Communications Chapter 19 Homework Presenting Your Speech Online Objectives After

Unlock access to all the studying documents.

View Full Document

Presenting Your

Speech Online

Chapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

2. Distinguish between recorded online speeches and real–time online speeches.

4. Discuss the five major elements of the visual environment of online speeches.

6. Explain the importance of having a backup plan for online speeches.

CHAPTER 19—PRESENTING YOUR SPEECH ONLINE 275

Chapter Outline

I. When speaking over the Internet, public speakers need to understand the special nature of

the online environment.

A. The online environment fundamentally affects the relationship between speaker and

audience, who are no longer in the same room.

II. There are two major kinds of online speeches.

A. Recorded online speeches are delivered, recorded, and then uploaded to the Internet.

1. Examples include TED Talks and speeches delivered in online or blended public

speaking classes.

3. In speech classes, recorded online speeches are largely identical to what would

have been delivered if the class were meeting in a traditional classroom.

B. Real–time online speeches are created specifically for an audience that will view

them online and in real time, often using software designed for that purpose.

1. Examples include job interviews, training sessions, and group meetings over the

Internet.

3. Every aspect of the speech must be adapted to the fact that speakers are

communicating through a webcam while the audience views the speech on a

computer monitor or video screen.

III. There are five major guidelines for online public speaking.

A. The first guideline is to control the visual environment so it works for—rather than

against—the speaker.

1. Doing so includes choosing a properly lighted setting that will communicate the

appropriate level of professionalism.

3. Other factors are personal appearance, the placement of the webcam, and angle

of the speaker’s gaze.

B. The second guideline is to adapt one’s nonverbal communication to the online

environment.

1. Nonverbal signals are magnified dramatically when one speaks via a camera of

any kind.

2. Consequently, online speakers must pay special attention to posture, gestures,

276 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

C. The third guideline is to adjust the pacing of one’s speech for online presentation.

2. Employing well–designed visual aids can also help vary the pace and keep the

audience engaged.

D. The fourth guideline is to keep the audience in mind throughout the speech

preparation process.

1. This can be especially challenging when one is presenting a recorded online

speech that will be viewed only after it is uploaded to the Internet.

3. The principles of audience analysis and adaptation apply just as fully to online

1. The five–step method for rehearsing speech delivery discussed in Chapter 13 is a

starting point for practicing online presentations.

2. In addition, online speakers need to take into account a host of special issues that

stem from the special nature of the online environment.

IV. In addition to following the general guidelines for online speeches, real–time online

speakers need to choose and learn the software for their presentations.

A. Choosing the right software involves the various functions available for connecting

speaker and audience.

V. Because of technical problems that can arise in an online presentation, speakers should

always have a backup plan.

A. Even the most prepared speakers can be undermined by technological glitches at the

audience’s end.

Exercises for Critical Thinking

(from text page 371)

1. View a TED Talk on www.TED.com. Select a speech on a topic that interests you. As you

watch the speech, answer the following questions: (1) How well does the speaker organize his

or her talk for effective communication? (2) How does the speaker control the online envi-

ronment? (3) How effective is the speaker’s delivery as it comes across on your computer

screen?

CHAPTER 19—PRESENTING YOUR SPEECH ONLINE 277

Discussion: TED Talks highlight inventive thinkers from academia, the business world,

and the political arena and are a major outlet for dynamic public speaking. The talks are

limited to a maximum of 18 minutes, which makes them practical for classroom discussion

or a homework assignment. Moreover, the variety of topics and the number of first–rate

speakers make it easy for students to find a talk that engages them.

2. Plan to use visual aids in a real–time online speech. Follow the guidelines for preparing visual

aids discussed in Chapter 14. Rehearse the speech with your visual aids using your online

presentation software program. After the speech, analyze how effectively you employed the

aids and what changes you would make if you were to deliver the speech again.

Discussion: One of the best ways to enhance the real–time online environment is with

visual aids. Viewers are accustomed to watching online videos that move briskly and

combine pleasing visuals with spoken words. Adding visual aids to a real–time online

speech can help fulfill the audience’s expectations for an engaging presentation.

278 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

As with an in–person speech, students also need to practice an online speech using

their visual aids. As many speakers have discovered, it is easy to underestimate the

amount of time needed to practice an online speech, especially when visual aids are in-

3. Analyze the sample speech with commentary at the end of Chapter 19 of the textbook (“charity:

water,” pages 367–369). View the speech on Video 19.1 so you can see the speaker’s delivery

and use of visual aids. Evaluate the speech in light of the guidelines for online speaking dis-

cussed in this chapter.

Discussion: “charity: water” takes its title from the name of the charitable organization

discussed in the speech. The assignment was to present a four–minute real–time online

speech persuading the speaker’s classmates to donate to a charity of her choice.

Because the speech was assigned late in the term, students were already familiar with the

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to donate to charity: water.

Method of Organization: Monroe’s motivated sequence

Introduction: The introduction consists of paragraphs 1–4, in which the speaker fulfills the

attention step of the motivated sequence. Paragraph 1 is unique to the online

speaking situation. As soon as the speaker connects to her remote audience, she

verifies that they can see and hear her. Unless the connection has been verified

CHAPTER 19—PRESENTING YOUR SPEECH ONLINE 279

Body: The body runs from paragraph 5 through paragraph 10. Because the speech is

organized according to Monroe’s motivated sequence, the body has three main

points—the first covering need, the second satisfaction, and the third visualization.

The speaker establishes the need in paragraphs 5–6, where she discusses the

number of people who lack access to clean water and the consequences of unsafe

water. She documents the problem with statistics from the World Health

Organization.

Conclusion: The conclusion consists of paragraphs 11–12, which form the action step of

the motivated sequence. Paragraph 11 signals that the speech is coming to an end

and reinforces goodwill with the audience by insisting that students can make a dif-

ference, even if they don’t have “bundles of cash lying around.” Paragraph 12 calls

on the audience to donate at charity: water’s Web site and reminds them that “eve-

ry penny” they contribute “will give the gift of clean water that we take for granted.”

Control of the Visual Environment: The first guideline for online speaking discussed in this

chapter is to control the visual environment, which includes setting, framing, light-

280 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Adaptation of Nonverbal Communication: The second guideline for online speaking dis-

cussed in the chapter is to adapt nonverbal communication to the online environ-

ment. In “charity: water,” the speaker’s nonverbal communication is poised and

professional. Her voice comes across well, with appropriate vocal variety, and her

facial expressions are natural and pleasing. Because she is sitting close to the

webcam, she employs few gestures; anything more would be distracting. Knowing

Adjustment of Pacing: The chapter’s third guideline for online speaking is to adjust pacing

for the online environment. In “charity: water,” the speaker keeps the speech mov-

ing briskly while developing her ideas properly and providing details that will help

persuade the audience. Most important to the speaker’s pacing are her visual aids,

which appear in paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 12. Each individual aid is consistent

with the principles for visual aids discussed in Chapter 14; taken together, they play

a crucial role in varying the pace of the speech for online presentation.

Keeping the Audience in Mind: The fourth guideline for online speaking is to remember

the audience, even though they are not present in the same room as the speaker.

Without doubt, the speaker is successful in this regard. She begins by making sure

CHAPTER 19—PRESENTING YOUR SPEECH ONLINE 281

Additional Exercises and Activities

1. Show students the needs improvement version of “charity: water,” which appears online and

on the DVD of student speeches that accompanies this edition of The Art of Public Speaking.

Have students analyze the speech by focusing on how well the speaker follows the guidelines

for online speaking discussed in Chapter 19 of the textbook.

charity: water

Needs Improvement Version

1 Hold on just a second. Almost there. And, great.

2 Water is a huge issue around the world, and it’s something we often take for granted. Just

think about how many bottles of water we go through every year. Millions of people don’t have

4 [A notification “ding” arrives on the speaker’s computer] Oh, um—hang on a sec.

5 Okay. So, the water crisis. Some organizations estimate that over a billion people drink

from a contaminated water source. Then there are millions who don’t have a good way to treat

their water. Some even have to collect water from dirty lakes, rivers, and ponds.

6 Because of all this dirty water, people can get seriously sick and die. In fact, almost half a

million people die every year from unsafe water, and many of those are kids.

282 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Discussion: Real–time online speeches pose challenges that go beyond recorded online

speeches as well as beyond speeches for in–person audiences. To help students meet

those challenges, you can show them the needs improvement version of “charity: water”

followed by the final version of the same speech. When showing the needs improvement

Introduction: The introduction consists of paragraphs 1–4. Because this speech is orga-

nized according to Monroe’s motivated sequence, the speaker should begin by

gaining the audience’s attention and drawing them into the speech. Instead, the

opening lines—“Hold on just a second. Almost there.”—are symptomatic of a lack of

full preparation. In fact, the speaker is still getting her computer and software in or-

der—something she should have done before connecting online to her audience. In

paragraph 2, she tries to secure attention, but her comments about the water crisis

are vague and underdeveloped, even for the introduction. Paragraph 3 reveals the

subject of the speech, seeks to establish goodwill with the audience, and provides a

transition to the body of the speech.

Even though the speaker attends to the major objectives of an introduction,

she does not do so with the detail and creativity seen in the final version of her

speech. Nor does she communicate the same poise and credibility that she conveys

at the beginning of the final version.

Body: The body of the speech consists of paragraphs 4–9. The speaker identifies the

same main points as in the final version, but their development is cursory in com-

parison. Paragraphs 4–6 are devoted to the need step of Monroe’s motivated se-

quence, paragraph 7 to the satisfaction step, and paragraphs 8–9 to the

visualization step. In no step does the speaker provide the depth and richness of

supporting materials presented in the final version. She offers three statistics about

the extent of the world’s water crisis (paragraphs 5–6), but she refers to her

sources only as “some organizations” and does little to build a deep sense of con-

cern about the seriousness of the crisis. She is somewhat better in paragraph 7, in

which she fulfills the satisfaction step by mentioning some of the work accom-

plished by charity: water, but once again she lacks the details and specificity of the

CHAPTER 19—PRESENTING YOUR SPEECH ONLINE 283

tossing in a seemingly random photograph that the speaker says she thinks is from

India.

All told, the body of the speech is clearly organized, but its main points are not

adequately supported. When read in comparison with the final version, it looks

Conclusion: Paragraph 10 constitutes the conclusion of the speech and the action step of

Monroe’s motivated sequence. The speaker says a “great way” for the audience to

contribute is to search for charity: water and find a donation page. Compare this

almost offhanded comment with the final version’s fuller call for action, which sug-

gests an affordable amount that audience members might contribute and states

Guidelines for Online Speaking: In addition to weaknesses in its development of ideas,

the needs improvement version of “charity: water” has shortcomings with regard to

the guidelines for online speaking discussed in Chapter 19. Here are a few:

Poor choice of setting, lighting, and framing: Not only is the setting cluttered

and distracting, but it has a window behind the speaker, making her face dark and

poorly lighted. In addition, there is too much space above the speaker’s head. The

shot should be framed so as to show the speaker from the chest up, as represent-

ed in the More Effective image in textbook Figure 19.1.

Lapses in nonverbal communication: Although the speaker’s nonverbal com-

munication is generally effective, it falters at times—for example, when she looks up

at the ceiling, plays with her hair, or is not sure how to handle her speaking notes.

Although such actions are not desirable in any speech, they are magnified in the

Ineffective use of visual aids: The speaker uses two visual aids—one in para-

graph 3 when she first mentions charity: water, the other in paragraph 8 when she

shows a photograph of a charity: water project that she thinks is from India. Unfortu-

nately, neither aid adds substantively to the speech. The final version, however, in-

corporates several well–designed visual aids, all of which add to the speaker’s

argument, vary her pacing, and are seamlessly integrated into the presentation as a

whole.

284 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

the online environment; certainly she did not practice enough. At one point, for ex-

ample, she is interrupted by a “ding” from an incoming alert, indicating that she did

not put her computer in “do not disturb” mode or close the programs she wouldn’t

2. Have students complete the Online Speech Preparation Worksheet, which appears on pages

285–286 of this manual, or assign the worksheet from the assignments available in Connect.

Discussion: The Online Speech Preparation Worksheet can be used to help students de-

velop recorded or real–time online speeches. It is best assigned early in the preparation

3. Have students complete the Real–Time Online Speech Self–Assessment, which appears on

page 287 of this manual.

Discussion: There is a great deal of research confirming the pedagogical value of self–

assessments. The Real–Time Online Speech Self–Assessment asks students to write a full,

objective evaluation of their real–time online presentation, focusing on control of the visual

environment, nonverbal communication, pacing, audience adaptation, preparation, and

use of technology.

285

Online Speech Preparation Worksheet

Name Section

1. What is the topic of your speech?

2. Are you delivering a recorded or real–time online speech?

3. What is your specific purpose statement?

4. What is your central idea?

5. What method of organization will you use in the speech?

7. What steps will you take to control the visual environment of your speech? Explain with

regard to each of the following. Be specific.

a. Setting:

b. Lighting:

c. Framing:

d. Eye contact:

e. Personal appearance:

286

8. What steps will you take to adapt your nonverbal communication to the online environment?

9. Will you use visual aids in your speech? If the answer is yes, explain the content of each aid

10. Who is the audience for your speech? What steps will you take to adapt your remarks to their

background, knowledge, attitudes, and interests?

11. How will you practice your speech for online presentation? How will your practice differ

from rehearsing for an in–person speech?

12. What software will you use for your online speech? Even if you have used the software

13. Can you answer yes to all the questions on the checklist for Presenting an Online Speech on

page 365 of your textbook?

Real–Time Online Speech Self–Assessment

Your task is to review your online speech and to reach a full, objective assessment of its major

strengths and weaknesses. Write a thoughtful evaluation of the speech in full–sentence and

paragraph form with an introduction and a conclusion.

Be specific and concrete in your comments. Note in particular the areas in which you believe

you did especially well and those areas in which you would want to make special improvements

were you to present the speech again. Explain why you had difficulty with certain aspects of the

speech and indicate the specific steps necessary to improve future online presentations.

Use the following questions to guide your self–assessment, though you do not need to answer

each question individually in your paper. Be specific and concrete in your comments.

Visual Environment

• Did you speak in a professional–looking setting?

• Was the lighting pleasing and effective?

• Was the framing attractive and appropriate for a real–time online speech?

• Did you speak into the webcam, rather than into the computer screen?

• Did your personal appearance enhance the visual environment?

Nonverbal Communication

• Did you adapt your gestures and facial expressions to the online environment?

• Was your posture confident and straight, but not rigid?

• Did you maintain eye contact with your audience?

• Were your eye movements controlled and deliberate?

Pacing

• Did your speech move briskly yet develop your ideas adequately?

• Did the pacing help the audience focus on you and your message?

• Did you use visual aids to reinforce your ideas and vary the pace of your speech?

• If you used visual aids, did you design them carefully and display them effectively?

Engaging the Audience

• Did you keep the audience in mind throughout speech preparation and presentation?

• What steps did you take to adapt to the audience?

• Did you engage in a mental dialogue with the audience? If so, how?

Preparation, Practice, and Technology

• Did you give yourself enough time to practice in the online environment?

• How did you practice the speech? Did you practice with your software and visual aids? Did

you record the speech and play it back? Did you speak over the Internet to family or friends?

• Did you update your software and operating system prior to the speech? Did you turn off

notifications and close unneeded programs before your speech began?

• Did you take the time to learn your software well in advance of the speech?

• Were you able to use the software expertly during the speech?

Overall Assessment

• What were you most pleased with in the speech? What were you least pleased with?

• If you had an opportunity to deliver this speech again, what changes would you make?