ASC General Education (8/04)
10B. Oral Communication
Knowledge and Skill Area
Outcomes
Students will be able to
o develop proficiency in oral discourse and
o
evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.
Assessment Method:
The department (or knowledge area) assessment committee and the Department Chair
will select on a rotational basis a sample drawn from the list of courses within the
knowledge area. Only courses offered during the semester the assessment is to be
conducted will be considered. After course selection, designated department faculty will:

Meet with the Department Assessment committee and the Department Chair to
select a part or all of at least one significant assignment (examination, paper, oral
presentation) given during the semester that directly tests student proficiency for
each knowledge area student learning outcome (SLO). If appropriate, the same
assignment may be used to assess more than one SLO.

Draw a random sample of at least thirty percent (with no less than twenty
students) of college students taking the course at the Alfred campus at the time of
scoring. Students drawn for the sample will be assessed for each SLO.

Designate at least two faculty members (not to include the faculty who made the
assignment) to separately apply the rubric to the assignment selected, to
participate in a norming session to ensure reliability in scoring, and to compile the
results.

Analyze the data to determine what, if any, changes need to be made to improve
students’ mastery of the SUNY SLO’s.

Provide the Department Assessment Committee with a brief report that includes
the assignment, an analysis of aggregated student scores, and any changes
recommended for improving student attainment of the SLO’s. If changes are
necessary, faculty will devise a plan of action that includes a timeline and timely
reassessment to ensure that the changes have been implemented and to determine
their effectiveness.

The department will maintain a portfolio of the relevant assessment materials of
all students in the assessed course(s) for purposes of reviewing and supporting the
conclusions of the assessment.
The Department Assessment Committee will review the report submitted and make
appropriate recommendations to the Faculty Senate General Education Assessment
Committee.
Oral Presentation Assessment Rubric
It is recommended that the evaluator give a score of 1 for does not meet, 2 for
approaches, 3 for meets, or a whole score of 4 for exceeds. The minimum acceptable
score is 11 (70%).
Organization
Delivery
Support Material
Visual Aid
Exceeds
(4) The purpose is
clearly presented
such that all
audience members
easily recognize the
thesis of the speech
-The speaker
provides an
exceptional and
complete introduction
and conclusion
-The speaker has
superior use of
transitions and
signposting
-An organizational
format that reflects
superior clarity and is
appropriate to the
occasion, purpose,
and audience is used
(4) The speaker has
almost complete
audience eye contact
with only minimal
visual regard for
notes
-First/last words are
clearly directed to the
audience
-The speaker makes
exceptional use of
vocal variety thus
creating the “illusion
of the first time”
-The speaker
demonstrates
acceptable posture,
gestures, facial
expressions, body
movement, and attire
-The speaker
demonstrates
exceptional posture,
gestures, body
movement, facial
expression, and attire
(4) Superior use of
valid support material
to support each
contention and
facilitate understanding
All sources are
correctly cited—no
outside material goes
undocumented
-All sources cited are
current to and credible
to the topic and
audience
-“Supporting material is
unarguably linked to
the thesis of the
speech, and further is
of such quality that it
decidedly enhances
the credibility of the
speaker and clarity of
the topic.”
(4) Speaker looks at
visual only to ensure
indication of correct
material
-No text graphics are
used
The visual aid is helpful
but secondary to the
speaker and verbal
message
-The speaker guides the
audience through the
visual aid completely
indicating what the
audience should notice
-The visual and
equipment are set up
before the presentation
and are manipulated
professionally and
effortlessly when in use
-The visual aid is
absolutely essential to
the speech and the
audience’s
understanding of the
material presented; the
speech could not have
been presented without
it
Meets
(3) A purpose is
presented so that
most audience
members can grasp
the thesis
-Reasonably clear
and logical
progression within
and between ideas is
present
-The speaker
provides an
appropriate
introduction and
conclusion that
contains all elements
-Transitions and
signposting are used
(3) The speaker
shares eye contact
with notes and
audience
-The speaker
attempts to look at
audience for the first
and last words of the
presentation
-The speaker makes
acceptable use of
vocal variety to
speak in a
conversational
manner
-The speaker uses
language that is
reasonably clear and
(3) Uses the minimum
amount of required
supporting material
-Most sources are
correctly cited
-Most sources are
credible to the topic
and audience
-Most support material
is current and relevant
-Adequate material is
used to prove and
facilitate understanding
-“Supporting material is
logically linked to the
thesis of the speech,
and is of such quality
that it adds a
(3) Speaker shares eye
contact with the visual
aid and the audience
-Visual aid contains
minimal text
-The speaker and visual
aid share the stage
-Visual is of adequate
size, neat and attractive,
with no grammar or
spelling errors
-The visual aid is
presented and used well
-The speaker sets up
and manipulates the
visual aid and equipment
with adequate
proficiency
The body of the
speech appears to be
divided into 2-5 main
points
The body follows an
organizational format
that is appropriate for
the topic, purpose,
and audience of the
presentation
appropriate
-The speaker has
acceptable
articulation with only
insignificant errors in
pronunciation and
grammar
-The speaker
demonstrates
acceptable posture,
gestures, facial
expressions, body
movement, and attire
measurable level of
interest to the speech.”
-The visual aid plays a
significant role in
facilitating audience
understanding of the
speech
Approaches
(2) A vague purpose
is established
-Parts of the ideas
presented are clear
and flow in a logical
progression
-There is an
introduction and a
conclusion but the
major elements are
missing and/or poorly
developed
-There are only
occasional transitions
and signposts and/or
those that are
present are poorly
done
-The body of the
speech is poorly
structured (too many
or too few main
points, main points
do not flow in a
logical order)
-There is evidence
that the speaker has
attempted to utilize
an appropriate
organizational format
but the format used is
not appropriate for
the topic, purpose,
and audience and/or
it is not correctly
utilized
(2) Large portions of
the speech are read,
appear to be read, or
sound as if it is read
-Minimal eye contact
with audience at the
beginning and end of
the speech (i.e.
begins speaking to
notes, walls, floor,
etc.)
-The speaker has
only minimal use of
focal variety and only
occasionally speaks
in a conversational
manner
The speaker only
occasionally uses
clear appropriate
language
-The speaker
occasionally uses
unacceptable
articulation,
pronunciation,
grammar
-The speaker
infrequently exhibits
acceptable posture,
gestures, facial
expressions, body
movement, and attire
(2) Uses less than the
required number of
additional sources
(source material)
-Only a minimal
number of sources are
cited and/or those that
are cited are cited
incorrectly
-A minimal number of
sources are current,
credible, and relative to
the topic and audience
-Marginal number of
sources are used to
prove and facilitate
audience
understanding
-A small portion of the
supporting material is
logically linked to the
thesis of the speech
and is of such quality
that it adds only a
marginal level of
interest and clarity to
the speech
(2) The speaker seldom
looks away from the
visual aid
-The visual is mostly
composed of text
graphics
-When the visual aid is
in use, attention is drawn
away from the speaker
-There are minor
problems with size,
neatness, and
spelling/grammar
-The visual is presented
but not used to its full
potential
-The speaker has
difficulty with or only
minor knowledge of how
to set up and manipulate
the visual aid and/or
equipment
-The visual is only
marginally needed
Does Not
Meet
(1) A clear purpose is
never established
-The speaker fails to
provide reasonably
clear and logical
progression within
and between ideas
-There is not a clear
or appropriate
introduction
(attention, topic,
credibility, preview)
or conclusion
(review, closure)
-Transitions and
signposts do not exist
or are poorly done
-The body of the
speech is not divided
(1) The speech is
read, appears to be
read, or sounds as if
it is read
-No eye contact at
the beginning or end
of the speech
-The speaker fails to
use vocal variety
(pitch, volume, rate,
pause) to speak in a
conversational
manner
-The speaker uses
unclear and/or
inappropriate
language
(inappropriate jargon
or language that is
(1) Uses no support
material
-Does not cite sources
used (this is
plagiarism—
automatic ‘does not
meet’ for entire
score)
-Sources cited are not
credible to the topic or
audience
-Support material is
out-dated or irrelevant
-Inadequate material is
used to prove and
facilitate audience
understanding
-“Supporting material is
only vaguely related to
(1) The speaker talks to
the visual aid rather than
the audience
-The visual aid is a
series of ‘text graphics’
notes
-The visual aid gives the
speech
-Visual aid is too small,
messy, with
spelling/grammar errors
-The visual aid is
presented but not used
-Equipment and visual
aid are not set up before
the presentation
-The visual is not
needed in the
presentation
into easily recognized
main points
-The body is not
organized or flows in
an organizational
format that is not
appropriate for the
topic, purpose, or
audience for the
presentation
sexist, racist,
obscene, etc.)
-The speaker fails to
use acceptable
articulation,
pronunciation, and
grammar
-The speaker does
not use acceptable
posture, gestures,
facial expressions,
body movement, or
attire
the thesis of the
speech, and variety is
either too great or too
little to do anything but
detract from the
effectiveness of the
speech.”
Credits:
William A. Laubert, Associate Professor of Speech Communication, SUNY College of Technology, Alfred, New York
Morreale, S.P., Moore, M. R., Taylor, K. P., Surges-Tatum, D., & Hulbert-Johnson, R. (1993). The Competent Speaker
Speech Evaluation Form. Annandale, VA: National Communication Association.