Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Bloomington Recommendations: Improving Forensic Leadership By Continuing The Conversation On Evaluating The Forensics Professional, Michael Dreher

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper seeks to both provide structure and formalization to the process of assessment, as well as to answer the question, "Is it possible to run a 'successful' program that’s not based in competitive success?" These recommendations serve both as a companion document and as an expansion of the recommendations previously made with regard to promotion and tenure (Dreher, 2010). The Peoria Recommendations dealt with questions to be asked of all forensic educators, documentation of teaching, research, and service, and questions to be asked by internal and external reviewers, and are summarized in appendix 1. This paper will provide further …

Student Research As A Method For Developing New Forensics Leaders, Ben Walker

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

For years, a call for more forensic research has echoed across the nation. While some respond to the continued challenge, many others have not. Numerous programs have disappeared from the collegiate forensic map over the years, with the questioned legitimacy and effectiveness of forensic programs and forensic professionals cited as the reason for their disappearance. In order to maintain a strong participation of programs, students, and coaches, we must develop strong leaders who, through research, will promote and stabilize forensics in the collegiate scene. As forensic leaders, it is our responsibility to nurture students into leadership positions where they, through …

Helping Out The "Newbies": A Call For Broader-Based Professional Development In Forensics, Christopher J. Fenner

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Many Directors of Forensics follow a clear path from student competitor to graduate coaching assistant before holding a professional position. Often this traditional route rep-resents the full training a future DOF may receive. While this experience is invaluable, as a primary means of education it does not account for those starting programs without such a background, or those taking on a director position at an institution with a significantly different emphasis or philosophy than encountered in their training. This paper posits that a focus on training & mentoring is needed at the national level in order to facilitate a broader …

Should Collegiate Forensics Parent Organizations Take The Lead In Recruiting New Schools To The Speech Activity?, Scott Wells, Jessica Samens

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper argues that the health of college forensics could be greatly strengthened with increased membership. This paper also posits that forensics parent organizations on the state, regional, and national level are uniquely positioned to recruit new schools to the speech activity. Finally, this essay details plausible approaches for enticing and fostering new programs.

A Proposal For The Re-Categorization Of Interpretation Events, Leah White

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

began to seriously consider the need for this proposal in 2009 when the AFA-NIET National Committee was faced with evaluating a potential violation of the rules related to Dramatic Interpretation (http://www.mnsu.edu/cmst/niet/minutes/November09.htm). The violation centered on differing interpretations of what texts are included within the parameters of the event description. In response to the controversy, many called for a revision of the Dramatic Interpretation event description in hopes of making it more specific, thus preventing future disputes. My assessment of this, as well as other more regional controversies, has led me to believe that many of the concerns related …

What Are We Doing?: An Argument To Change A Name, Ryan Lauth

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Despite years of heated debate over the relevance and future of the oral interpretation events, our performances have evolved to an extent that the definition of oral interpretation no longer applies. In an effort to address the necessity of a change in the name of the largest genre of events, this paper details the separation of title and practice in interpretation before offering a solution.

Breaking The Formula: Integrating Performance Studies Into Interpretation Preparation, David Brennan

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Forensic educators and students spend much of their time trying to perfect a new definition of "good performance" without appreciating said performance or participating in the exchange process. While many studies have examined the most common interpretation ballot comments, the results and suggestions of those studies have not changed how students perform interpretation. This is where performance studies research may come into play. The author proposes ways to incorporate performance studies research into interpretation event practice and performance. Additionally, the author also suggests several new coaching techniques to bring an educational appreciation for interpretation performances.

Thoughts On Limited Prep: Problems And Solutions, Ryan Lauth

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The formulaic nature of the limited preparation events is keeping many of our students from accomplishing the learning objectives of public speaking. Simply changing judging paradigms will likely fail to prevent these formulas from winning in the future because, to some extent, they are based on applying sound practices in a simple way. However, the abuse of these formulas is leading many students to learn detrimental speaking habits. This paper attempts to discover new ways of approaching the limited prep events in order to develop methods for better educating students through the most commonly applicable speech genre.

Thinking Outside The Can: Restoring The Value, Teaching And Practice Of Limited Preparation In Limited-Prepartin Events, R. Randolph Richardson

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. - Mark Twain

The humor in Twain's often-referenced quotation is more readily apparent to those outside of the forensics community than to those within. Ironically, a student addressing this quotation in competition would likely disagree with the quotation, because, well, it seems like one should. Two "arguments" would ensue—one trumpeting the importance of preparation, and a second reaffirming the value of free speech. After hearing these truisms "supported" by Festinger's Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, the Dalai Lama's new PR strategy of emptiness, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and …

A Case For Limited Preparation: It's Not As Easy As You Think, Janis Crawford, Mae Pierce

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Limited preparation events are useful tools that offer students many transferable skills. Because of these skills, we feel that limited preparation events should be the cornerstone of any forensics program. We also believe that repeated exposure to limited preparation events leads to a reduction in communication anxiety. We will examine the current climate of limited preparation events, the many benefits of limited preparation events and the way limited preparation can be incorporated into the educational environment. We hope to convince others of the critical role limited preparation events play in creating a well-rounded speaker.

Accreditation Criteria And Forensics: Essential Principles For Directors Of Forensics, Deano Pape

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Assessment pressures abound for all institutions of higher learning. During her tenure as Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings frequently called for transparency and greater accountability in our colleges and universities. This paper review each of the criteria for accreditation established by the Higher Learning Commission, putting our teams and events to the test to determine our activity's ability to meet each of the criteria and contribute to our academic mission, vision, and objectives. The skills and knowledge derived from forensics, in particular the limited preparation events, provide evidence of engaging and challenging our students and creating effective learning environments for …

Unleashing The Power Of The Millennials: Adapting Forensic Extemporaneous Speaking To Make Positive Use Of Communication Technology In A Digital Age, Mark Hickman

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Like all forensics events, Extemporaneous Speaking has evolved over the last 40 years to reflect changes in the larger societal culture as well as in the culture of the forensics community. The last 15 years or so, especially, have seen changes at an accelerated pace as natives to the digital age have risen from undergraduate competitors to become graduate assistant coaches and program directors. This changing of the guard has resulted in significant changes that have altered the event in ways that reflect the culture of this so called "millennial generation." However, some of these changes have done little to …

Rationale For The Event, "Teaching", Michael Steudeman, Lisa Roth

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Our paper intends to introduce a new limited preparation event called "teaching" to the forensics community. By combining traditional rhetoric with the modern art of teaching, our proposal seeks to shed light on a rhetorical vision of education. We want to move beyond conventional teaching styles to emphasize a greater understanding and comprehension between the teacher and the student. Now, more than ever, education needs rhetoric. Rather than learning a specific piece of knowledge, students should have access to a rhetoric-based education that involves critical thinking and productive arguing. The activity of forensics is rooted in rhetorical education, and consequently …

Finding A Prescription For What Ails The Forensics Comunity: A Deeper Examination Of Burnout Of Directors Of Forensics, Bethany Piety

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The researcher wanted to have a better understanding of the various obstacles that create an atmosphere of burnout, in an attempt to find some solutions to the problem. Thus, the type of research used for this study was qualitative, as the interview process provides a more multifaceted view of some of the issues DOFs have to cope with professionally and interpersonally. Interviewing DOFs in the forensics community would not only shed light on the current concerns, but it would also allow the interviewer to ask participants to disclose more deeply about specific issues related to the community. The questions posited …

Rummaging Through Cumes: What Existing Results Data For Ld At The Nfa National Tournament Can Tell Us About Tournament Design, Joseph Dudek

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The top seeded LD competitor entering out-round competition has lost their first out-round in each of the last two NFA National Tournaments. This anecdote highlights the immensely dynamic nature of the event and, perhaps, begins to question the sanctity of out-round seeding. In order to better understand the nature of preliminary rounds, their importance in deciding who will advance to out-rounds, and how many of them are actually necessary, it is imperative that we dissect the results from recent tournaments and work toward creating a more fair and competitive tournament. In this paper, I use results data from the 2009 …

"I Got All Stupid Judges:" A Pedagogical Reframing Of The Ballot As Friend, Not Foe, Michael Chouinard

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

This paper will focus on ballots as pedagogical tools and discuss how we (and our students) can get the most out of them. It is easy for many students to become overwhelmed by the varied and disagreeable comments—or lack thereof ("Good job! 5-18")—they receive from judges, leading them to argue with ballots, rather than engage in constructive dialogue with them. This paper does not ask students to literally talk to their ballots; rather, it seeks to enable us to better serve our students by helping them find a more healthy and productive understanding of the ballot, its intended purpose, and …

Back To The Beginning - Rethinking The Afa-Niet Qualification System, Justin Rudnick

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

On July 31, 2008, Professor Dan West (Director of Forensics at Ohio University) presented a paper at the 4th National Developmental Conference on Individual Events, in which he called our attention to the "Culture of Qualifying". West (2008) explained that this obsession with qualifying for the AFA-NIET results in three problems: pulling events from the circuit after qualifying, "hunting" for legs in order to qualify for the NIET, and a decrease in the quality of regular season tournaments. He further contended that the AFA-NIET qualification system needs to be replaced – not modified, but replaced – by a method that …

Towards A Novel Tournament Scheduling Algorithm And Statistical Measure Of Team Equity In Large Scale Forensic Tournaments, Mark Kokoska

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Business items raised at recent national forensics tournaments regarding scheduling seem to be based around issues of an increased number of competitors and a trend for some schools to have a disproportionate amount of competitors in a single event. This paper examines the stated goals in scheduling a tournament as a device that measures the ability of competitors. Stemming from these goals, this paper proposes a novel random scheduling algorithm capable of scheduling a large number of competitors in an individual event. After implementing this algorithm, its performance is measured in relation to its ability to schedule a tournament comparable …

Ballots: A New, Comprehensive And Educational Approach For Evaluating Forensic Competitors, Bradford Wakefield

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

There has been much talk in the forensic community about frustration with events and progression of the activity. The National Forensic Association National Tournament student meeting discussed irritation with the Impromptu event saying that it has been stagnant and not providing the skills needed for application in a world outside forensics. I propose a new ballot that promotes the source and intention of the event while at the same time giving a basis for "real world" application. This would not only remind competitors and judges what the intent of the event is supposed to be but also with the constant …

Novice Competitors And Public Address Preparation, Jessica Samens

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

In a time when forensics is trying to maintain traditions while not getting stuck in a performance rut, teaching incoming students competition norms can be a very sticky situation. The community is being constantly criticized for crediting students who follow the spoken and unspoken rules of competition. This can leave little room for individuality and can also make it very difficult to prepare incoming students for competition. Prepping new students in college events becomes a balancing act, trying to teach events, norms, and policies in a short amount of time to help prepare the student to be "tournament ready." While …

Playing It Safe As Pedagogy: Finding The Conventional Wisdom In Convention, Dawn Lowry

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

As forensic educators, I know we are supposed to love all events equally, but one event escapes my comprehension. Rhetorical criticism is like rhythmic gymnastics to me; I can appreciate its verbal dexterity but I always feel like I am missing something. So when a successful coach of the event let me in on a secret, I was grateful. Explain the tenets so people feel like they understand something; don’t shy away from complicated terminology but relate it to concrete examples easily grasped. Explanation through comparison a la Aristotle, this made sense. Yet when I suggested this technique to a …

Arrangement: Understanding The Ubiquity Of Problem, Cause, Solution In The Persuasive Speech, Matthew Warner

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

There is, in certain Christian circles, an old joke. In a Sun-day morning Sunday School class the teacher asks the following question: "What has short fur, a long bushy tail, climbs trees, and collects nuts?" The students immediately answer: "Jesus!"

Of course, this answer is ridiculous. Immediately following the question the class may think "squirrel!" or perhaps – the creative ones, "chipmunk!" However, before they can convince themselves to speak up and correctly answer the question, they think of the context. This is church; the answer must be "Jesus!"

Now, this paper is about Individual Events Competition, more specifically, "Arrangement: …

Escaping The "Uncanny Valley": Humanizing Forensic Address Through Public Narrative, R. Randolph Richardson

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The negative reaction of sports writers to Tiger Woods' February 19, 2010 comeback press conference echoed three terms: "insincere," "coached" and "robotic." In fact, the latter criticism caught on with the online public to the extent that a "Tiger Woods is a Robot" fan page is featured on Facebook, while an episode of "Tiger Woods Robot Theatre" can be viewed on Youtube. Tiger's press conference media accounts, a performance analysis of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, and an overview of the latest business presentational texts suggest that nothing will disengage an audience more quickly than a robotic delivery style. Perhaps …

Rhetorical Criticism In The Classroom Vs. In Competition: A Consideration Of The Impact Of Context On Student Scholarship, Richard E. Paine

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

A battle has long waged in forensics between those who would define it as an "educational activity" and those who see it first and foremost as a "competitive game." Others have asserted that this dichotomy is a false one, and responded to the question by conflating the two concepts, arguing that competition automatically produces learning while learning paves the road to success. This paper argues that both of these perspectives are flawed, and asserts instead the image of a continuum of choice which is anchored at one end by "pure competition" and at the other by "pure learning." This view …

Table Of Contents For The 2010 National Developmental Conference On Individual Events, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Larry Schnoor

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

Table of contents for Conference Proceedings: National Developmental Conference on Individual Events 2010.

Leadership Styles Of Superintendents In The Developmental Disability System In Ohio, Kristine Hodge Edd, Karen H. Larwin Phd

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The county boards of developmental disabilities in the state of Ohio have experienced significant change in vision, mission, programs, services, and funding over the last several years. In times of vast change, the ability to successfully lead an organization becomes challenging. In an effort to identify the leadership behaviors and styles of superintendents of county boards in the changing environment, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form 5X ([MLQ Form 5X], Bass, 2007) was administered and analysis was conducted. The most common self-identified leadership style is transformational, followed by transactional and laissez-faire Implications of this study support the transformational leadership style in …

Starting With Children’S Democratic Imagination. A Response To "That’S My Voice! Participation And Citizenship In Early Childhood", Katherina A. Payne

Democracy and Education

The article adds to a growing conversation that recognizes and supports young children’s civic capabilities, positioning them as citizens-now and not simply citizens in the future. They detail how three different classrooms sought to work with children to engage in social action on behalf of their broader community. This response wonders alongside the authors about how adults can best work with children to support their civic action and proposes that teachers engage children’s visions for a more just, humanizing democratic society. The article offers three avenues of action for teachers as they support children’s civicness: reflection on our views and …

Understanding The Determinants Of The Cost Of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, Hun Lee

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Introduction: The relationship between patient demographics, clinical factors, and cost of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is complex. Investigation of these relationships is important to aid clinical practice and inform reimbursement models. This thesis analyzes multiple different domains in order to understand the significant factors that impact the cost of CABG at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).

Methods: Model selection, construction of nested descriptive models, exploration of mediation analysis of the impact of peri-operative factors and cost through length of stay, and construction of estimative models were performed.

Results: Several baseline characteristics, socio-demographics, peri-operative variables, and post-operative variables were …

The Importance Of Open Access In Research, Classroom & Society, Ucf Libraries

Open Access Week

The Importance of Open Access in Research, Classroom & Society

Perhaps in no other year has the importance of freely open and accessible information been more evident than in 2020. The mid-March outbreaks of COVID-19 prompted stay-at-home orders and quarantines throughout the nation, and Americans were sequestered to their homes for a quarantine that some have yet to escape. When universities, libraries, businesses and laboratories across the country closed their doors, the availability of Open Access documents and data helped us maintain some semblance of our daily routine, and a little of our sanity.

As we’ll explore in this blog …

What Is Open Access Week?, Margaret Adeogun

Library Administration and Marketing

Presentation celebrating Open Access Week October 19-25, 2020