Identify and describe five different types of presentation aids.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
- Answers will vary but may include any of the following:
- The object itself is often times the best presentational aid to use if you can bring it to your speech.
- Models are replicas of the actual object and are useful for a variety of purposes. They are best used when you want to explain complex structures (e.g., in the human body).
- Diagrams, simplified drawings often in outline form, are frequently useful for explaining complex structures.
- Graphs, diagrams showing relationships, are useful for clarifying how a whole is divided into parts.
- Tables are useful when you want to summarize or compare data or ideas. They help to identify key points in one of your propositions or in your entire speech, in the order you cover them.
- Infographics are visual representations of information, often with numbers and words. They are especially helpful because they effectively combine the verbal and the nonverbal and convey a message clearly and concisely.
- Maps are useful when you want to illustrate the locations of geographic features such as cities, lakes, rivers, or mountain ranges. They can also be used to illustrate things like population densities, immigration patterns, world literacy rates etc.
- People can be used as aids to demonstrate a dance move or to point out the different muscles of the body. Also, people help to secure and maintain the attention of the audience.
- Audio materials can be used in situations where the point is best made through sound. For example, a speech on accents, differences in male and female voices, or music trends would be best supported using audio aids.
- Videos add variety to the presentation and help to maintain audience attention.
- Presentation software, like PowerPoint, Prezi, or Google Slides can also be used, depending on the speaker's technological sophistication.