Exam 15: Speaking to Inform

Identify and describe four tips for using humor in a presentation.

You should always wait until the end of a presentation before asking audience members if they have any questions.

Read the beginning of the following student presentation on Cliff's Notes. Explain how the opening paragraph incorporates several of the textbook's recommendations for enhancing audience interest. Eight o'clock Wednesday night. I have an English exam bright and early tomorrow morning. It's on Homer's Iliad. And I haven't read page one. I forego tonight's beer drinking and try to read. Eight forty-five. I'm only on page 12. Only 482 more to go. Nine thirty, it hits me. Like a rock. I'm not going to make it.

Effective __________ presentations answers questions such as "Why" or "What does that mean?"

You have been asked to make a presentation explaining the functions and mechanisms involved in photosynthesis. Does this topic lend itself to informatory or explanatory communication? Depending on your choice, what informative communication strategies would you use to achieve the purpose of your presentation?

In Walter Fisher's Narrative Theory, story probability refers to the apparent truthfulness of a story, whether it rings true with the stories audience members know to be true in their lives.

Explain how the line between fact and fiction can get blurred-especially as it relates to information going viral. Provide relevant examples to illustrate your point.

When reporting new information, use a clear organizational pattern and a variety of supporting materials.

A motivational strategy that explains why your informative presentation is important to audience members is referred to as a

During his speech about immigration, Daniel tells a joke that refers to immigrants using a derogatory term. Which tip for using humor did Daniel ignore?

In Teaching Tips, Wilbert McKeachie notes that the typical attention span of college students peaks within the first __________ minutes of class and then decreases after that point.

In The Three Little Pigs, which story component is represented in the following excerpt? "The wolf was very angry. 'I'm going to climb down your chimney and eat all of you up,' he laughed, 'including your chinny chin chins.'"

Researchers have found that if a professor speaks 150 words per minute in class, college students only hear about __________ of them.

Clarifying a difficult term requires the same informative speaking strategies as explaining a quasi-scientific phenomenon.

According to research published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, most college students tune out of a 50-minute lecture about 40 percent of the time. Also, if a professor speaks 150 words per minute, students only hear about 50 of them. Wilbert Keachie, the author of Teaching Tips, notes that the typical attention span of college students peaks within the first ten minutes of a class session, but then decreases after that point. Respond to these statistics by answering two questions: (1) What factors account for this lack of attention and comprehension by college students? and (2) What strategies should professors use to improve student attention and comprehension?

Your textbook offers six potential ways a presentation topic could benefit an audience: socially, physically, psychologically, intellectually, financially, and professionally. Think of a recent presentation you've heard or given and discuss the way(s) in which the topic benefited the audience. If you can't think of a topic, try one of these: (a) investing in the stock market; (b) searching for a new home; (c) dealing with conflict in the workplace; and (d) participating in community service projects.

Using humor that is borrowed from a book, or made up, is easier to share than are humorous stories based on your personal experiences.

According to Walter Fisher's Narrative Theory, which of the following terms refers to whether the elements of a story, such as the consistency of characters and actions, hang together and make sense?

Regardless of the type, stories should have a point that directly relates to your purpose.

Self-effacing humor is often much more effective than using a made up funny story in a speech.