Module 8: . Convey ideas through oral, audio-visual, and/or web-based 

Objectives: 

• Explain the use of visual aids in strengthen the message a person wants to convey.

• Convey Ideas through oral, audio-visual, and/or web based presentations for different target audiences in local and global settings using appropriate strategies.

Preliminary activity:

Observe the images and give the commonality among them.

Introduction:

We live in a time when communication is visual and verbal, and the use of visual aids can further strengthen the message we want to convey. Be it a student or a professional, everyone experiences speaking before an audience and in these days, there is no better way to speak a crowd without using visual materials to accompany the talk.  

When we speak of audio-visual (AV) aids these refer to devices with both  a sound and visual component which are used for presentation and dissemination of knowledge . Slide tape presentation, films, and television programs are some examples of audio-visual presentations.

The use of visual-aids was introduced in the 17th Century when John Amos Comenius (1521)m a Bohemian educator, had pictures as teaching aids in his book 'Orbis Sensualism Pictus' (Picture of the Sensual World) that was worldwide for childhood education. Similarly, Jean Rousseau (1712-1778) and J H. Pestalozzi (1726-1827) jointly advocated the use of visual and play materials in teaching through their "object method." They believed that the teaching process must be directed to the learner's natural curiosity.

Visual aids are not limited to charts but can also include pictographs, pie charts, schedules, seating charts, financial statements, drawings, videos, slides or sketches. You can use visual aids as handouts when giving a verbal presentation, present them on-screen or in written reports. 

Visual aids are items of a visual manner, such as graphs, photographs, video clips etc. used in addition to spoken information. Visual aids are chosen depending on their purpose, for example, you may want to:

• Summarize information.

• Reduce the amount of spoken words, for example, you may show a graph of your results rather than reading them out.

• Clarify and show examples.

• Create more of an impact, for example, if your presentation is on the health risks of smoking, you may show images of the effects of smoking on the body rather than describing this. You must consider what type of impact you want to make beforehand - do you want the audience to be sad, happy, angry etc.?

• Emphasize what you're saying.

• Make a point memorable.

• Enhance your credibility.

• Engage the audience and maintain their interest.

• Make something easier for the audience to understand.

There are various types of audio-visual materials ranging from film strips microfilms, slides, projected opaque materials, tape recording and flashcards. In the current digital world, audio-visual aids have grown exponentially with several multimedia such as educational DVDs, PowerPoint, television educational series, YouTube, and other online materials.

The use of audio-visuals aids is very important in today's education; millenials are hooked in modern technology. They enjoy video games, online learning and computerized programming ranging classroom learning to online shopping. In fact, children nowadays love to watch an educational movie than to read a book. Thus, teachers have started incorporating  audio-visual aids, i.e. video presentation, power point slides show, etc. in the classroom sessions.

Business presentations are also often audio-visual. In a typical presentation presenter provides the audio by speaking, and supplements it with a series of images projected onto a screen, either from a slide projector, or from a computer connected to a projector using presentation software.

Advantages of Having Audio-Visuals 

1. Help to make the learning process more effective and conceptual.

2. Help to grab the attention of targeted audience.

3. Build interest and motivation.

4. Enhance the energy level of teaching.

5. Provide a realistic approach and experience.

Disadvantages

1. Technical problems

2. Expensive

3. Time-consuming

4. Need space

Guidelines for Using Visual Aids

The key to preparing effective audio-visual aids is to remember that they are only aids. Their role is to add a visual dimension to the points that the speaker wants to convey. The audio-visual aids cannot make those points for the speaker, they can only reinforce them. When you plan for audio-visual aids, follow these simple guidelines.

1. Avoid too much information on any single visual.

2. Use boldface type in a font size that can be easily read.

3. Use sans serif type because it produces a sharper image for slides and transparencies.

4. Limit the fonts you use two per visual.

5. Avoid all caps.

6. Use a type- size and font-that contrasts distinctly with the background.

7. Avoid visuals that use too many colors-more that four on any one aid.

8. If you are preparing slides or transparencies for video conferencing, use the plain background and  a color-such as yellow or light green-and black text.

9. Templates available in programs such PowerPoint are tempting but they may not be readable when text is placed on them.

10. Avoid making audience study your aids.

11. Graphs should be limited to the concept, data, point you are trying to make.

12. Use technology whenever possible. Some websites have visual that you can use for presentations about the topic.

13. Technology allows speakers to download graphs, drawings and figures from the world wide web.

14. Keep the time limit for your presentation in mind. about 10 to 15 slides for short presentations should be equivalent to 15 minutes.