What are Transparencies?

Transparencies are a type of visual aid, which can be purchased as either clear or translucent sheets (Farrelly, L. (1999-2013), 1^st. paragraph). Transparencies are used to show images and photographs, which are printed right on the sheet (Farrelly, L. (1999-2013), 1^th. paragraph). Transparencies are placed on top of an overhead projector, which then displays an image right on a wall or a surface (Farrelly, L. (1999-2013), 1^th. paragraph). A lot of class rooms within elementary and high schools use transparencies a majority of the time, unlike colleges and universities which use better equipment. Transparencies come in various different colours, besides being nice and sturdy. In the following two paragraphs, I will go into further detail about the pros and cons of this particular visual aid. What really makes this visual aid different from its competitors? Does it meet the needs and expectations for both students and teachers?

Transparencies Pros  

Some of the pros of transparencies are that they can potentially give a professional look without much effort, so basically they are very easy to fix up, change and update (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). You can also easily find reliable equipment, and limit information shown at one time (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Transparencies come in various different colours, besides the typical clear and translucent sheets. They are also easily transportable since they are super thin and lightweight (Farrelly, L. (1999-2013), 3^rd. paragraph). Transparencies can have photos or images printed on them either by professionals or individually at home on a PC (Farrelly, L. (1999-2013), 3^rd. paragraph); whether you made use of your transparency sheets or not, many transparency manufacturers provide consumers with a method to send in their old, unused, or damaged transparencies for recycling (Farrelly, L. (1999-2013), 4^th. paragraph). The information above explains a lot about transparencies, and how they can be beneficial for students and teachers. Below we will discuss the cons of the transparencies and how they are a problem to society.

Transparencies Cons

Though there are a lot of good things about transparencies which we should consider, there are yet a few bad things which we should discuss. To begin with, a lot of people find this particular visual aid to be old and outdated; it just does not seem like a popular tool for today’s people (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Another problem with transparencies is the fact that the speaker cannot move from the overhead projector (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Earlier I had mentioned that transparencies could have photos or images printed on them, but the quality of these photos and images can come out looking very poor (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). We would also need to consider the fact that not all high schools, colleges and universities would have enough overhead projectors. Another concern is the amount of money spent towards the light bulbs for the projectors, besides the cost of the projector itself (eHow money, (1999-2013),3^rd. paragraph). We also need to keep in mind that overhead projectors are not very portable; for today’s generation I think students would rather have a Power Point made and downloaded on their USB stick, rather than moving around an overhead projector just so they can use their transparencies. The transparencies might be portable but the overhead projector obviously is not. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I personally would not purchase this visual aid because of the fact that it is outdated.  Another fact about this visual aid which I do not like is the poor photo and image quality that we potentially can have. Overall, I feel this method worked well in the past decades before technology advances were made. However, for today’s technology advances and fast lifestyle, I personally would not approve of this method of presenting information.   

REFERENCES

1.      Guffey, M.E, Rhodes, K. & Rogin, P. (2011). Business Communication. 1120 Birchmount Road, Toronto, Ontario, M1K 5G4: Nelson Education.      

2.      eHow Money. (1999-2013). How to Buy an Overhead Projector for a Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_2065584_buy-overhead-projector-classroom.html

3.      Farrelly, L. (1999-2013). What Are Transparencies Made Of?. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5379436_transparencies-made.html