Syllabus - Introduction to Speech Communication

FULL SYLLABUS AVAILABLE ONLINE

Click this link to view the full syllabus for this 10-week section of SPCH 1311.

Course policies and procedures are included in the full syllabus. This posting on Lighthouse is not intended to represent the full content of the course.

Course Requirements

Assignment Name/ Weight	Assignment Description	Assignment Components
Mindful Communication Journals 15% of your course grade (5% per reflection)	You will apply concepts about the course theme of Mindful Communication to your personal experience by reading an assigned reading about mindful communication and writing a journal of at least 500 words. You will complete a total of three journals, one per unit of study.	1. Mindful Foundational Communication Skills Journal 2. Mindful Collaborative Communication Skills Journal 3. Mindful Public Communication Skills Journal
Active Listening Demonstration 20% of your course grade	You will demonstrate specific active listening skills, responding to video prompts. Your responses will be video recordings.	1. Record active listening responses to all required prompts in a skills practice 2. Provide peer feedback 3. Record active listening responses to all required prompts for a grade
Group Decision-Making 15% of your course grade	You will create an elevator pitch to propose a theme for One Small Change speeches. You and your group will select a theme that will serve as an “umbrella topic” for all group members’ individual One Small Change Speeches. During your group decision-making meeting, you will demonstrate specific decision-making and team communication skills.	1. Create elevator pitch to propose One Small Change speech theme 2. Attend virtual meeting, where you will: a. Deliver prepared elevator pitch b. Participate in group decision-making
One Small Change Speech 20% of your course grade	You will plan and present a persuasive speech encouraging audience members to make one small change in their lives. Your topic fit within the theme that your team selected during the Group Decision-Making assignment.	1. Plan the content of your speech 2. OPTIONAL: Create electronic presentation aid for speech 3. Record or upload speech recording on LaunchPad 4. Provide peer feedback to ALL other group members
Three (3) Exams 15% of your course grade (5% per exam)	You will demonstrate knowledge of textbook material by completing a 70-question multiple choice and true/false exam. You will complete one exam per unit of study.	1. Exam 1: Foundational Communication Skills 2. Exam 2: Collaborative Communication Skills 3. Exam 3: Public Communication Skills
Chapter Quizzes 15% of your course grade (1% per quiz) Highest grade of all attempts recorded 2 lowest scores automatically dropped from Blackboard calculations	You will demonstrate knowledge of individual textbook chapters by completing chapter quizzes in Blackboard. Quizzes are mastery learning: each quiz may be repeated as many times as you would like to earn your target score.	Unit 1 – 7 Chapter Quizzes 1. Ch. 1 Quiz, 2. Ch. 2 Quiz, 3. Ch. 3 Quiz, 4. Ch. 4 Quiz, 5. Ch. 5 Quiz, 6. Ch. 6 Quiz, 7. Ch. 7 Quiz Unit 2 – 5 Chapter Quizzes 8. Ch. 8 Quiz, 9. Ch. 9 Quiz, 10. Ch. 10 Quiz, 11. Ch. 11 Quiz, 12. Ch. 12 Quiz Unit 3 – 4 Chapter Quizzes 13. Ch. 16 Quiz, 14. Ch. 13 Quiz, 15. Ch. 14 Quiz, 16. Ch. 15 Quiz, 17. Ch. 17 Quiz

Assignment Name/ Weight

Assignment Description

Assignment Components

Mindful Communication Journals

15% of your course grade (5% per reflection)

You will apply concepts about the course theme of Mindful Communication to your personal experience by reading an assigned reading about mindful communication and writing a journal of at least 500 words. You will complete a total of three journals, one per unit of study.

1. Mindful Foundational Communication Skills Journal

2. Mindful Collaborative Communication Skills Journal

3. Mindful Public Communication Skills Journal

Active Listening Demonstration

20% of your course grade

You will demonstrate specific active listening skills, responding to video prompts. Your responses will be video recordings.

1. Record active listening responses to all required prompts in a skills practice

2. Provide peer feedback

3. Record active listening responses to all required prompts for a grade

Group Decision-Making

15% of your course grade

You will create an elevator pitch to propose a theme for One Small Change speeches. You and your group will select a theme that will serve as an “umbrella topic” for all group members’ individual One Small Change Speeches. During your group decision-making meeting, you will demonstrate specific decision-making and team communication skills.

1. Create elevator pitch to propose One Small Change speech theme

2. Attend virtual meeting, where you will:

a. Deliver prepared elevator pitch

b. Participate in group decision-making

One Small Change Speech

20% of your course grade

You will plan and present a persuasive speech encouraging audience members to make one small change in their lives. Your topic fit within the theme that your team selected during the Group Decision-Making assignment.

1. Plan the content of your speech

2. OPTIONAL: Create electronic presentation aid for speech

3. Record or upload speech recording on LaunchPad

4. Provide peer feedback to ALL other group members

Three (3) Exams

15% of your course grade (5% per exam)

You will demonstrate knowledge of textbook material by completing a 70-question multiple choice and true/false exam. You will complete one exam per unit of study.

1. Exam 1: Foundational Communication Skills

2. Exam 2: Collaborative Communication Skills

3. Exam 3: Public Communication Skills

Chapter Quizzes

15% of your course grade (1% per quiz)

Highest grade of all attempts recorded

2 lowest scores automatically dropped from Blackboard calculations

You will demonstrate knowledge of individual textbook chapters by completing chapter quizzes in Blackboard. Quizzes are mastery learning: each quiz may be repeated as many times as you would like to earn your target score.

Unit 1 – 7 Chapter Quizzes

1. Ch. 1 Quiz, 2. Ch. 2 Quiz,

3. Ch. 3 Quiz, 4. Ch. 4 Quiz,

5. Ch. 5 Quiz, 6. Ch. 6 Quiz,

7. Ch. 7 Quiz

Unit 2 – 5 Chapter Quizzes

8. Ch. 8 Quiz, 9. Ch. 9 Quiz,

10. Ch. 10 Quiz, 11. Ch. 11 Quiz,

12. Ch. 12 Quiz

Unit 3 – 4 Chapter Quizzes

13. Ch. 16 Quiz, 14. Ch. 13 Quiz,

15. Ch. 14 Quiz, 16. Ch. 15 Quiz,

17. Ch. 17 Quiz

Readings

Choices and Connections: An Introduction to Communication, 3^rd edition, by Steven McCornack and Joseph Ortiz (ISBN 9781319227395)

LaunchPad access

FIRST DAY ACCESS: This section includes a fee to cover the costs of required digital materials and/or an electronic textbook, provided at a discounted rate from the ACC Bookstore.

IMPORTANT! The digital materials fee will be added to your tuition and fees when you register. You may choose to opt out of this fee and receive a refund if you wish to purchase the course materials separately. Opt-out requests must be received prior to a specified date for a full refund.

Course Subjects

All deadlines are Central Time. All chapters are from our course textbook, Choices and Connections, 3^rd edition, unless otherwise noted. You can access your textbook by going to the Textbook Access tab on Blackboard. You should read and understand the assigned chapters to prepare for our class meetings.

Deadlines for optional extra credit opportunities will be announced on the announcements page of Blackboard.

Unit 1: Foundational Communication Skills

(Go to Bb: Course Work / Unit 1: Foundational Communication Skills)

Day	Date	Course Topic & Readings	Due by 11:59 PM
Thursday	6/3	Introduction to the course	Course Orientation SUGGESTED DEADLINE – You MUST complete ALL orientation assignments before you will be able to access ANY graded work.
Sunday	6/6	Ch. 1 - Introduction to Communication Ch. 2 –Self and Perception Ch. 3 – Understanding Culture and Gender “Don’t Let the Call Drop” by Oren Jay Sofer Mindful Communication Reflection Assignment	Graded Ch. 01 Quiz Graded Ch. 02 Quiz Graded Ch. 03 Quiz
Sunday	6/13	Ch. 4 – Mediated Communication Ch. 5 – Verbal Communication Active Listening Demonstration Assignment	Graded Ch. 04 Quiz Graded Ch. 05 Quiz Peer Feedback for Self-Introduction
Sunday	6/20	Ch. 6 – Nonverbal Communication Ch. 7 – Active Listening	Graded Ch. 06 Quiz Graded Ch. 07 Quiz Mindful Foundational Communication Skills Journal Skills Practice – Listening Recording
Sunday	6/27	See Unit 2 calendar	Exam 1: Foundational Communication Skills

Unit 2: Collaborative Communication Skills

(Go to Bb: Course Work / Unit 2: Collaborative Communication Skills)

Day	Date	Course Topic & Readings	Due by 11:59 PM
Sunday	6/27	Ch. 8 – Principles of Interpersonal Communication Ch. 9 – Managing Interpersonal Relationships	Graded Ch. 08 Quiz Graded Ch. 09 Quiz Peer Feedback for three (3) peers’ Skills Practice – Listening
Sunday	7/4	Ch. 10 – Managing Conflict Group Decision-Making Assignment “The Blame Game” by Oren Jay Sofer	Active Listening Demonstration Graded Ch. 10 Quiz Sign up for Group Decision-Making meeting NOTE: Independence Day is celebrated on July 4, 2021. ACC is closed on this day. Deadlines remain on Sunday this week to keep the dates consistent throughout the course. If you have plans for celebrating Independence Day, your plans should include completing these tasks early.
Sunday	7/11	Ch. 11 – Small Group Communication Ch. 12 – Leadership in Group Communication One Small Change Speech Assignment	Graded Ch. 11 Quiz Graded Ch. 12 Quiz Meeting Reflection – available after your group decision-making meeting ends VIRTUAL MEETING WEEK: ATTEND Group Decision-Making meeting
Sunday	7/18	See Unit 3 calendar	Mindful Collaborative Communication Skills Journal Exam 2: Collaborative Communication Skills

Unit 3: Public Communication Skills

(Go to Bb: Course Work / Unit 3: Public Communication Skills)

Day	Date	Course Topic & Readings	Due by 11:59 PM
Sunday	7/18	Ch. 16 – Informative Speaking Ch. 17—Persuasive Speaking	Graded Ch. 16 Quiz Graded Ch. 17 Quiz
Sunday	7/25	Ch. 13 – Preparing Your Speech Ch. 14 – Composing Your Speech “The Power of Mindfulness” by Oren Jay Sofer	Graded Ch. 13 Quiz Graded Ch. 14 Quiz
Sunday	8/1	Ch. 15 – Delivering Your Speech	Graded Ch. 15 Quiz One Small Change Speech recording Mindful Public Communication Skills Journal
Sunday	8/8	End of semester wrap-up	Exam 3: Public Communication Skills Peer Feedback for three (3) peers’ One Small Change Speeches

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Course Objectives: What will you learn after completing this course?

When you complete this course successfully, you should be able to:

Apply the techniques of communication competency in a variety of settings.
Develop skills in selecting and using a variety of communication strategies and responses based on situational contexts, goals, and human needs.
Integrate self-monitoring strategies to increase personal communication competence.
Analyze the role of perception in communication and employ various perception checking methods to enhance competency.
Recognize the power of verbal and nonverbal messages and adapt messages effectively.
Evaluate listening habits and practice effective listening skills.
Identify, analyze, and apply effective interpersonal communication skills.
Recognize personal conflict style and demonstrate effective conflict management.
Engage in and evaluate the dynamics of small group communication.
Develop, research, organize, and deliver an effective, formal public speech.
Identify the dimensions of cultural diversity and their influence on communication.
Examine the influence of using communication technologies on human interaction.

General Education Outcomes: What competencies will you develop in this course?

When you complete this course successfully, you should demonstrate competence in:

Civic and Cultural Awareness: Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society; comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.
Critical Thinking: Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
Personal Responsibility: Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices; demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility.
Interpersonal Skills: Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.
Written, Oral, and Visual Communication: Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes: What skills do Communication Studies majors develop during the completion of this degree?

When you complete an associate’s degree at Austin Community College, you should demonstrate competence in:

*Listening Skills: Students will identify listening behaviors and practice active listening skills.
Interpersonal Communication: Students will appropriately apply communication theories to interpersonal relationship development, maintenance, enhancement, and termination.
*Group Dynamics: Students will effectively use verbal and non-verbal communication to manage relationships and achieve goals within a variety of group settings.
Professional Communication: Students will employ written and oral competencies related to achieving goals within a variety of professional interactions and business settings.
*Public Speaking: Students will research, develop, organize, and deliver an effective public presentation using multimedia when appropriate.

*Our course focuses on outcomes 1, 3, and 5.

Syllabus Sections

Publish Date

Introduction to Speech Communication

Course Information

Office Hours

FULL SYLLABUS AVAILABLE ONLINE

Course Requirements

Readings

Course Subjects

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives