When a student can identify with a speaker on a video the student internalizes the act which can advance learning. For example, one student stated, “When I watch a student on video give a speech I say ‘I can do that or I need to make sure I don’t do that’. Providing positive role models can help the student understand the function and criterion of the speech process. For example, one student stated, “By watching the videos I can see the parts of the speech and I can focus on the way the student is delivering it.” Another stated, “I don’t want to see a wrong speech, I want to know the best way to do it.” Speech videos provide the student with a visual representation and may serve to motivate the student toward engaging in desired learning behavior (preparing, practicing, etc.). For example, one student commented after viewing a Valencia student speak, “Watching that student speak makes me want to do better.” In my interactions, I find the majority of students consider the videos essential to the learning process. When the student is aware that the speaker is a Valencia student, the credibility of the model is enhanced and vicarious learning is heightened.

In speaking with communication faculty, librarians, and technology personnel (to name a few), all have indicated having a Valencia student speech collection would benefit the discipline and may help others complete projects where student speeches are needed (e.g., L.E.T.). Most communication faculty inquired about the type of speeches to be filmed (e.g., informative, persuasion) and offered agreement with the planned agenda. Having served on the team with Kathleen Perry and Diana DellaCosta to build the Master Course Shell for SPC1600 online, a need to have student speech video samples became apparent during the development process. While Valencia housed several speech samples on the server, the samples were dated and did not necessarily demonstrate a model to which students would necessarily want to imitate.

Schunk (2001) states, “self-regulation is highly context dependent…learners must understand how to adapt process to specific domains and must feel efficacious about doing so,” (p. 126). Learners must also have some choice in the self-regulatory process. When the learner views that he or she has choice in at least one process (motive, method, time, outcome, physical and/or social environment) then the learner views the task as one that allows for some level of internal control. When all tasks are fixed the source is external to the learner and, although learning can occur, self-regulation may be diminished (Schunk). Providing choice in speech topic, delivery method (informative, persuasion, etc.) and pattern of organization (problem solution, Monroe’s motivated sequence, etc.) are techniques that can be used to address internal control among learners in a public speaking course.

One behavioral aspect of the reciprocal interactions that occurs during the self-regulating process is enactive and vicarious learning.  Enactive learning is learning by doing. Vicarious learning is learning by observing others such as watching a video of a student delivering a speech.  “Vicarious learning accelerates learning and saves us from experiencing many negative consequences. We do not have to enter war zones to learn that they are dangerous; we observe their effects on the nightly news,” (Schunk, p. 128). Learning can take place by observing models. “Models are real or symbolic individuals or characters whose behaviors, verbalizations, and nonverbal expressions are attended to by observers and serve as cues for subsequent modeling,” [Schunk, 1987 as cited by Schunk, 2001]. Observational modeling of academic skills assists the learner in shifting from observational to imitative, to self-controlled and then mediates self-regulatory functions. Observational modeling has been shown to increase academic achievement and build self-efficacy (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997).  Kitsantas, Zimmerman and Cleary (2000) studied modeling and social feedback among 60 high school girls acquiring dart-throwing skills and found girls who observed a mastery model exceeded girls learning without modeling.

Observational learning calls on the learner to attend to, retain, be capable of producing and be motivated to perform the modeled behavior (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997). Incorporating teaching strategies to focus students cognitively on the student speech video is important for observational learning to take place. For example, students should be able to verbally explain, demonstrate, provide reasoning and thought to the model’s performing actions.  Success or failure, reward or punishment of the model is also important to observational learning. For example, when the modeled behavior is viewed positively imitation is advanced. The behavioral inhibitions are strengthened or weakened depending on the functional value of the model. Since the objective in the public speaking class is to advance imitation through student models, where perceived similarity between model and observer can raise observers’ efficacy and motivate the learner to try the task, mastery models are more likely to produce desired learning outcomes. Schunk and Zimmerman (1997) report, “Similarity can have profound effects in situations where individuals have experienced difficulties and hold doubts about performing well,” (p. 197). Student speech models may help students feel less anxious about the task, build efficacy and move the learner toward engagement in self-regulation strategies.

References
Kitsantas, A., Zimmerman, B. J., & Cleary, T. (2000). The role of observation and emulation in the development of athletic self-regulation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 42(4), pp. 811-817. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Schunk, D. H. (2001). Social cognitive theory and self-regulated learning (2nd ed.). In Zimmerman & Schunk (Eds.), Self-regulated learning and academic achievement, (pp. 125 - 151). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Schunk, D. H., & Zimmerman, B. J. (1997). Social origins of self-regulatory competence. Educational psychologist, 32(4), pp. 195-208. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Students in a public speaking course often enter the classroom feeling anxious about speaking in public. While students learn techniques to help ease such emotional responses, one method to help students cope with the uncertainty is to view examples of students delivering various speech assignments. Traditionally, today’s speech textbooks offer a variety of video speech samples however, our students often view such speech examples as suspect (e.g., he/she attends a prestigious university so they are better prepared, he/she must have lots of experience, or the I can’t get the CD to work, etc.). To address this problem initially, I tried using previously in-class recorded student speeches to demonstrate various aspects of the speech process (e.g., delivery, organization, verbal citation, etc.) however the quality of the recording was a detractor to the learning objective. For example, due to the angle of the camera it appeared as if the speaker was talking down to the audience, poor lighting or sound made it difficult to view, etc. While this action addressed the face-to-face class it did not provide a modeling source for the online learner. I believe, and research shows, that modeling (cognitive, affective and behavioral changes that derive from observing models) serve as cues for subsequent modeling.  Modeling is a form of vicarious learning and can enhance performance. Since research shows mastery models produce better results in academic performance and students did not want to be shown doing poorly, only A and B letter-graded student speeches were used for the project. The creation of the student speech and outline collection may help student learning, performance and motivation while serving to build self-efficacy regardless of the type of learning environment (face-to-face, hybrid, online).

The project set out to obtain a variety of student speech and outline examples to be used for teaching and learning in a SPC1600, Fundamentals of Speech course. The students who participated in the project expressed gratitude for being asked and for having the experience to film at a “real” studio. The results of the project met the objective of the learning outcome.

All but one student who agreed to participate in the project showed up and was prepared for filming. The student who was unable to fulfill the commitment had transportation issues. Although I worked with the student and the Office for Students with Disabilities to obtain Lynx transportation well in advance of the scheduled studio date, other issues that I could not assist the student with hampered participation. One faculty member from the east campus recommended one student for filming. The student delivered a Speech to Entertain. All other students recruited came from my classes. Because of this, student work may be viewed as representative of my standards versus a collective standard.

To access the artifacts, click on the red titles below.

1. Invitation to Participate: Email sent to east campus communication faculty
2. Details of Studio Filming: to Student Participants
3. Please Excuse Student: Email sent to a faculty member when student missing a class
4. Grading Rubric Example:  An example of the informative speech with visual aid grading rubric used to determine selection of participant
5. Consent and Release: Students and/or Guardian completed prior to studio recording
6. Student Speaker List: List of student speakers and topics included in project
7. Student Speech and Outline Examples

The learning outcome sought to select and record student models that were of A or B letter-grade quality. The organization of the student speech was the first predictor of model selection. Since no speaker is without flaws, there is an aspect of each model performance that can be used to focus students cognitively. For example, the model may engage in delivery flaws such as reading, using too many vocal fillers or credibility issues such as sources used to support the message or the way the sources were presented in the speech. For example, one student was selected because she stated all her sources at the end of the speech. She corrected the deficiency for future speech assignments but agreed to be videoed doing the task incorrectly. Students who participated had received written and verbal feedback on the selected speech being videoed. During the fall 2007 semester students viewed previous in-class student video-recordings and speech samples from a textbook CD. After the fall 2007 semester, students had viewed the first Valencia student speeches and were able to understand how the videos would be used for learning. This helped with the recruitment of student speakers because he/she was a part of the evaluating process of other student speeches and valued the experience. For example, after reviewing a student speech in class, I always stressed that while the student had difficulty in one area, overall the quality of the speech was representative of A or B letter-grade work. The fall 2007 videos were incorporated in the online master course shell and online discussion assignments created.

A couple of suggestions were made during the process. One faculty member suggested filming a speech where the student needs improvement and then having video showing the student improving the speech. This project was not incorporated into the bank because only one studio session per semester was reserved and having a student do both during one session may appear ingenuous. Another request was made by the west campus dean, Kim Long, to include an award speech. Time permitted this request to be included in the collection. I am confident that not all speech assignments including outline criteria are represented in this project. I would like to think of this project as a shared living document where other communication faculty members can seek to contribute to Valencia student learning.

Professional Commitment

1. Contribute to discipline/academic field.

Creating a bank of speech and outlines created by and for Valencia students has positive implications for the communication department. The most obvious is using Valencia students to help other Valencia students learn. Theoretically, the models will serve to inform and motivate students toward regulating behavior.

Next, it provides a variety of speech modes and learning points. For example, one speech demonstrates the use of ethos, pathos, logos and can be used to demonstrate these concepts in action. There are speeches to inform and speeches to persuade. There is a speech to entertain and a speech of recognition and acceptance (award speech).The material can be used in all learning environments, and is presented in an online program that can be accessed by all faculty members making it centralized and cost effective. With the focus on saving students’ money and discussions about cheaper or alternative textbooks, the speech bank can be a cost effective way for students to obtain video and speech text material. For example, linking the speech bank page in a Web enhanced class (the material is linked in the online master course shell). Finally, the project can be expanded if other faculty members want to engage in duplicating, adding or making improvement to the speech bank.