Visual Aids: An overview

2. Visual Aids: An overview Gilberto Berríos Departamento de Idiomas Universidad Simón Bolívar October 15, 2002

3. Our Purpose • To present a summary of Barry Mitsch’s article on visual aids

4. Preparing Visual Aids Use Barry F. Mitsch’s four criteria: Is a visual aid necessary? Make it clear A visual must be visible Keep it simple From “Use visual aids wisely”. Hydrocarbon Processing. March 1991.

5. Preparing Visual Aids: Necessity A visual aid is necessary if it: • Shows something of importance • Helps audience (not speaker) • Is seen as necessary at end of preparation (after organizing materials)

6. Preparing Visual Aids: Clarity A visual aid is clear if it: • Is explicit • Achieves a purpose • Creates no doubt • Is expressed in the right medium • Uses keywords

7. Preparing Visual Aids: Visibility A visual aid is visible if it: • Is appropriate to room/audience size • Is shown in appropriate equipment • The equipment is appropriately placed

8. Preparing Visual Aids: Simplicity • Pictures, rather than words • Words only? • 5 words per line • 5 lines per slide • Color 5 by 5

9. In summary, visual aids must be: • necessary • clear • visible • simple

10. The End