rubric for speech presentation

rubric for speech presentation

Developing an Effective Rubric for Speech Presentation Evaluation

1. Introduction to Rubrics and Their Importance in Speech Presentation Evaluation

Objective evaluation of public speaking can be done by using a well-constructed rubric. The constructivist approach to speech presentations is also promoted by the use of rubrics in evaluations whereby students assist in defining the valued characteristics and learn the language of evaluation in the process of speech preparation. In speech classrooms both learners and teachers need to identify and describe particular features deemed essential for effective presentation performances. It is not intended that rubrics should exclusively guide or control the speech performances of pupils, or the feedback provided by parents and teachers. In the perfect speech class, a continuum of performances would be expected. However, rubrics intended to afford students and their parents with a diagnosis of students’ performances in different areas and to provide concrete guidance for future improvements. In particular, both category ratings and narrative feedback facilitate students in understanding how to improve performance.

The key to an effective speech presentation, as is true of any communicative act, lies in the effective transmission and reception of information. To improve the clarity and persuasiveness of their speech presentations, students need to know in advance the qualities that will be rated. This can be achieved by developing and using a rubric to evaluate speech presentations. A rubric is a criterion-based rating form that is used to rate aspects of a student’s product, performance, or process. Its basic purpose is to help teachers decide how well students have performed in the various components of their work. A rubric empowers teachers to be quantitatively accurate and thus strengthens their evaluation capacity. It also empowers students by providing them with information about classroom expectations and a clear outline of classroom objectives that they can meet.

2. Key Components of a Rubric for Speech Presentation Evaluation

Since generic rubrics are more instructor-friendly, I outline the key factors that are likely to be critical of student performance in a general speaking setting. These features should be adapted to the individual’s assignment or course requirements. There are many skills and attributes that instructors can address in their speech presentation rubrics. These may include nonverbal communication, the ability to stand and address an audience without awkwardness, vocal delivery, organization and structure, eye contact, the ability to convey the importance and applicability of course content in a non-educational context, verbal constraints (such as accuracy of content, usage of words, and avoidance of distracting bio-flows and filler sounds), potential to involve an audience or cause informative interaction, and the ability to establish credible authority with an audience.

It is essential that the elements scored in a speech presentation evaluation reflect the actual capabilities communicatively accomplished in a presentation setting and take into account the particular demands of presentation in person. In a review of public speaking evaluation forms, recommended that researchers and educators abandon performance checklist templates for public speaking evaluation and instead build rubrics from the ground up, rooted in usage practices. There may be presiding factors against generic rubrics for public speaking assessment. For example, the use of general writing rubrics to support writing courses has been criticized due to a lack of individual item alignment with assignment requirements. critiqued a generic assignment/rubric combination as insufficient for reflective essay assignments.

2.1. The significant features of an effective speech presentation rubric

3. Designing and Implementing a Rubric for Speech Presentation Evaluation

Use of a rubric for evaluating a speech, with its focus on clarity, consistency, and communication of levels of performance, aids both judges and speakers in understanding public speaking as a persuasive exercise. Thus, speakers and judges share a common standard. In an age where machine grading is increasingly supplanting human evaluators, rubrics are of particular interest because they present a set of criteria by which to gauge a performance and create a shared understanding of what speech performance is and what it means. Even if Rubric Creator grades human performances somewhat differently than our justice-seeking Machine Learning, our interest here is not so much on the particular numerical score arrived at as what the scoring guide tells us about what’s important in effective presentation. And who better to help us make such an evaluation guide than students who regularly experience it?

Creating effective rubrics can make student presentations more clear, consistent, and equitable. The single point rubric, a new method of creating a rubric, prioritizes student feedback. We recognize that students, more so than course instructors, most often use speaking performance rubrics during speechmaking to improve their work before their peers and assessment. In Priority Use Profiles – which we designed to center student perspectives in our project – students defined three unique rubric features that might improve their use of a speaking performance rubric. Student insights guided our outcome: a single point rubric, which students found more beneficial than other rubrics in and outside of the classroom. We advocate for active collaboration with students in designing pedagogical materials like rubrics, which heavily influence student learning. Some study limitations and considerations for future research conclude the project.

Developing an effective rubric for speech presentation evaluation

4. Best Practices and Tips for Using Rubrics in Speech Presentation Evaluation

Fifth, critically monitor. Rubrics can be a huge support for critical monitoring. This may not be the intended purpose but because of the detailed nature of good rubrics, they are able to be used for guided self-reflection – by both the instructor and the student.

Fourth, teach and learn. It should be developed and used with students in a manner that helps students learn and understand the learning that is expected from them. They offer concrete and specific insights and direction about where to focus their attention as they develop presentation knowledge and skills.

Third, assess and communicate. Rubrics should be consistently and systematically used to communicate levels of performance to students. University and college students state that they prefer the use of rubrics as a preferred place to get feedback. Using the rubric to guide your evaluation and feedback helps catch inconsistencies and oversights. You can assure the coverage of an assignment and improve the consistency of grading by applying a rubric.

Second, categorize. Rubrics created for evaluation serve primarily two purposes – to measure learning and to teach it. Rubrics should break down the assignment into measurable, standard parts and let students know what is expected in each section. By marking each criterion, the rubric clearly communicates appropriate expectations. Students are able to read and understand the grading criteria before attempting an assignment. They understand that this work is a specific good example of ‘excellent’. This informs students to aim higher, so they make more effort to achieve in their presentation task.

First, be specific. Specificity is not just a standard, it is the standard for rubric creation. Effective rubrics should provide clarity for students, instructors, and teachers about the specific assignment. They must not use abstractions or vague categories but rather clear and specific criteria that students should fulfill. Concrete language or examples assist in this process.

Having covered the eight components and how each should be prepared and used, we revisit the following recommendations in view of effective rubrics for speech presentations.