Comprehensive Study Guide: Informative Speaking Specifications and Principles

Course Logistics and Academic Policies

  • Classroom Environment and Audience Expectations:

    • The speech audience for the remainder of the semester consists strictly of the peers present in the classroom.
    • Classroom norms dictate a supportive, non-judgmental environment; laughing at, ridiculing, or pointing at speakers is prohibited.
    • Students pay $412.85\$412.85 per hour to attend class, requiring instructional time to be maximized efficiently.

  • Schedule and Upcoming Deadlines:

    • Wednesday: Lecture and in-class activity on formulating speech purpose statements.
    • Friday, September 11: Informative speech specific purpose statements are due on the Canvas discussion board.
    • Speech Delivery Schedule: Informative speeches will be delivered near the end of the month.

  • Course Materials and Canvas Navigation:

    • All presentation slides are made available on Canvas.
    • Slides are located under: Canvas →\rightarrow Files →\rightarrow weekly folders →\rightarrow week 3 folder.

Informative Speech Specifications and Evaluation Rubric

  • Core Speech Requirements:

    • Time Duration: Speeches must be between 55 and 77 minutes in length.
    • Source Quantity: A minimum of 44 total sources is required.
    • Academic Source Threshold: At least 22 of the 44 sources must be classified as academic sources.

  • Academic vs. Non-Academic Sources:

    • Academic Sources:
      • Peer-reviewed journal articles.
      • Research papers written by subject matter experts.
      • Official government agency reports (e.g., reports published by the CDC, USDA, or FDA).
      • Institutional publications generally originating from .edu domain websites.
    • Non-Academic Sources:
      • Commercial magazine websites (e.g., an article about lions published on National Geographic's website).

  • Topic Selection Criteria:

    • Topics must be engaging to the speaker to facilitate rigorous research.
    • Topics must possess sufficient scholarly literature to satisfy the 22 academic source requirement.
    • Restrictions:
      • Pop culture and contemporary arts topics lacking peer-reviewed literature are prohibited (e.g., pop artist Phoebe Bridgers cannot be used due to a lack of academic research).
      • Duplicate topics within the same class section are strictly prohibited (e.g., multiple students presenting on mental health).
      • All topics must be explicitly approved via the submitted purpose statement.

  • Presentation Grading Rubric Breakdown (100 Points Total):

    • Verbal Source Citations:
      • Sources must be cited orally during the speech delivery (e.g., "According to an article in National Geographic, lions live in Sub-Saharan Africa.").
      • Listing sources on a written works cited page without oral attribution is insufficient.
      • Failure to verbally cite sources results in an automatic 2525-point deduction (reducing the maximum achievable grade to a C).
    • Extemporaneous Delivery:
      • Speeches must be delivered extemporaneously using brief index card notes or slide references for key points.
      • Speeches must not be fully scripted, memorized, or read verbatim from cards or slides.
    • Slide Submission Penalties:
      • Slides must be submitted by 8:00 AM8:00\,\text{AM} on the scheduled speech day.
      • Acceptable file formats are strictly limited to PowerPoint (.pptx) or PDF (.pdf). Mac native presentation formats must be converted prior to submission.
      • Failure to submit slides by 8:00 AM8:00\,\text{AM} requires the student to present without slides and results in a slide presentation point deduction.
    • Introduction and Purpose:
      • The introduction must clearly communicate the topic, main points, and overall goals of the speech, drawing directly from the approved specific purpose statement.
    • Timing Standards and In-Class Card System:
      • Speakers are prohibited from operating personal stopwatches or mobile timers at the lectern.
      • Time management is signaled using colored cards:
        • Yellow Card: Displayed at 44 minutes (indicating 11 minute remains to reach the 55-minute minimum).
        • Red Card: Displayed at 77 minutes (indicating the maximum time limit has been reached and the speaker must conclude).
    • Clarity, Grammar, and Terminology:
      • Speakers must use proper grammar, maintain clear articulation, and avoid rapid speech or mumbling caused by anxiety.
      • Technical jargon must be translated into lay terms (e.g., nursing students must explain specialized medical terms to non-nursing classmates).
      • Speech Impediments: Conditions such as stutters or lisps are recognized as legitimate speech impediments and are not subject to point deductions.

  • Outline Requirements (50 Points Total):

    • Submission: Due on the day of presentation.
    • Formatting: Must be typed in 1212\text{pt} font, double-spaced, and formatted using APA version 7 citation style.
    • Structure: Sub-points for main points must consist of complete, grammatically correct sentences ending with proper punctuation.
    • Works Cited Page: Must contain full references for all cited sources.
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy: Citation generators and AI tools are permitted solely for generating bibliographical citations; however, students are required to manually audit AI output for formatting errors.

  • Speech Reflection Assignment:

    • Length: 200200 to 300300 words.
    • Due Date: Friday of the week speeches conclude.
    • Content: Self-assessment detailing successful delivery elements and specific areas needing technical refinement.

Functions and Role of Informative Speaking

  • Four Primary Functions of Informative Speaking:

    • 1. Teaching New Information or Expanding Existing Knowledge:
      • Introducing entirely novel subjects (e.g., explaining "hoo hoos" stuffed collectibles as contemporary equivalents to Beanie Babies).
      • Expanding prior audience knowledge (e.g., detailing the 8080-year comic book history of Captain America beyond cinematic portrayals).
    • 2. Shaping Perceptions:
      • Presenting all available objective facts regarding a topic so the audience can formulate independent conclusions.
      • Distinguished from persuasion: Shaping perception provides complete factual context, whereas persuasion seeks to alter personal opinions.
    • 3. Providing Alternatives:
      • Introducing non-traditional approaches, recipes, or choices (e.g., demonstrating how to make Chicken Marsala to an audience only accustomed to fried chicken; explaining Eastern traditions like Buddhism or Hinduism to broaden understanding beyond Judeo-Christian frameworks).
    • 4. Facilitating Adaptation and Survival:
      • Historically, oral communication preserved survival data prior to the invention of the printing press in the 15001500\text{s}–16001600\text{s} (e.g., passing oral warnings regarding poisonous vegetation).
      • Modern application: Emergency Alert System (EAS) severe weather broadcasts providing immediate, life-saving tornado instructions.

  • The Speaker's Objective Role:

    • Informative speaking requires a journalism-style objective stance, excluding personal emotion, bias, and advocacy.
    • Credibility is sustained through visible subject mastery, fluid body language, continuous eye contact, and minimal reliance on physical scripts.
    • Speakers must establish explicit audience relevance early in the speech by answering