NEWS
Public speaking in virtual reality
Exciting news! The Coursera public speaking course now includes virtual reality technology to enhance your public speaking practice. Read more about how we're using VR to take public speaking skills to the next level! Soon, we'll be bringing this tech into the CSD to augment our coaching!
How to watch a televised debate
CSD director, Dr. Matt McGarrity, worked with TVW on a video for Washington State schools on "How to watch a televised debate." Dr. McGarrity teaches the debate technique known as "flowing" and emphasizes to voters the importance of taking notes when watching televised debates. https://youtu.be/BOB8pd9NBmI
2023 Nyquist Speech Contest Theme
2023 Theme: Who is a great public speaker? This year, we challenge you to explore the art of public speaking by reflecting on a great speaker who has inspired you. Your chosen speaker can be a well-known figure from history or someone who may not be widely recognized, but whose oratory skills have left a lasting impact on you. Your speech ... >>
Rhetoric and/as Boxing: Physical arguments
Boxing, speech, and debate may seem like vastly different activities, but they share much in common. They involve performance, competition, strategy, and the ability to think on your feet. Like competitive specch and debate, boxers perform their arguments for the judges. This leads us to a discussion of how a fighter “argues for a round” or, potentially, “steals” the round ... >>
The CSD partners with Braver Angels for a debate on policing policy
The CSD worked with the non-profit Braver Angels to host a large public debate on Washington HB 1363 dealing with police vehicular pursuits. HB 1363 was introduced in the 2023 legislative section. The new bill seeks to reduce the threshold from probable cause to reasonable suspicion AND expand the list of violations to simply “criminal offense.” The relevant passage ... >>
The Balance Between Detail and Clarity in Technical Speech
William Heins The canons of rhetoric—invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery—are the elements of speech through which a speaker conveys their message to an audience. These canons, however, produce three other elements of speech: detail, clarity, and elegance. The balance among them is fundamental to public speaking as all are necessary for a speaker to achieve their purpose: conveying a ... >>