Summary-AV Aids.pdf - PSG-FAIMER-2007

Summary of M-L Web Discussion on A-V aids- Dec 2007.
Moderators- Jyoti & Jayasudha.
The topic being a familiar one to most of us teachers, everybody had something to say!
Which resulted in a sustained audience interest and contributions/ resource sharing
throughout december. The Discussion began with the following quote.
" What you say is not Important,
How you say is " H.Muirns.
The Discussion plan was given by the moderators as follows
1st-15th Dec- Types and Principles of Audio Visual aids
16th-31st Dec- Advantages and Limitations of Audiovisual aids
and Preparing your presentations
In addition to the above plan of discussion, a survey to generate a discussion was posted.
(The Questionnaire-Appndx-1 is appended herewith)
Firstly, an article was posted by Dr Arun on Basics of A-V aids (Resource material-
Appndx-2), which highlighted on,
Tips to remember on A-V Aids:
When you are writing in Black Board, try not to talk at the same time as it is difficult for
the learners to hear. Using different colors can add emphasisand highlights the important
message.
Using OHP : Ensure that the transparencies will fit the projector, use simple
transparencies. A good rule of thumb is to use a type size of atleast 20 points.
Avoid using yellow, orange and red colors.
Using PP : Try not to get seduced by the technology, remember that it's just another
educational tool. Use simple formats. Many points are in discussion now by our faculty
and friends.
Ensure that the computer you are planning to use for PP is compatible with the
multimedia projcetor. Use advanced formats for PPP only if the teacher is well practiced
and comfortable with the medium.
AV aids has some great advantages and limitations and effective use of that media is in
hands of Teacher.
In SUBODH’s Opinion, Power Point is popular but it is being misused
he remember the words of his teacher who used to tell that in a classroom setting, the
presenter is 'the first person', the audience 'the second person'. However, many times,
when a presenter uses some AV Aids, and is not effective, the AV Aids or the
presentation becomes 'the first person' and the audience 'the second person', the presenter

ecomes 'the third person'. He felt, we should never allow this to happen. The presenter
should always be 'the first person', the audience 'the second person and the AV Aids 'the
third person'.
Another important point that his teacher used to mention is the purpose of the AV Aids is
to help the audience understand the topic and not the teacher read out from it. He found
that this is the most common mistake we do. For many the primary objective of an AV
Aids (especially, when it comes to POWERPOINT) becomes that it helps the presenter
read out from it.
The problems which he found with preparation of POWERPOINT which the presenter
should always avoid are:
1) Too much matter in each slide
2) Use of too many effects in the slides
3) Adding irrelevant cartoons or photographs
4) Illegible fonts and font size
5) Lack of uniformity between different slides
6) Jing bang designs
7) The presenter reading out from the slides
8) Assembling slides from different sources on the internet and using them wrongly
9) Not prepared with the presentation; e.g. presentation has been prepared by someone
else and the presenter does not know what to convey with each slide
Now with technological advancements we use computer generated slides, we may forget
to use Black board which is ideal for brainstorming sessions.
REEM added an attachment on Tips for Effective use of Blackboard
Simplicity
Write only the key points and not long sentences
Do not use nonstandard abbreviations
Develop the concept on the board as you teach
Use a clean board for each new concept
Legibility
Write sufficiently large letters
Use white or yellow colored chalk for writing
Use a little pressure while writing on the board
Other aspects
Avoid those areas of the board not visible to all sections of the audience, such as
the sides and the bottom
The visibility can be improved by illuminating the board with a tube light above it
Use the board systematically. Do not jump from the area to area haphazardly and
do not over write

Do not talk while writing on the board
Start your lecture with a clean board
At the end of the lecture clean the board
Move while you write
Advantages of black board over other visual aids
Readily available in most of the lecture rooms
Electricity is not necessary for its usage
Sequential development of a concept can be done effectively
Initial and recurring expenditure is minimal
Easy to use
Darkening of the room (as in powerpoint presentations) is not necessary
Disadvantages
Eye to eye contact is lost while writing
The written material cannot be stored and reused
Advance preparation of the material is not possible
Arun Jamkar
Board and Chalk
The blackboard is still a commonly used visual aid. Well-planned and well-used
blackboard work is a delight to see and is still a valuable means of
communication.
Some Useful Guidelines for Using A Blackboard
. Start a presentation with a clean board. Downward strokes of the duster are
favoured as this prevents wide spreading of chalk-dust.
. Try to avoid talking and writing at the same time. When speaking look at the
students and not at the board.
. Face the board squarely and move across the board when writing. This will
result in a good horizontal alignment.
. Stand aside after writing/drawing is completed to enable students to see the
board.
. Concise information is preferred over exhaustive information.
. Underline headings and important ideas to give visual emphasis.
. Always give students time to read the information and copy it if required.
. Use colors with discretion. Yellow and white are suitable colors for most written
work. Use red, dark green and dark blue colors sparingly as they are difficult to
see and difficult to erase.
. Erase judiciously. It is as bad to erase immediately as to leave everything till the
end. At least major headings should be left on the board till the end of the lecture.
Advantages:
Convenient to list items, draw charts & to solve problems.
Inexpensive and easy to clean.
Usable for wide range of graphic presentation

Allows one to build up an ideal step; by step
Allow the students to keep pace.
Allows more interaction with students.
Disadvantages:
Teacher's back is to the audience
Can be seen by a small group only
Careful drawings cannot be preserved
Considerable skill is required for effective use
Difficult to move from place to place.
Marina added on, in a survey among students it was found that, learning to draw
diagrams is best achieved when a teacher draws the diagram on the board. As opposed to
showing a good quality diagram on the power point. Also concept building is best done
on a black board, either using diagrams or flow chart. The student is able to follow the
concept as the teacher writes/draws sequentially on the board. Presence of a large portion
of the lecture/headings on the board also helps slow learners/dreamers to catch up with
the others during a lecture. So the blackboard is not yet out of the picture. You can get the
same benefit using a white board, with some added advantages like, you dont have to
deal with the messiness of flying chalk powder. As for having to rub out carefully written
data/diagrams, there are computerised models of white boards available, where print outs
of the written matter can be made available.
Teaching materials should be selected based on LIGHT ( Links, Intelligebility, General
style, Highlighting & Targeting).
One dictum for a good presentation is: "Be brief, be bright, be gone!" -
that is, you should know when to stop!
Supten, personally likes to use the LCD Projector connected with a Computer
having Internet connectivity. With that, even without any Powerpoint(PPT)
slides, I can actually impress upon the audience the richness of the World
Wide Web and the multifarious ways of optimally retrieving the most
pertinent and useful information pertaining to a specific query.
Nalin added the following points 10 tips on the use of Power point and Common
mistakes that occur while using PPT.(Resource Material on Effective presentations-
Appndx-3)
1. Absolute dependence on technology can at times cause serious embarrassment.
2. Art work and animation schemes CAN NOT substiute your competence and hold over
content.
3. The worst thing you can do is READ out all your slides rather than use the ppt as an
aid.
4. Use complementary colours for good contrast and check if it is visible in a big room
5. Figures and pictures should help in substituting extensive text whereever possible
6. Humor in a presentation helps to enhance student attention span.
7. Graphs and table to ve judiciously interspersed in the presentation.
8. After you are all set with your presentation:

Check the venue, view the equipment (you might have to change slide background & text
color), or even resort to 'no animation' if you are not handling the computer. Constantly
saying 'next slide please' and that too 5 to 6 times per slide to accommodate sequential
disclosure can ruin a great talk
- Locate steps, outlets & switches in the venue
- Tape loose cords, wires etc.
- Prepare handouts if necessary BUT do NOT distribute them during the talk
- Have an 'alternative' at hand in case the projection fails - OHP/other
- Be prepared for the worst…..to use chalk & borad
9. During the talk:
- Use a laser pointer (pen with OHP)
- Solicit 'feedback' on the audio
- Face the masses…..
- Dim lights, don't turn them off
- Do not 'read out' the slides
- Do not stay put at one point....avoid the sticky floor syndrome
10. Additional tips to tilt the scale in your favor:
- U se your own computer on 'unknown' territory
- have b ackups of your talk - on a pendrive/CD/even on your email
- Hard copy of presentation is a good thing to have around
- Limit use of sound, video
- Use hyperlinks if required
- For photographs use full screen images with good brightness
TOP 10 MISTAKES:
No presentation objectives
Poor visual Aids
Ineffective close
Mediocre First Impression
No preparation, voice modulation
Lack of Enthusiasm
Weak eye contact
No audience Involvement
Lack of facial expressions
Sticky floor syndrome
In a nutshell, for an effective presentation (interactive lectures, scientific presentations),
the following work well:
Make 'it'

• Big
• Simple
• Clear
• Progressive
• Consistent
Big: Anything < Arial 24 is small
This is Arial 12
This is Arial 18
This is Arial 24
This is Arial 32
This is Arial 36
This is Arial 44
How to estimate size:
A) Visualize your ppt. slide on the screen from a distance of 2 meters. If you can read the
entire text, so will the audience when it is projected.
In case you don't buy the above method..........,
B) Easy do-it-yourself preview hint:
Print page
Lay it on floor
Stand on chair
See if it's easily readable
If yes, the audience can see it when projected
Simple: Keep your presentation simple
Too m any colours - distract
Too Many Fonts, Styles and attributes - not appreciated
The 7 x 7 rule - 7 lines and not > 7 words per line (some say 6)
Margin width (a tab width is always good)
1 Concept per page
Phrases.....rather than complete long winded sentences
SPELLING, SPELLNIG, SPEELING - always careful with them
Keep the text simple:
Just these phrases would have suffice: (if you can competently expand upon the various
people, procedures & tools)

Instructional Technology: A process involving people, procedures & tools for solutions to
learning problems
(HMRS 5th ed.)
Even graphs, charts & tables are best kept simple with minimal distractions.
Text: General:
Avoid abbreviations (or expand when it first appears)
Use acronymns carefully or avoid
Careful with punctuations
Use numbers for lists with SEQUENCES
Use bullets for lists without Priority, Hierarchy or Sequence
Use contrasting colors:
Light text on dark background
Dark text on light background
Complementary colours
Allignment:
Title: Centre allign
Text: Left allign
Signature: right allign
NOTHING to be JUSTIFIED
Transition / animation:
The transition should be simple to enhance your talk rather than really dynamic to
annoy......
Consistency: Be consistent with bullets, colors on phrases for emphasis and surprise
elements to draw attention. Do not use them indiscriminately just because you have the
option of some terrific animations and sounds in your version of the software
Differences draw attention
Differences may imply importance
Use surprises to attract not distract
Supten added more points on recording voice narration
To do this procedure, you'll need a microphone.
On the Slide Show menu, click Record Narration.
A dialog box appears showing the amount of free disk space and the number
of minutes you can record. If this is the first time you are recording, do the following:
Click Set Microphone Level, and follow the directions to set your

microphone level.Do one of the following:
To insert the narration on your slides as an embedded object and to begin
recording, click OK. To insert the narration as a linked object, select the Link narrations
in check box, and then click OK to begin recording. Advance through the slide show, and
add narration as you go. At the end of the show, a message appears. To save the timings
along with the narration, click Yes. To save only the narration, click No.
A sound icon appears in the lower-right corner of each slide that has
narration.
When you run the slide show, the narration will automatically play with
the show. To run the slide show without narration, click Set Up Show on
the Slide Show menu, and then select the Show without narration check box.
Because you can't record and play sounds at the same time, while you're
recording the narration, you won't hear other sounds you inserted in your
slide show.
Ravi added :
An hour long lecture will usually take about 30 Mb of space for a file
less than 1 Mb size. Second time onwards that show can be presented with
your recorded narration anywhere else, even if you are not physically
present there!
Supten
When we are discussing audiovisual aids, "multimedia"
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia ] is a good starting point.
Multimedia (Lat. Multum + Medium) is media that uses multiple forms of
information content and information processing (e.g. text, audio,
graphics, animation, video, interactivity) to inform or entertain the
(user) audience. Multimedia also refers to the use of (but not limited to)
electronic media to store and experience multimedia content. Multimedia is
similar to traditional mixed media in fine art, but with a broader scope.
The term "rich media" is synonymous for interactive multimedia. Multimedia
means that computer info can be represented through audio, graphics,
image, video and animation in addition to traditional media (text and
graphics). Hypermedia (nonlinear - i.e., can jump from one to another
without going sequentially) can be considered one particular multimedia
application.
A few disadvantages of technology itself was contributed by Nalin.
One serious (indirect) disadvantage of technology (A-V aids) is the 'dependence' people
develop for them. I have seen and known people to have stopped midway through their

sessions in the event of power failure or computer/projector (OHP/LCD) glitch. These are
people you tend to remember forever. Severe embarrassment ensues when you go on
stage, confident of your preparation and the presentation (because you've done it before*)
and the opening slide comes on with a very glamorous title, an out of this world picture,
pryotechniques for animation, your name and position etc., dated sometime last
year*.................
Some people tend to invest more effort into artwork and animation schemes, ignoring
'content' considerably, ending up with a poor or very unsatisfactory session for the
students. They tend to discourage interaction, are unable to field simple questions and cut
a sorry figure.
At workshops and conferences, those without back up plans or presentations in differenet
versions of ppt. get stuck the minute the computer fails to read the presentation. Here,
lack of preparedness and planning is so very obvious. One MUST visit the venue (or
discuss in depth with the organizer) and ensure that the A-V aids are functioning properly
and that your presentations are compatible with the computers etc.
Finally, SUPTEN-Regarding backups for computer-based (PowerPoint or PDF or
Flash)
presentations especially for our conference presentations
1. Have it in a pen drive / flash drive / USB drive.
2. Have a second copy in a CD.
3. Have a third / fourth / fifth copy in the webmail(s) inbox(es).
4. Have it in some webspace like a Homepage or Yahoo Briefcase
5. Be prepared to present anyway even if all these options fail e.g.,
there is no power or the computer/LCD Projector suddenly goes awry.
Certain other guidelines may help in earning audience applause rather than
brickbats:-
1. Often in a Conference, a lot may have been covered on the topic by the
previous speakers. PLEASE don't repeat any of those unless you have
something extra to add.
2. A common problem in a Conference is a very bad time management by the
organizers. Be prepared for it and adjust your talk in accordance with the
revised time schedule.
3. The number of slides don't really matter as long as you are sure of the
content and how you'd like to present it. I've seen a knowledgeable
Professor make an excellent 1-hour presentation with a single slide and
another equally capable speaker present 60 odd slides for an 1-hour talk.
Neither of them bored the audience to any extent!
Please see the sites for comparison of LCD, DLP and LCOS (liquid crystal
on silicon) projectors:-
1. http://www.wedgwood-group.com/dlp_projectors.htm

2. http://www.dynamx.com/projecto.html
3. http://www.consumersearch.com/www/electronics/projectors/review.html 4.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcd_dlp.htm
5. http://www.dlp.com/projectors/vs_lcd.aspx