oral communication

Oral Presentation Assignment Design Strategies

This workshop is designed for faculty interested in developing students’ oral presentation skills. Carefully and strategically designed assignments …

Assignment Design for Powerful Learning in Oral Communication

This workshop is collaboratively presented by the Assessment Office, General Education Office, Oral Communication Board, and Institutional Learning …

Oral Communication and Program-level Assessment

In this workshop you will learn how to ensure the oral presentations are aligned to program learning outcomes; …

Oral proficiency in Mandarin is one of the core language skills targeted by the Chinese program learning outcomes. This skill is primarily assessed through ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI), a nationally recognized language proficiency test. Given the volunteer nature of the test participation, only BA Chinese major students with more confidence have participated in it. Even though the results have shown that seniors from the Chinese B.A. program is performing above expectation, the program is not satisfied with the interview participation rate. These students contributed the reasons of low level of participation to the lack of confidence and practice. To address this need, the program coordinator collaborated with faculty and re-engineered Chinese 411, a speaking capstone course to prepare students for the OPI test in the Fall 2013. A rubric was developed for students to understand the expectations so that they can prepare with guidance. During this course, students were trained with a series of Advanced Level oral performance tasks: self-introduction, description, narration in different time frames in paragraphs, and report of current event as well as various role-plays. After each module, they produced recordings of performance in simulated interviews similar to OPI. Two assistants outside of the class independently evaluated 6 to 7 oral performance recordings and provided feedback. The result of this curricular change is that students have increased confidence in oral performance and willingness to participate in the OPI.

Improving Oral Proficiency in Chinese Using Simulated OPI Assessment

Oral proficiency in Mandarin is one of the core language skills targeted by the Chinese program learning outcomes. …

Swine Production is a senior capstone course in which students integrate concepts learned in courses such as nutrition, genetics and reproduction and apply them to practical swine production. Most animal science students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa are urban students interested in veterinary medicine, and little knowledge of or interest in swine production. The department learning objectives include applying principles to livestock production, but having students engage in learning the course material is a challenge. The extension specialist teaching the course tried a new approach in fall, 2013, integrating instruction and extension. Instead of traditional classroom instruction and written reports, teams of three students were sent out to work with a cooperating farmer. The teams described their farm using a list of required information on general farm description, breeding program, feeding program, housing, waste management, health program, production management and economics. The farms were carefully selected to represent different management approaches including varying use of local food waste and agricultural byproducts in the swine rations and different types of housing and waste management. The teams presented the results of farm visits and farmer interviews in class presentations and written reports, which were revised before being submitted in final form to both the instructor and the farmer. The course was designated as developing both oral and written communication skills. Course evaluations indicated that 78% of the students felt that the farm visits and interactions with the farmers were the most valuable part of the course, and 44% mentioned hands-on laboratories (artificial insemination and baby pig processing), while others mentioned constructive feedback, small class size, having to think, oral presentations, and writing. Student journals indicated a strong rapport with and a very positive view of the farmers and farm practices. The farmers changed some of their practices based on student recommendations, most notably adjusting feeding according to condition score. Student grades were assigned using posted rubrics and were equal to or better than in previous years in a more traditional learning environment. The new structure had some challenges. Since this was the first time the course was taught using student engagement with producers, students were informed that some adjustment to assignments and grading rubrics might be made part way through the class and this in fact needed to be done. One example was development of a tool in which the relative contributions of the team members to the group reports were evaluated by all members of each team. Additionally, students were required to sign liability waivers and confidentiality agreements. Students had to use their own cars and to find times when all team members were available for farm visits. Students indicated that the amount of work justified 4 rather than 3 credits for the course.

Integrating Teaching and Extension: Swine Production

Swine Production is a senior capstone course in which students integrate concepts learned in courses such as nutrition, …

This study was intrigued by the needs to assess oral performance more systematically and to motivate students to take assessment more seriously. The participants of the study were students and faculty of Korean Language Flagship Center (KLFC) MA program in the department of East Asian Languages and Literatures. There was a brief criterion for oral assessment in the program, but it was not enough to meet the aforementioned needs. Therefore, the researcher with the help of faculty in the program and center developed a detailed rubric, Flagship Rubric. Utilizing assessment evidences such as video recordings and student feedback sheets, development phases were as follows: 1) rough version, 2) revision, 3) pilot test, 4) second revision, and 5) ‘Flagship Rubric.’ The poster session will show this process and the product, and how it will be incorporated in the program with a dissemination plan.

Flagship Rubric for Oral Performance

This study was intrigued by the needs to assess oral performance more systematically and to motivate students to …

The B.S. degree in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Natural Sciences is an interdisciplinary academic program that offers unique opportunities for hands on learning. Extensive field experiences are integrated with traditional classroom and laboratory courses, giving full exposure to the theoretical/practical aspects of marine biology. The program’s student learning outcomes (SLOs) are aimed at preparing students for either future graduate school experiences or entry into the private sector. The students will be able to apply the scientific processes, to communicate about biological sciences through writing and oral communicating, and to recall foundational biological information that is necessary for pursuing post-baccalaureate schools or entering a career in the biological sciences. Certain ways that are proposed to collect assessment are to check students’ laboratory notebooks and reports, observe students as they perform laboratory techniques, evaluate students’ oral presentations, evaluate students’ research proposal and exams, and evaluate student portfolios and their senior capstone experience. Future steps we are proposing are to have more specific program SLOs for the marine biology majors. Presently, the current program SLOs highlight the student’s basic biological science foundation experiences. We plan to start assessing the senior students in the marine biology program through analysis of the experiences in their required directed research. We also plan to implement assessment through the students’ capstone course, which is also required. Finally, we intend to broaden the scope of the curriculum map with the inclusion of more courses with their new specific program SLOs.

B.S. Marine Biology Proposed Program SLOs and Assessment

The B.S. degree in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Natural Sciences is …

YouTube videos for student to develop oral presentation skills

HOW TO Give a Great Presentation – 7 Presentation Skills and Tips to Leave an Impression Author: Practical …

Oral Communication Assignment Charrette

This workshop is co-sponsored by the Assessment and Curriculum Support Center and Center for Teaching Excellence. Instructors bring …

Teaching Oral Communication Skills in Online Courses

This workshop is co-sponsored by General Education Office, Oral Communication Board, Assessment and Curriculum Support Center, and Center …

Rubric Development for Promoting Oral Communication in the Classroom

This workshop is co-sponsored by the Assessment and Curriculum Support Center and Center for Teaching Excellence. Amongst its …