Sample Informative Unit Discussion Board Questions

Your instructor may assign these questions in the Discussion Area

MN State Transfer Pathway Learning Outcomes for Public Speaking

Students should be able to:

1.1 Demonstrate appropriate topic selection, audience analysis, organization, and content development in a speaker-audience setting.

1.2 Create and perform informative and persuasive messages.

1.3 Practice effective verbal and nonverbal delivery techniques that are well suited to the occasion and audience.

1.4 Utilize appropriate research strategies to discover and ethically integrate supporting materials from diverse sources and points of view.

1.5 Demonstrate the ability to listen, analyze, and provide feedback on public discourse.

Informative Speech Unit Discussion #1: SAMPLE

This week you’ll post a class survey for your Informative Speech and take each other’s surveys.

Start: Look over the sample discussion post. Note this week you will post your Informative Speech survey (see samples).

The discussion posting should not take long unless you do not have a speech topic. If you do not have a topic, please contact your instructor ASAP. Generally, it will take 1 hour to read the materials, and 20 minutes to complete the discussion post that is just posting your survey this week. You will, later, need to reply to all your peers which will take around 30-45 minutes. However, each reply can be brief. You may opt to use an “anonymous” reply for privacy. You may opt not to take a survey if you feel it is too personal; you can add “opt out” to your reply if that is the case.

Read:

• Read the Informative Speech assignment sheet in the content area, noting the audience analysis guidelines and sample.
• Read Chapter on Audience Analysis
  • o PowerPoint on Audience Analysis
  • Read Chapter 15 –  Informative Speaking
  • o PowerPower Point on Informative Speaking from the public speaking project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arj4EudbbZ8
  • o PowerPoint on Informative Speaking by Thomas Damp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYFdVDBWjTI

Practice: There are sample speeches and sample outlines, please review these resources. In the sample outlines, notice how the students constructed their surveys and how they used the results to adapt to a specific audience.

Do:  Complete the Discussion Post as Follows, and then you can begin researching your speech sources for next week.

ORIGINAL POST (Due Wednesday @ 11:59 pm) (about 3 paragraphs or 250 words)

Speech 3 is an informative speech on a topic of your choice. The key to well-adapted speeches is “knowing your audience.”  Also, you should avoid “predictable” topics where we all have a strong knowledge already. Try to put your own spin on the topics. Also, remember to avoid developing a topic in an area that is more controversial or persuasive.

Post 3 questions related to your topic as outlined below (note, you will use our feedback in your audience analysis report due with the Informative Speech), including:

1. One “fixed response question” which is like a yes or no question…

Or, ask another type of fixe response question such as, “how many times have you ____:”

• Never ___
• Only every so often ___
• 1 x a day ___
• 2 x a day ___
• 3 x a day ___
• 4 x (or more) a day

2. One “Likert Scale” question which measures the strength of a response on a “scale” concerning your speech topic.

On a scale of 1-5 which do you most agree with this statement: _______
strongly disagree 1 2 3 4 5 strongly agree

3. One open question (make sure that this is open, not closed). It can take the form of:

“What, if anything, should we do about ….”

Please post your survey by Wednesday, at 11:59 p.m.

REPLIES TO 3 PEERS (Due Sunday @ 11:59 pm)
By Sunday, please post feedback to all of your peers who posted on time.

Please answer as many of your classmates’ surveys as possible by Sunday, at 11:59 pm. If there is a survey that you feel is too personal, please note that or email me. You can post anonymously if you would like. If you do, I might not know if you posted, so just send me an email.

Reflect: Look back at the responses your classmates made. You can begin your audience analysis report for the Informative Speech. This will help you reflect upon how they might share your viewpoint, disagree, or perhaps not know much about the topic. Consider concrete ways you can use this information to best adapt your informative speech to your audience.

Informative Speech Unit Discussion #2:

This week you’ll post your “source defense” for your Informative Speech and give feedback to your peers on their use of research.

Start: Look over the sample discussion post. Notice you will be researching your Speech 3 assignment this week. Are you familiar with the library’s databases? If not, please ask for help, actually visit the library, see the virtual library services, or ask your instructor. While “Google” is a great search engine, this week you’ll go beyond Google.

The discussion posting will take as long as it does to research your speech topic. If you have not done so yet, go to our college’s library databases. Visit the Databases [you will need to log in – use your Star ID and password, the same that you use for D2L — some of the links may need to be copied and pasted below].

• Academic Search Premier. This is a good starting place for articles – both scholarly journals and magazines are included.
• Lexus Nexus Business, legal, and global news compiled from newspapers around the world, television transcripts, legal reviews, SEC filings and more. There are also company profiles, legal reviews, statutes, regulations, and case law.”
• Opposing ViewPoints can be helpful to get a more broad view of the topics, but tends to take on more controversial topics.

The time to anticipate for researching will vary. You should expect to spend at least 3 hours researching your Informative Speech topic. Some will do much more research, others will do less. If you do not have a topic, please contact your instructor ASAP.

After you have your research, it will take 1 hour to read the materials, and 20 minutes to complete the discussion post which is just your survey this week. You will, later, need to reply to 3 peers which will take about 20 minutes.

Read:

• Chapter 7 – Supporting Materialsl
  • o See this PowerPoint on Chapter 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88IHTnampfc&t=154s
• Visit Cornell University Library’s Guide to evaluating websites: (http://guides.library.cornell.edu/evaluating_Web_pages)
• Work through Cornell University’s Guide for evaluating “fake news” – there are multiple pages to link to http://guides.library.cornell.edu/evaluate_news
• Watch this video from the University of Minnesota Libraries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWUz-eGSPc 

Practice: There are sample speeches in the content area, look at how past students have used research in their speeches and how they have written their Works Cited page. Also, as you read the guides for research and APA/MLA style, think about the quality of your research.

Do:  Complete the Discussion Post as follows, then you can continue

ORIGINAL POST (Due Wednesday @ 11:59 pm) (about 3 paragraphs or 250 words)

What sources are you going to use? More importantly, how do you know what is “academic?” That is the topic of this week’s discussion: “Sources – how do you find a great source?”

POST

• Post your Thesis – even if it is tentative still. What are your Main Points?
• Now, list at least 2 of your 3 required sources using CORRECT MLA or APA format (one must be scholarly/academic or original research).
  • o APA – From Purdue http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
  • o MLA – From Purdue http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
  • o NOW – IN YOUR POST DUE ON WEDNESDAY – DEFEND EACH SOURCE – give 3 reasons to defend the quality of each of your sources. Use the information from your textbook and/or the above-mentioned websites to defend your sources! If you cannot defend your source, why are you using it?

REPLIES TO 3 PEERS (Due Sunday @ 11:59 pm)

By Sunday, please post feedback to three peers who posted on time.

Give 3 people in class feedback on their sources including:

• List one specific strength concerning their topic.
• What might the audience identify with concerning this topic?
• Does this topic lend itself to a more informative or persuasive message in your view? Explain.
• Did the classmate use APA or MLA to cite their sources?
• Assess their sources (e.g., Are the sources credible, updated and relevant?). Give three reasons why you believe the source is credible or not credible. Use the readings to support your response by referring to at least three concepts from the readings/videos.

Reflect: Look back at the responses your classmates made about your speech sources. You can finish your Works Cited page for the Informative Speech (the rough draft is due next week). Consider concrete ways you can use this information to best adapt your speech in an informative (not persuasive) manner to your audience.

Informative Speech Unit Discussion #3:

This week you’ll post the rough draft for your Informative Speech.

Start: Look over the replies from last week, do you need to modify the sources you are using? Did you complete your Works Cited? Review the assignment sheet, especially the outline worksheet to see if you have any questions before submitting the rough draft for your Informative Speech. Check the class schedule to determine if you are on track. Ask your instructor if you have any questions. Give yourself enough time to read the chapters prior to writing your post. Then, when ready, the discussion posting should take you 20 minutes to complete. You will, later, need to reply to three of your peers. Each reply should be 75-100 words. You and I will discuss your rough drafts in SKYPE or in-person sessions this week (see the www.calendly.com link for your instructor).

Read: Review Previous Chapters See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf6_EcgtQ3I&t=141s for a PowerPoint on how to make an outline.

Practice: See the sample Outlines posted in the Content and the Learning Modules on this unit.

Do:  Complete the Discussion Post as Follows

• ORIGINAL POST (Due Wednesday @ 11:59 pm)

Copy and Paste your Rough Draft of your Informative Speech into the Discussion Textbox. Don’t add this as an attachment (students tend not to want to download/open/read then come back to D2L). Follow the worksheet guidelines. Please add as much detail to the worksheet as possible – including your source citations/use. Remember, this is an outline, not an essay. Also, remember to add a copy of your rough draft to the correct D2L Assignments Dropbox.

• REPLIES TO PEERS (Due Sunday @ 11:59 pm) (about 1 paragraph or 75-100 words).
  • By Sunday, please post feedback to your peers. These posts can help encourage the others to feel comfortable in class. As you write comments, do not just add a “good job” or “keep working” – in your reply add:
  • Is this an Informative Speech or is it taking on a persuasive tone? Explain.
  • Are sources used in the outline to support the claims/information?
  • Comment upon how the speaker can increase adaptation to the audience.
  • Explain what you like about the speech.

 Reflect: Look back at the responses your classmates made about your speech’s rough draft. Consider concrete ways you can use this information for completing your final draft which is due next week. You will discuss your rough draft in an online (or, if it can be arranged, in person) conference with your instructor prior to submitting your final draft. Remember, your final draft is still an outline. Some students begin to write an essay (like in an English Composition class). Your final draft outline is just that, an outline, but the “final” full sentence outline is for grading. See the sample outlines for a guide or ask your instructor