Public Speaking

Purposes for Presentation Aids (^165)
IN HER SPEECHES, Edith Widder, founder of the Ocean Research &
Conservation Association, takes her listeners “on a trip to an alien world”—
not to a distant planet, but to the delicate ecosystems of the deepest oceans
where glowing animals live in “the weird, wonderful world of bioluminescence.”^1
Because words alone are “totally inadequate” to convey her ideas, she incorpo-
rates photographs, video clips, cartoons, and a live demonstration to show sea
creatures that light up when danger approaches. You can access her speech on
your online resources.
As you plan your presentation aids, keep in mind that the word aid means
to help, assist, or give support. Consequently, your visual, audio, or multime-
dia choices are not just decorative additions to your speech. Used well, they
are a powerful means of support that help your audience engage, understand,
presentation aids visual,
audio, and multimedia sup-
port that helps audiences
understand and remember
information
and remember information. Used poorly, and audiences think you either lack skill or
didn’t take the time to create and rehearse them well.^2
This chapter discusses the purpose, planning, and principles for designing and
using visual, audio, and multimedia support. Most of the chapter focuses on visual
support, but it also suggests ways to use audio and multimedia resources as well.

Purposes for Presentation Aids

Presentation aids exist for the audience, and their major purpose is to help listeners

process your information through more than one modality. By providing sensory sup-

port for those who learn best by seeing, hearing, or doing, you are adapting to audience

diversity.^3

The dual coding theory (DCT), developed by cognitive scientists, says our brains

process material through two separate but parallel and interconnected pathways or

codes—imagery and language—that we can use separately or together. That is, you

can create meanings through hearing words alone or seeing images alone, or you can

understand a concept through dual processing—hearing words while seeing images.^4

(See Figure 13.1.) Researchers have found that spoken words supported by relevant

images (such as a graph during a speech about grade inflation) makes learning easier and

creates better retention than hearing spoken words accompanied by decorative images

(such as unrelated photographs chosen simply for their attractiveness^5 ) or by text-heavy

visuals (which are hard to read while someone is speaking).^6

The right visual or audio support is essential for information that is difficult to

express in words alone.^7 Topics about artists or composers are in this category. For

instance, images of Jackson Pollock’s paintings are essential for a speech about Pollock’s

career, and clips from Hector Berlioz’s symphonies help an audience understand his

“eerie” music. In addition, many complex or technical topics require visual support.

In fact, one author says, “Much of modern science can no longer be communicated in

print.”^8 Leif’s speech about hovercraft in Chapter 11 is understandable because of his

visuals, and it’s easier to explain an ACL injury by showing a diagram of the knee joint.

Demonstrations, similarly, are best understood with visuals. How well could you explain

the process of folding a flag in words alone?

Visuals plus words can also emphasize or reinforce important concepts when the

visual is relevant to the topic, not merely decorative.^9 The mullet hairstyle, for example,

is familiar enough that a speaker could probably get by just describing it; however, draw-

ings of mullets throughout history would add to the presentation. Consider also, where

a visual might emphasize or reinforce an idea, show your speech structure, support your

concepts, or show relationships between your ideas.^10 Kelsey used a list to preview the

four aspects of advergaming she would explain.

Finally, well-placed aids can relieve the monotony of words alone

and help maintain audience attention. So look for places where atten-

tion might lag and supporting materials could draw listeners’ focus

back onto the speech. Kelsey included photographs of several adver-

games as she discussed them; later in her speech, she showed a photo-

graph of an expert she was quoting.

In summary, identify the purpose of each visual by asking: Which

learning preferences do these visuals support? Is it necessary? Is it

interesting but not essential? Is the image relevant to the words, or is

it merely decoration? Will it help maintain attention? In each instance,

make sure the intellectual content of the visual is challenging.^11

Read, highlight, and take

notes online.

dual coding theory (DCT)

theory that our brains pro-

cess material two ways:

through language and

through images

dual processing combining

words and images to create

meanings

Figure 13.1

Dual Coding Theory.

Language system

words

More left brain

Visual system

images

More right brain

Together Dual Processing

Dual Coding

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