and eye-catching
• Renders a professional flavour to the communication
How to use illustrations effectively
• The illustrations should be
• neat, accurate, and self-contained
• appropriate to the data
• labelled completely
• self-contained
• integrated with the text
• placed as close to the first reference as possible
• sized appropriately so that they are clear even upon reproduction
• such that they create a good balance between the verbal and the visual
Types

Dependent tables are those whose contents cannot be understood without going through
the text. This type is used for presenting less data.

Independent tables are the most commonly used ones. Though the text should explain
each table, readers need not go through the text to understand the contents of these
tables.

Phrase tables are used when the data is in words or phrases instead of numerical figures.
 Black/Green Board
• Begin from the left-top
• If the board is quite large, divide the board into different sessions of
equal dimension
• Align the titles to the centre
• 5 to 7 points per board/section
• If you write five points per section on a two-section board. Imagine
you have ten points. If you want to add the 11th point, erase section
one, which has points 1-5 and write point 11.
• Make sure your handwriting is legible
• Speak/read while you write so that your audience will also get to
know what you are writing.
• Do not covet the board; maintain a proper distance from the board,
facing the audience.
• Use pointers or something like a scale to point at the things written
on the bord.
• Clean the board well before starting and check the condition of the
markers.
• Write in large letters.
• Stand to the side as you write.
• Do not face the board while talking to the audience.
• Divide the board into columns and write legibly.
• Keep contents which you may want to refer to again.
 PowerPoint Presentations
• Planning:
• Occasion
• Audience
• Purpose
• Thesis
• Material
• Outlining and structuring:
• Introduction
• Main body
• Conclusion
• Choosing the mode of delivery
• Guidelines for effective delivery
• Body language and voice
• Visual aids
 Planning
Occasion
Factors such as the facilities available for our presentation, time, and context of our
presentation
Facilities - the venue or locale along with the projection equipment, lighting, seating,
ventilation, etc
Duration, the tone, and the expectations of the audience

Time
 The time of the day of presentation and the duration of the talk
 Straightforward and factual presentations may work well during the morning hours, but in
case of an after-dinner speech, we may need to adapt our remarks to the occasion.
Remembering the fact that most professional presentations are brief, we should present the
important points in the first few minutes
Context
 The events surrounding our presentation- the attitude of the audience, the mood of the
audience
 Audience
• They are at the receiving end of our communication

• The nature of our audience has a direct impact on the strategy we devise
for our presentation
o What are their interests, likes, and dislikes?
o Are they familiar with the topic?
o Is their attitude hostile or friendly?
o What is the size of the group?
o Age range?
o Gender distribution?
 Audience
Observe
• Always begin with a smile and greet them in a pleasant tone
• Give the impression that you are not lecturing but sharing your views with
them
• Modify your tone/material according to the reaction of your audience.
• For instance, if you find them bored or not understanding your point, soften your
tone, ask them if they have any difficulty and give one clearer example
• Choose examples that are familiar to the major section of the audience
• Choose words as per your audience’s background
• Do not get annoyed if there is a slight disturbance among the audience
(say, two people at the back are whispering something)
• Concentrate on your ideas and be with the topic rather than thinking about
what impression you are making in the audience’s minds
• Inform the audience at the start of your presentation whether you would
prefer to answer their queries at the end, or you would not mind being
interrupted.
 Audience
• Facing an unknown audience
• Enquire about the audience to the organiser
• Prepare for an inclusive strategy if there are different linguistic and cultural
backgrounds
• Use visual aids to make communication easy

• Controversial topic
• Keep aside some time to tackle any opposition from the audience
• Create an impression that you are sharing your views, not imposing them

• Use
• Pauses, through interactions with the audience and changes in delivery techniques
 Controversial Topics

If we are going to speak about something controversial or if we have to

break some bad news perhaps, we can set aside some time before our
presentation to chat with those who will be affected.

This will help to:

o Build support
o Anticipate problems
o Consider strategies
 Purpose
• to inform
• to analyze
• to persuade

• The purpose of a presentation decides the content, style and affects

the amount of audience interaction
 Purpose
Persuade
• to persuade people to take a particular action, collaborate with them in
solving a problem, or make a decision, the interaction would be more.
• begin by providing facts and figures that increase our audiences’
understanding of the subject
• offer arguments in defence of certain conclusions and recommendations
• we invite them to participate by expressing their needs, suggesting solutions,
and formulating conclusions and recommendations.
• Examples
• Sales presentations, speeches by political leaders during the election
 Thesis Statement
• Spells out the subject and establishes its impact
• The central idea of a presentation
• Use
• Simple language should be used to frame a complete, declarative statement
• Avoid
• Using a question or a sentence fragment
A presentation on Choosing a reputed university for higher education.
Three different thesis statements:
1. Why should we be careful in choosing a reputed university?
(question: does not reflect the content)
2. Choosing a reputed university for higher education
(fragment: does not tell anything specific; repetition of the topic of
presentation)
3. Choosing a reputed university for higher education has five
significant advantages
(tells the audience that they will know these benefits after listening to the
presentation)
Choosing A Reputed University For Higher Education

The steps to arrive at your thesis statement:

• Topic: Choosing a reputed university for higher education

• Topic area: Advantages of a reputed university

• General purpose: To inform

• Specific purpose: I wish to tell my audience about the benefits they will
reap by choosing a reputed university

• Thesis statement: Choosing a reputed university for higher education has

five significant advantages.
 Material
• Library

• Internet

• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Organisational records

• Statistics

• Publications

• Surveys or interviews

• Contacting external organizations

 Outlining and structuring
• Serves as a guide to show us the right path for our presentation

• Introduction should grab attention, introduce topic, contain a

strategy for establishing credibility, preview the speech, establish
rules for questions, and have a smooth transition to the main text.
• Main body should contain all the main points and supporting
material; the entire matter should be organized into a logical
sequence.
• Conclusion should contain signal, highlight/summary, closing
statement/re-emphasis, a vote of thanks, and invitation to questions
 Introduction
• (attention grabber) It catches the attention of the audience
• (topic and thesis) tells them the topic and purpose
• (credibility) develops in them a trust for the presenter and the
presentation
• (preview) kindles their interest in what the presenter is going to
speak in the minutes to come
• (transition) takes them slowly into the main body of the speech
 Good morning friends and wish you all a happy World Environment Day! (Greeting and reference to the day)
Before starting my presentation, let me ask you a few questions: How often do you use DDT-based insecticide
in your homes or offices? Do you find them effective? Have you heard of their misuse? Are you aware of their
harmful effects and how to control them? (Attention grabber)
Well, I am glad that you find them useful and you use them in your homes and offices. But today I am here to
talk about the measures you need to take in order to optimize the benefits of such insecticides. Yes, my topic is
‘Effective use of DDT-based insecticides’. DDT, a chemical compound present in insecticides is dangerous when
misused, but you can prevent serious health problems by carefully following directions.
(Revealing topic and thesis statement)

I would like to tell you that I have been doing research on various kinds of insecticides—their production,
distribution, effects, hazards, remedies, etc., for the last several years and have come up with a number of
recommendations for their effective use. (Credibility statement)
We will first define and discuss the effects of DDT, then the types of DDT-based insecticides and their effects,
the inappropriate way in which people use them and finally suggestions to use them effectively. (Preview)
If you want to ask any questions or give any comments please do so when the presentation gets over. I’ll
complete my presentation in twenty minutes and you will have the next ten minutes for the question and answer
session. (OR) Please feel free to interrupt me by raising your hands if you have any query. (Rules for Q&A)
So let me begin with the first point, what is DDT? (Transition from introduction to main body )
Greeting
• extending a compliment to our audience—I feel good to present before an
intelligent/august gathering like yours/It is refreshing to look at your bright
faces this morning;
• referring to the location or occasion—I hope you all had a good time at the
river cruise last evening; On the occasion of World Education Day, let me wish
all of you to have lifelong learning
Attention grabber
• Consider the topic ‘effective use of ddt-based insecticides’
• Series of questions- ‘how often do you use insecticides? Are you aware of
their harmful effects?’
• Statement- ‘you would be shocked to know that thousands of people die
every day by the careless use of insecticides’.
• Anecdote - “i was visiting a friend who owns a farm in coimbatore. He is into
vegetable cultivation and he finds his market in the nearby villages. I was
shocked to find that he never tries anything from his farm. Instead, he has a
special farm to produce vegetables for his family.”
• After catching the attention, state clearly and precisely the purpose of your
presentation.
Topic and thesis statement
• Include the topic and the thesis statement in the PPT

Credibility
• To establish credibility in their minds if we are young or inexperienced by stating our
interest in the topic, by quoting some relevant statement from a recent newspaper
or magazine, or by informing them how much research we have done on the topic

Preview
• Give a brief idea about the issues we are going to cover in the given time. This can be
done by showing the slide containing the main topics and subtopics in the
presentation outline
Rules for question and answer session

• It is better to inform the audience in the beginning itself whether they

can ask questions during or after the presentation

Transition

• A good introduction creates interest and leads the audience

effectively into the main body of the speech
 Main Body
Chronological
Categorical
Cause and effect
Problem–solution
Supporting material
Definitions
Examples
Statistics
Analogy
Testimony
 Main Body
Chronological - organizing points that can be arranged sequentially (in the order in which the
events occurred or appeared before us).
Categorical - divided into various topics and subtopics arranged on the basis of subordination and
coordination
Cause and effect - illustrate and explain the causes of the situation and then focus on the effects
Problem–solution - describe and analyse the problem -- suggest or propose a solution to the
problem
Supporting material - supporting material or develop our core points adequately
Definitions - use a definition to develop our idea
Examples - They give life to our ideas and make them immediately comprehensible to the
audience
Statistics - use statistics that represent numerical data -- strong proof, because they are firmly
based on facts and because they show that the speaker is well informed
Analogy - showing how one idea resembles another.
Testimony - remarks made by others who are authoritative or articulate and could make a point
more effectively than we could, on our own
 Conclusion
• By reviewing the main points.

• Give a signal
• To sum up, to conclude, to review, in the end, etc. To indicate the end of the presentation

• Remind the audience briefly about the purpose of our presentation (to persuade or to inform)

• Do not wrap up in a hurry or add something new

• A quotation or can recall the earlier story, joke, anecdote with which we commenced our
presentation to bring it to a full circle

• Change in the pace or pitch of their voice

• They slow the rate and speak in a lower pitch so as to mark the difference between the main body and
conclusion of their presentation
 Modes of Delivery
Having something to say is not enough; you must also know how to say it

Extemporaneous mode
• prepare the notes beforehand and rehearse our presentation.
Manuscript mode
• material is written out and we are supposed to read it out aloud verbatim.
Impromptu mode
• to deliver an informal speech without preparation.
Memorization mode
• Speech is written out beforehand, then committed to memory, and finally
delivered from memory
 Guidelines for Effective Delivery

Verbal elements
• Word pictures
• Warm words
• Similes and metaphors
• Impact words
• Word pictures
• Give our speech a graphic quality by painting word pictures that allow the
audience’s imagination to take over. Specific details allow an audience to see
the scenes we are describing.
• Warm words
• The instant coffee - ‘quick’, ‘time-saving’, and ‘efficient’.
• Makers of fresh coffee - ‘aroma’, ‘fresh’, and ‘tasty’ (warm, happy, and
appetizing words)
• The instant coffee - ‘delicious’, ‘rich’, and ‘satisfying’

Good Bad
Independent Unaccountable
Well-regulated Red tape
Free-thinking Wishy-washy
Appropriately Fat cat
rewarded