Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

A Basic Investment In Mercy: Problematizing Assessment In The Basic Course, Kate Swartz

Basic Communication Course Annual

This essay addresses the assessment aspect of the Basic Course; namely, it problematizes our reliance as instructors on traditional grading schema that interfere with our students’ best interests. I address this problem with a mercy-centered approach that uses an ungrading assessment method. In doing so, I acknowledge potential issues with this approach as well as argue for its expanded use as a merciful, beneficial way to provide feedback.

Assessment ‘Responsabilities’ In The Basic Course: Evaluating Public Speaking Rubrics, Miranda N. Rouse

Basic Communication Course Annual

Procedures and practices that are ableist in the educational system have been long overlooked. Speakers having differing abilities than neurotypical or able-bodied individuals is often not something that is considered in basic course assessment tools. This is important to address because although there are institutional policies and procedures in place to help students with differing abilities, instructors of public speaking have the autonomy or power to determine how such accommodations will affect the speech grade determined by the assessment tool. Power relations are significantly complicated in educational settings when strict hierarchies are imposed, and when instructors abuse their authority, which …

Securing The Right Skills: A Longitudinal Assessment Of College Students’ Writing And Public Speaking Self-Efficacy, T. Kody Frey, Jessalyn I. Vallade

Basic Communication Course Annual

This research investigated the developmental patterns of students’ writing and public-speaking self-efficacy throughout their experience in the basic communication course (BCC). Questions were posed regarding (a) whether students grew in their reported writing and public speaking self-efficacy over two semesters, (b) whether growth differed based on biological sex, and (c) whether affinity and apprehension (as sources of performance self-efficacy) played a role in student growth. Two multilevel models revealed significant differences in students’ initial status and rate of growth for each outcome. Specifically, sex, affinity, and apprehension influenced students’ starting positions in the course, while only apprehension had a significant …

The Shakedown Of Warm-Ups: An Assessment Of Pre-Speech Exercises' Impact On Public Speaking Anxiety, Joshua Westwick, Kelli J. Chromey, Karla Larson Hunter, Andrea Carlile

Speaker & Gavel

Academics have suggested that the use of warm-up exercises like those used by forensics competitors before a competition may reduce students’ public speaking anxiety (PSA). However, little empirical work has assessed these anecdotal claims. Thus, to assess the impact of using warm-up exercises in the foundational course, we developed and tested a uniform warm-up protocol for students enrolled in our standardized, multi-section public speaking course. This study sought to discover whether students who engaged in physical and vocal function exercises prior to speech delivery would have lower speaking anxiety over the course of the semester than students in the control …

Thriving Instead Of Surviving: The Role Of The Reasoned Action Model In Assessing The Basic Course, Michael E. Burns, Kristen L. Farris, Mark Paz, Sean Dyhre

Basic Communication Course Annual

The current study investigates the use of the reasoned action model (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010) as an assessment tool for the basic communication course. Specifically, this study examines how attitude towards behaviors, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence students’ behavioral intentions to use communication behaviors taught in the basic course outside of class. In addition to the stated variables in the reasoned action model, this study also examines how knowledge gain influences behavioral intention. Data was collected from 2,228 students enrolled in a basic communication course at a large southwestern university, and a random sample of 666 students was …

A 14-Year Empirical Analysis Of Undergraduates’ Pre- And Post-Test Scores In Three Introductory Communication Courses: Lessons Learned For Pedagogy And Assessment, Sherwyn P. Morreale, Pamela S. Shockley-Zalabak, Barbara Gaddis, Janice Thorpe M.A., Constance M. Staley, Erica Allgood

Basic Communication Course Annual

Conducting long-term assessment of the impact of students’ participation in introductory communication courses is an important endeavor for enhancing pedagogy and understanding the contribution of communication instruction to the student experience. This 14-year study reports data from a campus-wide assessment program extending from 2004 to 2018. The study analyzed a large sample of undergraduate students’ self-reported pre- and post-test scores on critical variables related to student outcomes in three introductory communication courses. The variables examined were demographic characteristics, self-esteem and communication apprehension in both the public speaking course and the business communication course, and self-esteem and willingness to communicate in …

The Impact Of Communication Center Visits On Students’ Performance And Engagement, Nate S. Brophy, Adebanke Loveth Adebayo, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study sought to empirically evaluate the extent to which visiting the communication center before delivering the first major speech in an introductory communication course improved students’ academic performance and engagement. A total of 262 students were included in this study, half of whom visited the communication center prior to their first speech, and half of whom did not. Between-subjects MANOVAs showed that students who visited the communication center had significantly higher speech grades, course grades, and attendance than students who did not. Likewise, those who visited the communication center also had higher levels of behavioral and cognitive engagement, but …

The Peoria Recommendations: Suggestions On Promotion, Tenure And Evaluation For Directors Of Forensics, Michael Dreher

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This document, therefore, seeks to strike a balance between prescriptive and descriptive. While departments and institutions vary as far as standards of evaluation, tenure, and promotion are concerned, this document seeks to advance the work of former and current forensic educators such as Ann Burnett, MaryAnn Danielson, Tom Workman, David Williams and Joe Gantt to raise the kinds of questions that directors (and assistant directors) should ask of themselves and their programs, and to suggest questions that should be asked of forensics professionals 2 when it comes to their evaluation. In that light, these recommendations serve both to further the …

Resolutions, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Larry Schnoor

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Includes:

• What are Our Goals as Forensics Educators for the Public Speaking Events?
• Overview of Director of Forensics and Burnout
• A Pedagogical Reframing of the Ballot
• Changing the structure of the ballot
• Scheduling Tournaments
• Lincoln Douglas Scheduling
• Redistricting the AFA-NIET
• Culture of Qualification for the AFA-NIET
• Forensics and Service Learning and Community
• Service Learning
• Forensics/Assessment
• Community
• What are Our Goals as Forensics Educators for the Oral Interpretation Events?
• Resolved: The performance of literature events be re-categorized as follows
• Forensic Leadership
• Possible Assessment Tools

Assessment In Forensics: It's A Dirty Job But We Need To Do It!, Kittie Grace

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Cognitive, affective, and behavioral assessment are all necessary measures to understanding the effectiveness of any collegiate major or forensics team. As the Director of Forensics at Hastings College, I use all three measures to assess the strength of the current program and to track trends regarding the team. This discussion focuses on presenting different ways to assess your programs to increase depart-mental and institutional support for your forensics pro-grams.

Founding Practice: Examining Intercollegiate Competition As Assessment, Brendan B. Kelly

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Intercollegiate forensics is, at its core, a form of teaching. Like other pedagogical elements within higher education, the practice is now, and will increasingly be, subject to institutional assessment requirements in higher education. The conventional argument that the evaluation processes inherent in intercollegiate forensics competition will demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching and learning in forensics pedagogy is false. The assessment practices within the frame-work of competitions are part of the teaching processes. Forensics pedagogy, therefore, must align itself with institutional assessment components. This essay argues for the roots of that alignment to be tied to an academic learning compact that …

The Bloomington Recommendations: Improving Forensic Leadership By Continuing The Conversation On Evaluating The Forensics Professional, Michael Dreher

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper seeks to both provide structure and formalization to the process of assessment, as well as to answer the question, "Is it possible to run a 'successful' program that’s not based in competitive success?" These recommendations serve both as a companion document and as an expansion of the recommendations previously made with regard to promotion and tenure (Dreher, 2010). The Peoria Recommendations dealt with questions to be asked of all forensic educators, documentation of teaching, research, and service, and questions to be asked by internal and external reviewers, and are summarized in appendix 1. This paper will provide further …

Accreditation Criteria And Forensics: Essential Principles For Directors Of Forensics, Deano Pape

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Assessment pressures abound for all institutions of higher learning. During her tenure as Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings frequently called for transparency and greater accountability in our colleges and universities. This paper review each of the criteria for accreditation established by the Higher Learning Commission, putting our teams and events to the test to determine our activity's ability to meet each of the criteria and contribute to our academic mission, vision, and objectives. The skills and knowledge derived from forensics, in particular the limited preparation events, provide evidence of engaging and challenging our students and creating effective learning environments for …

Measuring Essential Learning Outcomes For Public Speaking, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Karla M. Hunter, Joshua N. Westwick, Angela Hosek, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, John Hooker, Lindsey B. Anderson

Basic Communication Course Annual

Basic Course Directors (BCDs) are typically expected to assess course learning outcomes, but few formal guidelines and resources exist for new BCDs. As one part of a larger multi-methodological assessment tool development project, this manuscript maps existing quantitative measures onto the six essential competencies and associated learning outcomes established by the Social Science Research Council Panel on Public Speaking. This manuscript compiles dozens of measurement resources, aligned by outcome, and also identifies areas where future assessment measures development is needed. While there are many measures available for evaluating outcomes related to creating messages, critically analyzing messages, and demonstrating self-efficacy, there …

Anxiety And Communication Competence In The Honors Basic Public Speaking Course: An Intervention And Formative Assessment, Joshua N. Westwick, Karla M. Hunter, Barbara A. Kleinjan

Basic Communication Course Annual

This case study examines the effectiveness of a formative assessment intervention in an honors section of a basic public speaking course. Previous research has found significantly higher levels of public speaking anxiety among honors students than among non-honors students and has therefore identified these students as a population at risk for high public speaking anxiety (PSA). As a result, this analysis tested a one-hour tutoring session designed not only to aid students in maximizing learning outcomes for the first speech of the course, but, subsequently, to enhance markers of student development through reduced PSA and increased self-perceived communication competence (SPCC). …

Experiential Learning And The Basic Communication Course: A New Path To Assessing Forensic Learning Outcomes, Ben Walker

Speaker & Gavel

Scholars have often touted the educational benefits of forensics (e.g.: Bartanen, 1998; Beasley, 1979; Brownlee, 1979; Ehninger, 1952; Gartell, 1973; Jensen, 2008; McBath, 1975; Millsap, 1998; Schroeder & Schroeder, 1995; Stenger, 1999; Yaremchuk, 1979). Critics, most notably Burnett, Brand, and Meister (2003), have argued forensics is only a competitive game with the idea of education used as a crutch to uphold the activity in the eyes of schools. While attempting to counter critics, many forensic educators have scrambled to find proof of student learning. Besides theoretical approaches to potential learning methods (e.g., Dreibelbis & Gullifor, 1992; Friedley, 1992; Sellnow, Littlefield, …

Identifying Teaching Effectiveness: Using Student Skill Surveys, Speech Evaluations, And Quiz Scores To Inform Instruction, Sally A. Blomstrom

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This paper suggests an instrument for measuring students’ self perceptions of improvement in public speaking skills, i.e., a skill survey, and a method to inform and improve instruction by looking at results from that survey in combination with instructor evaluation forms for persuasive speeches, quiz scores, and an information literacy measure. Data were collected from students enrolled in a public speaking course at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Background on the survey development and the method is provided along with results and discussion.

Assessing The Public Speaking Course, Roberta Freeman

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

College and high school speech communication instructors know full well how tedious and timeconsuming assessment can be; however, this instructor has found a way to make assessment a more efficient and meaningful tool identifying strengths and weaknesses within the public speaking curriculum. After five years of extensive research, several drafts of rubrics and artifacts, the process has been streamlined and successful in that the data compiled reflects the strengths and challenges of this instructor’s students. This article is intended to provide public speaking instructors the opportunity to replicate part of the Minnesota State Community & Technical College (M State) speech …

Promoting Informed Decision-Making: The Role Of Message Structure, Clifford Scherer, Katherine Mccomas, Napoleon Juanillo Jr., Lisa Pelstring

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors analyze two empirical explorations of relationships between the composition of risk message and critical thinking within audiences.

An Evaluation Of Debate..., Donald O. Olson

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

No abstract provided.