How can Visual Aids be supportive?      

I hope this journey of learning about visual aids was informative. We have discussed the pros and cons of the many popular visual aids out in society today. However, one last question remains of how visual aids are overly all supportive? For one, I believe they are basically tools used to help a presenter explain himself; it helps an individual to clarify the meaning behind some content information being presented. Visual Aids help create interest and attraction among the audience. They can also help an individual’s credibility, as many prefer proof of their explanations. Lastly, visual aids can be passed around in presentations among an audience, which the audience would truly appreciate. The audience would appreciate this because, props and handouts not only create attraction but also a chance to check and improve self-understanding.   

My top three among the Listed 

Above, we have discussed how visual aids were overly all supportive, but what are the top three choices among the six visual aids listed? Well, coming in number three is handouts, I chose handouts for third spot, because they are a great way of helping individuals to follow along or catch up in a presentation. Handouts are great because they provide facts, pictures and photos. My Second top choice is multimedia slides, I like multimedia slides because unlike transparencies you can be creative with your design and output. Multimedia slides provides facts, pictures, photos, and web links, more importantly people from far back in an audience could see the presentation projected on a large enough screen. However, my number one choice has to be videos; I chose videos as number one because, majority of the people in our society today have become visual learners. People in our society, increasingly watch YouTube tutorials to help fix problems. In my opinion, videos are by far the most powerful visual aid out there.

Are there any additional Visual Aids available?   

Throughout these blog entries we have discussed many of the visual aids used out there, but are there any visual aids left over which we have still not discussed yet? And if there are, what are their benefits? There is one visual aid left which we have not clarified yet; this visual aid is called audio tapes. However, audio tapes are actually referred to as an audio visual aid. Although one might be thrown off by such a name since the aid is supposed to be visual, audio tapes can be used in combination with other visual aids to help improve the learning experience. The pros of audio tapes are that they are effective for specialist type roles, and they also require reasonable broadcast equipment (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.11). The cons for audio tapes are that they might require specialist type recording skills and they it could really consume time making the recording (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.11).                                .

REFERENCES

1.      Get Ahead. (2000-2005). Advantages and disadvantages of visual aids. Retrieved from http://www.getahead.uk.com/gwpr07-advantages-of-visual-aids.htm 

What Are Props?         

We will now be discussing our last two visual aids; we will go into detail and explain how props are beneficial. Props are used almost everywhere you would find students, teachers and professionals use them typically in presentations. Props are basically physical objects, which are used to help a presenter explain themselves to their audience. There are many physical objects which you can potentially use as a prop; there are no restrictions or limits to what you can use. Since props are physical objects, they can come in various different sizes and shapes. Aside from this, props can also be used for onstage performances, but we will be discussing their use for presentations. Below I will go into detail about the pros and cons of using this particular visual aid.     

Props Pros     

 We now know what props are, but what makes props so great? How are props beneficial to the presenter? Well for one, it realistically helps and supports the explanation of message content (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). It also increases the participation among people in the audience (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). But how does it support the explanation of message content? Well, it improves the clarity when you physically show something, that way you wouldn’t have to explain so much to the audience (Dugdale, 2006-13, para.7). However, using props also improves the credibility of your presentation, because you are now showing proof which supports your explanation (Dugdale, 2006-13, para.8). As we can see props can really make a dramatic improvement of a person’s presentation.

Props Cons  

So we now generally have a clear idea of how helpful props can be, but what are the bad sides to it? Do the cons of this visual aid outweigh the pros? This is something which we would need to discuss. To begin with, props can lead to extra work and expense in transporting and replacing worn out objects (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). So either replacing or repairing props should be taken seriously, because it would look terrible to bring in a damaged prop. Secondly, props are limited in use when dealing with larger audiences (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Although, these negative attributes may seem discouraging, we must keep in mind things could have been worse. In other words, the positive qualities of props outweigh the cons.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think using props as a visual aid is very helpful, because sometimes it can become extremely difficult to explain certain things. I personally would recommend this visual aid to anyone who is doing a presentation or even performing on stage. However, as explained in the paragraph above, we would need to take initiative to either purchase or repair our props. So in the end, it becomes a choice for all individuals as to whether it is worth purchasing or not.   

                       REFERENCES

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

2.      Dugdale, S. (2006-13). How to use props (visual aids) in a speech. Retrieved from http://www.write-out-loud.com/howtouseprops.html

     

What are Videos?            

So far we have taken the time to discuss several different types of visual aids. But how do videos get involved? How do they help grasp the audience’s attention? Well to start, let us first explain what a video basically is. A video is nothing more than a visual recording of our physical world that gets taped and filmed. Videos help a great deal in terms of learning. They are helpful because a majority of people these days are visual learners, and they prefer to see things being demonstrated. For example, there are many YouTube tutorials which people visit online at their own convenience; these YouTube tutorials cover various different courses and subjects. Below, I will discuss the pros and cons of using videos as a visual aid. 

 Video Pros      

Above, we have clearly explained what a video is. But what specific qualities of a video make it so great? In our last paragraph, it is explained that videos help a great deal to encourage people to learn since they are visual learners; this could be considered as a pro. Videos also are awesome at giving an accurate representation of content (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Making videos require a strong indication of forethought and preparation (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). There is not that much to say about videos except that they can potentially create a high impact among viewers in the audience (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.12). Aside from this, everybody can make them because in general common broadcast equipment is used (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.12). Below, I will go into detail about the cons of this visual aid. 

Video Cons

Above, we had the opportunity to learn about all the good traits of using a video. But what exactly are the cons of choosing video? Are they even that bad that we should reconsider? Well, in order to figure this out, we must first look at the negative attributes. For one, if an individual chooses to use video it creates potential for compatibility issues, relating to computer video formats (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). These videos can be fairly expensive to create, and also to update (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). For creating and using videos a person might need specialist productions skills, Aside from this, videos can also be very time consuming (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.12). Lastly, an individual’s video may or may not be able to compete with other presenters (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.12).                       .

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would personally recommend this visual aid to anyone, as it can do various wonders. However, using videos to present information can also take quite a bit of work to make it possible. If I was to rate this visual aid with five stars being the highest, I would give it a four out of five stars. So as an end result using videos can be either good or bad with equal potential, it basically all depends how much time and effort is placed into making the video look great.   

                                               REFERENCES

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

2.      Get Ahead. (2000-2005). Advantages and disadvantages of visual aids. Retrieved from http://www.getahead.uk.com/gwpr07-advantages-of-visual-aids.htm 

What are Flip Charts and White Boards?    

Flip charts and white boards are two different visual aids, which have been used to present information. Flip charts and white boards help the presenter to emphasize and clarify their main points. Therefore, we can design our charts and boards in any creative way we wish. Flip charts and white boards can potentially be used almost anywhere; whether it’s at school, business meetings or even entrepreneurial program sessions, you can use these two visual aids to clarify your information. Both flip charts and white boards are large enough for classmates to be able to see various different fonts regardless of size and colour, and incorporate all sorts of photos, images and pictures. Below, I will discuss the pros and cons of using flip charts and white boards.

Flip Charts and White Boards Pros

There are many positive attributes that flip charts and white boards have, but these attributes could also backfire if they are not properly constructed and started on time. For example, suppose if we decided to wait until last minute to draw, design, and colour a diagram, not only would it look terrible but it would also be hard to see clearly and understand. Taking the initiative to prepare ahead of time will be extremely crucial, especially if you are incorporating other visual aids as well. Flip charts and white boards can be seen as a low-cost choice available at most sites (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). They are also very easy to make and adjust on the spot (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Aside from this, we can also take down comments from the listeners and use additional high-tech visuals in the same presentation (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Below I will discuss the cons of these two particular visual aids.

Flip Charts and White Boards Cons  

Above, we have had a discussion about the positive elements that flip charts and white boards have to offer. But what exactly are the negative elements? And how can these negative elements potentially downgrade a person’s presentation? Well for one, it is required that you have some level of skill for working with graphics, so you would be able to design your board or chart well (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Secondly, as big as flip charts and white boards are, they do not do justice if you have a large audience (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). For example, suppose you are having a session going on in a large lecture room or even a banquet hall, it will be hard for people sitting at the back to be able to see. Another issue is the fact that flip charts easily become worn out with constant usage (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Besides these reasons, flip charts in particular are difficult to transport around (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496).                 

Conclusion     

In conclusion, I believe this is a fantastic visual aid for anyone presenting within small class rooms or halls. However, I would not agree if it was used in a big lecture room or banquet hall setting because people at the back would not be able to see or hear correctly. These visual aids also require much creativity and skills in order to be able to create something amazing.

REFERENCES

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

2.      Get Ahead. (2000-2005). Advantages and disadvantages of visual aids. Retrieved from http://www.getahead.uk.com/gwpr07-advantages-of-visual-aids.htm 

What are Handouts?                                     

Handouts are basically sheets of paper with information on it; this information would be on the topic which the speaker would be explaining to the class. Handouts can look very appealing at times and sometimes not, this entirely would depend on the speaker or who has created the handouts itself. These handouts can incorporate images, photos and pictures which would blend in and help emphasize the certain information being explained. Therefore, it would be important that an individual would take their time to format and rearrange anything if necessary. Handouts are intentionally created so hopefully the audience will be able to catch up and understand information which was not clarified. Though a majority of the time handouts would normally appear as a white sheet of paper, there is no colour restriction to how the handout may look. Handouts can be potentially designed and formatted in any way possible. Creativity would be a good skill needed in order to do this. Below I will go into detail about the pros and cons of this certain visual aid.  

 

Handouts Pros                         

We will now be discussing all of the pros that this certain visual aid has to provide. Well to begin with, do we even need handouts? And if yes, what makes them so great? These are common questions that can tend to unfold in a person’s mind, so what makes this visual aid so popular? For one, handouts have a tendency to create audience participation, and they also are very easy to maintain and update (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Handouts can also enhance remembrance since the audience is using the handouts as reference material (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Creating handouts are also very inexpensive to make, and can very easily depict lots of information (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.5). Below, I will go into detail about the cons of using handouts.

Handouts Cons                

Above, we have covered all of the pros of handouts and what their benefits are when used. So now we know the pros but what are the cons? What are the problems that come across using handouts? Well for one, there is an increased risk of the speaker’s material being copied; another problem among handouts is that it can be difficult to transport (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Aside these issues, handouts can also create the chance where the speakers might lose the audience’s attention (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Therefore, we must keep in mind, although it helps to provide information it does not guarantee that the speaker would not lose the audience’s attention. Besides these issues, there is also a chance that they make very little impact, and maybe even seen as a distraction rather than as a helpful reference (Get Ahead, 2000-2005, para.5).

Conclusion

In conclusion, I personally believe that this visual aid is a great choice for students. Though I believe that it is a great option, this does not determine it is a right choice for everyone. I feel that in this situation we should consider the audience’s point of view. For example, suppose you are a professor and you have a small class of fifteen students, you would want to figure out if the students in your class find handouts helpful when listening to a presentation. At the end of the day this may or may not help, as there is no perfect 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.  Mayank, J. (1999-2013). How to Make a Handout for School. Retrieved from      http://www.ehow.com/how_8302821_make-handout-school.html

3. Get Ahead. (2000-2005). Advantages and disadvantages of visual aids. Retrieved from http://www.getahead.uk.com/gwpr07-advantages-of-visual-aids.htm  

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   

 

                                     

 

Multimedia Slides Pros   

Using multimedia slides can be a great option for those who would be interested in making a presentation that appears creative and great looking. I say this because you have a wide range of different types of font styles, colors and art graphics (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). You can also add pictures, change transitions, change background themes, add videos and much more. Multimedia slides have also been great in terms of transporting the actual slides themselves from one place to another. You are able to transport multimedia slides in several different ways. You have the option of sending your multimedia slides through Hotmail, or you can transport your slides over through a USB stick, and you could even transport your slides using an external hard drive device (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Below are some pictures of PowerPoint. However, with pros, cons come, which will be discussed below.    

                    

Multimedia Slides Cons   

Multimedia slides have shown to be a worthy competitor in comparison to other visual aids out there. However, everything has its pros and cons, and a problem that multimedia slides face is compatibility issues. Carousal projectors are pieces of equipment that were used to present information back in the days. However, carousal projectors were very limited with their capabilities of fixing and changing slides. Another issue is the cost of these projectors and the equipment with it, which needs to be taken into consideration for those who might have a tight budget. We also need to consider that, if we do choose to use a projector, we need to practice for smooth delivery on our slides (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). The final problem with projectors is that you would be tempted to add razzle – dazzle features that might not even help at the end of the day (Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P., 2011, p.496). Razzle – dazzle are touch ups that help make your multimedia slides stand out.

Conclusion 

I personally feel this visual aid is a great choice; it gets the job done if used correctly. However, we do have to keep in mind that having the knowledge and skills are necessary in order to be able to use this software or equipment efficiently. My best recommendation would be to use a website called Lynda for help. It’s a website which provides essential training videos taught by experts. The website URL, which is www.Lynda.com can be accessed for free through the Sheridan website. In my opinion the pros for this visual aid definitely out weight the cons. For a quick look on the pros and cons you can look into our class text book, Business Communication process and product on page 496 Figure 14.3 titled Pros and Cons of Visual Aid Options.   

REFERENCES

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

2.      Tomlinson, S. M. (1998-2013). Kodak Carousel Projector History. http://www.ehow.com/about_5047801_kodak-carousel-projector-history.html

3.      Kodak 4400 Carousel slide Projector. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.porterelectronics.com/servlet/the-220/4400-BC4401-CAROUSEL-KODAK/Detail

4.      Slide Dog a Presenter’s best friend. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://slidedog.com/