Editing Visual communication (section)

=== Visual aid media: Simple to advanced ===
* '''Chalkboard or whiteboard:''' Chalkboards and whiteboards are very useful visual aids, particularly when more advanced types of media are available. They are cheap and also allow for much flexibility.<ref name="roth4">{{cite book|last=Rothwell|first=J. Dan|title=In the company of others : an introduction to communication|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|date=2010|isbn=978-0-19-533630-6|edition=3rd|location=New York}}{{page needed|date=February 2021}}</ref> The use of chalkboards or whiteboards is convenient, but they are not a perfect visual aid. Often, using this medium as an aid can create confusion or boredom. Particularly if a student who is not familiar with how to properly use visual aids attempts to draw on a board while they are speaking, they detract time and attention from their actual speech.<ref name="roth4" />
* '''Poster board:''' A poster is a very simple and easy visual aid.  Posters can display charts, graphs, pictures, or illustrations. The biggest drawback of using a poster as a visual aid is that often a poster can appear unprofessional. Since a poster board paper is relatively flimsy, often the paper will bend or fall over. The best way to present a poster is to hang it up or tape it to a wall.<ref name="roth4" />
* '''Handouts:''' Handouts can also display charts, graphs, pictures, or illustrations.  An important aspect of the use of a handout is that a person can keep a handout with them long after the presentation is over. This can help the person better remember what was discussed.  Passing out handouts, however, can be extremely distracting.  Once a handout is given out, it might potentially be difficult to bring back your audience's attention.  The person who receives the handout might be tempted to read what is on the paper, which will keep them from listening to what the speaker is saying. If using a handout, the speaker distributes the hand out right before you reference it.<ref name="maui3">{{cite web|last=Kumu|first=Ka|title=Using Visual Aids Effectively|url=http://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/html/visual_aids.html|access-date=19 March 2012|publisher=[[University of Hawaiʻi Maui College]] Speech Department}}</ref> Distributing handouts is acceptable in a lecture that is an hour or two, but in a short lecture of five to ten minutes, a handout should not be used.<ref name="roth4" />
* '''Video excerpts:''' A video can be a great visual aid and attention grabber, however, a video is not a replacement for an actual speech. There are several potential drawbacks to playing a video during a speech or lecture. First, if a video is playing that includes audio, the speaker will not be able to talk.  Also, if the video is very exciting and interesting, it can make what the speaker is saying appear boring and uninteresting. The key to showing a video during a presentation is to make sure to transition smoothly into the video and to only show very short clips.<ref name="roth4" />
* '''Projection equipment:''' There are several types of projectors. These include slide projectors, overhead projectors, and computer projectors. Slide projectors are the oldest form of projector, and are no longer used. Overhead projectors are still used but are somewhat inconvenient to use. In order to use an overhead projector, a transparency must be made of whatever is being projected onto the screen. This takes time and costs money. Computer projectors are the most technologically advanced projectors.  When using a computer projector, pictures and slides are easily taken right from a computer either online or from a saved file and are blown up and shown on a large screen.  Though computer projectors are technologically advanced, they are not always completely reliable because technological breakdowns are not uncommon of the computers of today.<ref name="roth4" />
* '''Computer-assisted presentations:''' Presentations through [[presentation software]] can be an extremely useful visual aid, especially for longer presentations. For five- to ten-minute presentations, it is probably not worth the time or effort to put together a deck of slides. For longer presentations, however, they can be a great way to keep the audience engaged and keep the speaker on track. A potential drawback of using them is that it usually takes a lot of time and energy to put together. There is also the possibility of a computer malfunction, which can mess up the flow of a presentation.<ref name="roth4" />