Page 315 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

Images

Visual images can illustrate difficult concepts well. This includes proportions, relationships, similarities, and
differences. An illustration evokes a visual picture of a procedure or technique. A cartoon can add fun to the
presentation and increase the viewer’s memory of a concept. The use of a flowchart or logic model can visually
illustrate a process. As with the other principles, the food and nutrition professional should consider the
layout of the illustration and its effect on the audience understanding. Is it too crowded? Confusing? Is the
image serving its purpose to enhance the text rather than distracting from it? A complex table or chart may be
better as a handout than as a slide. Reduce to a simplified format or break up your message into several slides.
Select relevant images in a purposeful manner. If inserting audio or visual elements, try to limit them to 60 to
90 seconds or less.

Balance and Emphasis

There are two kinds of balance, formal and informal. Informal balance is asymmetrical and more attention-
getting and interesting than symmetrical balance. Formal balance occurs when one half is the mirror image of
the other half. Bear in mind that our society reads from left to right and top to bottom, so that is the way
most audiences will view any visual.4 Figure 14-1 illustrates balance.

Multiple Formats

Consider preparing multiple instructional formats. Have a plan to deal with media and equipment that do not
work or are too small for the space. Bring a printed copy of any digital presentation. Always be prepared to
deliver the presentation without the assistance of media.

Figure 14-1 ■ Formal and informal balance.

CASE ANALYSIS 2

How could Julie have been prepared for use of multiple instructional media?

Copyright and Permission

Obtain necessary permissions for any images or recordings you are planning to use. Some web-based images
and reference materials can be used freely as part of the public domain. Other materials clearly show copyright
information when downloaded and have limitations on their use.3,4

Asynchronous or Synchronous Learning

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