Oral Communication Assessment

Many colleges and universities have developed their own rubrics which they use to foster and assess Oral Communication outcomes.  Reviewing rubrics from several campuses can help focus local thinking about expectations for student learning in this area.  See the rubric collection at Opened Practices.

Criteria for Assessment of Oral Communication
The National Communication Association provides criteria for assessment of oral communication, levels K-16, on this Web site. In addition to the criteria, there is a brief history of assessment and NCA’s role in assessment.

Rubrics for assessing Oral Communication
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory provides these rubrics that cover the areas of verbal effectiveness, non-verbal effectiveness, appropriateness, and responsiveness. Three levels – advanced, developing, and emerging – are described to guide scoring on a 5 point scale.

Rubrics for assessing oral communication of group discussion members Another set of rubrics from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory that cover the areas of verbal effectiveness, non-verbal effectiveness, appropriateness, and responsiveness but adjusted to be appropriate for individuals within group discussions. Three levels – advanced, developing, and emerging – are described to guide scoring on a 5 point scale.

Oral Communication Rubric from Sinclair Community College
These guidelines for assessment include criteria for public speaking, small-group communication skills, interpersonal communication skills, and listening skills. Not an actual assessment, these guidelines are meant to provide some guidance to bring consistency to different assessments across the institution.

The Oral Presentation Guide from Southwest Missouri State University
This guide provides three levels of criteria to help students assess the oral presentations of others and to prepare for their own presentations.