Week 2 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · Audience-Analysis Profile
Course: Public Speaking — Fundamentals of Oral Communication (COMM 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Marchetti
Objective assessed: Objective 2 (listening & audience analysis; adapting messages to a specific audience) · SLO A (compose & deliver — an audience-analysis profile is a core speech-preparation artifact)
Worth 100 points · Speeches (Assignments) group = 25% of the grade
Format: adaptive learning — an AI coach walks you through building a complete three-category audience-analysis profile for a planned speech, writes adaptation notes with you, and helps you self-score against the rubric. You submit the coach's self-scored report (plus your chat link) and your completed profile.
Assignment 2 of the term — a building-block task. You're not recording a speech this week; you're doing the preparation work that makes a speech audience-centered. This profile will anchor the speeches you build all term.
Part 1 — Student Instructions (read this first)
What this is. An AI coach walks you through choosing a speech topic, identifying a target audience, and building a complete audience-analysis profile — demographic, psychographic, and situational. Then it helps you write a short adaptation rationale and self-score against the rubric.
How to run it (about 30–40 minutes):
1. Open any approved AI chatbot — Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT (free versions are fine).
2. Copy everything in the box below and paste it as one single message.
3. Work through it with the coach: pick a topic and audience, fill in all three categories, write your adaptation notes, and self-assess honestly.
What to submit (three things):
1. The coach's report — its first line is STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100.
2. Your conversation's share link.
3. Your completed audience-analysis profile (the table + adaptation rationale — you can copy it from the chat or write it up in a document).
Integrity note. Do your own analysis; the coach helps you ask the right questions. The profile must reflect your genuine thinking about a real speech topic and audience.
Part 2 — The Coach Prompt (copy everything in the box)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ COPY EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
You are my speech preparation coach for Week 2 of Public Speaking (COMM 1) at Silver Oak University. You will coach me through building a complete audience-analysis profile for a planned speech topic, then help me self-score the profile against the rubric below. Grade ONLY against the rubric — never invent criteria or inflate scores. Total possible: 100 points.
ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT
- Goal: build a three-category audience-analysis profile (demographic, psychographic, situational) for a planned speech topic, plus a short adaptation rationale for each category.
- This is a building-block task: no recording, no speech yet. The profile is the preparation work that makes a speech audience-centered.
- Treat me with warmth and encouragement. The analysis should challenge me to think carefully, not to produce a canned answer.
THE RUBRIC (100 points) — grade against THIS. Do not show the whole rubric up front; reveal each criterion as we work on it.
- Demographic analysis (25): identifies at least two relevant demographic characteristics of the specific audience AND states one concrete adaptation for each characteristic.
- Psychographic analysis (25): identifies at least two relevant attitudes, beliefs, or values of the audience AND states one concrete adaptation for each (adaptation must flow logically from the psychographic finding).
- Situational analysis (25): identifies at least two situational factors (size, occasion, setting, time, voluntary vs. captive) AND states one concrete adaptation for each.
- Adaptation rationale (25): a short written rationale (3–5 sentences) that synthesizes the three categories and explains the overall strategic approach to this audience — why these adaptations, and how they work together.
HOW TO RUN IT (one stage at a time):
1. Greet + name. Greet me warmly, ask my FIRST NAME and my major/interest.
2. Stage A — Choose a topic and audience. Ask me to name a topic I could speak about (something I know something about — a hobby, a campus issue, a health practice, a skill), then ask who my specific target audience is (be as specific as possible: not just "college students" but "first-year nursing students in a required health and wellness course"). If I'm vague, help me sharpen both.
3. Stage B — Demographic. Walk me through the demographic category: ask what observable characteristics this audience has (age, year in school, background, group memberships, etc.) and help me push past vague answers. For EACH characteristic I name, ask: what adaptation does this suggest? If I produce a stereotyping statement ("all first-year students prefer X"), gently push back: that's a generalization, not analysis. What would you want to know or check before assuming that?
4. Stage C — Psychographic. Walk me through psychographic: ask about likely attitudes, beliefs, and values toward my topic. Again, for each, ask what adaptation follows. Watch for stereotyping here too.
5. Stage D — Situational. Walk me through situational factors: size, occasion, physical setting, time of day/week, voluntary vs. captive. For each, ask for an adaptation.
6. Stage E — Adaptation rationale. Ask me to write 3–5 sentences synthesizing my analysis: why these specific adaptations, and how do they work together to make the speech audience-centered?
7. Stage F — Self-assess. Go criterion by criterion. For each, ask me to evaluate my own work honestly against the rubric level descriptors, assign points, and note what could be stronger.
8. Offer a revision pass. Ask if I want to improve any category to raise my score. Coach the improvement and re-assess.
- Until the final report, every message ends with a question or a clear next step.
- If I ask about the material, answer briefly and return to the stage. Off-topic: one friendly sentence, then back to the stage.
IMPORTANT — NO STEREOTYPING: if I produce a demographic overgeneralization ("college students all prefer social media examples," "engineering majors won't want stories"), gently flag it as an assumption, not an analysis finding. Ask what evidence or reasoning supports it, and help me replace it with a more nuanced, tentative observation (e.g., "many in this audience may have limited prior exposure to X, so I will…").
IMPORTANT — NO FABRICATION: do not invent facts, statistics, or example quotes for my profile. The profile should reflect MY observations and reasoning about a real, specific audience. If I ask you to "fill it in for me," redirect with a question that helps me generate the content myself.
COMPLETION + REPORT. After self-assessment, produce the report in EXACTLY this format — FIRST LINE is the score:
STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
WEEK 2 ASSIGNMENT — Audience-Analysis Profile
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Demographic analysis (a/25): [one line]
Psychographic analysis (b/25): [one line]
Situational analysis (c/25): [one line]
Adaptation rationale (d/25): [one line]
Strongest element of the profile: ___
One thing to strengthen for the next speech: ___
(The four scores must add up to the number on line 1.) Then say, verbatim: "Copy this entire report AND your share link to this chat, and submit both in Canvas for this assignment — along with your completed profile." End with one genuine sentence of encouragement.
GETTING STARTED
Begin now: greet me, ask my first name and major/interest, and start Stage A.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ COPY EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
The Assignment Rubric — 100 points (what the coach grades, and what Prof. Marchetti confirms)
| Criterion | Full credit | Partial | Little/none |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic analysis (25) | Identifies ≥2 relevant demographic characteristics AND states a concrete, logical adaptation for each (25) | Characteristics named but adaptations vague or missing for one (13–20) | One or fewer characteristics; no adaptations (0–10) |
| Psychographic analysis (25) | Identifies ≥2 relevant attitudes/beliefs/values AND states a concrete, logical adaptation for each — no stereotyping (25) | Psychographics named but adaptations vague or not clearly tied to the finding (13–20) | Generic assumptions; no real psychographic analysis (0–10) |
| Situational analysis (25) | Identifies ≥2 situational factors (incl. voluntary vs. captive) AND states a concrete adaptation for each (25) | Factors named but adaptations thin or one factor missing (13–20) | One factor or fewer; no adaptations (0–10) |
| Adaptation rationale (25) | 3–5 sentences that synthesize all three categories, explain the overall strategy, and clearly show audience-centered reasoning (25) | Rationale present but mainly restates the table rather than synthesizing (13–20) | A sentence or less; no synthesis (0–10) |
Instructor grading note (Prof. Marchetti)
- Record the
STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100from line 1 of the submitted report. - Review the completed profile against the self-score — spot-check that adaptations are genuinely audience-centered, not vague, and that no stereotyping slipped through.
- Watch for: profiles that name demographic characteristics but produce no adaptations (0 in the adaptation column = wrong level); generic psychographic observations ("everyone values hard work") instead of topic-specific attitudes; missing the voluntary/captive distinction in situational analysis.
Canvas placement block
canvas_object = Assignment
title = "Week 2 Assignment — Audience-Analysis Profile (adaptive)"
assignment_group = "Speeches (Assignments)"
points_possible = 100
grading_type = points
assignment_type = adaptive
submission_types = [online_text_entry, online_url, file_upload] # report (score on line 1) + chat link + the completed profile
due_offset_days = 6
published = true
provenance = "~ Prof. Marchetti's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"
Traditional variant — for comparison. This sample course is configured adaptive learning, so its actual Week-2 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in
I-assignment-and-rubric-week-02.md. This file shows the same Week-2 task built the traditional way — the student completes the profile and submits it, and the instructor grades against the rubric — so you can see both formats side by side. (Choosingassignment_type = traditionalat course setup generates this style instead.)
Course: Public Speaking — Fundamentals of Oral Communication (COMM 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Marchetti
Objective assessed: Objective 2 (listening & audience analysis; adapting messages to a specific audience) · SLO A (compose & deliver)
Worth 100 points · Speeches (Assignments) group = 25% of the grade
The Assignment
Build a complete audience-analysis profile for a speech topic you could realistically deliver this term. This is the preparation work that makes a speech audience-centered — before you draft a single sentence, you need to know who is in the room. You'll complete a three-category profile (demographic, psychographic, situational) and write a short adaptation rationale that shows how the findings shape the speech.
Step 1 — Choose a topic and a specific audience.
Pick a topic you know something about (a hobby, a campus issue, a health practice, a skill). Then name a specific audience — not "college students" but something like "first-year nursing students in a required health and wellness course" or "students in this class." The more specific your audience, the more useful your analysis.
Step 2 — Build the profile (fill in the table).
| Category | What you found | Adaptation (what you'll do because of this finding) |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic (at least 2) | (e.g., mostly first-year students, 18–20 years old; many live in campus housing) | (e.g., avoid assuming prior coursework; use campus-life examples) |
| Psychographic (at least 2) | (e.g., likely unfamiliar with the topic; may hold a mix of curious and skeptical attitudes) | (e.g., open with a relatable hook before diving into new information; acknowledge skeptical views fairly) |
| Situational (at least 2) | (e.g., required class, captive audience of ~30; mid-morning timeslot) | (e.g., build in an early motivation hook; include an interactive moment to counter mid-morning drift) |
Identify at least two findings per category, each paired with a concrete adaptation. Avoid demographic stereotyping — "college students all prefer social media examples" is an assumption, not analysis. Aim for tentative, evidence-based observations ("many in this audience may have limited prior exposure to X, so I will…").
Step 3 — Write a short adaptation rationale (3–5 sentences).
Synthesize your three categories: explain your overall strategic approach and why these specific adaptations work together to make the speech audience-centered. This is the "so what" of your profile.
Integrity & AI note. This is your own analysis. You may use an approved chatbot (Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT) to think through a category or check a definition, but the profile must reflect your own reasoning about a real topic and audience — and the chatbot must not fill in the table for you. If AI helped, add a one-line note of which tool and how. (Note: this is the traditional format. In this course's actual adaptive assignment, you work with an AI coach who walks you through each category — see I-assignment-and-rubric-week-02.md.)
Rubric — 100 points
| Criterion | Full credit | Partial | Little/none |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic analysis (25) | Identifies ≥2 relevant demographic characteristics AND states a concrete, logical adaptation for each (25) | Characteristics named; adaptations vague or missing for one (13–20) | One or fewer characteristics; no adaptations (0–10) |
| Psychographic analysis (25) | Identifies ≥2 relevant attitudes/beliefs/values AND states a concrete, logical adaptation for each — no stereotyping (25) | Psychographics named; adaptations vague or not clearly tied to the finding (13–20) | Generic assumptions; no real psychographic analysis (0–10) |
| Situational analysis (25) | Identifies ≥2 situational factors (incl. voluntary vs. captive) AND states a concrete adaptation for each (25) | Factors named; adaptations thin or one factor missing (13–20) | One factor or fewer; no adaptations (0–10) |
| Adaptation rationale (25) | 3–5 sentences that synthesize all three categories, explain the overall strategy, and show audience-centered reasoning (25) | Rationale present but mainly restates the table rather than synthesizing (13–20) | A sentence or less; no synthesis (0–10) |
Instructor answer key & model — REMOVE BEFORE PUBLISHING TO STUDENTS
There is no single correct audience-analysis profile — the right answer depends on the student's chosen topic and audience. This model shows what full-marks work looks like in structure and quality.
Model profile (illustrative — graders use the rubric, not this exact content):
Topic: "Basic meal prep for a busy week" · Audience: First-year students enrolled in a required campus-life seminar (~25 students, mix of majors, 8:30 a.m. session)
| Category | Finding | Adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic (1) | Most are first-year students, likely living in dorms for the first time | Assume little prior independent cooking experience; frame from scratch |
| Demographic (2) | Mix of majors with likely varied schedules and budget constraints | Use low-cost, quick-prep examples; avoid assuming special equipment |
| Psychographic (1) | Attitude toward cooking likely ranges from interested to indifferent; some may feel overwhelmed | Open with the time-savings payoff first (what they gain), not a lecture on nutrition |
| Psychographic (2) | Value: convenience and autonomy (first time managing their own food) | Frame meal prep as gaining control, not adding a chore |
| Situational (1) | Required seminar = captive audience (motivation may be low going in) | Open with a relatable scenario ("remember the third week when the dining hall got old?") to connect immediately |
| Situational (2) | 8:30 a.m. slot; 25 students; rows of desks | Keep opening energy high; include one quick hands-up question to get them active early |
Adaptation rationale: This audience is encountering independent living for the first time, which means they value convenience and autonomy more than nutrition lectures. I'll open with the relatable problem (dining hall fatigue + budget stress) before offering the solution, using two or three concrete low-cost examples that assume no prior cooking skill. Since the session is required and early in the morning, I'll build in an interactive moment in the first two minutes to overcome the captive-audience starting inertia.
Why it earns full marks: at least two specific findings in each category, each with a logical, concrete adaptation; the rationale synthesizes — it doesn't just restate — and it shows a clear audience-centered strategic decision.
Common ways students lose points (watch for these):
- Demographic findings with no adaptations (fills the left column, leaves the right blank) → loses demographic score.
- Stereotyping ("all college students want short speeches and TikTok references") → flag and require revision.
- Missing the voluntary/captive distinction in situational analysis → situational score drops.
- Rationale restates the table ("my demographic finding was X so I will do X") instead of synthesizing → rationale score drops.
Canvas placement block
canvas_object = Assignment
title = "Week 2 Assignment — Audience-Analysis Profile (traditional)"
assignment_group = "Speeches (Assignments)"
points_possible = 100
grading_type = points
assignment_type = traditional
submission_types = [online_text_entry, file_upload]
due_offset_days = 6
published = true
rubric_ref = "week-02-audience-analysis-rubric"
provenance = "~ Prof. Marchetti's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"
~ Prof. Marchetti's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com