How Capitol Debate Used Yoodli to train 1000+ students in public speaking & debate

The Problem

Capitol Debate offers programs that focus on building confidence and leadership skills in students through public speaking and debate. A significant challenge faced by camp instructors was the lack of familiarity with students’ abilities and personalities before the camps began. This made it difficult for instructors to tailor their teaching to meet individual students’ needs effectively. Additionally, camp instructors would spend 2 hours per student evaluating speeches according to the Capitol Debate rubric.

""“Before Yoodli, we had no idea who was walking into our classes, which made it tough to tailor our approach right from the start. Now, with Yoodli, we can get to know our campers beforehand, and it’s been a game changer! Yoodli has provided our instructors the extra time to provide more personalized feedback. We’re so excited about the growth and progress we’ve seen in our campers thanks to this tool!”
—Rachel Christoph, Lead Instructor and Head of Curriculum""

The Solution

Capitol Debate integrated Yoodli AI speech coach into their summer camp curriculum to train nearly 1,000 students in public speaking and debate. Through Yoodli, Capitol Debate instructors are now able to:

1. Assess the students’ strengths and weaknesses early on
2. Work with 25% more students and reduce feedback time by 50% with an AI coach providing humanlike feedback
3. Focus on delivering more advanced and personalized advice. Yoodli software will provide students with valuable feedback, saving instructors time by automatically counting disfluencies like “um” and “ah,” analyzing word usage, and assessing the conciseness of language.
4. View and share student progress with each other and the students’ parents

The learner flow is as follows:

Before the camp, students record a 1-2 minute video about a topic they are passionate about. This allows instructors to assess the students’ strengths and weaknesses early on.

During the first week of camp, the focus is on public speaking. Students spend the week writing persuasive speeches, which are recorded and analyzed using Yoodli. The tool automatically provides feedback on key areas like word choice, disfluencies, weak words, and speech pace. . Junior instructors use this feedback to offer personalized comments and evaluations, helping students improve their skills. With Yoodli’s automated feedback on structure, content, and delivery, junior instructors can provide specialized feedback in half the time at specific time stamped moments within their speech.

In the second week, the focus shifts to debate. Students record refutation speeches and participate in a debate tournament. Yoodli was used to analyze their speeches, providing real-time feedback on fluency and timing.

Students have unlimited access to Yoodli. They could practice their speeches as many times as they liked in order to build their confidence.The private, judgment-free aspect made it feel less like an assignment and more a self improvement opportunity.

This generation of 10-17 year olds is incredibly tech-savvy, having grown up with digital tools at their fingertips. They’re not just comfortable with technology like Yoodli, but also eager to continue using it to enhance their skills. Whether it’s for refining their public speaking or boosting their confidence, these young learners see tech as a natural extension of their learning process, making platforms like Yoodli a key part of their growth journey.

""“Yoodli provides substantial assistance to all coaches in the room, enhancing the learning experience with advanced feedback and support.”
—Ronald Bratt, CEO of Capitol Debate, the pioneer behind the Capitol Debate – Yoodli collaboration ""

The Outcomes

• Yoodli helps instructors build rapport with students by allowing them to assess and understand students’ abilities before camp begins. This facilitates the creation of personalized learning cohorts, including advanced classes for returning students and those who demonstrated higher skill levels.

• Yoodli reduces instructors’ feedback time by 50%, enabling them to work with 25% more students during camps.

• Parents receive evaluations and links to their children’s Yoodli recordings, leading to positive feedback. They gain insights into their children’s speaking abilities and progress.

• Students receive personalized feedback, helping them improve their public speaking and debate skills. Some enjoyed watching their recordings and seeing their progress.

What’s Next

After successfully using Yoodli in the 2024 summer camps, Capitol Debate will now incorporate it into 100% of their programs, including school-year clubs and future camps.

Team Yoodli recently hosted Rachel, our Lead Instructor and Head of Curriculum, for a productive brainstorming and feedback session!