As promised, below is an example of the assessments I used for a college course on Speech Presentation and Composition. The goal of the assessments is to let students have some choice to work on areas they may need help. As this is a required entry course for the major, I have students coming in with a wide range of skills. Some have very good oral presentation skills, some have very good speech writing skills, others have very good skills but inappropriate for professional communication, while others (many in fact) have public speaking anxiety, and a few have no public speaking skills or experience (especially those from inner city public schools). As a result, it is important for the students to work on those skills they feel they need.
There is a core of mandatory assignments I use for students to demonstrate their ability to prepare, write, and present speeches. Students that only hand in these mandatory assignments doing a good job demonstrating their abilities will pass, but not excell in the class. Students can bring up their grade by doing as many of the optional assignments up to 200 points. Students can off-set problems with mandatory assignments (often freezing on the first or second speech) with extra credit assignments.
Note that many of the mandatory assignments are used to assess student's understanding of the core concepts they need by the end of the course, while the optional assessments are more reflective and targeted towards an individual's own needs. The optional assignments use reflection for students to assess their own abilities and come up with their own plans on how to improve. It also allows students to practice skills they have learned in the mandatory assignments, especially if they had trouble with the mandatory assignments (e.g. audience analysis and audience impact analysis work sheets).
I find the assessment in this class works like a dialogue between the student and instructor. In addition, I provide my students with a number of formts to choose from to demonstrate their knowledge including blogs, YouTube, face to face interaction, and work sheets.
Assessment tools
Mandatory (Total Maximum Possible Points=775 Points)
(25 pts) Audience Analysis: Conduct an audience analysis for speech I using the worksheet attached at the end of this assignment handout (also available on WebCT). You should try to identify multiple audiences in the class for your hometown. This might be based on geographic locations (upstate/downstate, rural/urban, regions of New York state and out of stators), type of student (major/non-major, commuters/residents, older/younger students), or life-style (travelers/non-travelers, partiers/non-partiers, single/couple/family).
(25 pts) Audience Impact analysis for speech II. Students must fill out a worksheet (attached at the end of this handout and available on WebCT) analyzing the impact various speech points on the intended audiences.
Speeches (4 speeches, Speech evaluations for 5 students assigned by the teacher, written manuscript for Speech II, References for Speech III):
Speech I (50 pts): Your Hometown
Audience: Classmates Time: 5-7 minutes
Purpose: You want to inform you classmates about your hometown. You may include graphics (computer, posters, handouts). This is an informal speech.
Speech II (100 pts): Your Hometown
Audience: Professional Group interested in Hometown Time: 3 minutes
Purpose: You may decide which professional group you are delivering the speech to depending on your interests and town (i.e. investors, economic development group, town council, school board, press). You will be presenting on your hometown, but specific speech points and message will depend on your audience analysis. The speech will be a formal informative and persuasive speech and you must make sure that all the information in the speech manuscript is delivered accurately to the audience. You will not be allowed to use graphics or visuals as supporting information. Some of the information you will be presenting will be new, so you may have to persuade the audience to listen to you.
(25 pts) Typed copy of complete speech II (see above).
Speech III (150 pts): Persuasive Speech. Topic will be assigned randomly based on student suggestions.
Audience: Opponents of the topic Time: 3-5 minutes
Students will be asked to write down a persuasive speech topic. These topics may be modified depending on complexity of subject given the time constraints of the speech (i.e. only parts of complex issues may be used), the duplication of a topic, or the class position (choosing the contrary position of an issue upon which the entire class is in agreement, e.g. taxes should be lowered would be changed to taxes should not be lowered). Each student will randomly choose a topic. Students will also be given specific audiences that are opponents of the topic. The specifics of the speech should be based on the analysis of the history of the issue, the audience’s position, and the action expected from the audience.
References (25 pts) Make a list of at least 10 references that will be used to prepare speech III. The references should include at least one magazine, one reference book, an internet source, and a personal interview reference. Each reference should be listed using an approved citation method (APA, MLA, University of Chicago). After each citation you should note which side the reference supports and the purpose of the reference (inform, persuade, evoke).
Example: Research Question: Our school should use less group activities
Barker, V., Abrams, J., Tiyaamornwong, V., Seibold, D., Duggan, A., Park, H., & Sebastian, M. (2000). New contexts for relational communication in groups. Small Group Research, 31 (4) 470-503. For group activities: inform.
Mary Smith. Interview October 23, 2004. SUNY Communication major. Against group activities: evoke.
Note: Your text has citation styles in Appendix B
In addition to the 10 references, answer the following questions:
1. What are the (at least 2) positions?
2. How did the “debate” begin?
3. How has it been addressed in the past?
4. Has each side had equal voice?
5. What do the two sides agree on? Has this changed over time?
6. What do the two sides disagree on? Has this changed over time?
7. What have been some of proposed options to resolve this issue? (list at least one from each side)
This information will be used to help you prepare your speech.
Speech IV (200 pts): Final Speech
Audience: Choice of students appropriate to Speech Time: 7-10 minutes
Topic: The speech topic will be a pitch to a group for any topic you want. You will try to persuade the audience on an issue (change in policy, purchase a product, hire your company, vote for a candidate or piece of legislation).
Audience: You will need to identify the specific audiences based on your specific topic. However, it is assumed that each audience will include each of the following three groups:
1. Policy Makers: these could be CEO’s of companies, industry leaders, law-makers, regulators, government officials, social leaders
2. Mainstream listeners: this group has never really been involved with the issue directly. They may have some general ideas or opinions based on second-hand information (magazines, TV, public discussion). Most likely, these will be your secondary audience.
3. Those directly affected by your pitch: This group could be divided two ways: those that will be positively affected and those that will be negatively affected. Both of these groups may have a very powerful voice with the policy makers, or may have historically been ignored by the policy makers.
Format: You may choose whichever format you feel is appropriate for your subject and audiences. You may use graphics, posters, handouts, other people; you may inform, persuade or evoke; you may use any of the information organizational formats we have covered (cause and effect, problem solution, spatial, chronologic, hierarchical, comparative) and any of the reasoning (direct, indirect, causal, analogical).
The following questions might help you to focus on what needs to go into your speech: (Extra Credit, 10pts: type up the answers to the questions.)
1. What role have policy makers had in the past to establish the issue you would like to change? How might they be affected if they do implement the change? What assumptions have they made about the mainstream listeners and those affected by the change? How were those assumptions formed (what is the history of the change)?
2. What would the average person know about this issue? Where would they get their information from? How would that information bias (positive or negative) you proposal? How would you be able to use or overcome those biases? How will the change affect the average listener? Do you think they will understand the implications? How will that affect the way your speech is organized?
3. Have those that will be affected by your pitch ever had a voice in the policy making on this issue? Why or why not? How will that affect the way in which you approach the issue? What assumptions do they have about the issue? Why? If the impact is negative, how will you get them to accept it? What reasoning can you use? What type of supporting information? If the impact is positive, will this audience believe you based on past experience?
Speech Evaluations: There are 4 different evaluation sheets each speech (forms at the end of this handout). For each speech, students will be assigned 5 students to evaluate. These evaluation sheets will need to be filled out, handed into the teacher for grading (5 pts each for the first speech, 10 pts each for the following 3 speeches), then given to the speaker as feedback. Please review the syllabus for course conduct expectations when giving feedback.
Additional Assignments (Maximum possible points=325)
Students can submit as many assignments as they want earning up to 200 points in total. For example, students can submit all the assignments, receiving credit for 207 points out of 325. Only 200 points will count toward their final grade.
Speech evaluation
Students need to present a typed :
(25 pts) Speech Analysis. Review the speech by Christopher deCharms, Looking inside the brain in real time (http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/christopher_decharms_scans_the_brain_in_real_time.html) and answer the following questions:
• What is the general purpose of the speech? What is the specific purpose of the speech?
• What are some of the non-verbal communication cues he uses to make his point(s)? What obstacles does he need to overcome in giving his speech? How effective is he in overcoming those obstacles? Why or why not? How does he establish credibility? How does he interact with the audience?
• What type of introduction does he use? What type of conclusion? Are they effective? Why or why not? What assumptions does he make about the audience? How does that effect his speech?
• What does he do well in the speech? If you were to give him suggestions for improvement, what would they be?
(25 pts each) Randy Pausch (Last Lecture: Achieving Your Dreams) http://www.youtube.com/user/carnegiemellonu and Barack Obama’s (Jan. 10, 2009) http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamaweeklytransition10.htm speeches (each will be graded separately).
Questions:
• What is the general purpose of the speech? What is the specific purpose of the speech? List at least 3 speech points the speaker makes. What supporting information does the speaker use to make the point? What type of reasoning (ethos, pathos, or logos) does the speaker use? How does the speaker arrange the supporting information? What style of speech does the speaker use? Why? How does the speaker interact with the audience? How does the speaker establish creditability? What assumptions does the speaker make about the audience? How does that affect the type of speech chosen? How does it affect audience interaction? What does the speaker want the audience to do? How do you know this?
• Compare the written speech to the audio/video. How does the speaker use his/her voice the alter the speech? What are the differences between how the speech can be interpreted when reading it and when listening to it? Why?
(50 pts) Video, podcast, or CD of Speech II. Students may prepare a Video, podcast, or CD of Speech II. They will then do a self-analysis of their speech, identifying speech points, organization of ideas, and effectiveness of the speech given their identified audience. They are expected to make suggestions based on their review of the tape. This should be a 1-2 page (double spaced) analysis.
(25 pts) Audience Impact Analysis: Conduct an audience impact analysis for speech III-IV using the worksheet attached at the end of this handout.
(75 pts) A self-analysis blog in which students will analyze each of their first three speeches after reviewing student and professor feedback. Students need to set up a blog, or use their own separate blog space and give me the URL address. The blog will include four separate entries: Speech I, Speech II, Speech III, and What I have learned. Each entry should include a description of preparation of the speech, including assumptions made about the audience, analysis of speaker’s perception of the speech, analysis of teacher and student feedback, similarities and differences in perceptions between each group, outline of how this will impact the speaker’s next speech (i.e. changes in style, assumptions, and/or preparation). The last module should include your analysis of how you have improved, what areas you still need to work on, and how your analysis of others speakers have changed due to class assignments.
(25 pts) Students may attend or watch a formal speech (i.e. on campus speaker or presidential campaign speeches) and answer the following questions:
• What is the speaker’s position? How do you know that? What type of reasoning does the speaker use? What type of supporting information? Is the support relevant? Reliable? Representative? What bias does the speaker have? Is this implicit or explicit?
• How does the speaker motivate the listener? What type of appeal does the speaker use? Does this appeal work for you? Why or why not? Is the appeal appropriate for the audience? Why or why not? Is the appeal appropriate for the message? Why or why not?
• What credentials does the speaker have? How does the speaker establish credibility? How does the speaker establish rapport with the audience? How affective is the speaker in establishing creditability and rapport?
• What does the speaker want the listener to do? Is this explicit or implicit? Does the speaker have an ethical or moral stance? How do you know? If you had to make suggestions in improving this speech, what would they be? What was affective about this speech?
(50 pts) Diversity interview. Step I:
Imagine that you want to find a pen pal on the internet. Write a description of yourself in 30 words or less in the space below:
Step II
Locate someone outside of the class to interview that does not match the characteristics you used to describe yourself in step I.
Before interviewing them, reflect on the following questions:
What is your culture? Which groups do you identify with? How does that affect your communication? How does this affect who you speak to and how?
What assumptions do you make about the other person’s culture?
What assumptions do you make about the other person based on their culture?
Step III
Find out the following information in your interview:
What are the perceived similarities between the two cultures?
What are the perceived differences?
How can you tell the difference between a personal belief and a group’s belief?
What is the best way to find out about the culture?
What is the most unfamiliar part of your culture to the person being interviewed? (What do they have trouble understanding about your culture?)
What is the best part of your culture according to the person being interviewed? Why?
Can they give an example of conflict between your culture and their culture? How do they handle that situation?
Step IV
After you have interviewed this person, I want you to reflect on the following questions:
How did your assumptions affect your interview?
Were you able to learn anything new about that person?
What (if anything) surprised you about their answers?
How could this information help you in composing speeches for diverse audiences? Audiences of a different culture than your own?
(25 pts) Speech IV References: Identify 10 sources as you did for Module 3. In addition to identifying the position of the author and the reason for the resource (inform, evoke, or persuade), identify which groups the author(s) would represent and their position on change. As in Module 4, write a brief summary of the history of the issue, the various positions, how the policy or issue was originally established, and who has had a voice in the process?
Extra Credit (Maximum Total Points=60)
Students can submit as many extra credit assignments as they want earning up to 40 extra credit points.
(10 pts each) Self Evaluation. Students will fill out an evaluation sheet for their own speech.
(10 pts) Speech IV typed focus questions. Type up the answers to the questions.
1. What role have policy makers had in the past to establish the issue you would like to change? How might they be affected if they do implement the change? What assumptions have they made about the mainstream listeners and those affected by the change? How were those assumptions formed (what is the history of the change)?
2. What would the average person know about this issue? Where would they get their information from? How would that information bias (positive or negative) you proposal? How would you be able to use or overcome those biases? How will the change affect the average listener? Do you think they will understand the implications? How will that affect the way your speech is organized?
3. Have those that will be affected by the change ever had a voice in the policy making on this issue? Why or why not? How will that affect the way in which you approach the issue? What assumptions do they have about the issue? Why? If the impact is negative, how will you get them to accept it? What reasoning can you use? What type of supporting information? If the impact is positive, will this audience believe you based on past experience?
(10 pts) Visuals. Review your evaluations from Speech III and the visuals. Type up the answers to the following questions:
1. How did the visuals contribute and/or hinder your presentation? Your message? Audience reaction?
2. How would you change your visuals to improve your presentation?
3. What rules could you develop for creating effective visuals for your presentations?
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