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Creating Connections in the Classroom: An Audience Analysis Activity
John Hooker
Purdue University
G.I.F.T.S
National Communication Association Convention
San Antonio, TX
November 2006
Goals:
To demonstrate to students the diversity in interests and
backgrounds within their speech classroom; to serve as an icebreaker
to help the students get to know one another and reduce
communication apprehension by making interpersonal connections; to
serve as a way for the instructor to accelerate his or her
socialization process with the students by learning about them in
their own words.
Rationale:
This is an exercise allows the instructor
to collect contact information and other personal data and then to
illustrate the concept of audience analysis with actual audience
data
Directions:
Early in the semester (preferably late in the first
week or early in the second week, once the course rosters have
settled), assign a personal information essay for your students.
Tell them that it is a way for you to get their contact information
and for you to get to know them, which will allow you to better
assist them with topic selection based on their interests. The essay
should be no less than 2 pages in length and must include the
following information: /p>
Contact information: (Instructors can adjust this based on their needs. I usually have students list the following: Name, E-mail address that is checked regularly, Local phone in case of emergency, Major, Year in School, and ID #.)
Describe any prior public speaking experience (classes or otherwise)
Describe at least three goals that you have for improving your public speaking in this class and at least one strategy for reaching each of those goals
Describe how you anticipate public speaking fitting into your career
Describe at least three of your hobbies, extracurricular activities, or interests (at least two sentences about each)
Describe the most fun thing you did over semester break
Describe at least one thing about yourself that would be most surprising to people that didn't know you
Explanation:
When reading the essays, note 2 to 3 things that you find unique
about each student on a piece of paper or in a word processor. After you
have read all of the essays, choose one unique thing about each student.
These could be a unique hobby, a career goal, a unique trip or story
from semester break; anything that appears in the essay that is
appropriate to disclose to the class. Create a worksheet in two columns.
In one column, have the unique things for each student listed; in the
opposite column, have lines that match each of the unique things.
Grew up in California Likes to rap Has two monkeys as pets Is the only senior in the class
Copy a worksheet for everyone in the class, and on the day you teach audience analysis, use this activity as your attention-getter for the day. Distribute the worksheet and tell students that each of the unique things on the worksheet corresponds to one of their classmates. To complete the worksheet, they must get the signature of each of their classmates on the line opposite that person's unique thing. This gets the students up and moving around and creates conversation among them about the items on the sheet. This helps them create connections with their classmates, helping to reduce apprehension about speaking in front of strangers. Once the students complete the worksheets, have them return to their seats and teach the lesson on audience analysis. At the end of the lesson, return to the worksheet and use some of the items as discussion questions for the students. For example, if there a one senior in the class, how would you make a speech on choosing a major relevant to that person? Also, encourage the students to keep the worksheet and use any items on it that help analyze their audience in their speeches.
Typical results:
This is usually an effective icebreaker
that gets the students talking, laughing, and building a sense
of community in the classroom. It is also helpful for the
instructor who wants to try to create connections with students
and make them feel comfortable by showing concern about them
personally. When the activity is debriefed well, students can
see that they are not a homogenous group that all think the same
way. This exercise is especially beneficial for freshman
students who are just beginning the collegiate experience.
