Chapter 11 Presentation Aids
Chapter Objectives
Understand the three reasons why speakers use presentation aids.
Describe four kinds of presentation aids.
Describe four tips for preparing aids.
List examples of the most commonly used presentation software.
Explain why presentation software is controversial.
Define the four basic components of a slide.
Lecture Outline
I. Enhancing Your Speech Using Presentation Aids
A. Learning Objectives
1. Understand the three reasons why speakers use presentation aids.
2. Describe four kinds of presentation aids.
B. Presentation aids help your audience think more clearly and assist them in grasping
complex or abstract ideas.
1. The more modes of sensory engagement you stimulate, the better people will be
able to engage, understand, and retain information.
2. When you use visual or audio aids, audiences usually feel more engaged and tend
to believe that they are getting more information.
3. Visual aids are especially helpful for presenting abstract information like
statistics, which are harder for the mind to grasp without representation.
4. Presentation aids should be used and crafted in ways that affirm, support, or
corroborate what you’re saying.
C. Varieties of Presentation Aids
1. Props
a)
A prop is any physical object—living or inorganic—that helps you
illustrate a main point of your speech, a “thing” that you show your audience.
b)
When using a prop as a presentation aid, make sure it is appropriate for
the speech and that the audience will be able to see or hear it.
2. Pictures
a)
In public speaking, the most common types of pictures include photos,
illustrations, diagrams, and maps.
b)
Pictures should help to explain, depict, or otherwise clarify whatever it is
you are trying to communicate to the audience.
3. Data and statistical information
a)
Research often depends on information that reflects size or magnitude
trends over time, organization and structure, or processes.
b)
Visual representations of numerical data are beneficial when the point of
showing the data is to compare and contrast different groups or classes of things.
(1) Flowcharts detail a process.
(2) Pie charts visually display distributions or percentages as part of
a circle.
(3) Organizational charts almost always show a hierarchical
arrangement of people or groups of people.
4. Multimedia: Sound and the moving image
a)
The most common form of audio and video aids is digital.
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b)
Often audio and video components are incorporated into slide
presentations using a software program like Apple’s Keynote or Microsoft’s
PowerPoint.
II. Preparation and Presentation Guidelines
A. Learning Objective
1. Describe four tips for preparing aids.
B. Tips for Preparing Your Presentation Aids
1. The most important guideline to observe when preparing a presentation aid is that
the aid should assist you and not be the main focus of your speech.
2. When developing presentation aids, it’s a good idea to know in advance what
kind of space you are speaking in and how large the audience will be.
3. Clarity and Simplicity
a)
Putting too much information on a poster or a slide can end up
distracting the audience from what you are saying.
b) Keep in mind that the audience is already receiving a lot of information
from the speech itself, so your aids should be limited to only the larger points you
want to reinforce or illustrate.
4. Bigger Is Better
a) It is important to make sure that your audience can easily see what you
are presenting.
b)
If you will be using electronic equipment or a computer, see if you can
test these out before you speak to make sure your audience will be able to see and
hear both you and your aids.
5. Keep Text Easy to Read
a)
Make sure that your letters are printed, straight, and sufficiently large to
be read easily by the audience member who is the farthest away from you.
b)
If you are using software to make a poster or slides, make sure your font
is easy to read and appropriate for your speech.
c)
Observe three basic guidelines with fonts:
(1) Stick with a less playful, more straightforward font, which
allows you to use your voice and gestures to communicate the tone and
feeling that you want.
(2) Select a font that is more consistent with the tone and mood of
your message.
(3) Use only one font, or a limited number of fonts, to tie your aid
together.
6. Tips for Using Color
a)
Using bold colors in visual aids, or a variety of colors, is exciting to the
eye and visually stimulating; however, too much can be tough to interpret.
b)
Color vision deficiency (CVD) is the inability to see certain colors or to
distinguish particular colors, most frequently the colors red and green.
C. Tips for Presenting Your Aids
1. Watch Your Back
a)
Speakers should avoid turning their back to their audience during
presentations.
b)
Practice using your presentation aids, making sure to look at them only
briefly (just to check that the audience can see or hear them).
2. Watch Your Audience
a)
Avoid reading the content of an aid to the audience.
b)
Only use a particular aid when it is relevant to your discussion. When the
aid is no longer helpful, remove it or hide it from view.
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3. Timing
a)
Practicing with your aids before your speech will help you determine
how much time you need to spend referencing them.
b)
Care should be taken to not spend too much time showing or playing
your aids to your audience, but you also want to make sure your audience has
time to engage with them as well.
4. Beware (of) the Handout!
a)
If you must distribute something for the audience to handle, such as a
prop (e.g., a product or sample), a brochure, or an information sheet, it is usually
a good idea to wait until the end of your speech to do so.
III. Presentation Software: Slides, Slides, Slides!
A. Learning Objectives
1. List examples of the most commonly used presentation software.
2. Explain why presentation software is controversial.
3. Define the four basic components of a slide.
B. Although many speakers use and enjoy slides, others deliberately avoid them because
they believe they are overused—or even abused.
C. The Great PowerPoint Debate
1. Visual-aid expert Edward Tufte claims that PowerPoint encourages speakers to
distort their data in order to make it fit into preformatted slide constraints.
2. Some top U.S. military leaders believe PowerPoint is overused in military
briefings, referring to “serious concerns that the program stifles discussion, critical
thinking, and thoughtful decision-making.”
3. Engineer and consultant Jean-luc Doumont defends slide software as an effective
presentation tool for most public speakers, especially when the purpose is to inform or
persuade without the kind of detailed, technical data necessary for written reports.
4. Communication scholar Dale Cyphert has also argued that, like it or not, the
“fluent use of presentation software is now expected by audiences raised in a media era.”
5. The Text
a)
There are two basic kinds of text in slides: the title text, or heading, and
the main text or content, often presented as bullet points.
b)
Make sure the text is large enough to read, and use fonts that are
straightforward and that communicate the appropriate tone.
c) Choose a slide-show template that includes colors that are appropriate
for your speaking situation and topic.
6. The Object
a)
An object is typically any non-text element in your slide, most frequently
a picture, chart, or graph.
b)
Care should be taken not to use objects that are copyrighted or that
violate public use laws.
c)
Apple’s Keynote program was designed specifically to handle
multimedia objects such as video and sound, while competing software has been
noted to crash or be uncooperative with the use of multimedia components.
7. The Transition
a)
Special care should be taken to use only those transitions that are
available to you in the software program that you will be using in your public
speaking situation.
b)
If you will be able to use your own laptop or tablet to display your slide
show, you can be reasonably sure that what you create at home will translate to
your speaking setting.
D. Speaking While Using Slides: Practice, Pacing, and Performance
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1. Use Visual Cues in Your Speech Notes
a)
You shouldn’t read your slides to your audience, as this would require
you to stop looking at your audience and ignore them.
b)
Make sure the content of your slides is included in your speaking notes
so that you will not be tempted to look at your slides.
c)
If you are speaking from an outline or note cards, you might decide to
put visual cues in your speech notes to indicate to yourself when to advance your
slides.
2. Time Yourself While Using Your Slides
a)
If available, use practice mode to figure out how long you are displaying
a slide in relation to how long it takes you to discuss its content in your speech.
b)
The key to a good slide presentation is establishing the right rhythm.
3. Use Blank Slides to Help You Pace
a)
If a slide is up before or too long after a speaker covers the material it
was designed to address, the audience may get distracted.
b)
If you are speaking about a topic that is supported with a slide, and then
move to a topic for which you do not need a slide, simply advance to a blank
slide.
4. Be Ready for Equipment Failure
a)
Audiences are often impressed as much by how you handle failure as
how you handle success.
b)
In the event of software or equipment failure, develop a backup plan:
(1) If your speech requires references to important technical
information, you can distribute handouts of your slides.
(2) Create alternative versions of your slide program and have them
available to use just in case.
(3) Create a PDF version of your slides and have them available as
a last resort.
(4) If all else fails—you have no handouts and you cannot display
anything on a screen—you can simply describe the necessary content on
the slides you would have used to your audience.
Key Terms
Prop: any physical object that helps you illustrate a point in your speech.
Color vision deficiency: an inability to see certain colors or to distinguish particularly colors.
Presentation software: programs that allow speakers to present visuals.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 11: Presentation Aids focuses on the purpose and use of visual aids to effectively supplement a
presentation. In particular, this chapter stresses how aids can help audiences more easily grasp the speech
content.
This chapter categorizes presentation aids into four main types: props, pictures, data and statistical
information, and multimedia. Each type is defined and explained. Additionally, tips and best practices for
both preparing and presenting visual aids are presented.
The chapter then focuses on presentation software. The four parts of a slide are defined, and differing
views on the effectiveness of presentation software, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, are included. Finally,
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this chapter provides recommendations for effectively incorporating aids in a speech. Examples shared
include using visual cues in your speech notes, practicing before presenting, timing yourself to help with
pacing, and having a backup in case of technical difficulties.
Discussion Questions
1. The “Great PowerPoint Debate” refers to the disagreement about the usefulness of slideware. On the
one hand, slideware stifles discussion and critical thinking. On the other, audiences expect slides because
we live in a media-centric era. What is your position in this debate? Defend your answer with ideas from
Chapter 11 and provide examples to illustrate.
A: In addition to expressing their general opinions, students should walk through both sides of
2. How do you know when your presentation aids have crossed the line from corroborating material to
primary material? What are the dangers of using presentation aids as primary material?
A: To some degree, the standard “contextual reasoning” or “it depends” applies. Generally,
when a speech cannot stand on its own without the presentation aids, then the aids have
3. The chapter explains how presentation aids help or distract from a speech. Building on this idea, how
can presentation aids enhance and reduce a speaker’s character or ethos? Support your answer by
referring to ideas from the chapter or previous discussions of ethos and illustrate with examples.
A: Ethos (Chapter 2) includes practical wisdom, expertise, and goodwill, which are the
components of character. Polished presentation aids demonstrate goodwill and respect for the
4. Imagine you are about to deliver a speech. You are prepared, your slides are in order, and you are
confident about your presentation. When you arrive, you realize you left your flash drive at home. What
strategies would you use to handle this situation? Support your answer with ideas and examples from the
chapter or personal experiences.
A: As with the chapter’s example of broken equipment, “translating” the slides into verbal
descriptions is the best strategy. If the slides corroborate the message, the speech should stand on
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its own with little trouble. Bringing handouts for key data, quotes, and information is a good
practice; and the speaker could mention that additional information is listed on handouts
available after the speech. As the chapter states, be prepared for equipment failures. Keep
current backups of slides on flash drives, for example. Handling failures with grace can impress
audiences.
Activities for in-class work or homework:
1. Example slide evaluation
In this activity, students evaluate an example of presentation slides using course criteria. If any
assignments have specific criteria for slides, review them with students before the activity to allow
students to align the activity with the upcoming assessment. If guidelines are specified on a rubric, using
the rubric for the activity can make the guidelines concrete.
The activity should include at least two slides: one for statistical information and one for nonstatistical
information (testimony, example).
If no slides are available from previous semesters, examples can be found in the “Death by PowerPoint”
collection on Flickr.
This activity can be modified to many delivery formats and activity structures depending on class time,
format, composition, and chemistry.
Prompt:
How well do you think these slides fulfill class criteria for good presentation slides? What do you
think the speaker can do to improve the slides? Support your answer with ideas from the chapter
2. Design a slide
Students should use class guidelines to design presentation slides. As in Question 1, students should
create at least one statistical or numerical slide and one non-numerical slide.
In a flipped class, students should have an opportunity to revise slides either by writing on printed
versions or editing digital copies. Students can work on revisions in groups or independently.
3. Rehearse > Deliver slides.
Students can rehearse and deliver slides following the Construct > Rehearse > Deliver approach
(explained in the introductory unit) or some other approach. With an instructor-generated slide deck,
instructors can emphasize impromptu speaking and delivery skills. With student-created slides from
Question 2, instructors can emphasize delivery and presentation aids as corroborating material.
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5. Discuss the ethics of visual rhetoric.
Extend the lesson about “the great PowerPoint debate” by discussing “poverty porn.” Tufte’s argument
about PowerPoint focuses on critical thinking about data. But, as Chapter 11 says, presentation aids also
excite and engage audiences.
Discussion/writing prompts:
1. Speakers must have an ethical relationship with their audience, but according to Folsom, they
must also have an ethical relationship with the people they represent. How does Folsom describe
this relationship?
2. Based on Folsom’s recommendations, what can students do in their speeches to represent their
subjects ethically?
For this speech, pretend that you have just accepted a new role at the university. Your boss has asked you
to give a speech to introduce yourself to your new colleagues (your classmates).
Select one of the positions from the list below and prepare a 3- to 5-minute speech that addresses the
following:
What your new role is
Your relevant background for taking on this role
What you plan to achieve in this role
Note: You can make up the requirements for the position.
2. Historical Figure, Athlete, or Celebrity Biography
This assignment helps build confidence in using multiple types of visual aids during presentations. If time
3. Team Product Presentation
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