Speech Appendix I Appendix Interviewing Materials Students Learn Best When They Have Clear Idea What

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APPENDIX I

Interviewing Materials

Students learn best when they have a clear idea of what is expected of them, and when they receive

detailed and continuous feedback. Appendix 1 offers assignment descriptions that can be used to

communicate your expectations to students.

This appendix covers two types of assignments—major assignments and adaptable assignments—as well

Examples from the student sample section can be shown to students who would like to see examples of

what the finished product is supposed to look like. It may also be useful for first–time instructors who are

not sure what to expect from students.

These assignments may be altered to fit your own teaching style and course syllabus. To help you

generate ideas, some assignments are presented in a variety of possible formats. You may also choose to

condense some of the assignments found here and use them as short in–class assignments. Similarly, you

could transform some of the class activities described for each chapter in Section 3 of this manual into

Major Assignments:

Improving Interpersonal Communication Proposal

Professional Speaker Observation (Version B)

Informative Speech with PowerPoint

Persuasive Speech

Improving Interpersonal Communication

Objective of the Assignment: Your underlying task is to demonstrate that you understand

communication concepts taught in this course. To do this, you’ll need to define and explain appropriate

communication terminology. This assignment offers you an opportunity to:

Brief Assignment Description: You’ll submit a word–processed individual proposal in which you (a)

analyze your use of a communication concept of your own choosing and (b) propose one or two concepts

from the text you can apply to improve this aspect of your communication. Both the problem and solution

must involve communication concepts taught in this class.

Preparation:

1. Think of one specific unwanted communication habit you are currently using but would like to

improve upon. Please note: it is only your own ways of interacting that you can change; do not

expect or attempt to change another person’s communication habits. Examples:

–improve your communication in a team project (such as the one you’ve just completed)

–monitor your own nonverbal messages during interviews

2. Now, identify one or two of the specific communication concepts we’ve studied in this course that

might help you improve your communication competency. It will be easier to write your proposal if

you chose a narrowly focused concept (e.g., use of the communication model; listening; nonbiased

3. Review the course material regarding your chosen concept. Mark the pages where you found this

material; you’ll need to cite specific pages from the text in your proposal.

Audience Analysis: The purpose of a proposal is to persuade your reader (in this case, your instructor)

that your proposal will bring about positive, lasting results. Consider the following as you adapt your

proposal to your reader’s interests.

Your proposal makes a statement about who you are, so be sure it reflects the best you can be. Aim for

ZERO errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. If your proposal is sloppily written, your reader is

likely to assume you are a careless person and will not be likely to value your recommendations. If your

proposal is flawless, you will be credible. Your reader will be much more likely to accept your ideas. To

• you have a strong grasp of communication knowledge (i.e., evidence that you know what

you’re talking about). You can do this by including vocabulary and principles you’ve learned

in class and by describing specific examples of how you can apply these principles.

Content and Format for this Proposal: Your proposal should be arranged under several headings, as

follows. Use a heading for each section except the title page.

Title Page: On the title page, center the following information. Each item should be on a separate

line, single–spaced: title of the report; (skip two lines); Submitted by [your name]; college name;

class and section; date submitted.

Overview: Start the overview on a new page. This section serves as a preview of the contents of

your report. This section should only consist of about six to ten sentences.

Your goal in the overview is to convince the reader that your proposal is worth reading. One

effective approach is to briefly summarize the problem, then briefly state how your proposal will

solve that problem. End with a strong constructive statement about the value your

Description of Problem: Convince your reader that a communication weakness exists that needs

to be managed. Be specific. Integrate terminology from the text as you identify what is wrong.

Include page references from the text. Provide one or two specific examples of the weakness. It

might be helpful to include quotations of words you’ve said that were problematic and a

description of the ways others have reacted to your communication. Consider how these

drawbacks impact the organization, team, friendship, or family as a whole.

Resources and Constraints: This section will be probably be shorter than the problem

description and recommendations sections. Take stock of the current situation. What resources

can you identify that could help you improve your communication? The text is one example.

Excellent role models might be another resource. How can you use these resources to help you

improve your communication? Describe any constraints that are likely to impede your progress in

improving your communication habits. For example, if you are working three jobs and taking a

team, relationship, and for you. Show why it is feasible. Your recommendations should

demonstrate that you are personally “engaging” with the concepts learned in this class. You don’t

need to quote directly from the text, but include page references so the reader can look up the

concepts easily.

Grading Criteria for this Proposal

To receive an “A,” your paper must:

1. follow a proposal format (following instructions is an essential element of communication)

2. demonstrate your understanding of the communication concepts you have chosen

3. show that you have learned to apply communication concepts

4. explain insights you’ve gained about interpersonal communication

5. present a plan that is feasible (could be realistically implemented)

6. include references

7. use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling

8. exhibit a professional appearance

Organizational Communication Proposal

Objective

For this assignment, you’ll assume the role of organizational consultant. You will submit to me a proposal

for improving communication processes in a bona fide organization. Your underlying task is to

demonstrate to me that you understand the concepts of communication taught in Chapters 1–5. To

Preparation

1. Think of one specific communication problem you have experienced in an organizational context.

Please focus on ONE specific problem (e.g., an uncooperative coworker, a supervisor who does not listen

well, a conflict among workers of different ethnic backgrounds, receiving ambiguous instructions,

2. Identify one of the communication concepts we’ve studied in this course that might help explain or

solve that problem (e.g., use of the communication model, listening; verbal or nonverbal messages;

ambiguity, upward, downward or horizontal communication; formal or informal networks; organizational

3. Review all portions of your text and class notes related to the communication concept you’ve chosen.

You must cite references in your proposal.

4. Write a four– to five–page proposal in which you recommend a plan for remedying this single

communication problem. Your proposal should be very specific and concrete. Proposing that all

employees should take a class in communication is not specific. Instead, you could detail the step–by–step

contents of a one–hour training session. Stating that your supervisor should use more supportive

communication is neither specific nor realistic. (Can we really change other people by talking about them

5. Proposals must be typed, and the pages must be stapled together. Do not use paper clips, folders, or

cover pages.

Writing the Proposal

Purpose

The purpose of a proposal is to persuade your reader (in this case, me) to accept your plan (i.e., to hire

you for the consultant job). You may assume that I am the person in your organization who is vested with

Career Research Interview

Objective:

This assignment is designed to help you obtain career information and to enhance your competence in

interviewing.

Assignment Description:

You will conduct a 15– to 20–minute information–gathering interview (see Chapter 6) of a professional in

your field of career interest. You will be the interviewer.

Career Research Interview

STUDENT PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS:

BEFORE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE PROSPECTIVE INTERVIEWEE:

Begin by reading Chapter 6 and [instructors fill in: outlining the chapters, completing the

homework, taking a test, etc.].

Keep a log of all activities connected with this assignment, and all correspondence, phone calls,

personal contacts, etc.

Identify by name, position, and title an appropriate interviewee. Include name, title, organization,

address, and phone number.

Explain how you found out about your subject, and describe the research findings you gathered

about your subject and her or his organization and field before making contact with the subject.

IF THIS PRELIMINARY CHECK IS DONE WELL BEFORE IT IS

WORTH POINTS TOWARD FINAL PROJECT GRADE.

Comments: on time late

Total points ___________

In-Class Mock Interviews*

Each student will participate in class interviews, once as the interviewer, once as the interviewee, and

once as observer. The instructor will assign the interview situations (see Interview Types on the next page

of this manual), partners for the assignment, and the dates on which the interviews will take place. Use

the information below to develop these assignments. On the date following the interview have each

student hand in a sheet describing:

a. Your preparation for the interview, including:

– specific objective(s)

– pre–interview analysis of the other participant

– topics to cover during the interview

b. A description of the content areas in the interview (interviewer only):

– information covered in the opening, body, and closing of the interview

(orientation, motivation, etc.)

– questions, labeled by type (primary or secondary; open or closed)

c. A description of the outcome of the interview:

–assessment of the participants’ (both interviewer’s and interviewee’s) competency

Types of Interviews that could be used with this assignment:

Information–Gathering Interview:

1. This is one of a series of preliminary interviews you are conducting to learn about services

students would like the college to provide.

2. Find out about the interviewee’s favorite hobby.

3. Discover your interviewee’s top three challenges to successfully completing a college degree.

Probe the nature of the challenges, find out ways the student is attempting to cope with them, and

4. Explore with the interviewee the reasons for problems in a specific class: low enrollments, high

dropout rate, and low test scores.

5. Explore with a department manager how to control the rapid growth in the use of the copy

machine.

Career–Research Interview:

1. Discover what knowledge or experience your interview partner has that is useful to your job.

2. Use this interview to elicit your partner’s ideas for how you could locate an interviewee who

would be knowledgeable about a career field you’d like to explore. Next, ask your interviewee to

help you think of topics you’d like to explore and effective interview questions you could ask to

learn more about the career field. Finally, request your interviewee’s help in designing the opening

and closing of your upcoming interviewee.

Employment Interview:

Each interviewee should suggest a position they are currently qualified to apply for. They

should answer using real, not imaginary, experiences and qualifications. If a student can’t

think of a job they might be qualified for, they could interview for a volunteer position

along a hiking trail, etc.

* Based on an assignment suggested by Cynthia Knox, Texas Southern University.

Cover Letter and Resume Assignment

Purpose: This assignment is designed to improve the written skills you’ll need in applying for

employment.

Materials to Submit: This assignment consists of two documents:

1. Cover Letter:

Identify an existing job related to your field of interest. This must be a job that you would be

currently qualified for. Write (but do not send) a hypothetical cover letter requesting an

interview for this specific position.

2. Resume:

Prepare an accurate personal resume aimed at the same position. Do not use any imaginary

credentials that you have not yet earned.

Group Problem-Solving Project

Objective: For this project, you will be assigned to a team whose members will serve as human resource

specialists. Your team’s task is to analyze a bona fide communication problem related to small group or

organizational communication. Your underlying task is to demonstrate that you understand the concepts

of communication taught in this course. To do this, you will need to define and explain appropriate

communication terminology in your presentation. This assignment offers you an opportunity to apply

your theoretical understanding of group problem–solving skills, to gain skills in creating agendas and

conducting effective meetings, and to practice presenting your results in formal report format.

Procedure: Using Dewey’s reflective–thinking sequence, your team will:

1. state the problem as an open–ended question.

2. investigate the problem you have selected.

3. establish criteria (to be used in evaluating your proposed solutions).

4. brainstorm several communication–based solutions to the problem (list them all without

5. analyze each solution in terms of each criterion. Create a table showing your rankings.

6. produce a final recommendation aimed at remedying the problem. The solution you select

must be based on communication concepts learned in this course. Explain why you chose this

solution. Reconsider the solution to be sure there are no significant drawbacks that you hadn’t

thought of earlier. Modify your solution if you need to. Explain how you would implement

the solution and follow up on it.

Time will be provided in class for conducting several meetings. Your team should develop an agenda for

each meeting and conduct each meeting according to the guidelines in your text for effective group work

and meetings.

Materials to Submit: Type the complete name of each of your team members on the first page of the

report. Please spell first and last names correctly. Submit one copy per team of a Feasibility Report (see

Chapter 13) that includes the following information:

–a description of each step you followed in the process

Evaluations of Team Members: All team members will receive the same grade on the written

presentation of this project. To earn credit for this assignment, the student must participate in the research,

discussion, and writing stages of the project. Individual grades will be assigned for the quality of each

member’s contribution to the team effort. As a team, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire (see

Section 5 of this manual) in which you will distribute participation points to the members of your team, in

Group Decision-Making Project (Version A)

In this assignment, apply skills and insights you gained from reading and discussing Chapters 7 & 8.

You and four classmates will be assigned to a committee with one of the missions listed below. You will

be given three meeting times during class, and you may also meet on your own to carry out the task. You

will present your results to the class in a manner you decide (e.g., panel, video presentation).

After completing the assignment, you will be asked to analyze the group work based on these topics from

Assignments

1. The Communication Department has been authorized to add a new member to their faculty. The

committee has been appointed by the administration to develop a job description and a list of

2. Present to the class three methods that college students can use to increase their income and/or

lower their expenses. These methods should be realistic and useful. The methods suggested

3. Financial problems have forced the administration of the university to cut its overall budget for

the upcoming year by 8 percent. The student committee’s job is to propose where those cuts

4. The student committee has been charged to develop a list of communication needs for college

students seeking employment or career advancement. Using your campus as a representative

5. You are members of a management team for a startup company that has developed a new

product. Decide what your product is. Write a mission statement for your company. Design an

6. You are officers of your school’s student body. Your task is to implement a service project that

any member of the student body can participate in during either the fall or spring semester for one

Group Decision-Making Project (Version B)

(for use in writing-intensive classes)

I. Purpose of this Project: Solving problems and writing reports are typical workplace tasks. This project

provides an opportunity for you to try out the skills you are learning in small–group communication by

applying the reflective decision–making protocol to solve a problem. This assignment is also designed to

II. Policies: Each group will submit ONE report. Writing the report must be a team project. All members

must participate. The report must have a consistent tone. That is, it should read as if one person had

written it. All members are responsible for the accuracy of the report. Read one another’s contributions to

make certain you agree on what you are submitting.

III. Use of References: You are required to use several references from the text and/or class lectures. You

will cite your references in two places in your report.

–In the body of the report, cite references in parenthetical notation, included right in the same

sentence where you refer to the material (Adler & Elmhorst, p. 322).

–At the end of your report, include a section titled Works Cited. Here you will list your sources in

alphabetical order, according to authors’ last names. Indent the first line of each item closer to the

IV. Occasion and Audience Analysis: Before writing a document to submit, it’s important to analyze the

expectations of the occasion and of the audience you are writing for.

Occasion Analysis: This report requires a professional style of writing. You are expected to follow a

specific format, with a professional appearance. Your document should have a consistent tone throughout,

so make certain to proofread each team member’s work carefully. The document you submit makes a

statement about who you are, so be sure your document reflects the best you can be. Write in appropriate

Audience Analysis: Your primary audience (intended reader) is me, your professor. A potential

secondary audience is other students. I will be looking for evidence that:

• you have successfully completed all the steps of the reflective–thinking problem–solving

sequence.

• your problem analysis was conducted thoughtfully, using effective critical thinking and analysis.

• your proposed solution is achievable and will solve the problem adequately.

• your report includes all of the required content.

• your report follows the required format.

Format for the Report: Typically, each company has its own preferred format for proposals. For this

class, please use the following format. Include a heading for each section except the title page.

Title Page: On the title page, center the following information. Each item should be on a separate line,

single–spaced:

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

IM APP 1–15

• a short title for the problem your group selected

• (skip two lines)

• submitted by

o list all actively participating group members, in alphabetical order by LAST name

• (skip one line)

• college name

• class and section

• date submitted

Table of Contents: List each section in order (flush left). List the page number for each section on the

right side of the page.

Executive Summary: Don’t let the title of this section intimidate you. This section is actually just a

preview of the contents of your report. This summary allows a busy executive to quickly determine

whether a report is worth reading. An Executive Summary is like a cover page, separate from the report.

Project Description: Write a two–paragraph overview of what your group accomplished. Identify the

problem. Describe your group’s purpose and why it’s important to find a solution to the problem.

Methods: Begin this section with an introductory statement, explaining that your team used the

reflective–thinking process to arrive at a solution. Briefly describe the purpose of the reflective–thinking

process (in general, not as applied to your project)…Then explain that you will describe each step your

Now for each step in the reflective sequence, create a subheading. Under each subheading include a

detailed description of your team’s findings. Remember to discuss (in the section explaining your final

solution) potential limitations of the solution (which you uncovered when you discussed what could

Works Cited: Include a complete bibliographical reference for the text, class lectures, or

any other materials you have cited in your report.

Appendices: You’ll attach three appendices. Each appendix should have its own title at the top of the

page, and should include:

1. a copy of your comparison chart that you used to analyze your potential solutions.

2. a copy of your Team Contract.

3. the participation points you assigned to each member, with an explanation of why you assigned

those points. Arrange in alphabetical order: last name, first name.

Individual Proposal: Improving Group Communication

(for use in writing–intensive classes)

Purpose of the Assignment: This assignment is designed to improve your group participation

competency as well as your writing skills. Teamwork and proposal writing are typical workplace tasks.

Assignment Description: You’ll submit a word–processed individual proposal (approximately 1700

words) analyzing your group’s performance during the group project and recommending changes you

would make the next time you are involved in a group project. Before you write your report, review

Chapters 7 & 8, which explore group dynamics and effective meetings. From these chapters, select two

References: You are required to use references from the text and/or class lectures. You will cite your

references in two places in your report.

1. In the body of the report, cite references in parenthetical notation, included right in the same

2. At the end of your report, include a section titled Works Cited.

Occasion and Audience Analysis: Before writing a document to submit, it’s important to analyze the

expectations of the occasion and of the audience you are writing for.

Occasion Analysis: This proposal requires a professional style of writing. You are expected to follow a

specific format, with a professional appearance. Your proposal makes a statement about who you are, so

be sure it reflects the best you can be. Aim for ZERO errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. If

Audience Analysis: Your primary audience (intended reader) is your professor. A potential secondary

audience is other students. Your instructor will be looking for evidence that you have participated with

your group and have learned about the group process. See Grading Criteria, below.

Format for the Proposal: Typically, each company has its own preferred format for proposals. For this

class, please use the following format. Include a heading for each section except the title page.

Title Page: On the title page, center the following information. Each item should be on a separate line,

Table of Contents: List each section in order (flush left). List the page number for each section on the

right side of the page.

Overview: This section serves as a preview of the contents of your report. Your goal is to convince the

reader that your proposal is worthwhile. One effective approach is to summarize the problem and then

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

IM APP 1–17

Project Description: Summarize what your group accomplished. Include your group’s purpose, each step

your group took in accomplishing your purpose (e.g., what your group did at each meeting), and a brief

description of your group’s end–product.

Group Assets: Describe two strengths your group exhibited. Each strength should correspond to a group

communication concept or a critical thinking concept you’ve learned in this class. In this section you

should do the following:

• Define and describe each concept (include a reference from the text or class lectures) in some

depth. Explain why this concept contributes to effective team work. Prove to your reader (me)

that you know what this concept means. Think of this as a take–home essay exam.

• Then, explain how your group illustrated this concept. Be specific. That is, if you claim that your

group avoided groupthink, include specific examples of devil’s advocate questions your group

members asked.

Group Limitations: Describe two weaknesses your group exhibited. Each weakness should correspond to

section of your entire document. Propose what you would do to improve your team’s work if you could

do this project over again. For example, you might suggest a different way to organize your group or a

better method of doing research. You might propose specific remedies to the limitations you described in

the preceding section. Integrate explanations and references from the text. Explain how you will apply

these recommendations in future group situations you may participate in. Be as specific as possible. Your

recommendations should demonstrate that you are personally “engaging” with the concepts of group

communication learned in this class.

Conclusion: Summarize your assets, limitations, and recommendations. End with a strong, constructive

Grading Criteria for the proposal. An “A” assignment will:

• follow a proposal format (following instructions is an essential element of communication).

• demonstrate your understanding of the communication concepts you have chosen.

• show that you have learned to apply concepts of group communication.

• explain insights you’ve gained about group communication.

• present a plan that is feasible (could be realistically implemented).

Professional Speaker Observation (Version A)

Purpose:

This assignment offers you an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of a professional speaker.

General Description:

Attend a professional presentation of your choice. Take notes during the presentation, and submit a two–

Topics to Analyze: Please discuss each of the following:

1. Organization

Identify the speaker’s thesis and organizational pattern. Describe the audience attitude and the

occasion. Was the organizational pattern appropriate for this audience and situation?

2. Supporting material

Analyze the speaker’s use of supporting material, and classify it according to type. What

3. Delivery

What style of delivery did the speaker use? How effective were the speaker’s visual, verbal, and

vocal elements? What visual aids did she or he use? Did they add to or detract from the speech?

Format:

Use memo format. Include a heading for each of the three topics you are analyzing.

Criteria for Grading:

Your grade will be based on the following criteria:

• evidence that you understand the principles of public speaking we have studied in this class

• depth of thought

Professional Speaker Observation (Version B)

Objective: After completing this activity, students should be able to assess the speaker’s

organizational plan when they listen to campus or community informative presentations.

Procedure: Distribute the form titled “Outside Speaker Observation/Critique” located in Appendix 2

of this manual. Assign students to critique an outside speaker. You can assign a speech for all

students to observe, have students choose an outside speaker, or invite a guest speaker. Campuses and

communities often present well–paid professional speakers. Political speeches abound, and speakers

Class Discussion: After students have observed their designated speakers, the following questions

could foster class discussion:

• How effective was the speaker’s introduction in gaining the audience’s attention? Is there

anything she or he could have done differently to increase effectiveness?

• What organizational pattern did the speaker use? Was it appropriate for the topic?

Informative Speech with PowerPoint

Objective:

This assignment will give you the opportunity to improve your professional presentation skills. You will

present a four– to five–minute informative speech to the class. You are required to integrate research (at

least three references) in developing the body of the speech. You must cite your sources in the speech.

You will create PowerPoint slides to accompany the speech.

Preparation:

1. Sign up for a specific day and time to deliver your speech. Consider this to be a contract. Our

tight class schedule does not allow time for make–ups.

2. Select a topic about which you are already a “mini–expert.” The more narrowly you can focus

3. Do additional research on your topic. You are required to integrate at least three credible

references (in addition to yourself) in the speech. Include at least one reference that is not taken

4. Prepare a typed outline of your speech. You will use this outline, not a word–for–word

manuscript, when you deliver your speech. Use large type, and leave plenty of white space.

5. Prepare a set of PowerPoint slides to accompany your speech.

6. Practice, practice, practice. Practice out loud, standing up, in front of a mirror or an audience of

friends. Practice with your slides and outline to be sure you can manage them easily. Practice

pronouncing any unfamiliar words so they will roll easily off your tongue. Stumbling on words

reduces your credibility. Practice pays off. Practice is reputed to be one of the most effective

antidotes to nervousness.

Oral Presentation:

On your assigned date, you will present your speech to the class, using PowerPoint technology. Deliver

your speech extemporaneously—don’t read it or memorize it. If you read it, you will not receive a passing

grade no matter how good the content. Bring your evaluation form for me to use as well as your peer

Written Materials:

On the day of your speech, you should submit:

1. your typed outline.

2. a complete bibliography of the references you have cited out loud in the speech (at least three

3. thumbnails of your PowerPoint slides, consolidated onto one page of paper.

4. your blank evaluation form with your name and topic filled in.