About visual aids

1. Visuals

2. Did you know?
 Retention of verbal information supported by visuals
is 6 times greater
 Learning
83% visual
11% hearing
3.5% smelling
1% tasting
1.5% touching

3. Why use visuals?
 To organise presentation
 To provide interest and motivation: change of activity
 To help remember or visualise info
 To illustrate numbers and processes
 To support key info in a foreign language
 To introduce long lists
 Encourages speaker’s gestures and movements 

4. When not to use visuals?
 For safety
 For long quotes or definitions
 For verbal info only

5. Key principles
 Chunk and organise
 Speech vs. visual info
 Highlight info
 Be relevant
 Be appropriate
 Be effective
 Save time

6.  Maximum 6
 A series of short slides vs. one packed
 Colour, font type and size
 Moderate animation
 Avoid breaking the rythm.

7. Possibilities
 Flipchart
 Transparencies
 Powerpoint
 Posters
 Graphics
 Pictures
 Films, videos

8. The flipchart
 Advantages
- can be used in full light
- good for interactive talks to record contribution
- previously recorded info is available
 Disadvantages
– difficult to see from a distance
– turning away from audience
– technical problems

9. Techniques
 Do
– explain what you are writing loud
– maintain contact
– use large, thick letters
– use a lot of fresh pages
– have spare markers
– prepare complex drawing in advance
– prepare a poster for repeated talks

10.  Don’t
- stand in front of your writing
- turn away long from your audience
- forget to speak while you write

11. Transparencies and powerpoint
 Advantages
- allow for varied visuals
- facing the audience
- prepared in advance
 Disadvantages
- work best in dark
- adjustments needed for clear sight
- screen
- accidents
- ties you to the machine

12. Techniques
 Do
- number your OHTs and put them in a file
- first introduce your OHT
- reveal info gradually
- superimpose OHTs carefully
- vary style and colour
- turn the machine off when finished

13.  Don’t
- write too much on it – use drawings
- write in small letters (min. 20 or more)
- vary format, fonts and
background
- include fancy format
and animation

14. - talk to or from the machine
- leave on OHTs as background or blank
- compete with your visuals
- suppose your visuals will
speak instead of you
- become captive to the machine

15. Pictures, videos
 Advantages
- illustration
- dynamic
 Disadvantages
- act „instead of you”
- distributing, setting it up
takes time, breaks the rythm of talk
- visibility

16. Techniques
 Pictures
Always
- make sure it is big enough to see
- introduce it first
- leave time to hand around and see
- ask audience to listen OR look
- use it to illustrate or create associations
- use local images to illustrate general ideas

17.  Videos
- Check for a screen and equipment
- Set up the equipment ready to start
- Ask sy to operate the video for you if you
have several films
- Explain what is to come
- Tell what to watch for beforehand

18. Graphs
 Advantages
– Impression of precision
and professionalism
– Image = reality
– Easier to understand
relations, tendencies, or
compare figures

19. How to use them?
1. Introduce subject. What does it show?
2. Transition. Let’s turn to …
3. Explain source and features (axes, etc.)
4. Describe the visual (movement, etc.)
5. Comment and analyse.
6. Do not read or explain everything.
7. Use round figures and emphasize trends.

20. Practice!
 Practice
- integrating the visual
into talk
- operating equipment
- actions in
emergency

21. Number of graduates in the past 20
years
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
1989 1999 2003 2008
Number of
graduates
Dél
Észak

22. Number of graduates in the past 20
years
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
1989 1999 2003 2008
Number of
graduates
Dél
Észak

23. Number of graduates in the past 20
years
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
1989 1999 2003 2008
Number of
graduates
Dél
Észak

24. Distribution of art majors
38%
22%
17%
13%
10%
English
Hungarian
History
Sociology
Political science

25. Acceptance figures in three Hungarian
universities inthe last 20 years
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
1989 1999 2003 2007
ME
DE
ELTE

26. Classification of personal styles
Personal styles
Audial Kinesthetic Visual