Department of The Arts

  1. Course Number and Title:

    COMM110 Effective Speaking (formerly COMG110)

  2. Number of Credits:

    3 credits

  3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester:

    2250 minutes

  4. Prerequisites:

    Writing Placement Test score of 6 or better or COMP 107 (C or better)

    Corequisites:

    None

  5. Other Pertinent Information:

    This course fulfills the Creative Expression requirement of Category I: Essential Skills and Perspectives and the Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving, Information Literacy, Oral Presentation, and Responsible Citizenship requirements of Category III: Specialized Skills and Perspectives of the Core Curriculum at Bucks County Community College.

    Strongly recommended for incoming students: Writing Placement Test score of 6 and Reading Placement Test score Level 3.

  6. Catalog Course Description:

    This course is designed to help students build confidence in preparing and delivering informative and persuasive speeches. Topics include subject selection, audience analysis, research, organization, and use of voice and body in speech delivery.

  7. Required Course Content and Direction:

    1. Learning Goals:

      Students will be able to:

      1. practice the personal, social, and political aspects of the art of public speaking.
      2. apply models of the communication process.
      3. consider and apply the public speaker�s ethical responsibilities.
      4. practice various patterns of informative and persuasive speech organization.
      5. prepare and deliver various types of speeches.
      6. analyze an audience.
      7. research speech topics.
      8. prepare speech outlines.
      9. develop and support ideas.
      10. offer constructive self-criticism and constructive criticism of others� speeches.

      Core Learning Goals and Objectives

      Category I: Creative Expression
      Learning Goals
      Students will:
      1. learn to present their work (speech, musical composition, artwork, film/video, performance, etc.) in a professional, accomplished manner relative to the specific medium.

      Category III: Oral Presentation
      Learning Goals
      Make effective oral presentations, with the possibility of including content-specific supplementary material and/or media.

      Category III: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
      Learning Goals
      The students learn and practice the skills of interpretation, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, reasoning, and/or problem solving.

      Category III: Information Literacy
      Learning Goals
      The students learn and practice the skills of identifying the need for information and gathering, evaluating, and documenting that information in their program areas.

      Category III: Responsible Citizenship
      Learning Goals
      The students develop an understanding of the need for each individual to promote the public good, an awareness of environmental issues, or a recognition that their actions carry responsibilities and consequences.

      Category I: Creative Expression
      Learning Objectives
      Students will be able to:
      1. create a unique, personal, finished product appropriate to the medium. (1, 2)

      Category III: Oral Presentation
      Learning Objectives
      Students will be able to:
      1. make effective oral presentations, with the possibility of including content-specific supplementary material and/or media.

      Category III: Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
      Learning Objectives
      Students will be able to:
      1. integrate and/or combine knowledge from multiple sources to create new knowledge. (Synthesis)

      Category III: Information Literacy
      Learning Goals
      Students will be able to:
      1. determine the nature and extent of the information needed.
      2. determine the technologies and information formats appropriate for the information identified.
      3. access needed information effectively and efficiently.
      4. evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into their knowledge base and value system.
      5. develop an understanding of many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and access and use information legally and ethically.

      Category III: Responsible Citizenship
      Learning Objectives
      Students will be able to:
      1. demonstrate an understanding of major ethical concerns.
      2. identify the effects of a person�s actions on the community.

    2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      1. Students will deliver a minimum of three (3) speeches in front of a live audience during the term of the course.
      2. Students will deliver the following types of speeches: one (1) speech must be informative, one (1) speech must be persuasive (speech assignment and rubric are on file in Arts Department office); these speeches must include research, a delivery outline of the speech, and citation of sources or use of a bibliography. Students may be required to deliver other types of speeches at the discretion of the instructor.
      3. Students� informative and persuasive speeches will be a minimum of eight (8) minutes in length.
      4. Students will effectively use communication technology in a minimum of one speech.
      5. Students may be required to deliver additional speeches at the discretion of the instructor.

    3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

      Students in Effective Speaking will meet the Core Learning Goals of Creative Expression, Oral Presentation, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Information Literacy, and Responsible Citizenship through many of the class exercises, papers, tests, and through the presentation of three major speeches of eight to ten minutes. One speech will analyze the causes, effects, and solutions for significant problems facing society. This speech will require the use of multiple sources of evidence. Student�s oral presentation skills and critical thinking/problem solving skills will be evaluated based on a rubric created by the course professor.

      The artifacts produced for the Core Assessment will include a presentation outline for one speech (for Critical Thinking and Problem Solving), a video recording of one speech (for Creative Expression and Oral Presentation), and a written assessment that requires research, ethics, evaluation, and citation of sources (for Information Literacy).

    4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      1. Each instructor will assign a textbook.
      2. Each instructor must distribute a course format on the first day of class.
      3. Students will use traditional library materials and online resources.
      4. Students may be required to engage in supplemental reading and attendance at an outside speech.

  8. Teaching Methods Employed:

    Teaching methods include, but are not limited to:

    1. lectures
    2. discussions
    3. exercises
    4. constructive criticism of students� speeches
    5. textbook reading assignments
    6. library research workshops
    7. instructional videos
    8. videotaping and playback of students� speeches
    9. PowerPoint presentations
    10. on-line learning
    11. self-evaluations
    12. outside speaker evaluations
    13. tests

    Review/Approval Date - 3/07; Core Goals/Objectives added 11/06; Updated 12/07