Appendix 1: Developed Assignments
February 2014
Using Story in Public Speaking
This assignment was developed as an attempt to engage our online students. We believe as a team (and I believe personally) that excellent public speaking is based in story. Human culture has an excellent tradition of oral story telling, and we so often talk about oral story telling as somethign that is long passed. However, we tell each other stories on a daily basis. In this mini-assignment, I chose to focus on one kind of story with a purpose - jokes. Students learn the difference between relating new material, and they learn how to practice that material without memorizing the words and the intonation.
Concept and Instructions by Rebekah Lane
Editing, formatting, and supplemental instructions by Alex Rister
NarrativePresentation_FEB_2014.pdf
October 2013
Creating Group Practice in the Online Environment
This is an assignment I developed to facilitate both practice and camaraderie in the online classroom. Those of us who teach public speaking know that there is a lot on anxiety attached to this class. We also know that students who take the class online exhibit some of the highest levels of communication apprehension. This is only intensified by the anonymity of the online classroom. Assigning students group practice mimicks some of the classroom activities and encourages students to get to know eachother. It helps them develop a support system.
Topic: Getting to know your Peers and Delivery Practice
Version 1:
Concept, Instructions, and Formatting by Rebekah Lane
GoogleHangouts_Meeting_Assignment.pdf
Version 2 (February 2014):
Updated content and Instructions by Rebekah Lane
Formatted and Edited by Alex Rister