Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

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.

Mentoring Relationships And Programs: Applications To The Forensics Community, Cynthia R. Carver, Cindy Larson-Casselton

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Mentoring activities and programs have gained increasing attention and endorsement in a variety of business and academic areas. This paper proceeded with the premise that mentoring may possess untapped potential for the forensic community. Starting with a survey of experienced and novice coaches to assess the existence of and attitudes toward mentoring activities, the paper then moves to conclusions and recommendations for the expanded use of mentoring as a method to advance or promote our forensic coaches and judges.

When We Don't Know How To Get Where We're Going...Perhaps It's Time We Find A Map, Sharon Porter

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper will outline four issues that are indicative of the concerns of the forensic community. The lack of focus and the nonexistence of a clear line of responsibility between the American Forensic Association, the Speech Communication Association-Forensic Division and the Council of Forensic Organizations serve as impediments in accomplishing these and other goals. Since the restructuring of the forensic organizations offer promise for correcting these difficulties, guidelines for the restructuring process will be advanced. Finally, a possible model will be advocated which could bring about a more effective administrative structure for collegiate forensics.

Strategic Recruitment, Keith Denslow

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper suggests that the process of recruitment should be more closely examined. Examples of current methods of recruitment will be reviewed, a framework for a systematic recruitment campaign will be suggested, and practical techniques displayed.

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.

Helping The Inexperienced Director, Alice J. Jaswal

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper is not a research project or an experimental study. It is based on my own experiences, on discussions with I.E. directors who felt they lacked adequate training, and on discussions with "seasoned' directors who have aided new directors and new programs.

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 …

Perspectives Of A Forensic Coach's First Year, Nancy Anderson Haga

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Perspectives of Nancy Haga from Longwood College (VA) on becoming a first year forensic coach.

Conference Participants, Larry Schnoor, Vicki Karns

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

List of conference participants for the 1990 National Development Conference on Individual Events.

Conference Proceedings, Larry Schnoor, Vicki Karns

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Through-out the weekend, several different groups met to discuss the "state of Individual Events" an offer suggestions for the future. Each group developed a list of resolutions which was presented to the entire body at the end of the Conference. Since this group was not a legislative body, the resolutions were not presented as motions for voting; instead, they were offered as suggestions for the Forensic community. During the final session of the Developmental Conference on Individual Events, the following resolutions were endorsed by the participants in attendance.

Table Of Contents For The 1990 National Developmental Conference On Individual Events, Larry Schnoor, Vicki Karns

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Table of contents for Conference Proceedings for the Second National Developmental Conference on Individual Events.

If It's Problem-Cause-Solution This Must Be Persuasive Speaking: Are We Short-Changing The Art Of Persuasion?, Shawnalee A. Whitney

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of two significant challenges that exist in Persuasive Speaking on the competitive circuit today: narrow topics and overly formulaic patterns of organization. I've elected to focus my paper on the event alternately known in intercollegiate forensics as Persuasive Speaking, Persuasion, and/or Oratory. For purposes of this paper, I use these three different labels interchangeably; my use of one label or another does not indicate concerns about or allegiance to a particular forensic organization that may use a given title for the event. For clarity, it is important to note that …

Fisher's Narrative Paradigm Theory: A Model For Differentiating After Dinner Speaking From Informative And Persuasive Speaking, C. Thomas Preston Jr.

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

As Schnoor and Karns (1992) have noted, a great spirit of camaraderie and cooperation existed after the Second Developmental Conference on Individual Events concerning the direction of events (pp. 13-16). One of the questions posed at this conference, the authors note, was how to improve the original speaking events. At this the Third Developmental Conference, we ask the question, "How do we discover effective new directions in the original speaking events?" Today, my paper will assess both tried and innovative new directions in after dinner speaking, with a discussion of the other original speaking events as necessary for background material. …

New Directions For Public Speaking: The Perfect Pendulum Swings, M'Liss S. Hindman

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The author will present her personal and frank ideas of what she sees as a dangerous trend in public speaking events. A loose analogy of forensics to a swinging pendulum will first be explained. Then the author will explain what she sees as the current state of public speaking events, and finally, an attempt to predict some outcomes for the future of public speaking events and some suggestions for our consideration. The aim of this paper is to make us think: where are we in this quest for excellence in public speaking events? How did we get to where we …

Solving For A Healthier Future: Creating National Standards For Training Future Directors Of Forensics, Thomas A. Workman

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

An important link has been made in current research between coach burnout and improper training of directors of forensics. Although the structure for such training is in place via the graduate programs of universities offering forensics, this arena has been underutilized. A competency-based model of training is presented utilizing both curricular and non-curricular methods. Six competency areas are established, with a call for national standards toward the development of future coaches by those programs with graduate assistantships in forensics.

Teaching And Coaching Individuals: The Use Of Learning Styles In Forensics Coaching, Thomas Bartl

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

When I ask myself how to approach the issue of training coaches in competitive speech and debate, I find myself posing a different question. It seems that before I can ascertain what could or should be done to train coaches effectively or to train effective coaches I need to know what it is these coaches are expected to do. The answer to this question must then determine what kind of training would be appropriate.

Afa-Niet: The Culture Of Qualifying And Its Effets On Forensics, Daniel A. West

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

It is my concern that we have created a culture that is primarily focused on qualifying for a national tournament rather than on the pursuit of excellence in performance. This "culture of qualifying" is just like any other culture: it has norms, rules and rituals. It has expected behaviors and offers rewards to those who meet those expectations and punishments to those who don't. When this "culture of qualifying" replaces or supersedes other missions or goals of forensics competition, the following three problems result.

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 …

Equal Opportunity?: The Impact Of Specialized Tournaments On Forensics Pedagogy, Forensics Professionals, And The Forensics Laboratory, Scott Jensen

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Among the most significant changes in the evolution of forensic activities has been the growth of specialized participation, with students, educators, and programs focusing on debate or individual events. The manifestations of this specialization are seen in the decreasing number of tournaments offering opportunities for students to compete in both categories of competition. While some preservation of broad-based participation is seen with the growing popularity of parliamentary formats, the move away from broad-based participation is clear. This trend is argued to be alarming due to its negative impact on forensics pedagogy, the training of forensics educators, and the forensics laboratory. …

Forensics Education And Tournament Management, Joel Hefling

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

When one thinks about managing a forensics tournament, frequently the components of that process that come to mind are the tasks of scheduling rooms, securing judges, ordering trophies and food, scheduling the rounds and getting through the awards ceremony as quickly and easily as possible. As the time draws nearer for the tournament to begin, there may be some details that escape the director's attention. At this time, the tournament director may become painfully aware of the admonitions presented by Hunsinger, Terry, and Wood (1970) when they point out that the director "... should not try to do everything by …

Presumption In Parliamentary Debate: Examining Whately's Ideas And Their Application To An Emerging And Evolving Debate Style, Tammy Duvanel Unruh

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Presumption as a part of formal debate is examined in this paper, which discusses Richard Whately's ideas about presumption and burden of proof in argumentation, how these ideas have been applied as paradigms and judging criteria in competitive debate, and how these same ideas fit into the practice of parliamentary debate. General conclusions about broad applications of debate "rules" are drawn, then, from this example, and suggestions are made for future study.

Forensics Fellows: Integrating Faculty Participation Into Intercollegiate Parliamentary Debate Programs, Lewis E. Rutledge

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

There are important benefits to integrating non-forensics faculty into assisting with the instruction and training of intercollegiate parliamentary debaters. These benefits may also spill over into individual events in a limited way. Parliamentary debate, if done well, requires that debaters have a broad based education covering many diverse disciplines, especially philosophy, history and political science, and of course a familiarity with current national and international events. Enlisting the aid of non-forensics professors from various departments to provide occasional mini-lectures on diverse topics can help improve this broad-based education. Additionally, there are other unique benefits to encouraging non-forensics faculty members to …

Maintaining The Status Quo: Recommendations For Preserving Public Argument In Parliamentary Debate, Steven L. Johnson

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Accompanied by praise and criticism, the growth of parliamentary debate in recent years has been exponential. As Robert Trapp, current President of the National Parliamentary Debate Association points out in his May 28, 1997 letter to the membership of the NPDA, "(f)rom 1994 to 1997, our Championship Tournament has grown from just over fifty teams to almost four times as many. Measured in numerical terms, the NPDA is a healthy infant." Given this growth, a discussion of the future of parliamentary debate seems appropriate.

Regardless of one's perspective of what parliamentary debate is, much has been written about what parliamentary …

Developing Functional Standards As A Means To Greater Accessibility In Nfa-Ld, John M. Devine

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

A consistent theme of debate league innovation and alternatives has been the attempt at an increased focus on "substantive" argument along with increased accessibility to the activity. The National Forensic Association's Lincoln-Douglas Debate (NFA-LD) is one of the more recent responses to the desire for an event which promotes topic specific argumentation, at a reasonable rate of delivery, which is accessible to students with no formal debate experience. NFA-LD's approach provides a reference point for examining the interaction of the league and event structure in the context of the desire for less speed, more substance, and, more accessibility.

The argument …

Returning To Our Roots: A New Direction For Oral Interpretation, Trischa Knapp

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The text is dead--but not in some twist of Postmodern logic. Rather, an examination of current competitive oral interpretation practices reveals that, indeed, the text is dead in competitive forensics. Many texts in oral interpretation have been sacrificed to the idea of "theme" as witnessed by the recent trend toward interweaving different pieces of literature that revolve around a central theme. This practice involves dividing multiple pieces of literature to create, essentially, a new whole since no one piece retains its sense of completeness. Interweaving literature flies in the face of traditional oral interpretation practices, not just in the realm …

Challenging The Conventions Of Oral Interpretation, Christopher S. Aspdal

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The forensic community is currently facing many difficult challenges. Many stigmas have been placed in the world of oral interpretation. The nature of oral interpretation is to educate students through the use of literature. Regardless of the literature used, students have the ability to grow from this material. However, we as coaches and judges have taken a more negative approach to this concept. Words such as recycle and trite have taken the place of more important words like education and research.

It is important for us to look at the reasons why we have taken this approach to oral interpretation …

Creating An Individual Events Judging Philosophy, Jeff Przybylo

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

What is an I.E. Judging Philosophy? It is a series of written statements concerning how the judge views Individual Events in general, variables in each events, and views concerning decision-making. It is a tool that judges, coaches, and graduate assistants can use to develop their views and attitudes concerning judging criteria. In addition, it can serve as a discussion starter for forensics classes, conferences, and graduate assistant training sessions. It is not intended to be shared with competitors ( as in debate).

Creating Space For The Physically Challenged Competitor In Individual Events, David L. Kosloski

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Recently I have written about the challenges of creating a space for physically challenged students in individual events competition (Kosloski, 1994). My research suggests that attitudes and inexperience among coaches and critics are preventing the total integration of physically challenged students into the forensics activity. Many coaches have admitted that while they will not discourage students with disabilities from participating in forensics, certain barriers make such participation difficult, if not impossible. These barriers include budget constraints, building/room accessibility, transportation, peer rejection, and judging concerns, among others. While increasing gender and minority diversity in forensics has recently been given much needed …