ASSESSING ORAL CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS DAVID W. KALE, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION, MVNU.

ASSESSING ORAL ASSESSING ORAL CLASSROOM CLASSROOM

PRESENTATIONSPRESENTATIONS

DAVID W. KALE, PH.D.DAVID W. KALE, PH.D.

PROFESSOR OF PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION, MVNUCOMMUNICATION, MVNU

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVESWORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

That you will have a fuller understanding of That you will have a fuller understanding of effective communication principles;effective communication principles;

That you will have a rubric to use in assessing That you will have a rubric to use in assessing oral presentations in your classes.oral presentations in your classes.

You will have practiced using the rubric with You will have practiced using the rubric with some actual classroom presentations.some actual classroom presentations.

You will have seen how the presentations would You will have seen how the presentations would have been scored in a Public Speaking class.have been scored in a Public Speaking class.

You will see how to adapt the rubric for your You will see how to adapt the rubric for your unique classroom situation.unique classroom situation.

WORKSHOP OUTLINEWORKSHOP OUTLINE

Principles of effective oral communicationPrinciples of effective oral communication IntroductionIntroduction Body of the presentationBody of the presentation ConclusionConclusion Supporting materialSupporting material LanguageLanguage DeliveryDelivery

PRINCIPLESPRINCIPLES

1.1. Written communication needs to be ultimately Written communication needs to be ultimately intelligible; oral communication needs to be intelligible; oral communication needs to be instantaneously intelligible.instantaneously intelligible.

2.2. Not only should we ask whether a presentation Not only should we ask whether a presentation can be understood; we also need to ask can be understood; we also need to ask whether it can be misunderstood.whether it can be misunderstood.

3.3. Listeners can process spoken English at a rate Listeners can process spoken English at a rate at least three times faster than most people at least three times faster than most people speak.speak.

PRINCIPLESPRINCIPLES

4. Two days after an oral presentation, 4. Two days after an oral presentation, listeners remember at most 25% of what listeners remember at most 25% of what was in the presentation.was in the presentation.

5. The good news is that the speaker can 5. The good news is that the speaker can have some control over the content of have some control over the content of that 25%.that 25%.

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

There are three general purposes for an There are three general purposes for an introduction.introduction.

1. To introduce the topic to the 1. To introduce the topic to the audience;audience;

2. To stimulate the audience’s interest in 2. To stimulate the audience’s interest in the topic;the topic;

3. To let the audience know how the 3. To let the audience know how the speaker intends to develop the topic.speaker intends to develop the topic.


If you had to condense the whole If you had to condense the whole presentation into a single sentence, what presentation into a single sentence, what would that sentence be? That sentence would that sentence be? That sentence should occur several times in the should occur several times in the presentation and first of all in the presentation and first of all in the introduction.introduction.

Sometimes, with controversial topics, the Sometimes, with controversial topics, the thesis sentence is left until later in the thesis sentence is left until later in the presentation.presentation.


The introduction should answer the The introduction should answer the question, “Why should I exert the energy it question, “Why should I exert the energy it takes to shut out all that I have on my takes to shut out all that I have on my mind and pay attention to what you have mind and pay attention to what you have to say?”to say?”

BODY OF THE SPEECHBODY OF THE SPEECH

The purpose of the speech’s body is to The purpose of the speech’s body is to develop the thesis. develop the thesis.

Major points should be very obvious and Major points should be very obvious and clearly related to the thesis.clearly related to the thesis.

In a longer presentation, the body should In a longer presentation, the body should contain an internal summary to (1) review contain an internal summary to (1) review for the listener what has already been for the listener what has already been covered and (2) forecast what is to come.covered and (2) forecast what is to come.


The thesis is so important in a speech that The thesis is so important in a speech that there should be no content, no jokes, no there should be no content, no jokes, no asides, etc., that are not clearly related to asides, etc., that are not clearly related to it. This is how we try to be sure our thesis it. This is how we try to be sure our thesis ends up in the 25% of the presentation ends up in the 25% of the presentation that the audience remembers.that the audience remembers.

It helps the listener if a clear pattern ties It helps the listener if a clear pattern ties together all major points.together all major points.


Perhaps the major points are organized by Perhaps the major points are organized by time, by space, cause-effect, problem-time, by space, cause-effect, problem-solution, etc.solution, etc.

Sometimes the order is topical in nature Sometimes the order is topical in nature such as the major components of a such as the major components of a successful marketing campaign.successful marketing campaign.

A really top-notch presentation will have A really top-notch presentation will have transitions between the major points.transitions between the major points.


An effective transition (1) reviews previous An effective transition (1) reviews previous material, (2) forecasts what is to come and material, (2) forecasts what is to come and (3) shows how the two relate to the thesis.(3) shows how the two relate to the thesis.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

Many presentations just come to an end Many presentations just come to an end after the last major point has been after the last major point has been developed and don’t really have a developed and don’t really have a conclusion. That shouldn’t happen.conclusion. That shouldn’t happen.

Speakers who do this pass up another Speakers who do this pass up another important opportunity to influence what important opportunity to influence what turns up in the 25%.turns up in the 25%.


Effective conclusions can occur in a Effective conclusions can occur in a variety of forms.variety of forms.

1. The conclusion can be a review of the 1. The conclusion can be a review of the major points with an emphasis on the major points with an emphasis on the thesis.thesis.

2. The conclusion could give an 2. The conclusion could give an application of principles discussed in the application of principles discussed in the presentation.presentation.


3. Another effective ending is to tell a story 3. Another effective ending is to tell a story which serves as an example of the major which serves as an example of the major ideas developed in the presentation.ideas developed in the presentation.

4. What ever is done in the conclusion, it is 4. What ever is done in the conclusion, it is a very critical point at which the speaker a very critical point at which the speaker can make his/her presentation truly can make his/her presentation truly memorable for the audience.memorable for the audience.


Who can forget “until day when all God’s Who can forget “until day when all God’s children will be able to say in the words of children will be able to say in the words of the old Negro Spiritual, ‘free at last, free at the old Negro Spiritual, ‘free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last’”?last’”?

SUPPORTING MATERIALSUPPORTING MATERIAL

Supporting material has three major roles Supporting material has three major roles to play with regard to the ideas and major to play with regard to the ideas and major points of the presentation:points of the presentation: To help the listeners understand them;To help the listeners understand them; To help the listeners remember them; andTo help the listeners remember them; and To get the listener to accept them, particularly To get the listener to accept them, particularly

in a persuasive presentation. in a persuasive presentation.


It is so tempting for presenters to tell It is so tempting for presenters to tell stories they think are funny or engaging, stories they think are funny or engaging, but have no direct bearing on the thesis or but have no direct bearing on the thesis or topic of the presentation. Don’t let them topic of the presentation. Don’t let them get away with that.get away with that.

Presenters should also be held Presenters should also be held accountable to giving the sources of their accountable to giving the sources of their information. information.


Effective supporting material is necessary Effective supporting material is necessary to manage the audience’s attention. An to manage the audience’s attention. An endless stream of statistics or facts and endless stream of statistics or facts and figures is not going to keep your audience figures is not going to keep your audience focused on the presentation.focused on the presentation.

A mixture of expert opinion, statistics, A mixture of expert opinion, statistics, specific instances and anecdotes is specific instances and anecdotes is necessary to hold the audience’s attention.necessary to hold the audience’s attention.


With each major point, ask yourself:With each major point, ask yourself:

1. Did the student fully develop that point?1. Did the student fully develop that point? 2. Did the student show how that point 2. Did the student show how that point

was related to the thesis?was related to the thesis? 3. Did the student show how that point 3. Did the student show how that point

related to the other points in the related to the other points in the presentation?presentation?

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

There is a lot of difference between written There is a lot of difference between written language and spoken language. language and spoken language.

As we said at the beginning, spoken language As we said at the beginning, spoken language has to be instantaneously intelligible.has to be instantaneously intelligible.

Effective presenters learn how to create pictures Effective presenters learn how to create pictures with words.with words.

We tell students their language should be We tell students their language should be conversational within a professional manner of conversational within a professional manner of presentation.presentation.

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

Like, and, uh, you know and stuff like that.Like, and, uh, you know and stuff like that. I am sure that one of these days a I am sure that one of these days a

students in public speaking is going to students in public speaking is going to come up with something like that believing come up with something like that believing that it is really a sentence that has that it is really a sentence that has meaning.meaning.

Hold students accountable for Hold students accountable for grammatically correct, clear, concise grammatically correct, clear, concise language.language.

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

““She could care less”She could care less” ““Everybody didn’t make the team.”Everybody didn’t make the team.”

DELIVERYDELIVERY

When the great Greek orator, When the great Greek orator, Demosthenes, was asked what were the Demosthenes, was asked what were the three most important ingredients to great three most important ingredients to great oratory, he said, “Delivery, delivery and oratory, he said, “Delivery, delivery and delivery.”delivery.”

When we talk of delivery we are referring When we talk of delivery we are referring to tone of voice, eye contact, facial to tone of voice, eye contact, facial expression, rate of speech, use of expression, rate of speech, use of gestures, pronunciation and articulation.gestures, pronunciation and articulation.

DELIVERYDELIVERY

When students say “revelant” for “relevant”, that When students say “revelant” for “relevant”, that is a pronunciation problem.is a pronunciation problem.

When we don’t hear the “t” at the end of “Jesus When we don’t hear the “t” at the end of “Jesus Christ”, that is an articulation problem.Christ”, that is an articulation problem.

When we had the professors of the When we had the professors of the Communication department rate to the speeches Communication department rate to the speeches on the DVD, we had the most differences on on the DVD, we had the most differences on delivery. We had very similar assessments in delivery. We had very similar assessments in the other areas.the other areas.

PRACTICEPRACTICE

Now you are going to see some actual Now you are going to see some actual presentations students made in the Public presentations students made in the Public Speaking class.Speaking class.

All students whose speeches we are using All students whose speeches we are using have given us permission to use the have given us permission to use the speeches in training faculty.speeches in training faculty.

Let’s get on with our practice!Let’s get on with our practice!

ASSESSING ORAL CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS DAVID W. KALE, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION, MVNU.

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