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VOLUME XIII, NUMBER 5

*% INNOVATION ABSTRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

 

Communication: An Oral Approach

Instructional research at De Anza College indicated
that minority students were dropping out or failing
developmental English classes at the alarming rates of
60-70 percent. In hopes of improving this record, I
decided to experiment with an oral approach to teach-
ing writing.

1. Lecture-to-Writing Assignments: When I lectured
(infrequently), I clearly organized and developed the
lecture just as the students were required to develop
and organize their essays and speeches. There was
an introduction, a body, and a conclusion; there was
a clear statement of purpose (thesis) and main points.
Each point was developed by explanation, definition,
and examples. Statistics and quotations were used
when appropriate. During the lecture, students
practiced notetaking and outlining.

Paragraph writing assignments were related to the
lectures. On some occasions, the paragraph was a
summary of the lecture (involving restating the thesis
and main points); on others, it required students to
develop a point related to lecture material by expla-
nation, definition, or exemplification. In each case,
students were told what to write and how to write it,
and they were required to label each paragraph
(summary, definition, explanation, etc.).

2. Speaking-to-Writing Assignments: Students were
required to present an 8-10 minute expository
speech. This speech was to have a pattern, clear
organization with an introduction, body, and conclu-
sion. It was to contain a clear statement of purpose
(thesis) and some clearly related main points. Main
points were developed by definition, explanation,
demonstration, examples, and quotations. Each
student was to submit an outline and a bibliography.
During the speeches, students practiced notetaking
and discriminative listening (involving identifying
the purpose and main points and recognizing
developmental materials for each point). This skill
was then applied to reading assignments in the
course.

After the assigned speeches, each student wrote
his/her speech as an expository essay. This assign-
ment emphasized both the similarities and the

differences between oral and written discourse. It

also helped students learn to write with an audience

in mind and to properly acknowledge and cite the
sources for their quotations.

3. Discussion-to-Writing Assignments: Most of the
assignments involved this activity. Students were
required to read an essay from the text or one
selected by the instructor. The class and I discussed
the essay, including such aspects as vocabulary,
language and rhetoric, and content. On the first
assigned essay, I led the discussion. Student groups
conducted panel discussions on all other assign-
ments. I participated less in each successive assign-
ment.

After each discussion, students were required to
write an essay in response to the assigned reading
(and discussion). Essays followed the format estab-
lished in the speaking-to-writing assignment and
required the students to demonstrate an understand-
ing of the assigned reading and the ability to show
how their ideas and examples correspond to or
depart from those of the subject essay.

SCC ES

Ninety-five percent of the students passed the
course, and 85 percent passed the department essay
exam on the first attempt (the other 15 percent passed
on the second). The general student body in conven-
tional classes had a 68 percent pass rate in class and a 51
percent pass rate on the department exam.

The oral approach is a natural and logical approach
to teaching communication skills. It contains elements
of experiential learning and field theories that many
educators favor for nontraditional students. It is
especially valuable in developing an enjoyable coopera-
tive learning environment in which every student is
both teacher and learner.

Wayne Shrope, Instructional Chair, Language Arts
Division

For further information, contact the author at De Anza
College, 21250 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino, CA
95014-4797.

 

 

EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712

7

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin