COM 499 Capstone Seminar Final Project
Public Speaking Apprehension in the College Classroom: How to Reduce These Fears and Promote Successful Communication Practices
Public Speaking is a core communication skill that, when executed successfully, affects the overall impact of a speaker and how their message is perceived by their intended audience. Despite its importance, this social skill often instills feelings of fear, anxiety, and doubt. This research sought to find information regarding Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA)-specifically amongst students in a classroom setting. For this project, research was conducted in order to determine what type of classroom lessons/exercises were positively correlated with lowering PSA amongst students. Through academic research, I was able to identify three lesson components that when incorporated into an introductory oral communication lesson plan-were known to positively lower PSA and promote success amongst students.
Why the fascination with Public Speaking?
One Wednesday afternoon in November, my second-grade teacher gave the class an assignment: give an impromptu speech. The topic? You were the Thanksgiving turkey and you had to persuade the class about why you shouldn’t be eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s been 14 years since that day and while the details have escaped me, the genuine excitement and joy of delivering that speech has certainly stayed. Public speaking is without a doubt something that brings me great joy. While I was considered a relatively shy kid, I found it easy to come alive whenever it involved giving a speech or presentation in front of an audience. The simple act of capturing the attention of an audience and connecting with them through my words and actions is something that I find fascinating. This fascination has only grown stronger throughout my four years at The University of Alabama.
To think that this skill/component of communication causes feelings of intense anxiety and fear amongst people makes me incredibly unhappy. It is important that we take the initiative to destigmatize public speaking and encourage people to find a sense of comfort in how they present themselves and their thoughts and ideas to others. It is imperative that we take this initiative to the classroom and incorporate the necessary tools and techniques to make public speaking a more positive experience for students.
Project Poster
Project Breakdown
Explanation of Paper
This paper examines the current definition of Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) and discusses an assessment (The Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety) that is used to measure levels of PSA in people. This paper also examines past research studies that analyze PSA among students in an introductory public speaking course. Using the results from these studies, three different teaching techniques--which were proven to help lower PSA--were compiled and further explained. These techniques are systematic desensitization, cognitive modification, and skills training. The paper provides an explanation about how incorporating these three techniques into a lesson plan for an introductory public speaking course could lower PSA and encourage positive and productive learning. The paper ends with a brief explanation about how--using the skills training technique--I was able to make a series of training videos that broke down common public speaking components and made them easy to understand for students who needed further assistance.
Explanation of Project
Video Skills Training Series
Aside from my paper, I really wanted to incorporate a component to this project that could be beneficial to students from a learning perspective. With the help of my instructor, I was able to come up with the idea to focus on making a series of training videos highlighting different components of public speaking. Incorporating the skills training techniques, I made a series of videos defining and explaining certain skills that people can watch if they are having trouble understanding a certain topic or if they simply need a brush-up of their knowledge. Examples of these videos include: What is an informative speech and why do we use them? How do you cite in a speech? What is the best way to prepare for a speech? Breaking down this curriculum into pieces makes the information easier to digest and incorporate into their oral communication practice.
Click the button below to access this video series!
Process
How I Got to my Final Product
I'd be lying if I said this project has been smooth sailing from start to finish. This paper and project have taken many forms but the intended purpose and message have remained the same: to find a solution to reduce public speaking anxiety in students.
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From the beginning, I knew I wanted to do something that was very near and dear to my heart. Over the past four years, I've been fascinated with oral communication and how we communicate ourselves and our thoughts and ideas to others. I especially enjoy viewing this type of communication through the lens of public speaking in front of an audience. It was important for me to do a project on a topic that I enjoyed and one that I felt could benefit others.
Plan A- The dream
In the beginning, I had planned to use a Qualtrix survey which would be sent- via email- to every student who was currently enrolled in an Introduction to Public Speaking course at The University of Alabama. Using the results from this survey, along with independent research pertaining to public speaking anxiety (PSA) in students I wanted to identify how introductory public speaking courses could enhance their curriculum in order to help lessen public speaking anxiety among students. I wanted to take these findings and craft them into a lesson plan which I could then teach an introductory public speaking class during (1) allotted class time. I would then have the class complete a survey in order to gauge how beneficial/impactful this lesson plan was. I would then write a paper on my research and findings and a whole and present an idealized lesson plan that instructors could implement in their own curriculum.
Plan B- The reality
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, things did not go according to plan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic universities were ordered to close and transition to online learning. This resulted in getting in touch with students and teaching an in-person class difficult. I made the decision to forgo the survey and teaching component and instead do something that would be easier to do from a remote setting. I focused on doing extensive research on other research studies that had been conducted involving public speaking anxiety (PSA) in the classroom setting. I found numerous studies that not only examined PSA but also went in-depth at examining tools and techniques that were proven to lower PSA among students. I was able to craft together my paper composed of these findings as well as a closer look at what PSA is. I still wanted my project to be impactful in some way so, with guidance from my instructor, I decided to focus on public speaking skills training which coincided with the skills training component I had discovered during my research. I would make a video training series where I would take important oral communication pieces/skills and break them down to make them easier to understand. My goal was to have a database of videos that anyone could easily access to further educate themselves and enhance their knowledge of oral communication. Examples of these videos include: What is an informative speech and why do we use them? How do you cite in a speech? What is the best way to prepare for a speech?
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While my paper and project have certainly changed from the beginning, I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. I'm proud of this project and I look forward to continuing my mission of destigmatizing public speaking and making it an easier and more positive experience for others!