CHAPTER 5

COMMUNICATION
aids and
strategies using
tools of
technology
OBJECTIVES
- Can adopt cultural and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in
communication of ideas
- Identify the major types of communication aids
- Determine the function of communication aids
- Learn to make careful choices and executing different communication
aids effectively

Page 1
 DISCUSSION

Putting communication at the top of your mind and how you communicate in given context
can be informative and have many positive effects. Whenever you work in groups, you are able to
apply what you learned about group communication to improve your performance and overall
experience. You also notice that there is a need to adapt to certain requirements that foster timely
presentation or communication with your audience. The 21 st century is the time when we need to
develop multimodal literacy knowledge and skills.

Today, an effective communicator must be knowledgeable and skillful in designing and

communicating meaning through such rich and potentially complex text. Multimodal text requires new
set of skills to enable communicator to make informed choices within and across the available
communication modes to construct meaning effectively. Creating, developing, and producing
spoken, written or multimodal text in print or digital forms.

Multimodal is defined in Australia Curriculum as the strategic use of two or more

communication modes to make meaning (image, gesture, music, spoken and written language).

MAJOR TYPES OF COMMUNICATION AIDS

Public presentation suggests appropriate selection of communication aids. Your strategy to

present your speech and lecture will affect your audience and speech context. The following
communication aids can be used in your presentation.

A. COMPUTER- BASED MEDIA

• It helps the speaker to concretize an abstract idea by creating and presenting a power point
presentation to audience. Thus, computer based media is the use of computers to present text,
graphics, videos, animation, and sound in an integrated way.
• Using computer based aids in speech will physically isolate you from the audience with whom
you are trying to establish rapport. You may feel really comfortable when you stand behind
presentation equipment however it will limit your nonverbal interaction with the audience.
• If you are not comfortable to use the equipment especially if it is not available, it is important
to check the availability of the computer to be used to familiarize yourself the commands and
flow of your slides ahead of time.
• It is also wise to be prepared for technical problems, which can happen even if you are very
skillful computer user.
• Arrive early to test out your equipment before the presentation begins.
• Software packages were introduced in 70s is too expensive and needed highly trained
technicians to operate the programs. Today, there are number of software programs that are
free and less costly that can be learned by non-experts.

Ex: Presentation Software Packages

Page 2
 Adobe Acrobat Presenter- http://www.adobe.com/products/presenter/fetures
Ajax presents- http://www.ajaxpresents.com
Brainshark- http://www.brainshark.com
Custom show- www.customshow.com
ezTalks Meetings- www.eztalks.com
Google Presentation-
http://docs.google.com/support/bin/staticc.py?page=guide.cs&guide=19431
Keynote- http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote
OpenOffice Impress- http://www.openoffice.org/product/impress/html
Powerpoint- http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint
SlideRocket- http://www.slide.rocket.com
280 Slides- http://280slides.com
Zoho Show- www.zoho.com/docs/show.html

B. AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA

❖ It is defined as training or educational materials directed at both the sense of hearing

and sight. Films, recordings photographs slides, projected opaque materials, are
examples of these.
❖ Audio media frequently use web streaming, video conferencing, and live broadcast
services.
❖ Computer based audio-visual equipment is often use in schools installing projection
equipment and using interactive whiteboard technology.
❖ In all levels of education, audio- visual media are used as an instructional mode in
particular attention to paid to paid to the audio and visual presentations of the material,
with the goal of improving retention and comprehension.
❖ It breaks down the traditional barriers of written communication to ensure students to
comprehend message easily, resulting in better discussion and collaboration in
education, business and personal applications.

ADVANTAGES OF AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA

a. CLARITY. Using both audio and visual components provide clarity in communication. In
print-based text like a letter, its tone and mood, which may come across differently to the
reader, may give different perceptions. Audio visual input enables the designer and the
audience to observe facial expressions, hear tones and inflections and clarify each other’s
meanings and positions.

b. SPEED. With the use of audio-visual media such as videos, phones, webcams, and face to
face meetings, it defeats the written mode of communication which may take several weeks
and months before it reaches its destination.

c. RETENTION. There seems an increase of message retention when audio and cues are
combined. According to the United States Department of Labor (Ireland 2018) 10% of
information is retained when presented only orally, 35% with only visually but 65% were
retained when both audio-visual tools are combined.

Page 3
 d. MEDIA. Videos, visual aid and sound clips create a multimedia experience when added to
your presentation. Using variety of media in communication helps you become more engaging
to your audience.

C. LOW-TECH MEDIA

➢ These are communication aids that are designed and can be used as simple as possible.
They are readily available, inexpensive and very easy to use.
➢ One of the advantages of low tech media is that they are very predictable. You can
project or anticipate their use with little interference. However they are prone to
physical damage and are difficult to keep. You need to be careful in handling them.

Examples of Low-Tech Media

a. Chalk or Dry-Erase Board. Most speakers use this medium when they are not able to prepare
communication aids. Failure to prepare a presentation aid during a talk gives the audience
negative impression towards you. However, you may use the board for interactive components
of speech; hence, it becomes effective. When writing on the board, be sure to follow these
rules:

✓ Write large enough for everyone to read what you have written.
✓ Print legibly using sentence case. Do not write in cursive unless they are readable.
✓ Write short phrases. Do not write in complete sentence if your purpose is just to note
responses that will be useful in your talk.
b. Flipchart. For briefing small groups, flip charts are very useful, easily prepared and
inexpensive. The tip markers and graphic materials are readily available and with the modest
ability of the presenter, it can compose the desire material. Flipchart help the speaker proceed
through the material by providing the audience with something to look in addition to the
speaker. Can be prepared before or during the presentation, used to record audience’s questions
and comments and can be converted to slides. They are not suitable use in large audience setting
and may be difficult to transport.

c. Foam board or Poster Board. Consist of thin sheet of Styrofoam with heavy paper bonded
to both surfaces. Although it is lightweight, inexpensive foundation for information, it can
stand on its own when placed in an easel without curling under the bottom edge. A poster
board is cheaper than foam board. It is flimsier, more vulnerable to damage and cannot stand
on its own.

Guidelines in Using Poster Board or Foam Board:

Page 4
 ➢ Ensure the color of the poster board matches the color of the paper you will paste
on. If you prefer a color for easy visual contrast so your audience can see it, it must
be a color that is appropriate for the topic.
➢ When creating a poster, you need to plan how you are going to lay out your aid and
make it look professional. Your materials should not look like you simply cut
pictures out of magazines pasted on them.
➢ Prepare poster large enough to be visually appealing to your audience. Large posters
are absolutely a requirement for a crowd to visualize the material.
d. Handouts. Handouts are not a substitute for a well prepared speech. Appropriate for
delivering information that audience can take away. When planning to use handouts,
bring enough copies for each member to get one. If the number of handouts is not
enough for all members of the audience, you will have no control over the speed at
which it circulates or the direction it goes.

When to distribute handouts?

o Before you begin your speech if your purpose is for the listeners to follow
along in a handout, place a copy on each seat of audience or ask a volunteer to
distribute before the presentation begins.
o During the speech, at this point you might have assigned someone to distribute
them once you gave your signal. However, this may be distracting and
interrupts the pace of presentation and tend to be side-tracked and their
attention defocused while waiting for their copies.
o After your speech is over, if the handout is a takeaway, leave it on the table
near the door so members who are interested can take one on their way out.
Assign someone to take charge on distributing the handouts and do not forget
to instruct the audience about the handouts before you conclude your speech.

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION AIDS

Communication aids facilitate speech delivery and understanding. Following are the functions of
communication aids:
1. To clarify or emphasize a point.
2. To enhance retention and recall your message.
3. To clarify or emphasize a point.
4. To add variety and interest to your speech.
5. To enhance your credibility of the speaker.

PREPARING COMMUNICATION AIDS

Communication aids need to be planned and prepared carefully and creatively. Explain your
presentation aids so that your audience will know why you are using them. Putting too much
information on an aid is one mistake you should avoid. Match your speech with your presentation aids
by narrowing the topic and content of your speech.

Page 5
GUIDELINES IN PREPARING QUALITY COMMUNICATION AIDS

1. Must be easily seen or heard by the audience.

• Graphic elements in your presentation should be large enough to read.

• Audio must be loud enough to be heard.
• Text-based visuals charts and graphs need to be presented with strong, clean lines and blocks
of color.
• The textual elements should be located closest to the part of your graphic element that they
are about.
• Carefully limit the amount of text on a presentation aid.
• Used a simple, easy to read type style.
2. They should be easily handled. Presentation aids must be handy so that you can carry them
by yourself. It should not distract you in delivering your speech.

3. They should be aesthetically pleasing. The principles of design such as emphasis, unity, scale,
balance and rhythm should be followed whenever you plan to prepare an impressive presentation
aid.

4. Text type must only be used when needed. Writing a paragraph of your analysis is prohibited.
It demonstrates incompetence to explain the topic in question. If you intend to incorporate a
reasonable text, it should be big, simple, and bold. When displaying a text, read it aloud before
you go talk about it.

5. Control the size and lines of graphic images. If you create graphic images, control the size
and the visible strength of lines. Citing your source with an added caption demonstrates your
integrity. It is recommended that you read out loud your source for acknowledgement to boost
your credibility as a speaker.

6. Computer presentations should be used purposively. Presentation aids should only be used
to deliver information that is difficult to present with spoken words only. Do not put your entire
speech on PowerPoint slides or other visuals, you will lose rapport to your audience. Certain rules
should be observed:

✓ Watch your font.

✓ Do not write everything out.
✓ Do not bow down to software.
✓ Use appropriate slide colors
✓ Use proper slide movements
✓ Utilize sound or audio
✓ Practice using technology
7. Always have a backup plan. When things go wrong, always prepare for an alternative. You
should have the ability to adapt to situations. All you need to do is to troubleshoot to solve the
problem and experiment for possible support to overcome the problem with ease and flexibility.

Page 6
Page 7