Reaching Hidden Targets - GIFTS - Kathleen Beauchene

Recapping: Reaching Hidden Targets

Lori Norin
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
(479) 788-7260
InorinAuafortsmith.edu
G.I.F.T.S. Presentation
National Communication Association Convention
San Antonio, TX
November 2006

Goals:

To provide a single, brief activity that will encourage introductory students to:
maintain their focus
have a "second chance" in note-taking
participate in peer interaction
improve their listening skills
practice impromptu speaking (in a non-threatening, hidden format)
practice and improve their auditory skills, especially for the non-auditory learner
demonstrate their critical thinking skills when recalling materials from the lecture To provide the professor with an opportunity to:
reinforce and assess the attentional needs of students
allow for immediate student feedback
provide the opportunity to "re-teach"
reinforce and assess impromptu speaking skills
reinforce and assess listening skills
reinforce and assess critical thinking skills

Rationale:
Over the years, I watched with dismay as the attention span of my college freshmen seemed to decrease annually. The usual "tools of the trade" were no longer effective in maintaining the focus of my students. My students gazed into space even though I had been using a self-imposed "20-minute lecture" rule for some time. I needed an activity to help my students focus during my lectures, and retain the information in such a manner as to be able to discuss it immediately while passing it on to their peers. In addition, I was concerned about my students' anxiety over public speaking, their inability to listen, and their inability to demonstrate critical thinking.

I wanted a brief activity that would incorporate practice in all these areas without focusing solely on the speaking aspect. Introductory students frequently harbor extreme stress when it comes to impromptu speaking, so I wanted an activity where the speaking appears as a secondary focus. "Recapping" targets a variety of public speaking skills under the premise of "note-taking." It is often late in the semester before the students fully realize the derived benefits of this activity, but benefits accrue nonetheless.

Directions:
This activity is the very picture of simplicity; that's the beauty of it. At the end of my lecture, I ask for a volunteer (every student must volunteer one time per semester for extra credit) to highlight the lecture briefly. The students may use their notes, but they need to stand and summarize the material instead of just reading it back. At the end of the recap (impromptu speech), students in the class are allowed to ask the "recapper" any questions they like or to add any additional information. Students in the role of listener are told they have an obligation to correct the recapper and/or assist the recapper if he or she asks for assistance during the recap. After the peer interaction, the professor can then clarify or add any information. On some occasions the recap leads to further discussion on the content; this can turn into a teachable moment for the professor. The whole process usually takes no more than three to four minutes.

Explanation:
Students in the introductory course often lack the attentive skills to focus through a lecture, the critical thinking skills to identify the main points, and/or the listening skills to identify and recall the main points or thesis. As a result, they often harbor a high communication anxiety in relation to public speaking. Placing these students in a less threatening activity allows them to practice these targeted skills while fostering tangible benefits. This "recap" activity provides just that – practice at the variety of skills (hidden targets) without the students initially recognizing it as anything more than "getting notes we missed."

Results:
Initially I anticipated some resistance from my students for this activity, but the opposite occurred. Students embraced the activity, volunteered readily, and even offered feedback in the way of additional comments to their peers. The students seemed to love the activity.

One of my non-traditional students described the recapping activity in this manner: "The recapping activity gives the student a chance to clarify the information gained from the lecture. Having the main points of the lecture recapped brings a greater understanding of new terms. The recapping exercise allows students to exchange their summaries and viewpoints of the lecture. This exchange tends to lead to group discussion and questions rather than the silence that often ensues when the instructor finishes a lecture and simply asks, 'Are there any questions?' "

As the semester progressed, the improvement in my students was obvious. The attention during my lectures greatly improved, as did the critical thinking skills. In additional, students learned to become much more relaxed with the impromptu speaking setting (yes, some of them finally figured out what was hidden in the activity). An additional benefit was that they became better audience members, listening during the speaking round and using their critical thinking skills to assess the speeches delivered by their peers.

Overall, I am amazed at the numerous benefits available from this simple, yet brief activity. Students saw improvement in their skills and, at the same time, benefited from lowered anxiety. In addition, student feedback has been strong and positive which offers me the motivation to continue this activity.