Title
Using Impromptu Speeches to Improve Course Engagement and Communication Skills
Session Type
Individual Paper/ Presentation (generally grouped with 2-3 others into a 75 minute session)
Topic
Innovative Teaching Strategies
Session Abstract
The skill of speaking clearly and concisely with short preparation is important. Yet, most of our efforts to improve college students’ oral communication skills fall short of helping them to prepare for the type of daily communications they will have as community and corporate leaders. Instead of assuming that individual or group PowerPoint presentations will contribute to this kind of impromptu speaking skills, we suggest assigning impromptu speeches.
Impromptu speeches have been used in a variety of educational contexts to improve students' oral communication skills. They are typically designed to allow students 2-3 minutes to prepare for a 3-6 minute speech on a topic that is personally relevant or familiar (e.g.. "What I did last summer"). Positive outcomes include improved confidence and lower state-related communication anxiety.
In this presentation, we will demonstrate how we use impromptu speeches, over the course of a semester, to improve unrehearsed communications by students, while simultaneously increasing students’ engagement with the weekly course material. In short, students must prepare to be called on for an impromptu speech on any day of class and the instructor’s prompt will ask them to relate the course content for the day to something of relevance in the recent news, popular media, or their own life. We will provide instructions regarding how to prepare students for impromptu speeches, what to expect from student performance across the semester, sample prompts, the use of video recording for reflection, examples of both good and bad speeches, and feedback from students about the experience.
Keywords
Communication, Engagement, Impromptu Speech
Location
DiGiorgio Campus Center 220
Start Date
6-2-2016 1:30 PM
Using Impromptu Speeches to Improve Course Engagement and Communication Skills
DiGiorgio Campus Center 220
The skill of speaking clearly and concisely with short preparation is important. Yet, most of our efforts to improve college students’ oral communication skills fall short of helping them to prepare for the type of daily communications they will have as community and corporate leaders. Instead of assuming that individual or group PowerPoint presentations will contribute to this kind of impromptu speaking skills, we suggest assigning impromptu speeches.
Impromptu speeches have been used in a variety of educational contexts to improve students' oral communication skills. They are typically designed to allow students 2-3 minutes to prepare for a 3-6 minute speech on a topic that is personally relevant or familiar (e.g.. "What I did last summer"). Positive outcomes include improved confidence and lower state-related communication anxiety.
In this presentation, we will demonstrate how we use impromptu speeches, over the course of a semester, to improve unrehearsed communications by students, while simultaneously increasing students’ engagement with the weekly course material. In short, students must prepare to be called on for an impromptu speech on any day of class and the instructor’s prompt will ask them to relate the course content for the day to something of relevance in the recent news, popular media, or their own life. We will provide instructions regarding how to prepare students for impromptu speeches, what to expect from student performance across the semester, sample prompts, the use of video recording for reflection, examples of both good and bad speeches, and feedback from students about the experience.
