Last semester, I set out in search of an authentic audience to help my COM111 Public Speaking students prepare for and deliver a persuasive speech. Thankfully, Dr. Melissa Spenkle agreed to have one of her sections of ENG111 English Composition become our audience, and we collaborated to create cross-curricular projects for both sets of students. 

When COM111 is full, there’s enough of them where the gravity of speech days rings true; the occasion of speaking to so many of their peers holds importance and demands a concentrated effort. There’s a sort of magic in having a sizable audience the student knows holds a variety of views on their topic. They offer each other constructive criticism and encouragement throughout the term. The class creates a little self-sustaining ecosystem of support and feedback. 

When enrollment is low, however, public speaking can turn into private speaking. I had eight students last term, about ⅓ of the enrollment of a full section. While starting with a small audience can be beneficial, that audience can become too small as students develop their abilities and gain confidence. Like baby birds, they mature and need to fly the nest. So, I looked to find them a broader audience to mimic a more authentic experience.

I started my search in Banner, using the course schedule to see which courses on campus were meeting at the same time. As luck would have it, one of Melissa’s sections of ENG111 met at the same time, just down the way from us in Scholar’s Hall. I reached out to Melissa, and she was game. Instead of having her students simply attend our class on speech day as a passive audience, we worked together to design engaging activities to meet learning outcomes in both courses. Melissa also adapted the opportunity so students in another section of hers could participate. Here’s how it played out: 

Preparation for Speech Day

My students began by learning the key elements of persuasive speaking, analyzing example speeches, and then crafting their own persuasive speeches on a policy-related topic. Before writing their speeches, they explored audience demographics and survey techniques, creating a survey using Google Forms. They also made assumptions about their audience and tried to predict how the other classes would respond to their survey questions.

Melissa shared the Google Form survey links with her students, who were also working on research for an informative essay in her class at the same time.

Once the surveys were completed, my students analyzed the results from their primary research, gathered evidence, and developed a clear line of reasoning to effectively appeal to their specific audience. They also practiced their rough drafts during a peer review session.

Speech Day

Both classes gathered in the small auditorium on the second floor of Scholars Hall. COM111 students presented their speeches, while ENG111 students used student-friendly rubrics to provide structured feedback. The speeches were recorded, and Melissa shared the recordings with her other section of ENG111, allowing them to engage with the event as well.

Post-Speech Day

Afterward, the COM111 students reflected on the experience. They shared that the speech day was challenging but rewarding. They expressed that they were surprised by how different their survey results were from their expectations, but also that the results helped them to identify evidence and reasoning that would appeal to that audience. The high point for them following the speech was receiving feedback from Melissa’s students.

As an add-on to the informative research essay Melissa assigned to her students, she also helped them to analyze rhetorical strategies used in YouTube and social media videos. She then challenged students to use those strategies to create a plan for a 5-minute, entertaining yet informative video. This project would be based on the research paper they had previously written.

My students then visited Melissa’s class, where they worked in small groups to listen to her students’ plans for their videos. They provided feedback and suggestions to help refine the video concepts.

Thanks to Melissa and her students, the project was a smashing success. My students felt the weight of a real public speaking experience. They were far more nervous for the speech they gave Melissa’s class, but, as a result, they put more time and effort into that project and, in many cases, delivered their best speeches of the term.

AI Generated NMC COM111 Public Speaking Student.

An AI-generated COM111 public speaking student.