In my COMM 1311: Introduction to Speech Communication course, students don’t just learn how to speak—they learn how to listen, think critically, and refine their ideas through meaningful feedback. Recently, I led a multi-phase lesson centered around developing and strengthening persuasive speech outlines. To guide the process, I used two customized tools: the Pre-Peer Review Discussion Guide and the Persuasive Speech Outline Peer Review Workshop form.
This blog post outlines how these resources helped students in COMM 1311 improve their speech structure, deepen their arguments, and build collaborative communication skills—all while aligning with key course outcomes and TEKS for Professional Communications.
🧭 Planning the Lesson: Scaffolding the Persuasive Process
The lesson unfolded in three main phases:
1. Outline Refinement
2. Peer Collaboration and Feedback
3. Revision and Reflection
Students began by revisiting their persuasive speech outlines—originally built using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence or a problem-solution format. Their goal: improve clarity, coherence, and evidence use. I asked students to focus on refining:
• Thesis statements
• Logical organization
• Counterarguments and refutations
• Quality and diversity of sources (aiming for five unique ones)
To support peer exchange, I provided a structured review process through two resources.
💬 Phase 1: Framing the Conversation with the Pre-Peer Review Discussion Guide
Before reviewing each other’s outlines, students used the Pre-Peer Review Discussion Guide to spark meaningful dialogue. This step helped students articulate their persuasive goals, identify areas where they wanted help, and reflect on the audience’s role in their speech.
Key questions included:
• “What’s your topic and what side are you taking?”
• “What part are you unsure about or still working on?”
• “Do you want more help with structure, clarity, evidence, or something else?”
This created a sense of ownership over the feedback process, especially for students who needed scaffolding to engage in critique confidently. It also laid the groundwork for a feedback-rich classroom culture.
✍️ Phase 2: Deepening the Draft with the Peer Review Workshop
Once discussion was underway, students transitioned to the Persuasive Speech Outline Peer Review Workshop form (a revised version of our original speech performance rubric). This version was redesigned to focus solely on evaluating written outlines—not delivery.
Reviewers focused on:
• Clarity and strength of the introduction and thesis
• Logical organization of main points
• Integration of credible sources
• Inclusion of counterarguments and refutations
• Effectiveness of transitions and conclusion
Students were asked to identify two strengths and two improvement areas, then return the form to their peer for discussion. These conversations promoted critical thinking, clarified intent, and gave students fresh perspectives on argument structure.
🔁 Phase 3: Reflection and Revision
After receiving feedback, each student identified three specific improvements they would make to their outline. These were documented directly in Google Classroom, reinforcing accountability and providing a clear revision roadmap.
Some sample improvements included:
• “Rewriting my second main point to avoid overlap with the first”
• “Adding a personal story to strengthen emotional appeal”
• “Replacing two weak sources with peer-reviewed articles”
By closing the loop between feedback and revision, this process helped students see revision not as correction—but as growth.
🎓 Learning Outcomes: Alignment and Impact
This lesson supported several COMM 1311 objectives:
• Understanding audience analysis and adaptation
• Applying reasoning and evidence to build persuasive arguments
• Practicing collaborative communication and active listening
It also aligned with TEKS 130.113, particularly:
• (7) Delivering structured messages
• (8) Adapting for different audiences
• (9) Evaluating messages for clarity and logic
🧠 Why This Model Worked
Students were:
✅ Engaged in meaningful dialogue
✅ Given scaffolded feedback tools
✅ Encouraged to revise intentionally
✅ Able to connect classroom theory to real-world persuasive practices
Rather than treating peer review as a checkbox activity, this approach positioned it as a critical thinking and communication skill in itself—exactly what COMM 1311 aims to cultivate.
📌 Tips for Educators
If you’re teaching introductory speech or communication courses:
• Use a structured guide before peer review to promote purposeful conversations.
• Simplify evaluation rubrics to focus on one skill at a time—in this case, argument development.
• Make reflection part of the assignment, not an afterthought.
These small shifts can lead to big gains in how students approach persuasive communication.
🔄 Looking Ahead
This experience reinforced my belief that feedback is a form of communication—and one of the most important skills we can teach in COMM 1311. As we move toward final speech presentations, I’ve already seen stronger organization, clearer arguments, and more confident students.
And that’s what this course is all about: helping students use communication to inform, influence, and inspire.