Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

Proceedings Of The Sixth National Developmental Conference On Individual Events, Karen Morris

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The June 19-20 National Developmental Conference (NDC) on Individual Events (IE) was a series of free zoom webinars sponsored in a joint effort by AFA-NST, NFA, PKD, and PRP. The overall goal of the conference was to work together to set shared standards for the upcoming 2020-2021 season because of the uncertain times for intercollegiate forensics. The conference provided a collaborative space for the forensic community to discuss best and promising practices.

Prior to the conference, the NDC-IE planning committee sponsored a COVID-19 Coaches Webinar on May 1st, 2020. The recordings of the sessions by AFA-NST, NFA, PKD, and PRP …

A Proposal For The Creation Of Uniform Judging Philosopy Statements In Individual Events Competitions: An Attempt To Empower Competitors, Coaches/Critics And The Forensics Activity, Rob Tucker

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The judging of individual events has long been fraught with difficulty, with critics invoking their own idiosyncratic preferences and biases, instead of some form of consistent judging standard. Students have forfeited the advantage of having detailed information about a given judge's philosophy or criticism criteria. In 1984, forensics theorists produced a set of standards by which speeches could be constructed and subsequently evaluated. There exists little or no evidence that coaches/critics have actually adopted these standards, and so, as before, students are left without a guide. This paper examines the history of theory development concerning judging criteria and advances a …

Everything Is What It Is And Not Another Thing: A Hierarchical Criteria For Evaluation In Informative Persuasion And Communication Analysis, Gary Allen, George Dennis

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

We will focus upon three events that are of particular concern or interest to us -- Informative, Persuasion and Communication Analysis. In doing so, we will discuss problems and trends in evaluation that we perceive in each event, and argue for a hierarchical criteria that ought to be the basis for evaluation and judgement In addition we will present a suggestion for a ballot-form that we believe will help improve the ballots as well as give a boost toward more uniformity of standards.

Open Discussion On Use Of Workshops For Training Judges

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Discussion held at the Use of Workshops for Training Coaches/Judges session at the First Developmental Conference on Individual Events.

Recommendations From Training Judges Workshops, Anthony Schroeder

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Recommendations from the session on the use of workshops for training coaches and judges at the First Developmental Conference on Individual Events.

Workshops: A Direct And Interactive Forum For Forensics Coaches/Judges, Valerie Swarts, Elighie Wilson

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Forensics is an educational function set in an educational environment While the obligations and concomitant responsibilities are many, forensics personnel preeminently are serving a teaching function ... (McBath, 1975, p. 47)

Most would agree with the assumption that forensics serves primarily a pedagogical function. Consequently, forensics personnel often utilize opportunities for professional growth by actively participating in professional associations and contributing to research in the field. The unique concerns and opportunities in forensics, however, present a need for a more direct and interactive forum, such as workshops for forensics personnel.

A search of the literature has revealed very little emphasis …

Some Answers To Popular Questions About The Use Of Workshops For Training Individual Events Coaches And Judges, Clark D. Olson

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The judging of individual events is a difficult task. Perhaps it is exceeded in difficulty by instructing others how to perform this difficult task. The purpose of this paper is to outline the specifics for the use of workshops for training judges and coaches. It will seek to answer the five "Ws" regarding this important task.

Telling The Story Of The Informally Trained Coach/Judge, Colan T. Hanson

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This theoretical article explores the implications of the informally trained coach/judge on the future of forensics. Issues addressed are those involving the relationship between informal training and the financial stability of the forensic program; the perceived professional standards associated with the forensic educator; and the impact on the educational facilitator role played by the coach/judge in the forensic community. The analysis of this paper suggests that the forensic community if placing the forensic professional and the activity itself at risk in the future, if informal training becomes the main means of preparing the next generation of coach/judge participants.

Inter-Judge Agreement: An Analysis Of The 1990 Nfa And Afa-Niet National Individual Events Tournaments, Jon C. Bruschke, K. Jeanine Congalton, Robert H. Gass

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Given the increasing concern about the judge's role in individual events tournaments, and given the paucity of literature specifically pertaining to inter-judge agreement, we sought to analyze the degree of inter-judge agreement at two national level tournaments which employ multiple judge panels in preliminary rounds. The results of the 1990 National Forensics Association Tournament and the 1990 American Forensic Association - National Individual Events Tournament serve as a basis for the analysis.

A Question Of Oral Questions: Why Aren't Judges Allowed To Query Competitors?, Erik T. Kanter

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

In the following paper, I will: first examine both the potential benefits and disadvantages of allow the option of oral questioning; second, show how questioning can be integrated into the judging of individual events; and, finally, proposed a timetable and an agenda for integration both at the local and national levels.

Implications Of The Informal Training Of Coaches And Judges, Robert L. Davenport

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper will support the thesis that more training of forensics coaches and judges, whether formal or informal, needs to take place in order to address many of the concerns of the forensic community in regard to inequities in coach/judge expertise and to philosophical inequities in the criteria for events by which coaches and judges fulfill their supervisory and evaluatory responsibilities in helping students become more effective communicators.

What I Think You Should Do Is..., Joel L. Hefling

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

If we conclude that veteran coaches and judges have had little or no formal training, and novice coaches and judges have had little or no formal training, then a number of implications begin to develop. For the sake of clarity, and to follow forensic conventions, let us examine several of those implications, first from the perspective of coaches, and then from the perspective of judges, and finally from the perspectives of the students. Then we may be able to draw some final conclusions for the forensic community as a whole.

What The Rules Mean: Using Defined Judging Guidelines To Augment Informal Training, J.G. Harrington

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper proposes one approach to those problems and suggests how it could improve judging, as well as giving coaches and competitors a useful tool for improving their presentations. What I propose is that tournament directors prepare simple, non-binding judging guidelines for each event at their tournaments. Judging guidelines could do more that give novice judges a set of standards to apply to each event; they could also prepare a way for the forensic community to begin to agree, in a basic way, on what we expect from competitors. In light of the generally ad hoc approach we now take …

Judge Agreement And Student Rotation: A Real-Life Study Of The 1990 Dsr-Tka National Forensics Tournament, Vicki L. Karns

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

During the third round of Poetry competition at the 1990 DSR-TKA National Tournament, a student approached the Tab Room and asked why the same people were competing against each other in the first and third rounds. After examining the schematics, it was determined that, indeed, the first and third rounds were identical. At that point in the tournament schedule, it was impossible to reschedule or redo the schematic, so the tournament continued as originally scheduled. Instead of treating this as a crisis, it became an excellent real-life opportunity for research. Thus, this study examines the ranks between Rounds One and …

How Is That Helpful?: An Analysis Of Ballot Helpfulness, Janis K. Crawford, Gregory E. Moser

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The study confronts several issues relating to the helpfulness of ballots from different types of judges. An analysis was performed to analyze 135 ballots from several collegiate forensic tournaments held throughout the United States. Coaches, graduate assistants and hired judges were compared.

Coding Our Judges Off Of Schools And Individuals: When Is It Necessary?, Ken Young

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

When examining issues that arise from tournament management, a chief concern among tournament administrators is the quality and size of their respective judging pools. In accordance with the AFA Code of Standards, many coaches try to avoid a "conflict of interest" by coding their judges off of particular schools and/or individuals when sending in their entry. Given that this coding process is self-regulated and highly dependent on individual ethics, coaches are left with no steadfast rules to dictate when a restriction is necessary and when it is not. This paper examines the coding process, the reasons coaches currently use to …

The Emperor Has No Clothes: Solidifying Inconsistencies In Judges' Preference, Anthony C. Cavaiani, David J. Nadolski

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Several leaders representing the forensics world were surveyed to examine the role judges preference plays in the outcomes of forensics tournaments. Similarities and differences concerning the definition of judge's preference emerged as dominant themes. Implications of this study offer new questions concerning definitions of judge’s preference and the role tabulation should play in the formation of leaders in forensics.

After Dinner Speaking: Problems, Causes, And Still No Solutions, Brandi Lawless

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

I was judging a round of After Dinner Speaking last weekend, hoping for a laugh. Some competitors were successful through their use of wit, others used cheesy lines, and the last student was probably supposed to be entered in Persuasion. It was extremely difficult and frustrating to fill out the ballots. Should I have voted for the funniest person, the funniest looking person, or the most significant topic with some jokes thrown in at the end like laws on a California proposition? This is a question facing many individual events judges today, while the students competing in this event are …

"I Got All Stupid Judges:" A Pedagogical Reframing Of The Ballot As Friend, Not Foe, Michael Chouinard

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper will focus on ballots as pedagogical tools and discuss how we (and our students) can get the most out of them. It is easy for many students to become overwhelmed by the varied and disagreeable comments—or lack thereof ("Good job! 5-18")—they receive from judges, leading them to argue with ballots, rather than engage in constructive dialogue with them. This paper does not ask students to literally talk to their ballots; rather, it seeks to enable us to better serve our students by helping them find a more healthy and productive understanding of the ballot, its intended purpose, and …

Ballots: A New, Comprehensive And Educational Approach For Evaluating Forensic Competitors, Bradford Wakefield

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

There has been much talk in the forensic community about frustration with events and progression of the activity. The National Forensic Association National Tournament student meeting discussed irritation with the Impromptu event saying that it has been stagnant and not providing the skills needed for application in a world outside forensics. I propose a new ballot that promotes the source and intention of the event while at the same time giving a basis for "real world" application. This would not only remind competitors and judges what the intent of the event is supposed to be but also with the constant …

Conference Proceedings: National Developmental Conference On Individual Events 2010, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Larry Schnoor

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The Fifth NDC-IE was hosted two years later in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the summer of 2010. A total of 90 participants presented papers discussing public speaking events, limited preparation events, oral interpretation events, forensic leadership issues, forensics and service learning and tournament assessment.

Conference Proceedings: National Developmental Conference On Individual Events, Daniel Cronn-Mills

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The Fourth NDC-IE conference occurred eleven years later in Peoria, Illinois. It was hosted by Bradley University in the summer of 2008. This NDC-IE included the largest attendance ever with a total of 93 participants. The topics discussed included: research, the role of a DOF, growth of programs, ethics in forensics, tournament administration, education/competitive duality, growth of the activity and debate and IE relationships.

Conference Proceedings: Third National Developmental Conference On Individual Events: Addressing Individual Events, Nfa Lincoln-Douglas Debate, & Npda Parliamentary Debate, Rice University, Houston, Texas, August 13-16, 1997, Shawnalee A. Whitney

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The Third NDC-IE conference occurred seven years later in Houston, Texas. It was hosted by Rice University and Tyler Junior College in the summer of 1997. A total of 40 participants met and addressed key issues such as judge training and tournament management. In addition, this NDC-IE was also marked by timely discussion of NPDA and NFA-LD.

Conference Proceedings Of The Second National Developmental Conference On Individual Events, Larry Schnoor, Vicki Karns

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The Second NDC-IE conference occurred two years later in Mankato, Minnesota in the summer of 1990. A total of 81 participants met to discuss topics such as new coaches, judge training, recruitment, community college programs, the AFA-NIET qualification process and ethical uses of evidence.

"It's Only A Hired": An Instructional Look At The Forensic Ballot, Kittie Grace

Speaker & Gavel

The judge’s ballot, within the forensic community, is used as an educational tool. Yet, the tool is often dismissed by the students it is designed to help (Choui-nard, 2010). College forensic competitors repeatedly discredit ballots, especially if they are written by a “hired,” or nontraditional, judge (Hanson, 1998b). Through a content analysis, this study identifies that ballots from both hired judges or non-traditional judges and traditional judges (coaches) provide “speech acts” that in-struct students about their performances (Austin, 1962, p. 5). This research looks at the specific speech act differences identified between nontraditional and tradi-tional judge messages. The analysis suggests …

Perspectives On Individual Events: Proceedings Of The First Developmental Conference On Individual Events, Larry Schnoor, Vicki Karns

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The First NDC-IE conference was held in Denver, Colorado in the summer of 1988. A total of 81 participants met for 3 days to regroup, reflect, and plan the future of forensics. By breaking into panel sessions for presentations and discussions the participants collaborated to reach consensus on guidelines for the future of the activity. The first NDC-IE included papers written on topics ranging from judge training to the role of graduate assistants to fostering better connections with high school programs to ethics in forensics. The conference concluded with a general business meeting where participants proposed resolutions for the forensics …

The Objectivity Of Debate Judges, Robert L. Scott

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

"The problem of securing competent judges of debate is always with us."' This statement is as true in 19J4 as it was in 1917 when Lew Sarett made it. At the turn of the century, however, important personages, governors and judges, for example, were invited or hired to sit as debate judges and to render their decisions. Today the average intercollegiate debate situation is the tournament debate. Two teams debate before a critic-judge, generally a coach from some other school entered in the tournament, who designates the "winning" team and who is often required to give oral or written criticisms …