Grade by Grade
Oral Communication · Oral Communication: Listening, Speaking and Reflecting

Audio-Visual Aids That Support and Enhance a Presentation

2.7About 70 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can choose audio-visual aids (slides, images, charts, objects, video and audio clips, handouts) that suit my purpose, audience and setting.
  • I can design clear slides: one idea each, a headline that states the point, little text, large type and strong contrast.
  • I can introduce, show and explain an aid so it supports what I'm saying instead of competing with it.
  • I can make aids accessible and credit the sources of images, data and clips.
  • I can prepare for technical problems.

Words to know

audio-visual aid
Anything an audience sees or hears, other than the speaker, that supports a presentation: slides, objects, charts, clips, handouts.
headline
A slide title written as a full statement of the slide's point, not just a topic.
contrast
The difference between text and background colours; high contrast makes text easy to read.
prop
An object shown during a talk to make an idea concrete.
caption
On-screen text that shows the words spoken in a video or audio clip.
backup plan
A way to continue if technology fails, such as a printed copy or a PDF version.

Remember from Grade 9

In Grade 9 you created media and multimodal texts such as slideshows, infographics and videos, and chose design and production tools for effect. Grade 10's expectation 2.7 is about using audio-visual aids during oral presentations: choosing the right ones, and using them to support and enhance your talk and engage the audience, rather than letting them take over.

The aid supports you; it doesn't replace you

The audience came to hear you. An aid earns its place if it does something your voice can't do alone:

  • shows something hard to describe (a map, a process, a face, a place);
  • proves a point with data (a graph is faster to grasp than a list of numbers);
  • makes an idea concrete and memorable (a prop, a short clip);
  • helps listeners follow the structure (a simple agenda slide).

If an aid doesn't do one of these things, leave it out.

Kinds of aids

  • Slides (images, graphs, diagrams, a few words).
  • Objects and props: the real thing, or a model.
  • Demonstrations: showing a process live.
  • Video clips: short, relevant, introduced.
  • Audio clips: a sound bite, music, a sound from nature.
  • Handouts: for details people need to keep (give them out at the end, or they'll read instead of listening).
  • Whiteboard or chart paper: for building ideas with the audience.

Choose by purpose, audience and setting: a small object works in a classroom but disappears in a gym; a video needs a working screen and sound.

Designing clear slides

  1. One idea per slide.
  2. Headline, not topic. Instead of "Food Waste," write "Most of our cafeteria waste is food." The audience gets the point even if they only glance.
  3. Visual evidence under the headline: a graph, photo or diagram.
  4. Little text. If you need full sentences, they probably belong in your speaking notes, not on the slide.
  5. Large type that can be read from the back of the room (many presenters use at least 24-point text), and high contrast (dark on light or light on dark).
  6. Label charts and credit sources for data, images and clips. Use images you have the right to use, such as your own photos or ones with a licence that allows reuse.
  7. Consistent design: same fonts and layout throughout.
Same content, two slidesFood Waste• Food waste is a big problem in many places• Our cafeteria throws out lots of things• Some is paper, some is plastic, some food• Food was the biggest part of it all• Composting could help with this issue• Also smaller portions maybe?• We did an audit for one week in March• Thanks to the custodians for helpCluttered: 8 bullets, small text, no visualMost of our cafeteriawaste is foodFood60%Paper25%Plastic15%Source: our one-week audit, MarchClear: one message, one visual
The slide on the right states the point in its headline and proves it with one labelled graph (from a made-up audit). Everything else belongs in the speaker's words.

Using an aid during the talk

  • Introduce, show, explain. Tell listeners what to look for, show it, then explain what it means.
  • Talk to the audience, not the screen. Glance at the slide; face the people.
  • Show it only when you need it. Put a prop away after using it. Between slides, a blank or black screen brings attention back to you.
  • Keep clips short. For a 5-minute talk, a clip of about 30 seconds is usually plenty. Cue it up in advance.
  • Check sound levels before the audience arrives.
Introduce, show, explain1. IntroduceTell listenerswhat to look for:“Watch themiddle bar.”2. ShowDisplay the aid;pause so peoplecan take it in3. ExplainSay what it meansfor your message,then remove orblank it
Introducing an aid tells people where to look; explaining it tells them why it matters. Without both, an aid can distract instead of support.

Accessible aids

Make sure everyone can get the information:

  • Describe key visuals aloud ("This graph shows food at 60 percent, far more than paper or plastic") for anyone who can't see the screen well.
  • Turn on or add captions for video clips.
  • Don't rely on colour alone ("the red line"); use labels too, since some people have difficulty telling colours apart.
  • Avoid flashing or rapidly flickering images.
  • Keep handouts and slides in plain, large fonts.
Worked example

Let's redesign a slide deck

A student's 4-minute talk to the student council about reducing cafeteria waste has 9 slides, each with 6 to 8 bullet points, which she reads aloud. Her one-week audit (made-up for this example) found: food 60%, paper 25%, plastic 15%. Redesign her aids.

  1. Find the message: Our cafeteria waste is mostly food, so composting would make the biggest difference.
  2. Cut to essential slides: (1) title with a photo of a full cafeteria bin from the audit; (2) "Most of our cafeteria waste is food" with a bar graph of 60/25/15; (3) "Composting could divert most of it" with a simple diagram: bin to compost to school garden; (4) "Here's what we're asking for" with three short lines: green bins, a sign, a two-week trial.
  3. Move details to notes: the audit dates, methods and thanks go in her speaking notes (and thanks can be said aloud).
  4. Accessibility: describe the graph aloud; label bars with percentages, not just fills; large, high-contrast text.
  5. Credit: "Source: Grade 10 cafeteria audit, one week in March" on the graph slide.
  6. Backup: save a PDF on a USB key and in her email, and bring a printed copy of the graph in case the projector fails.

Four focused slides, each with a headline and one visual, replace nine text-heavy slides. Details move to her speaking notes, the graph is described aloud and credited, and she has a backup plan.

Worked example

Let's plan a video clip

In a 5-minute talk about outdoor winter safety, you want to show a clip from a public safety video about checking ice thickness before going onto a frozen pond. How do you use it effectively?

  1. Choose: a clip from a reliable source (for example, a provincial or local safety organization), about 30 seconds, showing the key idea. Note the source to credit it.
  2. Introduce: "In this clip, watch for the two things the expert checks before stepping onto the ice."
  3. Show: with captions on; volume tested beforehand; don't talk over it.
  4. Explain: "So the two checks were: ..." Then connect it to your message: only go on ice once a responsible adult has checked it and says it's safe.
  5. Backup: if the video won't play, have a still image from the clip and describe the two checks yourself.

A short, credited clip from a reliable source, introduced with a viewing task, captioned, then explained and linked to the main message, with a backup if the technology fails.

Rehearse with the aids

Practise with your slides, props and clips at least once, ideally in the room you'll present in. Most aid problems (a clip that won't play, text too small to read, a forgotten prop) show up only in a real run-through.

Hands-on activity

Three-slide challenge

You need: three sheets of paper (or a slideshow program, if you have one), markers or a pen, and a family member as your audience.

  1. Choose a topic you know well (a sport, a recipe, a place in your community).
  2. Write a one-sentence main message.
  3. Make three slides on paper: each with a headline that states a point and one visual (a sketch, a simple chart, or a labelled diagram). No more than 10 words of other text per slide.
  4. Find one prop at home that supports your message (something safe and easy to hold).
  5. Give a 2-minute talk using introduce, show, explain. Then ask your audience: Which aid helped most? Did any distract you?
Just for fun

Presentation secret: in a PowerPoint slideshow, pressing B turns the screen black, and pressing it again brings your slide back. (W turns it white.)

It's the closest thing to saying, "Eyes on me, please," without saying a word.

Your turn

1

Name four kinds of audio-visual aids.

2

Rewrite this slide title as a headline: "Sleep."

3

Why should handouts usually be given out at the end?

4

What are the three steps for using an aid during a talk?

5

Give two ways to make a video clip accessible.

6

Why should you avoid saying only "Look at the red line"?

7

What's one backup plan if the projector fails?

More practice: warm-up

1

True or false: reading every word on your slides aloud is an effective strategy.

2

What is a prop?

3

What does high contrast mean on a slide?

4

How long should a clip usually be in a 5-minute talk?

5

Why should you credit the sources of images and data?

More practice: on your own

1

A student plans to show a 3-minute music video in a 5-minute talk about a song's lyrics. Evaluate and suggest.

2

You're presenting in a gym to 300 people and want to show a small fossil. What's the problem and a solution?

3

Write introduce/show/explain lines for a graph showing that your school's attendance at a winter carnival doubled over two years.

4

A slide has light yellow text on a white background. Explain the problem and fix it.

5

Why does a headline-style title help audience members who glance away for a moment?

Challenge

1

Plan the aids for a 5-minute persuasive talk on a topic of your choice: list each aid, when you'll use it, why, and how you'll make it accessible.

2

Argue whether a talk is ever better with no audio-visual aids. Give an example.

3

Explain how the cafeteria waste slides use logos and pathos through visuals.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which is the best slide title?

2.

Which practice best supports a talk?

3.

To make a video clip accessible, you should:

4.

When should a handout usually be given out?

5.

Why credit sources on slides?

6.

The projector fails. The best response is to:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation 2.7 asks students to use a variety of audio-visual aids appropriately to support and enhance oral presentations and engage an audience.

How to help at home:

  • Ask your teen to explain each slide's point in one sentence. If they can't, the slide may not be needed.
  • Watch a rehearsal from across the room: can you read every slide?
  • Remind them to save a backup copy (PDF and printed) the night before.

Common difficulties:

  • Text-heavy slides read aloud. Encourage headlines and visuals, with details in speaking notes.
  • Long video clips that replace the presenter.
  • Not crediting images. Encourage their own photos or images licensed for reuse, with a source line.