Effective Use of Multi-faceted Video Feedback for ESL Speech/Presentation Course

Tom Wilhelm, Macau, China

Tom Wilhelm is a lecturer at The Institute for Tourism Studies-Macau. He has been a founding member of the English Teachers’ Club-Macau, past president of Toastmasters clubs in Macau, and has performed internationally as a Storyteller, focusing on themes of cultural identity and foundational lessons. E-mail: tom@ift.edu.mo

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Introduction
Background
Examples
Conclusions
References

Introduction

Giving a presentation can be a devastating experience - or a pleasant journey of wonder and discovery. In an ESL classroom, instructors are given the opportunity to assist students to overcome obstacles and find ways to walk around barriers that initially seemed insurmountable. Using video feedback effectively in several manners can help students on many levels in their learning process. This paper will focus on one particular group of students in a tertiary level ESL speech/presentation course.

The first time you heard a sound recording of your own voice, were you surprised by that voice? Many people just can’t take ownership of that recorded voice, thinking the machine influenced the way that voice would sound “normally.” Some people, after hearing such a recording, will attempt to change how they sound to others when speaking. Did you try to create change in your voice based on what you had heard in your recorded voice that first time? Was there any specific need that motivated you to create such change? Was it easier to recognize other areas of need within your modes of expression once you took ownership of that (recorded) voice?

There is a similar opportunity (via digital video recording) available to all of us for discovery of the self we project – both verbally and physically when giving a speech or presentation. This type of information can be woven into daily classroom application so that learners can benefit immediately. When coupled with pre and post briefings, presentation techniques can be improved drastically within a very short period of time. Implementing simple changes (of what the audience hasseen and heard) in those presentations by viewing and analyzing their correlating videos can lead to more effective communication on the presenter’s part and subsequently, more accurate and complete reception by audience members.

Background

Classroom culture

This was a public speaking course offered within an English language center at a university in Macao, SAR, China. The classroom mix included native Macao-born students, as well as students from mainland China, Japan and the Netherlands. Macao-born students had Chinese, Portuguese and Philippine ancestry. The instructor had lived in and taught tertiary English language courses in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan.

The first week of a term is crucial for establishing useful and positive first impressions between teacher and students (Laws et al., 2010). Once that foundation of trust and positive reinforcement has been set, all interactions can flourish within that classroom culture. Behavior has been considered to be observed and learned through and within an environment (Bandura, 1997).So, if instructors can establish trust early on, engage students and have them communicating with each other, it becomes easier to proceed to risk-taking within learning. To reinforce those interpersonal communication efforts, the use of several methods of video feedback within the process can be effective. Simply stated – if a learner wants to progress, s/he does by using and applying the digital tools. It works!

Adjusting student perception of restrictive past methods

Within a tertiary level ESL classroom in particular, students are challenged when asked to let loose long-standing methods based on traditional rote learning techniques at pre-tertiary schools regarding communication - with self, with peers, with instructors and with evaluation tools. Unfortunately, students will sometimes misinterpret the intention of a rubric, or they will not understand that it is part of a process to follow towards success and effectiveness, rather than seeing it as part of a memorized function toward a grade (their previous method).

The course referred to used Stephen E. Lucas’ text, The Art of Public Speaking (7th edition) as its foundation, utilizing checklists, rubrics and video examples from that. Interspersed within the course were video examples of presentations the instructor had given elsewhere, as well as live demonstration presentations given in class.

Habermas’ four elements toward the ideal speech situation in an effective collaborative learning environment are given in Gareis’ (2010) account:

“(1) No one capable of making a contribution is excluded, (2) participants have equal voice and equal chances to make arguments, (3) participants are honest with each other and with themselves (i.e., they assert only what they truly believe), and (4) there is no coercion built into the process” (p.166).

To build such a collaborative learning atmosphere, these four elements are quite valuable when applied in an ESL speech/presentation course like this one. Gareis speaks about positive communications in groups leading to team bonding. In this case, bonding within an established classroom culture extended into open discussion along with criticism of and between all presenters – something that is not an easy task for students from this region.

Peer evaluation concerns

May (2008) discusses types of potential bias within student peer evaluations along with potential remedy through rater training. He warns, “They need to be aware of their propensity to allow personality preferences to influence their judgment of others” (p. 312). Most poignant of May’s findings is that often students tend to rate those similar in personality higher than those different. It is, therefore, important that students are given modeling on how to share their ideas within an evaluation, along with how to properly document those ideas and/or concerns in a rubric.

To shorten a rater training process for peer evaluators due to time constraints within the day-to-day course needs, rubrics for each type of evaluation were distributed by the instructor and extensively explained to the students prior to a demonstration. During the instructor’s (either live or video presentation) each student was to individually evaluate using the previously explained rubric for that particular assignment/presentation. After each instructor presentation, students were placed in groups to compare their evaluations and comments for each category of the rubric as they had used it. Whole class discussion with instructor input completed that preparatory step.

Having such an opportunity to evaluate their primary evaluator for the course led to students expressing a sense of inclusiveness and fairness in the whole evaluation process. Peer evaluations were to be used throughout the course. Students were, subsequently, open in their peer evaluations - able to justify within comments the reasons for their assessment scores within categories and ranges for each rubric used. As the semester progressed, student ratings of peer presentations became closer to those of the instructor, yet students maintained their own identity of expression within their explanatory comments to their peers.

Mallard and Quintanilla (2007), primarily concerned with students’ self-assessment in public speaking, discussed use of video and its impact on student learning:

“We predicted that the videotaped feedback would make students more critical of their performance, and this was not supported. This could be consistent with Quigley and Nyquist’s (1992) recommendation that videotaped feedback is most effective when the instructor watches the video with the student or the student has a written critique to use when watching the videotape of their oral presentation” (p. 11).

It should be noted that in this ESL class the concern was not so much that students would be more self-critical by utilizing video feedback. Rather, the concern was that they understand the value of assessments and multiple feedback channels – to recognize that the end-all is not the grade, but the process of continuous, pragmatic improvement for future applications. By expressing themselves in critical analyses of others, they inherently became more self-critical of their own presentations and of the preparation process. This became a strong building block toward their professional expression after graduation from university.

Examples

Video feedback used in several methods:

1. Immediate post presentation video analysis

Immediately after each presentation, having noted digital marks in the video of positive methods as well as areas for improvement within the presentation, the instructor played back those marked portions only. The instructor then identified exemplary performance and also physically showed how to reshape and deliver those weak areas of the presentation. This “how-to simulation” met with positive student response.

It has been shown that students react well to use of simulations – in training and in assessments. “Simulations can assess and promote understanding of complex systems by superimposing multiple representations and permitting manipulation of structures and patterns that otherwise might not be visible or even conceivable” (Pellegrino & Quellmalz, 2011: 124).

Although they are speaking of technological simulations, tapping into that same responsiveness to another perspective of input, instructor redirective “simulation,” led to positive and effective adaptations from students in their presentations in the classroom setting. Students laughed as they learned about their respective characteristics and idiosyncrasies. Often students in the audience would begin to mimic the speaker on the screen (in a manner similar to the instructor simulation) – later comparing that to their own presentation efforts. Everybody was a star in that win-win situation!

2. Teacher-student video analysis

One-on-one coaching sessions were held outside of the classroom sessions in which either the student had expressed a question or need, or the instructor had identified a particular continuing challenge which had not yet been addressed or corrected by the student. Together, coach and performer examined and shared observations on the performer’s efforts as revealed in the video. Privacy allowed for sufficient attention to any sensitive concerns such as presenter over-assertiveness or inappropriate use of language or gestures that might lead to audience withdrawal or distancing.

3. Peer video analysis

Student-to-student/peer feedback is vital to fully enhance a learning experience (Brutus & Donia, 2010). For some assignments, students did peer evaluations based on what was witnessed during classroom sessions and clarified through video review of those presentations outside of class. Peer evaluations were arranged in pairs or in team configurations. When back together in the classroom, students would share issues that they had discussed as common concerns while they’d been in their peer video analysis sessions.

4. Individual and team video analysis for reflection paper

Another use of video feedback involved students viewing their respective presentations (as individual or as team presentations) outside of the classroom sessions in order to prepare a self-reflection paper concerning fundamentals successfully applied and areas recognized as needing improvement. Self-reflection extended the entire critical analysis approach applied within the speech/presentation process so that students had the confidence to engage in peer communications outside the classroom on non-presentation-related topics. Often they would bring those topics to the next class session; occasionally, they even brought that same discussion friend to class as a guest!

In their article regarding acquisition of oral presentation skills De Grez, Roozen and Valcke (2009) point out, “Fostering self-reflection did yet not result in significant differences, though it seems that feedback (stimulated recall) based on the video recording of their presentations, did stimulate students' self-reflection” (p. 302).

Keeping that in mind, the self-reflection papers were always connected with video feedback, whether that had been viewed with the instructor, fellow students or as an individual.

Conclusions

It became quite apparent that using video in different manners within the feedback and evaluation process helped students in this particular ESL speech/presentation class group to have a more rich experience in how they delved into presentation skills development and improvement. Checklists, rubrics and video examples from Stephen E. Lucas’ text, The Art of Public Speaking (7th edition) served as a solid foundation. Tapping into the dramatic nature of students, along with their motivation to perform better knowing that they would see themselves up on the big screen each week made these class interactions win-win engagements for all!

References

Bandura, A. (1997).Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

Brutus, S., & Donia, M.B.L. (2010).Improving the effectiveness of students in groups with a centralized peer evaluation system. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 9(4), 652-662.

De Grez, L., Roozen, I., & Valcke, M. (2009). The impact of goal orientation, self- reflection and personal characteristics on the acquisition of oral presentation skills. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 24(3), 293-306.

Gareis, E. (2010). Habermas to the rescue. Business Communication Quarterly, 73(2), 166-175.

Laws, E.L., Apperson, J.M., Bregman, N.J., &Buchert, S. (2010). Student evaluations of instruction: When are enduring first impressions formed? North American Journal of Psychology,12(1), 81-92.

May, G.L. (2008). The effect of rater training on reducing social style bias in peer evaluation. Business Communication Quarterly, 71(3), 297-313.

Mallard, J.,& Quintanilla, K. (2007, November). Does videotaped feedback for speeches impact student learning? Student self-assessment of public speaking. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the National Communication Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Pellegrino, J.W., & Quellmalz, E.S. (2010). Perspectives on the integration of technology and assessment. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(2), 119-134.

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