Public Speaking COMM 2301 Spring 2015

Transcription

1 Public Speaking COMM 2301 Spring 2015 Course: COMM 2301 Section: 060 Day and Time: MWF 1:00-1:50 PM Location: A139 Instructor: Jonathan Villarreal Office: L B305 Office hours: MWF 10-11, 12-1 Phone: TR 10:30 12:30 and by appointment 1 COURSE DESCRIPTION This course in public speaking focuses on the delivery, design, and research of oral presentations for professional and personal life. The course covers the following topics: informative speaking, persuasive speaking, group speaking, communication competence, communication anxiety, research and gathering, visual aids, communication ethics, and civic engagement REQUIRED MATERIALS Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking, 12 th edition. McGraw-Hill (2015). A folder (NO binders) is required on presentation days for speech materials. Speeches without a folder will NOT be graded. Blackboard: Course content (quizzes, grades, etc.) can be found on Blackboard. Make sure you have access to Blackboard and check it regularly. Note: Blackboard is NOT a good indicator of what your final grade in this course is. Note cards will be used during speeches. Make sure to have them ready on the day of your presentation. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES CT1: Gather, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information relevant to a question or issue. CT2: Develop and demonstrate a logical position (i.e. perspective, thesis, hypothesis that acknowledges ambiguities or contradictions) CS1: Develop, interpret, and express ideas through effective written communication. CS2: Develop, interpret, and express ideas through effective oral communication. CS3: Develop, interpret, and express ideas through effective visual communication. TW1: Consider different viewpoints as a member of a team. TW2: Work effectively with others to support and accomplish a shared goal. PR1: Demonstrate the ability to evaluate choices, actions and consequences as related to ethical decision-making.

2 2 COURSE POLICIES ATTENDANCE: Attendance will be taken in this course. Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings for the entire class period (early departures count as absences). You are allowed two unexcused absences. Each absence after that will result in deductions from your final grade. Use them wisely. If you find you will be unable to attend class for whatever reason, please me in advance (or after if you are unable to do so prior to class) to let me know. This will not excuse you but will let me know you didn t just decide to skip class. NOTE: I reserve the right to excuse certain absences for students who have official university documents. Absences without official documentation will count towards your two absences. DEADLINES/LATE WORK: All students will sign up for presentation dates. Once you sign up you are committed to that particular date. If you fail to present on your scheduled day without proper university documentation, you will receive a grade penalty and be forced to present on the make-up speech day at the end of the semester. All other assignments are due on the scheduled day unless proper documentation is given. Failure to give one of the main speeches will automatically result in failing this course. TECHNOLOGY: Technology can be very useful in a classroom setting. It can also be very distracting. Phones/laptops/tablets are permitted for class-related purposes only. Texting, gaming, social networking, etc. will NOT be tolerated in class. It is disruptive and disrespectful. Anyone not using their tech devices for class-related purposes will be asked to leave. As a general rule of thumb, please keep your phones on silent and use your computers for taking notes. If you are expecting a phone call, please notify me in advance. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT: I prefer to take a hands-off approach to classroom management. This means that I encourage all of you to create an environment you enjoy being a part of without my having to interfere. This environment should promote freedom of expression without fear of being judged or ridiculed by peers. This environment should be free of profane, inappropriate, ethic, gender, racial or lifestyle related comments or behaviors. Any student who violates this policy will be asked to leave the classroom. Bottom line: be courteous and respectful to your peers and to me. HONOR CODE POLICY: Violations of academic integrity are very serious matters and are clearly documented in the ASU Student Handbook. The work a student submits in a class is expected to be the student's own work and must be work completed for that particular assignment. Plagiarism means intentionally or knowingly representing words or ideas of another as one's own. This may include your own previous work. Plagiarism includes quoting or paraphrasing from other sources without acknowledging/citing the source of your information or presenting quoted material as your own words. You must be very clear about attribution of sources and you must know how to cite sources in a paper. Please see full Honor Code Policy at

3 3 PRIVACY POLICY/STUDENT CONDUCT: Student professional behavior in the classroom is documented in the ASU Student Code of Conduct (see student code of conduct for full description). This also includes fabricating or plagiarizing documents that may insult or tarnish another student. Ethical behavior and respecting each other will lead to a good semester and productive relationships. Grades and course performance are also considered private information. It is unethical to discuss another student's grades. Students are also not to openly discuss their grade (good or bad) in my classroom. It is unethical and disrespectful to argue test items or complain about your individual performance. I will not discuss individual grade inquiries until 24 hours after the scores or performance evaluation has been distributed. A request to discuss a test item or score will require a written request and appointment time outside, before, or after class. I am happy to talk to students about advising or performance concerns. However, these conversations need to be planned and dialogue needs to occur in the appropriate location (e.g., faculty offices, other locations designated for student/faculty gathering). NOTICE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Angelo State University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you suspect that you may have a disability (physical impairment, learning disability, psychiatric disability, etc.), please contact the Dean of Student Life and Student Services at If you need disability accommodations, please see me as soon as possible. ACADEMIC ADVISING: The College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Communication and Mass Media require that students meet with a Faculty Advisor as soon as they are ready to declare a major. The Faculty Advisor will set up a degree plan, which must be signed by the student, faculty advisor, and the department chair. Communication and Mass Media majors who have questions about advising or declaring a major in the department, can call Undeclared majors are supported by ASU's Center for Academic Excellence in Library A312, and can be reached at GRADE APPEAL PROCEDURES: As stated in Angelo State University Operating Policy and Procedure (OP Student Grade Grievances), a student who believes that he or she has not been held to appropriate academic standards as outlined in the class syllabus, equitable evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in a course. The burden of proof is upon the student to demonstrate then appropriateness of the appeal. A student with a complaint about a grade is encouraged to first discuss the matter with the instructor. For complete details, including responsibilities of the parties involved in the process and the number of days allowed for completing the steps in the process, see Operating Procedure at Students/OP_10.03_Grade_Grievance.doc

4 4 ASSIGNMENTS Main Speeches (30%): There will be three "big speeches" - introductory, informative and persuasive. They are timed and will require research and effort to properly develop. You are responsible for speaking on your designated day. Speeches can be made up but not without penalty unless proper documentation is given. These assignments will be further explained in class. Group Presentation (20%): There will be a group presentation at the end of the semester. You will be required to work in groups to cover a topic pertaining to issues this campus, city, society, etc. is facing. Each group member is responsible for contributing to the creation and presentation of this project. You will have to work outside of class to complete this assignment. This assignment will be further explained in class. Quizzes (20%): There will be 14 quizzes posted on Blackboard. Students will work on these assignments outside of class. All quizzes will be available throughout the semester but will go offline the last week of class. Quizzes will be numbered according to the chapter they cover. Mini Speeches (20%): There will be six "mini speeches" throughout the semester. They will not be timed or graded; simply doing the assignment gives you full credit. They are designed to give you more speaking opportunities while covering various themes (i.e. citations, impromptu, etc.). They will be assigned to designated days and cannot be made up unless proper documentation is given. Midterm Exam (10%): There will be a multiple choice midterm exam covering various chapters from the textbook. The date is noted in the daily schedule. SPEECH TOPICS: I offer you nearly unlimited creative freedom for speech topics. With this freedom comes responsibility; just because you can give a speech on a particular topic does not mean that you should. Controversial topics are allowed and encouraged but care must be taken to avoid being offensive/disrespectful towards others with different views. If you are ever in doubt about a potential topic, please talk to me in advance. The topics below are the only topics I strongly discourage anyone giving. They can be used but you MUST ask me for permission first. -Organ/blood/plasma donation -Seatbelt safety -Drinking/texting and driving -Abortion -Recycling -Greek organizations -Smoking

5 5 GRADING CRITERIA 1 The A Speech is an Excellent, Outstanding Speech: Meets and exceeds all criteria for the B speech: Topic: Offers a fresh perspective on the subject; speaker shows the great importance of the topic to the audience; and Organization: Introduction focuses audience s attention on the topic; conclusion creates proper tone; strategic order and time balance of main points is masterful; and Supporting Material: Effectively uses a wide variety of appeals (logos, ethos, pathos); exceptionally well-researched; cites highly credible sources; and Computer-generated Visual Aids: integrated into the presentation smoothly and expertly; and Language: Achieves vividness through the artful use of language; and Delivery: Expresses speaker s interest and concern in discussing his/her speech topic with the audience The B Speech is a Solid, Good Speech: Meets and exceeds all criteria for the C Speech: Topic: Is challenging and appropriately adjusted to the audience; and Organization: Main points presented so that their internal logic is clear; speaker effectively uses previews, summaries, and transitions; introduction effectively relates topic to audience; conclusion ends with a note of finality; and Supporting Material: Clearly well-researched, providing a variety of cited evidence; and Computer-generated Visual Aids: Interprets data; is effectively displayed and explained; and Language: is used effectively to achieve clarity in the speech; and Delivery: Displays poise and confidence. The C Speech Clearly Fulfills the Assignment (Satisfactory): Topic: Is important, satisfies the requirements of the assignment, is sufficiently focused, is sufficiently related to audience; and Organization: Is clear and coherent; thesis is clear and concise; introduction clearly previews topic and uses a relevant attention-getting device; main points are clearly stated; conclusion achieves closure; and Supporting Material: Adequately uses several types of support material; speaker clearly cites sources of information; and Computer-generated Visual Aids: Presents information clearly and is appropriate; and Language: Is appropriate and grammatically correct; and Delivery: Is extemporaneous and maintains adequate eye contact with the audience. The D Speech Minimally Fulfills the Assignment. Any one or set of the following deficiencies typically causes a grade of D : Topic: Is trivial or lacks importance; and/or Organization: Is disjointed, and/or thesis is unclear or confusing, and/or introduction fails to clearly state the speech purpose, and/or the main points are indistinguishable within the speech, and/or the conclusion fails to achieve closure; and/or Supporting Material: Is substantially based on unsupported opinion, and/or depends largely on biased information; speaker cites (orally and/or in writing) fewer than the minimum number of 1 Thank you to Dr. Adria Battaglia for sharing information on grading criteria.

6 6 sources specified in the assignments and/or Computer-generated Visual Aids: is confusing and/or Language: Is grammatically incorrect, or rude, or unsophisticated (given the context of the speech); and/or Delivery: Lacks adequate eye contact, and/or has excessive hesitance or vocalized pauses, and/or speech is read instead of prepared extemporaneously (may not have Preparation Outline in possession while presenting) The F Speech Does NOT Fulfill the Assignment. Any one or set of the following deficiencies typically causes a grade of F : Topic: Does not fit the requirement (see text and instructor for guidelines); and Organization: Totally lacks coherence, and/or thesis is not stated in speech; and/or Supporting Material: Is based entirely on unsupported opinion, and/or speaker fails to cite sources of evidence, and/or speaker uses one or more items of fabricated information, and/or Computer-generated Visual Aids: Is not used or is inappropriate; and/or Language: Is clearly inappropriate; and/or Delivery: Is obviously unrehearsed. COURSE SCHEDULE** 1/21 Introduction to Course Ice Breaker Discuss Assignments 1/23 Speaking in Public Read Chapter 1 before class 1/26 Mini Speech 1 - Bring an Object 1/28 Giving your First Speech Read Chapter 4 before class 1/30 Using Visual Aids Read Chapter 14 before class 2/2 INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DAY REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 2/4 INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DAY REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 2/6 INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DAY REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 2/9 INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DAY REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 2/11 INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DAY REQUIRED SPEECH DAY

7 7 2/13 INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DAY REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 2/16 Listening Read Chapter 3 before class 2/18 Selecting a Topic and a Purpose Read Chapter 5 before class 2/20 Mini Speech 2 Power Point Day 1 2/23 Mini Speech 2 Power Point Day 2 2/25 Ethics and Public Speaking Read Chapter 2 before class 2/27 Analyzing the Audience Read Chapter 6 before class 3/2 Mini Speech 3 Birthday Citation 3/4 Gathering Materials Read Chapters 7 & 8 before class Supporting Your Ideas 3/6 MIDTERM EXAM Be in class, on time, and bring a pencil 3/9 Organizing the Body of the Speech Read Chapters 9 & 10 before class Beginning and Ending the Speech 3/11 Outlining the Speech Read Chapter 11 before class 3/13 INFORMATIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY Week of 3/16 SPRING BREAK No classes! (Don t forget to come back) 3/23 INFORMATIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 3/25 INFORMATIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 3/27 INFORMATIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 3/30 INFORMATIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 4/1 INFORMATIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY

8 8 4/3 Holiday No class TBA Blackboard Assignment 4/6 Delivery Read Chapter 13 before class 4/8 Mini Speech 4 - Tell a Story Day 1 4/10 Mini Speech 4 - Tell a Story Day 2 4/13 In class activity/discussion Group project check-in day 4/15 Mini Speech 5 - The "Uh" Game 4/17 Speaking in Small Groups Read Chapter 19 before class 4/20 Mini Speech 6 - Give me the Quarters! 4/22 Speaking to Persuade Read Chapter 16 before class 4/24 PERSUASIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 4/27 PERSUASIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 4/29 PERSUASIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 5/1 PERSUASIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 5/4 PERSUASIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 5/6 PERSUASIVE SPEECH REQUIRED SPEECH DAY 5/8 Make up Speech Day 5/13 Group Presentation Day Class meets 1:00 3:00 in A139 ** Any changes to the schedule or requirements will be announced in class and, if changes are major, will be distributed in writing and electronically. Class members are responsible for all information presented in class, whether they are in attendance or not. Please line up a class colleague to pick up handouts and fill you in on all information from any class you might miss. It would be wise to line up this person in advance, should you need to miss a class, and trade phone/ numbers.