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Course Description The course examines the theory and practice of communicating in interpersonal and public speaking settings. It is a required course for all students graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. It is a 100 level class with an average enrollment of twenty-seven students. Students are primarily freshmen with a small number of sophomores, juniors and seniors completing the mix. The first research lesson was conducted with twenty-eight students during the first half of a weekly 3-hour evening class. The second research lesson was conducted with twenty-seven students during a mid-morning 90 minute class. In both cases, students sat in a medium size classroom with tables and comfortable chairs. Equipment available in the classroom included an overhead projector, whiteboard as well as a computer and the corresponding equipment necessary to project PowerPoint slides.
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Executive Summary Three colleagues who teach the basic speech course at the same university found themselves at the same Lesson Study seminar in the spring of 2006 asking the question: Why aren't my students' persuasive speeches very persuasive? The answer was the students did not understand the importance of reasoning, or logos, in a persuasive argument. This report explores the systematic process taken to achieve the following short-term lesson study goal: to develop students' abilities to effectively construct a convincing and ethical argument for a persuasive speech that contains a well-articulated claim/problem and valid and reliable evidence. The specific learning goals for the lesson include the following: 1) Define and identify the categories of reasoning as they pertain to persuasion. 2) Name and identify the different types of fallacies associated with the categories of reasoning. 3) Integrate this knowledge in order to critically assess persuasive messages in printed media and to make a choice based on reasoned argument, on the validity and reliability of the evidence. 4) Apply this knowledge to effectively construct a convincing persuasive speech. After developing new lecture material and an article analysis activity to allow students to reflect on how persuasion works, an improvement was witnessed in the persuasiveness of their students' speeches. An unforeseen benefit of the Lesson study was that these colleagues gained a better understanding of not only the subject matter and how their students learn, but of the importance of collegiality and lesson sharing.
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