Chapter 18 Speaking Online
This section of the manual is designed primarily for online classes, but the material can apply to other
formats as well. The questions and activities are written with the assumption that online students are
reading this chapter early in the semester for guidance in making their first video speech. No questions or
activities require students to have prior knowledge about central concepts.
Chapter Objectives
Explain the key differences between face-to-face and online speaking.
List the two types of online presentations, and give examples of each.
Define an amorphous audience.
Explain the relationship between publicity, circulation, and promotion.
List the compositional elements of video presentations.
List the three kinds of lighting needed for online videos.
Explain how a speaker can avoid technological problems.
Describe what public means in an online context.
Lecture Outline
I. Understanding Online Presentations: Purpose and Type
A. Learning Objectives
1. Explain the key differences between face-to-face and online speaking.
2. List the two types of online presentations, and give examples of each.
B. An online presentation refers to a prepared speech, podcast, or video that is broadcast on
a computing device.
C. Online versus F2F
1. The techniques and guidelines for celebrating, informing, and persuading in a
speech are just as useful for online environments as they are for F2F environments.
2. Online presentations have many advantages including the ability to save money
and time, to edit or redo your speech, to increase your audience size without worrying
about physical limitations, and to allow your audience to view your presentation when it
is most convenient for them.
3. However, online presentations pose many challenges as well, including
technology failure, sensory limitations, and the tendency to seem wooden or stiff.
D. Types of Online Presentations
1. Synchronous
communication takes place in real time
and includes streaming
video and webinars.
a)
A webinar is a seminar with three or more people conducted over the
Internet using software created for this purpose.
b)
A screencast refers to a live or recorded broadcast of a speaker’s
computer desktop to others online.
2. Asynchronous communication is either written or prerecorded before it reaches
an audience and includes videos and podcasts.
a) Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai defines the term mediascape to refer to
a general context of communication enabled or created by media technologies.
II. Adapting to the Amorphous Audience
A. Learning Objectives
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1. Define an amorphous audience.
2. Explain the relationship between publicity, circulation, and promotion.
B. When developing online presentations for known audiences, most of the principles of
audience analysis discussed in chapter 3 are applicable and helpful.
C. However, when you upload a presentation for anyone to see, hear, and download, you
may not know who constitutes your audience.
1. An amorphous audience is one that you know exists but whose size and
demographic information are unknown.
2. When addressing an amorphous audience, the questions you need to ask yourself
first include the following:
a)
What kind of audience do I want for my message?
b)
What audience would I like to create for what I have to say?
D. Publicity refers to the distribution and circulation of information or a message for
promotional purposes.
1. Two concepts are central to publicity: circulation and promotion.
a)
Circulation refers to the way in which a message is taken up by
audiences through repeat listening or viewing.
b)
Promotion is primarily about creating an audience for the secondary goal
of entertaining, informing, or persuading.
III. Conducting Online Presentations
A. Learning Objectives
2. List the three kinds of lighting needed for online videos.
3. Explain how a speaker can avoid technological problems.
B. Setting Up an Online Presentation
1. Make sure that you and your message can be seen and heard clearly, and are
promoted in a way that engages the audience that you wish to address or cultivate.
a)
Always have a backup plan for equipment failure, especially if your
online presentation will be live.
2. Compositional elements of online presentations using video
a)
Most cameras cannot register, or “see,” the variations of light and dark
that can be seen with the human eye; thus, when filming, you must make sure to
be in brighter light than you are normally accustomed to in “real” space.
(1) The study of lighting begins with “three-point lighting”: camera
subjects are seen on a screen in reference to the light behind it, the light
in front of it, and the light beside it.
(2) In this standard lighting scheme, the light behind the subject is
called the back light, the light in front of the subject is called the key
light, and the light beside the subject is termed the fill light.
b) As some colors are too muted or vivid to capture on camera, be sure to
experiment to determine what colors can be used.
c)
Consider your video’s composition, the movement(s) of the camera, and
the background of your video.
d)
Make sure your microphone or playback device is working correctly,
adjusting for volume, and that background noises are eliminated.
3. Prepare for technology failures
a)
Before recording or broadcasting yourself live, test and retest your
camera, microphone, and any software you intend to use.
b)
Before recording or broadcasting your presentation, duplicate and back
up all the files you intend to use, such as videos, slide shows, and audio clips.
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c)
If you cannot have a wired connection to the Internet for your online
presentation, find the strongest and most reliable Wi-Fi that you can before
broadcasting or uploading a presentation.
d)
If using video or audio clips in your online presentation, download them
to your device. Avoid using hyperlinks to them or relying on someone else’s web
server or web page.
e)
Whether your online presentation will be recorded or live, practice your
presentation by running through it at least a couple of times.
C. Practice, Practice, Practice!
1. Because online presentations mute some of the information we get from our
senses and limit the opportunities to interact with audiences as we speak, they require
more practice.
IV.
Public or Private? It’s Hard to Say
1. Describe what public means in an online context.
B. In our mediated world, you never know who is listening or watching. You must be
mindful and careful when sharing information and crafting messages for online environments.
C. Public speaking assumes that what a speaker shares is open and subject to the scrutiny
and consideration of others. The Internet and other digital or cellular contexts, however,
constitute a special situation because of the way in which many of us assume a degree of privacy
when there may actually be none.
Key Terms
Online presentation: a prepared speech, podcast, or video that is broadcast on a computing device.
Synchronous communication: takes place in real time.
Asynchronous communication: either written or prerecorded before it reaches an audience.
Webinar: a seminar with three or more people conducted over the Internet using software created for this
purpose.
Screencast: a live or recorded broadcast of a speaker’s computer desktop to others online.
Amorphous audience: an audience that you know to exist but whose size and demographic information
are unknown.
Publicity: the distribution and circulation of information or a message for promotional purposes.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 18: Speaking Online covers the purpose and types of online presentations for an audience with
no prior experience or training. Two types of online presentations are discussed: synchronous
communication and asynchronous communication.
Next, the chapter defines amorphous audience and provides tips for presenting to such an audience. The
chapter also provides key tips or best practices for conducting a presentation online. These best practices
include being mindful of compositional elements of online presentations using video, preparing for
technology failures, and practicing beforehand.
Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the fine line between public and private information
when presenting anything in an online environment.
Discussion Questions
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1. Think about the advantages and disadvantages of an online class setting. Based on your experience in
this setting, what are some similarities between an online class and an online speech situation? What does
the comparison suggest about how you should craft your speeches?
A: This question focuses on speech construction. Some things students will probably bring up
3. Online audiences are amorphous because their size, shape, and demographic information is unknown.
In online classes, students present speeches to their peers often without much information about each
other or about who is watching the speech. Do online classes count as amorphous audiences? Defend your
answer with ideas from the chapter and provide examples to support your claims.
A: The chapter points out that speeches in online classes may be considered amorphous when
Activities for in-class work or homework
1. First day selfie check
Students will post selfies to introduce themselves on the class LMS discussion board. This gives students
an opportunity to practice, test, and troubleshoot different aspects of their technology setup and to
practice using the LMS. In a F2F or distance learning class, complete this activity during class so that
students can help each other and ask the instructor questions. The instructor can determine if there are any
major problems that need to be addressed. This process reveals specific problems such as LMS
passwords, bandwidth issues, etc. The activity also builds camaraderie and gives the instructor a picture
of students to assist in learning names. The question posed should be lighthearted. The activity should
focus on identifying problems and resources, not solving the problems themselves.
Instructions and prompt:
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Take a selfie with your cellphone. Post your picture to the class discussion board. In the post,
answer the introduction question. If problems occur during the process, take notes, ask peers or
the instructor about resources, and investigate ways to resolve the problems.
2. Analyze the effectiveness of online speeches.
Students will review videos of student speeches found in online speech classes on YouTube. In surveying
random videos, students should develop a sense of the challenges that online speeches present. Awareness
of the challenges and a concrete idea of how the chapter guidelines can help overcome them should better
prepare students in crafting effective online speeches.
Instructions and prompt:
Go to YouTube.com and search for “informative speech online.” Scroll through the search returns
and look at the composition and lighting in the thumbnails. Watch four of the speeches, keeping
in mind the aesthetics of composition, lighting, color, sound, and delivery. In general, how would
you characterize the quality of student speeches online? What makes them effective or
ineffective? How do they compare to speeches you have seen face-to-face? Defend your answer
3. Write a technology backup plan.
Students will create a backup plan for submitting coursework, especially major speeches, in case of
technical problems.
The chapter explains that technical difficulties are bound to happen in online speaking. Backup plans can
help with that problem. Online students with prior preparation are more likely to succeed in online
classes, and creating backup plans is considered a best practice in online education.
Instructors who have specific policies can include them in this assignment. Reinforcing policies also helps
set expectations. Instructors might want to consider a form or give the assignment more structure. In a
F2F class, the activity could be a freewriting or think-pair-share.
Instructions:
To meet assignment deadlines and avoid penalties for late work on major speeches, students should have
backup plans. When giving speeches with technology, technical difficulties are inevitable, but prior
preparation can help speakers avoid many problems. This list includes some of the possible problems
students may encounter submitting work. If you encounter these situations, what will you do to overcome
them?
Backup Plan
Problem Solution
Emergencies (power failure;
family illness)
Computer problems
Recording device problems
(cell phone, etc.)
Software problems (virus;
browser)
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Uploading problems
(bandwidth; takes too long)
Connectivity issues (Internet
is down)
LMS is down (maintenance;
server problems)
Lost or damaged work
Other?
4. Equipment and location check—online classes
Students will find the best lighting, equipment, and location to make videos for class. Instructors can
assign any content to the “mic checks.” Students can answer basic icebreaker questions or respond to
deeper questions related to class. If desired, instructors can have peers vote between the two settings or
providing feedback.
Instructions:
After reading about online aesthetics (lighting, color, composition, sound), pick the two best locations
available to you to make your videos for class. Make a video in each location using the best setup
available to you. Follow the guidelines lighting, color, composition, and sound, and wear proper attire.
Consider this a “mic check,” so don’t worry about making mistakes or perfect delivery. Just focus on the
eye contact with the camera, animation, and varying your voice. For the first check, ______________.
For the second check, ________________________.
Teaching Tips
1. Providing student testimony and advice from previous semesters can ease students’ anxiety and provide
a realistic picture about technology and workload.
2. In online classes, using peer technology coaches can help reduce frustration and last-minute panic as
4. Instructors who don’t have access to a secure posting area for videos send students to YouTube.
5. If students are using personal accounts on YouTube to host their speeches, instructors might want to
think through policies about naming Gmail/YouTube accounts. Some institutions may have FERPA
issues about YouTube. Alternatively, some students may still be using their middle school wizard names
and could use encouragement to set up something more appropriate.
Content Presentation Ideas/Assignments
1. Video Commentaries/Reflections
This assignment gives students experience in speaking in front of a camera, a key skill for online
presentations.
Preparing for the Assignment
Be sure to have a means for sharing the completed videos with the class.
Assignment Instructions
Prepare a video in which you reflect on your experiences in this course. Cover these topics in the video:
What you learned this semester that will benefit you in the future
What assignment this semester you enjoyed the least or found to be challenging, and why
Each video, which should be approximately 2–3 minutes, will be shown in class.
2. Create and Host Your Own Podcast
This assignment gives students practice in creating a podcast.
Preparing for the Assignment
Assignment Instructions:
Working with your partner, prepare a 2- to 3-minute podcast. You may select any topic. Remember to
develop a script before recording your podcast. Each podcast will be played for the rest of the class.
3. Online Storytelling with Visuals
This assignment gives students further experience in recording video presentations and using visual aids.
Assignment Instructions:
Working with your partner, create a unique story that connects the three nouns you were given. Prepare a
presentation of your story using supporting visual aids. Record your presentation and post it online. Your
presentation should be 2 minutes long. We will view all presentations together in class.
More Resources
1. Video with a quick overview for how to record an online speech: search “nauelearning how to record a
great speech for an online class video.”
3. If instructors, especially online instructors, decide to develop external sites or have students use social