3. Types of Assignments

Once you’ve identified your learning outcomes, have FUN considering the different ways that you can assess the extent to which your outcomes have been met. Think about what type of oral communication assignment will best help your students and you determine that the students have mastered those learning outcomes. Remember: oral communication assignments can be customized to not only meet your learning outcomes but also to fit within the scope of your field, limitations set by your class size and meeting times, available technology in your classroom, etc. In this module, we will explore:

Different types of oral competency assignments
5 helpful considerations to guide you in your choice of assignment
Stories from UT faculty about the kinds of assignments they use in their courses

Types of Oral Competency Assignments

There are myriad ways to assess your students’ mastery of your learning outcomes. In the table below, you will find ten oral competency assignments. The top row includes assignments that tend to be shorter, and although they would work well in any class size, they are particularly conducive for larger classes. The assignment types on the bottom row tend to take more time for each student or group of students to complete. These may work better in smaller classes. For those who teach online, Canvas can empower you and your students to engage with any of these types of assignments. Click on each box below to explore details of and additional resources for each assignment or download the PDF of the same information.

Impromptu

Almost all of us will have to engage in impromptu speaking in the workforce at some point or another, whether it is in a team meeting or an impromptu encounter with a supervisor or colleague. Impromptu speaking is a speech given on the spot with little to no preparation, yet almost always with some advance knowledge on the topic. Our friends at Forbes offer some insight into effective impromptu speaking.

3-Minute Thesis

Sometimes our students learn the jargon, but we’re not really sure they understand it all. What better way to check understanding and allow students to really own their research in your class than by having them explain it...to people with no background in your discipline? Developed by the University of Queensland, the 3-Minute Thesis® encourages students to offer a three-minute oral summary of their research to an audience of educated laypeople. Learn more about the 3-Minute Thesis, how to structure one in your class, and watch samples by visiting the University of Queensland. Check out UT-Austin's adapted layout and rules.

Elevator Pitch

Help students prepare to “pitch” themselves or an idea quickly and effectively. An elevator pitch is a quick synopsis of one's background and experience. People use them to create interest in a project, idea, or product –or in themselves. A good elevator pitch should last no longer than a short elevator ride of 20 to 30 seconds, hence the name. Read The Muse’s step-by-step guide to creating an effective elevator pitch, and check out advice from the pros over at Forbes.

Pecha Kucha

A lot of presentations try to cover too much content in too little time, and oftentimes that content is packed onto slides. How can we teach students to manage their time and content and use visual communication strategically? Enter Pecha Kucha. Pecha Kucha 20x20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images advance automatically, so you have to talk along to the images. Some UT faculty have adapted this assignment to fit time constraints of their class, so don’t be afraid to make it work for you! Learn more about Pecha Kucha, share an example with your students. This assignment is so popular, even Canvas has made a sample rubric for it. Still looking for great tips? Check out Wabisabi Learning’s historical overview and best practices of Pecha Kucha.

Sales Pitch

A sales pitch is an individual’s attempt to persuade their audience to buy or believe what they're offering. That offer might be the chance at another meeting, information on your product or service, or a personal pitch all about you. Teach your students the The 3-Part Formula For A Winning Sales Pitch(the set-up, the conflict, and the resolution) as an organizing schema for effective sales pitches. For more advice and tips on crafting sales pitches, How's Your One Minute Sales Pitch?

Informative

Speech

An informative speech is one that intends to educate the audience on a particular topic. If you can, show students videos of presentations your students have given in the past. If you don’t have such resources, you can share with students excellent sample speeches from Belmont Speech Lab. Watch and analyze the speeches together as a class using your own rubric to help make clear your expectations.

Persuasive

Speech

A persuasive speech is a specific type of speech in which the speaker has a goal of convincing the audience to accept their point of view. If you can, show students videos of presentations your students have given in the past. If you don’t have such resources, you can share with students excellent sample speeches from "https://www.youtube.com/user/BelmontSpeechLab/featured. Watch and analyze the speeches together as a class using your own rubric to help make clear your expectations.

Debate

One characteristic that is crucial for all citizens to have is the ability to engage in debate in a civil manner. A debate is a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints. James Madison provides support for faculty thinking through debate assignments. Proponents of debate across the curriculum argue that students respond to debate because it encourages them to think about the ways that they structure and present their arguments and pushes them to think more critically about others’ comments. For more information about research on debate in the classroom, see Bellon, 2000 and Goodwin, 2003.

Panel

Presentation

with Q&A

Help your students own their developing expertise by creating a panel discussion assignment. Add on a question-and-answer component to help both the panelists and the audience members learn to effectively ask and answer questions! Panel presentations occur throughout the academic, political, and business communities on a daily basis. These kinds of presentations can be formal or informal and occur at professional conferences, organized meetings, community town halls, and board meetings (to name a few). Panel presentations can help students develop confidence in responding to an audience’s questions. Award-winning author Kristin Arnold offers advice and shares a bonus powerful panelist tip sheet for panelists to help them prepare.

Ted Talk

TED Talks! You know the kind of talks so many academics are giving now (and even more are showing to their students in class)? TED, a non-profit organization, promotes the spreading of ideas by inviting people from all walks of life and disciplines to give talks on different subjects. There's no single formula for a great talk, but there is a secret ingredient that all the best ones have in common. TED curator Chris Anderson shares a video -along with four ways to make it work for you. TED Talks is also a great resource for advice from diverse professionals about the keys to making great presentations.

Features created with Design Tools (Links to an external site.) by Cidi Labs

5 Things to Consider When Crafting an Oral Communication Assignment

As you consider which oral communication assignment will help you assess students’ mastery of your learning outcomes, it’s important to think about the following:

Timing

Duration of presentation

Clear expectations

Opportunities for feedback

Sharing resources

Best Practices: Faculty Voices

What type of assignment(s) do you use to assess students’ oral competency? Watch the videos below to learn from UT faculty the best practices for communicating to students the importance of oral competency.

Dr. Keri Stephens (Associate Professor of Communication Studies)

“I don’t believe you can measure oral competency with one assignment. It actually takes multiple assignments, and you have to help them develop the skill overtime.” Dr. Stephens shares the series of exercises she uses in her class to help students get comfortable with and develop more effective oral competency skills…and she does it with 100 students. Watch her video to learn how she creates the space for so many students to practice oral communication.

Dr. Holli Temple (Clinical Assistant Professor in the Health Outcomes & Pharmacy Practice Division)

Dr. Temple developed three assignments to help her students become more comfortable with public speaking, and to empower them to learn to speak extemporaneously. Watch her video to learn how she assesses student oral competency.

Dr. Gwen Stovall (Assistant Professor of Practice, College of Natural Sciences)

Dr. Stovall uses a PowerPoint presentation as the means for her students to showcase their oral communication skills. She spends a good amount of time with her students exploring what constitutes a “good” presentation, and offers them opportunities to contribute to the development of the rubric that will be used during their presentations. Watch her video to learn how she assesses student oral competency.

Interested in a one-one consultation with an expert to review your communication assignment, rubric, or activities? Looking for a workshop on teaching oral competency? How about a Public Speaking 101 workshop for your students? Visit the Sanger Public Speaking Center webpage or send a message to: slc.speaking@austin.utexas.edu. Our team looks forward to empowering you and your students!