Problem/Need Statement Samuel Levinson The focus of this workshop is to address the need for public speaking skills.

Some of the topics within public speaking that will be addressed include speaking effectively to a diverse audience, how to communicate ideas to others, overcoming public speaking an iety, and how to have confidence in speaking to a group. This workshop will introduce a program that will serve as an introduction to public speaking, so that individuals who seek public speaking skills will understand the basics and they will also build confidence in their ability to communicate. These are skills that are useful in a variety of different settings, and may benefit a variety of people who need the information in school or the workforce. This workshop will be successful because it will allow individuals in the workforce, community colleges, and other areas to enhance their ability to write and deliver a speech. Potentially any adult who would like to build confidence in public speaking would be a good candidate for the program. Those in need are not limited to only specific areas, but they may be high school graduates, coaches, freshman students at a community college or adult education facility, those in the workforce, and also those who would like a speaking foundation for employment. !t is an entry level public speaking workshop. This information will be delivered through an online workshop. This program offered online could be available at any community college, four"year institution, adult education facility, and business site. The use of virtual avatars is being considered for this workshop. #pon completing the program, participants may feel that they have ac$uired public speaking skills that prepare them for education or the workforce, or they may wish to continue their education by taking college classes

related to this topic. There is a need for public speaking skills, as found in three studies e amined by %aly et al &'()(*. !t was found that some individuals have an iety as it relates to the evaluation of their speech, and that other concerns involve performance and self"related problems &%aly et al. '()(*. +n iety is a ma,or cause of problems related to public speaking, as e amined by another author, %avidson et al &-...*. !n addition to this, it was found that speakers have an iety related to negative constructs. !n the third study conducted by %aly et al. &'()(*, it was found that speaker selected topics would be a source of less an iety for speakers. !t has also been theori/ed by %aly et al. &'()(* that a focus on oneself may be a cause of an iety. Self"confidence and beliefs are factors in how one feels about addressing an audience. So this would seem to all be related to an an iety felt by individuals due to public speaking. Perhaps this would result in avoidance of public speaking, and ultimately an individual0s inability to perform public"related tasks efficiently. Such individuals would need to overcome their an iety and they would also need knowledge on presenting information to an audience in an understandable and specific manner. Therefore, this program that would focus on an introduction to public speaking would help individuals to make progress and to overcome an iety related to public speaking. !f those with such problems received the proper information and knowledge, perhaps via a workshop or course, it may be the best solution for them. The gap in information relating to individuals who need skills in public speaking has been found in the form of social phobia &Stein et al. '((1*. The prevalence of such phobias, according to Stein et al. &'((1* is higher than previously believed. Such fears will need to be resolved in order for individuals with responsibilities that re$uire public

speaking to make progress. +ccording to the results of a survey conducted by Stein et al. &'((1*, one"third of participants reported an iety relating to addressing an audience in public speaking. Such fears were reported as an iety due to embarrassment and also not knowing what to say when speaking. 2ther participants of the Stein et al. &'((1* study e pressed part of their fear resulting in physical signs of an iety, such as trembling or shaking. 3vidence to support a need for an introduction to public speaking program was found in the form of data collected from some of the survey participants, stating that the fear of public speaking had interfered in some form with their ,ob, social life, or education &Stein et al. '((1*. !t is the belief of Stein et al. &'((1*, that based on the results of the study, individuals who suffer from public speaking an iety may have a negative effect that impacts important areas of life. The individuals who are affected by problems associated with public speaking include those who are students and employees. !t is anticipated that college students, those who seek employment, and also business leaders may be participants in this program. +n investigation conducted in relation to students with language an iety showed that the individuals had problems related to speaking in front of a class &4oung, '((.*. !n another study, there is a focus on the workplace in reference to engineers and the importance of communication &%arling and %annels, -..5*. !t is e plained in the %aring and %annels &-..5* study that some individuals who teach communications have worked with those in engineering, and that the engineering profession re$uires speaking skills that include negotiating, translating, and speaking clearly. This profession would be an e ample of an area of need, as those in a profession such as engineering would need to have communication skills, or they would need to ac$uire them to be successful. !t would

seem that regardless of one0s environment, most people need to have the proper skills in communication and also in presenting themselves. !n an educational setting, the program would allow participants to have the opportunity to speak to a group of their peers. Participants in this program would receive both instructor and student feedback. There is evidence of success in past public speaking classes, and some of these classes use technology to support learning, such as video taping speeches &6arlson and Smith"7owell, '((8*. 9ased on results found by 6arlson and Smith"7owell &'((8*, participants may be properly evaluated in this type of learning situation, and a variety of different evaluation forms may be used in such programs. These forms include writing speeches, giving speeches to one0s peers, and providing feedback to participants based on the speeches of their peers. Therefore, the classroom format is effective, and it would be translated into an online setting. The use of video cameras and avatar programs would be of benefit for this program. This workshop on helping participants to fulfill public speaking needs is supported by evidence that many individuals are in need of such skills in the workforce and in educational settings. :or some individuals, public speaking is a source of an iety, and this is supported by the findings of %avidson et al. &'(((*. Proof of an iety is found from the results to medical testing, showing that individuals have mental and physical stress related to public speaking. ;ethods of evaluation including giving speeches in class, and also using technology such as a camera to video tape speeches is supported by 6arlson and Smith"7owell &-..(* as effective means of reliable educational support. !n order to help these individuals, the workshop would provide information and the setting necessary to make progress. !n an article by <ones et al. &-.''* published in the ,ournal

Social Psychological & Personality Science, it can be concluded that controlling one0s attention and participating in a program that allows one to manage stress related to public speaking is a good pursuit. +nother author =oberts et al. &'((>*, found that many strategies that could be delivered via an introduction to speech class would indeed help students to manage stress, rationali/e their understanding of public speaking, and to identify strategies to use in public speaking. !n order to further clarify specific needs in public speaking, potential participants will be surveyed and at least one public speaking instructor will be consulted. This information would allow for a more enhanced program to be constructed, to help students of the program to meet their needs. Therefore, my program should serve as a means to prepare individuals to encounter situations in educational settings and in the workforce, where public speaking needs are essential.

=eferences %aly, <.+., ?angelisti, +.L., Neel, 7.L.@ 6anvanaugh, P.% &'()(*. Pre"performance concerns associated with public speaking an iety. Communication Quarterly. =outledge. Stein, ;.9., Aalker, <.=., :orde, %.=. &'((1*. Public"Speaking :ears in a 6ommunity Sample Prevalence, !mpact on :unctioning, and %iagnostic 6lassification. Arch Gen Psychiatry. +merican ;edical +ssociation. 4oung, %. <. &'((.*. +n !nvestigation of StudentsB Perspectives on +n iety and Speaking. Foreign Language Annals. +merican 6ouncil on the Teaching of :oreign Languages. %arling, +.L., %annels, %.P. &-..5*. Practicing 3ngineers Talk about the !mportance of TalkC + =eport on the =ole of 2ral 6ommunication in the Aorkplace. Communication Education. =outledge. 6arlson, =.3., Smith"7owell, % &'((8*. 6lassroom public speaking assessmentC =eliability and validity of selected evaluation instruments. Communication Education. =outledge. %avidson, =.<., ;arshall, <.=., Tomarken, +.<., 7enrigues &'(((*. Ahile a phobic waitsC regional brain electrical and autonomic activity in social phobics during anticipation of public speaking. Biological Psychiatry. Society of 9iological Psychiatry. <ones, 6.=., :a/io, =.7., ?asey, ;.A. &-.''*. +ttentional 6ontrol 9uffers the 3ffect of Public"Speaking +n iety on Performance. Social Psychological & Personality Science. Social and Personality Psychology 6onsortium. =oberts, L., Sellnow, T. L., ;eister, ;.+. &'((>*. 6ontrolling Speech +n ietyC +cademic recommendations and forensic applications. National Forensic Journal !".