Program Evaluation Plan Samuel Levinson Program Evaluation Plan For Public Speaking and Overcoming Anxiety Formative

Evaluation Review of esign Assessing The Needs and The Learners Themselves: ! found t"roug" my Problem#$eed Statement and my Learning Assessment t"at t"ere is a need for a program related to public speaking and overcoming anxiety% !t was found t"at students or potential participants "ave areas& suc" as confidence& t"at need to be addressed% '"e format for addressing suc" problematic public speaking areas is t"at of an eig"t week program t"at introduces public speaking% Problems for individuals include anxiety related to t"e evaluation of one(s speec" ) aly et al% *+,+-% '"roug" t"e Learning Assessment& ! explain "ow my ob.ectives for t"e course will be assessed& in order to assure learners t"at t"ey are indeed making progress% '"erefore& t"ere is importance on learning about potential participants& and t"en designing a plan t"at will present learners wit" all t"at t"ey need for an introduction to public speaking course% '"roug" my references for t"e Problem#$eed Statement& ! "ave provided evidence t"at t"e need is present& and my /ontent Outline explains "ow ! will assist my students in meeting needs% !n addition to t"is& ! carefully reviewed my /ontent Outline& in order to make sure t"at all necessary components were present% '"ese components include discussion board participation& preparation in writing a self0introduction speec" and delivering t"e speec" to t"e class via online met"ods& and also t"e researc" and delivery of a second public speec" on t"e topic of t"e student(s c"oice% '"erefore& t"e instructional events detailed t"roug" my written

ob.ectives and t"e /ontent Outline explain t"e necessary components for my course%

Questions From The Audience Analysis: '"e 1uestions in my audience analysis were fifteen in total& and ! carefully selected t"e 1uestions% ! "ad t"e goal w"en constructing my audience analysis to only include relevant 1uestions& as it relates to learning information about t"e students and t"eir background in public speaking% For example& my twelft" 1uestion t"at "as a focus on w"et"er or not constructive criticism is a problem for t"e learner is important& as t"e responses to t"is 1uestion will "ave an influence on "ow ! design t"e class% For example& if t"ere is an estimate t"at many individuals w"o "ave a problem wit" constructive criticism will be in t"is course& t"en ! may need to evaluate and consider c"anging some of t"e peer review forms or "ow t"ese forms are delivered back to t"e student w"o is speaking& if necessary% ! would need to implement suc" a c"ange& if it was found to a be a problem& before beginning t"e first day of instruction% '"is would be a part of formative evaluation% 2sing t"is same example of constructive criticism& if it was found to be a ma.or problem& t"en per"aps ! would need to add a section on constructive criticism to my /ontent Outline% '"is is a part of analy3ing t"e course t"at ! "ave created& wit" an attempt to view t"e program t"roug" t"e understanding of a potential participant% Speec" writing is anot"er important part& and from t"e analysis of potential participants ! determined t"at t"ere s"ould be a focus on speec" writing& t"erefore ! am using input in creating content%

Written Objectives: ! "ave determined t"at t"e ob.ectives t"at ! "ave written are a good guide in detailing w"at students s"ould be able to learn and complete for a

significant portion of t"e course% '"e ob.ectives for t"e introduction assignment& leading up to t"e first public speec"% !t is t"is first speec" t"at will set t"e standards for w"at students s"ould work on in order to increase t"eir ability in public speaking% '"erefore& t"e ob.ectives need to be clear in order for t"e students to make progress% ! would not want students to "ave any unnecessary work t"at would only serve to provide an opportunity for students to be busy% Students deserve to make progress and every assignment s"ould be carefully designed wit" t"e student(s goals in mind% '"ese goals vary based on t"e sub.ect matter of t"e course& and in t"is course on public speaking and overcoming anxiety& t"e students will need to only "ave assignments t"at contribute to t"ese specific areas% A formative evaluation is valuable to address any areas t"at t"e instructor foresees% !mproving t"e areas before t"e first day of class is important in bot" teac"ing students and in student learning% Per"aps not all areas can be t"eori3ed or predicted& "owever& a formative evaluation will serve as a way of making improvements& to offer t"e best class on an introduction to public speaking and overcoming anxiety possible% Overall ! feel comfortable wit" t"e ob.ectives ! "ave written& "owever& ! t"ink ! would like to revisit t"e clarity of some areas& in order to assure t"at students understand w"at is expected of t"em%

Questions To Ask in onducting a Formative Evaluation: !n t"inking of a formative evaluation& ! feel t"at t"e following 1uestions would assist me in evaluating my course design% 4 5as t"e need been properly assessed6 7"at ot"er areas could be added6

4 4 4

o ! understand my audience6 Are my ob.ectives clear6 5ow can ! modify any unclear areas in t"e ob.ectives& in order to provide information6

Are t"ere any areas of t"e ob.ectives t"at could be c"anged& in order to promote greater learning6

!n assessing t"e ob.ectives& are t"ere any areas t"at could be written differently so t"at it "elps students to meet t"eir goals6 Are t"e ob.ectives rig"t for w"at ! want my students to learn6

Are t"ere any areas of t"e syllabus t"at ! s"ould modify& in order to provide more information for my students6 7ill students know w"at assignments to complete& wit"out confusion6

o all areas of my course design assist my students in understanding w"at t"ey are expected to complete& and does it "elp students to meet goals6 !ncor"orating the !n#ormation: 8y "aving t"e 1uestions t"at ! would use in a

formative evaluation& ! would now be able to re0evaluate my course design& and to t"ink about making c"anges w"en moving forward% '"ere is importance in t"e formative evaluation& in t"at it allows t"e instructor to "ave t"e opportunity to make c"anges before students begin working% ! also t"ink t"at it may be of benefit to "ave t"e original version of a course design available from before ! made c"anges& so t"at in t"e situation of a negative c"ange t"at may be made& t"e course may always return to t"e previous form ! "ave designed% 2ltimately it will be proven to be a successful course or not based on student outcomes% '"en a summative evaluation may be conducted%

$ummative Evaluation Review of esign %lan To &se At The onclusion o# a ourse: !n order to evaluate w"et"er or not a course is successful& ! feel t"at ! must determine if students "ave effectively improved t"eir public speaking skills& and if t"ey "ave overcome anxiety% 2sing learning assessments is a part of obtaining t"e knowledge about t"e participants% '"e grades of t"e students& and t"eir performance in public speaking& will be a reflection of t"eir progress% !n addition to t"is& ! "ave t"e ability to view student feedback on all student speec"es& and "ave an understanding of w"at an audience of one(s peers believes about a speec"% 9y system of grading is important& and in addition to t"is t"ere is great importance placed on t"e understanding of t"e student audience% '"e reason for t"is is because ! want my students to be able to speak to an audience and deliver t"e message t"at is intended% '"e criteria t"at t"e peer audience will use is based on w"at will be explained t"roug" t"e lessons in my course% 8ased on t"e grades& ! will t"en be able to analy3e t"e course t"at ! "ave designed wit" results from students% ! may t"en make c"anges to improve t"e course% $tudent $urvey: One met"od of a summative evaluation t"at could be conducted& is t"at of a student survey% At t"e completion of t"e course& students could be given surveys to complete& t"at will explain t"eir feelings about t"e course& as it relates to t"emselves& and also as it relates t"e course overall% :uestions on t"is survey could address areas suc" as; w"at areas of t"e course do you feel need to be improved6 7"at assignment or assignments do you feel t"at you learned t"e most from6 o you feel t"at

t"e instructor provides t"e proper level of guidance and assistance to "elp you to meet your course goals6 '"erefore& as t"e instructor& upon making c"anges to t"e course in order to prepare to teac" future students& ! could use survey results to en"ance various areas of t"e course& suc" as assignments% Areas t"at could be improved based on student survey results would not be limited% Potentially any area of t"e course could be influenced in a summative evaluation& if ! find t"at students "ave suggestions or complaints% $tudent 'rades: !n evaluating t"e course upon completion& ! will reference student grades in making decisions on areas t"at need improvement% All areas of t"e course will be considered& including t"e discussion boards& t"e self0introduction speec" preparation assignments& t"e self0introduction speec" delivered via t"e internet& t"e peer feedback forms& and t"e second speec" based a topic t"at t"e students c"oose% '"e second speec" t"at allows students to "ave t"e c"oice of researc"ing and presenting a topic will be one of t"e most important assignments% '"e reason for t"is is because it allows t"e student to "ave t"e opportunity to use all t"at was learned in t"e course& and incorporate it into a public speec"% Of t"e assignments for t"e course& areas w"ere students may "ave "ig" grades will be viewed as successful& and any areas w"ere t"e ma.ority of student "ave low grades will be re0evaluated and c"anges will be made% ! will also use my own notes and t"e graded assignments of students to consider areas t"at s"ould be improved% For example& if a student is struggling in an area of public speaking suc" as t"e proper tone of voice& t"en ! will need to evaluate t"e lessons and materials used in teac"ing students on t"is topic% !ncluding $takeholders: '"e stake"olders for t"e course t"at ! "ave designed

include t"e students& any potential individuals w"o may write text books to use for a public speaking course& any potential college t"at may become associated wit" t"e course& and myself as t"e instructor of t"e course% At t"is point in time& t"e two stake"olders include all students and myself% 8y using student grades as a way to perform a summative evaluation& ! am able to take into consideration w"at t"e students "ave learned and w"at t"ey needed to learn% '"e student surveys provide direct feedback on w"at s"ould be improved% !f textbook writers or publis"ers were to become stake"olders& t"en t"ey would need to be contacted and t"eir suggestions would need to be taken into consideration and implemented if it would allow for improvements% !f my course was adopted by a college& t"en ! would need to make sure ! was meeting t"e college(s expectations on t"e material and skills t"at students learn% An important goal is to meet t"e expectations t"at ! "ave set for my students& for myself as an instructor& and for all stake"olders% 7"en setting goals for t"e course& ! want to provide t"e proper instruction t"at will assist students in being successful& and using t"e information and skills outside of t"e classroom%

Reference aly& <%A%& =angelisti& A%L%& $eel& 5%L%& /anvanaug"& P% )*+,+-% Pre0performance concerns associated wit" public speaking anxiety% Communication Quarterly. Routledge%