skip to: page content | links on this page | site navigation | footer (site information)

Oral Presentations

ACU National | Library | eLearning

Audio-Visual Aids

small logo

You Live in a Visual Age

It's important to remember that your peers live in a highly visual age. If you want to capture their attention and make them sit up an listen to what you say, you must support your presentation with appropriate audio-visual material. Be as creative as possible on this front. Your presentation can be enhanced by the use of PowerPoint but this does not need to be your only source of visual interest. You can also use selections of video, music, photos, diagrams, posters, demonstrations, etc. Visual aids are extremely important because they help to keep the speaker on track, they help to generate interest, and most importantly, they make an impression on your audience members and help them to remember the main points of your argument. There is a general perception that people who use presentation software or other visual aids are more prepared than those who do not. This in turn means that your work will be more persuassive and more interesting to your audience.

 

PowerPoint

PowerPoint can be an amazing aid in your oral presentations if you use if effectively. Unfortunately, this is extremely difficult to do. One of the biggest complaints from lecturers is students' use (or more accurately, misuse) of PowerPoint. Be particularly careful with your PowerPoint slides. Some of the tips below will help you to use PowerPoint more effectively.

DO NOT put your script on PowerPoint. Be aware of the power of visual text. Your audience will be too busy reading your slides to pay attention to what you have to say.
You should use “dot points” on your slides, unless your lecturer has specifically stated otherwise. This process of preparing your slides should also help you distil your presentation into key points.
Try to synthesise your ideas so that you can talk to your key points. They can act as an anchor in your audience members' minds. It is never a good idea to read the points on your slide word for word.
PowerPoint is at its most valuable to students when graphics are required.
It is often too easy to 'cut and paste' your information from a preexisting electronic document. You are actually required to understand and analyse the material that you have collected. It is also expected that you will make some conclusions of your own. But, most importantly, the material should be put into your own words. Plagiarism is just as big an enemy in an oral presentation as it is in a research paper.
Make sure you spell check and carefully proof read your slides. There is nothing worse than everyone in the room knowing that you cannot spell key terms and names correctly.
Try to reserve one major idea for each slide.
As a general rule of thumb, you could strive for one good slide per minute. Realistically, you will need at least a full minute to develop an idea properly. People need time to absorb your ideas or to reflect on graphics that you present to them. Do not race through your slides too quickly.
Be aware of your surroundings. Lecture rooms very rarely have the capacity to be fully darkened. This means that for your slides to be read, you should have clear contrasts in your text so that your writing may be read under any light conditions.
If you get a chance, do a test run of your slides on the computer that you will be using on the day. Make sure you can read everything from the back of the room.
PowerPoint design is important, but it should not be considered to be the most important aspect of a presentation. [Flashy PowerPoint slides will not make up for a lack of genuine content and deep thought]. Some of the biggest design mistakes that students make include choosing colours that are difficult to read (see Example 1), choosing unusual fonts that make the presentation look unprofessional (see Example 1), and choosing inappropriate font sizes that are too hard for the audience to read (see Example 2).
Don't be seduced by the dark side of PowerPoint. If you spend too much time adding features such as animation, unrelated sound effects, clip art, and flying letters, you may end up making your presentation appear frivolous and, in turn, ruining the effectiveness of your presentation.
Don't use PowerPoint for the sake of using PowerPoing. Make it work for you.
Be wary of using templates to start you off. You may unwittingly create a presentation which does not allow for deep or complex thinking. You need to make the design and layout of your slides suitable to the depth of analysis that you are attempting to portray.
Don't leave images or text up on the screen for longer than is absolutely necessary otherwise your audience will be distracted from the other important points that you are making. A worthwhile PowerPoint trick is to press the B key to make the screen go black or press the W key to make it turn white. In this way you control when the audience is to look at the screen and when they must look at you.

 

 

Example 1: Design Problems for PowerPoint Slides

Font Colour

 

Example 2: Font Problems for PowerPoint Slides

Font Size

 

 

VideoCheck the room that you are using to make sure that the appropriate equipment is available. If you are in a room with a DVD player rather than a VHS player it will be detrimental to your presentation if you turn up with your material on tape. Try to select short passages of video which do not require a huge amount of prefatory explanation. Use the material to support the argument that you are trying to make. It would be good to familiarise yourself with the equipment prior to your presentation. You may find that the technical limitations of your equipment will limit the choices that you can make for your presentation. For example, if you are playing the DVD through a computer you will need to make sure that there are speakers attached and that you know how to turn them on.

PhotosTry to move beyond clip art. These very generic images cannot really be used to create a significant impact in your tertiary level oral presentation. They often have a negative impact on your overall presentation because they make you look unimaginative. It would be better to use your own digital images if you are looking to show examples in a presentation. Often presentations can benefit from photographs illustrating the key points rather than words describing them. Be mindful of copyright laws if you are taking photographic images from the web. You may be able to use some images in your presentation for educational purposes within the classroom but you need to be aware that this would be a serious infringement of copyright if you continue with the practice in the workplace.

There are a number of ways that you can use photographs and other graphics to enhance your presentation. You can include them individually on a particular PowerPoint slide to add meaning or credibility to your argument or you may like to include a full slide show of images to highlight the major theme of your overall presentation. There are a number of ways that you can include photographs in your presentation depending on the resources available in your room. You could create:

  • a slide show using PowerPoint;
  • a website that has links to the images that you need;
  • a slide show using a traditional carousel;
  • hard copies of the photographs to hand around to the class; or
  • overhead transparencies for use on an overhead projector.

 

Clearly moving into the digital realm will give a much more up-to-date feel to your presentation. However, sometimes you need to have a back up plan if the resources are unavailable to you.

Be aware of the significance of the juxtapositioning of images. You can use pictures to powerfully represent your argument.

MusicSometimes it may be useful to play music as an accompaniment to your oral presentation. For example, you may be talking about the social conditions in Australia during the Vietnam War, and you might choose to play some activist music from the period. If you do choose to include music, do so wisely. Don't just add it for its own sake. Make it useful and meaningful. Be mindful of the length of time that you spend playing music. Be totally prepared for the moment when you will press PLAY. Know exactly where you need to start from and time the piece of music so that you have an exact finish time.

You may find that photographic displays are enhanced by a judicious choice of musical accompaniment.

DiagramsGraphs and other diagrams often help you to clearly present complex data in a simplified form. Some disciplines require you to create concept maps and it might be useful to show these to your audience to help support your case.

PostersWhen PowerPoint is unavailable, there are more old-fashioned means of providing visual stimuli for your audience. Creating a poster or other display board can be a useful alternative.

DemonstrationsYou can often emphasise a point by asking your audience to actively participate in your presentation. There may be some activity that you could ask your audience to be involved in. You could bring in the required resources and ask your audience to watch your demonstration and to copy what you do. This can be applied to a wide range topics.

© 2007 Australian Catholic University