COMMUNICATION AIDS AND STRATEGIES USING TOOLS OF TECHNOLOGY

In today’s digital society, communication is mediated using technology. For

communication to be more effective, it is imperative to know how technology works,
what purposes it can serve and how it can be used efficiently and effectively used to
achieve specific goals in the communication process.
In preparing multimedia presentations for various communication purposes, it is
important to consider the following:
A. Characteristics of Multimedia Presentations
1. Multimedia presentations are visually oriented (displayed on a monitor or
projected onto a screen)
2. They allow users to use different modalities such as:
a. Text
b. Graphics
c. Photographs
d. Audio
e. Animation
f. Video
Special features of computer-based presentations
1. Custom navigation (linking) between slides, to other media and to the Internet
2. Can be made into hard copy printouts or transparencies
3. Can be uploaded to the Web
B. Steps in Making Effective Multimedia Presentations
1. Know the purpose of the presentation
2. Know the audience
3. Gather information
4. Use a variety of resources such as:
a. Textbooks
b. Digital resources
c. Photographs
 d. Scanned images, student work
c. Internet
5. Do not forget to cite sources
a. Write the author’s name, title of the work and date of publication
b. Include the website or Web page address of the source
c. In general, non-profit educational use of online materials for a lecture qualifies
as “fair use” but it is better to ask the author’s permission to use such materials.
d. Always have full bibliographic references for all citations.
6. Organize the information
a. List the main points.
b. Have only one main idea per slide
c. Present ideas in a logical order
d. Place important information near the top
7. Check technical issues
a. Contrast
◦ Dark text on light background
◦ White text on dark background
b. Use only one design and color scheme throughout the slide presentation.
c. Avoid clutter
d. Avoid patterned or textured backgrounds
e. Use large font size (minimum 18 pts)
f. Use fonts that are easy to read. Don’t use fancy fonts.
g. Don’t use more than two types of fonts.
h. Avoid too much text. Don’t use the presentation as your notes.
i. Use no more than 3 or 4 bullets per slide.
8. Be creative
a. Use transitions and animations to add interest
b. But don’t overdo it!