Overview

Course Description

This course is an exploration of the fundamental principles and practices of effective informative and persuasive speeches. This course examines basic elements of public speaking including increasing speaker confidence, ethics of speaking, audience analysis, and adaptation, appropriate methods of delivery, researching supporting materials, effective use of presentational aids, and effective outlining and delivery of speeches.

Course Outcomes

1. Overcome speech apprehension.
2. Study the theories of public speaking, audience analysis, presentation strategies, and critical analysis of public speaking.
3. Improve public speaking skills, verbal ability, self-confidence, and audience adaptation.
4. Improve students' ability to become critical consumers of public speaking.

Requirements

Speech evaluations, quizzes, tests, writing, attendance, peer evaluations, and group work.

This course will require 10+ gigabytes of data over the course of the semester for viewing videos and if the student opts to participate in synchronous meetings to deliver speeches. Synchronous meetings in this course are strongly encouraged for delivering speeches and receiving immediate feedback from the instructor.

Required Resources

This course uses a free, auto-access textbook. Read the information in the Textbook Information module to learn how to access your textbook.

Resource Title/Description (books, software, etc.)	Author/Provider	Ed./Vol.	13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
Exploring Public Speaking: The Open Educational Resource College Public Speaking Textbook	Tucker, B.G.	4.1	None

Students will also need the means to record both video and voice. Most current electronic devices have these capabilities. Test your hardware to make sure that the camera and microphone work correctly.

Students will primarily record speeches on Zoom. In most cases, students will sign up for a group meeting that will include their instructor and some of their fellow classmates. If the student is unable to meet with the instructor and classmates, they will need to find a group of people to meet with the student while the student presents his or her speech. Students will need to become familiar with Zoom. If students record their videos using a different platform other than Zoom, they are responsible for running the video through My Media and uploading the sharable link from My Media. Instructors and fellow students are not expected to download files onto their computers. All videos must be linked or embedded into the course. Please do not upload files. Students are encouraged to practice using Zoom and My Media so that any software or hardware adjustments can be made prior to the first assignment's due date. 

Public Speaking

Because this is a public speaking class, each student will present to a live audience of no less than eight people. This can be done in either the group setting as mentioned above or the student will need to gather an audience. Students not doing the group meeting will need to be sure that as the speeches are recorded, the student fills most of the screen as the speaker, but audience members are included in the shot. The instructor needs to see that they are there. Students must ensure the sound quality is good. They are being graded on their speech, so the instructor has to be able to hear it.

Students will also need to have practiced these with the Presentation Practice Center. They must set up an appointment or upload their speech for review before giving it live in order to get full credit.

Structure

Major Assignments

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes.

Major Assignment	Description	Course Outcomes #
Informative Speech 1	Present Informative Speech 1	#1, 2, 3
Informative Speech 2	Present Informative Speech 2	#1, 2, 3
Persuasive Speech 1	Present Persuasive Speech 1	#1, 2, 3
Persuasive Speech 2	Present Persuasive Speech 2	#1, 2, 3
Observe Speeches	Weeks 05–12	#4
Final Exam	Take Final Exam	#2

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

Due Date*	Learning Model	Activity Title	Description
Midweek	Prepare	Reading Quiz	Study, take notes, take quiz (open book)
Midweek	Ponder	Discussion Board	Share Ideas
Midweek	Prepare	Speech preparation	write outline, practice speech
End of Week	Ponder/Prove	Assignment	Write a short response for the assignment
End of Week	Prove	Speech Presentation	Present speech, give feedback on other speeches

*Set your time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.

Learning Model

The three steps of the learning model are the following:

• Prepare
• Ponder
• Prove
• Teach One Another

In this course, you will be preparing by reading the textbook, learning the steps in preparing a speech, and practicing your speech.

You will be pondering by doing reflections and other assignments, presenting speeches to different people, and using the feedback given as well as giving feedback.

You will prove by presenting your speech for grading, completing assignments, and taking exams.

You will be Teaching One Another by watching each others' speeches and giving feedback on those speeches.

Expectations

Workload

This is a 3-credit course and you are expected to spend between 9 and 12 hours doing work in this course.  Some weeks may be heavier than others especially when you are practicing and presenting a speech.

Group Work

Group work in this course is primarily when meeting with your instructor and presenting your speech. Speeches are given in Weeks 06, 08, 10, and 12. You will be presenting your speech, hearing your instructor's feedback, and writing down the feedback that you want to give to your classmates that presented with you. This feedback will not be given during the meeting, but you will post it on the discussion board once your instructor has posted the recording of the group meeting on the discussion board.

Class Expectations and Late Work

Post promptly and submit assignments by the due date. Do not put off posting on the discussion board or submitting assignments until the last minute. This has the potential to lead to crisis situations, such as finding out that I-Learn has crashed or is unavailable right when the deadline is coming up. This can cause much strife and contention in life, as well as impede the progress and success of both you and the others in your group.

Avoid submitting work late, unless it was completely unavoidable. There are situations that will occur where it is not unavoidable, such as when there are rolling blackouts, tornados, tsunamis or civil unrest. If these, or a medical emergency occurs, please reach out to your instructor and make arrangements to get your work turned in as soon as possible.

Because of the need to administer a precise and fair grading policy, the following standard will be in effect:

One late assignment will be allowed during the first five weeks and is left up to the instructor’s discretion. This is only a 24-hour extension. It is not an open door for turning in work a week late. If there is an emergency situation, students will need to discuss that with the instructor. This allowance does not include the open book quizzes over the textbook; these must be done on time.  At any time, if the instructor does not feel a student's reason for turning in the work late is valid, it is within their right to reject the assignment. This is not an entitlement.

One late assignment will be accepted during the last half of the semester. This does not include tests or quizzes. This is only a 24-hour extension, it is not an open door for turning in work a week late. If a student has an emergency situation, they will need to discuss that with the instructor. These may only be made up in special circumstances in the last half of the semester. At any time, if the instructor does not feel a reason for turning in the work late is valid, it is within their right to reject the assignment. This is not an entitlement. It is a privilege with which the instructor will use the spirit of discernment to make the right decision for all involved.

Students are expected to weigh in on the discussion and the ideas being presented. True learning is not a spectator sport. Articulate ideas with power, passion, and persuasion.

Retries

Retries are allowed on all reading quizzes, not the final exam.

Extra Credit

Extra credit will be offered four times this semester through meeting with a tutor from the Presentation Practice Center (PPC). You may receive credit for meeting with the PPC tutor once for each speech.  Of course, if you want to meet more often with the tutor, you may do so (provided that there is an opening). Sign up early! There are several sections of COMM 102 and this is not the only course that uses the PPC.

Course Assessment and Evaluation

All coursework will have a point value. These values will vary with the increasing expectation of developing skills as the semester progresses. For example, the first speech is worth only seventy-five points. By week six, students are expected to know how to organize an informative speech with a strong central idea, segmented body parts, and supported evidence with at least five sources. Students will be expected to show signs of beginning understanding on how to speak to an audience, and they will be expected to maintain eye contact with the camera and not read notes. Thus, the point value goes up to 150, with a speech outline grade of 25. All of the points will be averaged at the end of the semester for a percentage grade. This is broken down at the end of this section.

In addition to speeches -- the main focus of the course -- students will have reading quizzes mostly on weeks without speeches. There is also a final proctored exam at the end of the course which will evaluate student knowledge of public speaking.

Proctored Exams and Assessments

This course will use an online proctoring software called Proctorio. This makes it possible for students to take assessments and exams without a human proctor present. Proctored exams can be accessed like any other exam, once the software has been installed. Exams will be recorded by Proctorio and reviewed by the BYUI Testing Center. Any questionable exams will be forwarded to the instructor for further review.

For step-by-step instructions on Proctorio installation, please refer to Student Help: Proctorio in Canvas.

This course does have one comprehensive final exam at the end of the course in addition to the nearly-weekly reading quizzes and the four speeches. The final exam is the only assessment that will be proctored.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percent
A	100%–93%
A-	92%–90%
B+	89%–87%
B	86%–83%
B-	82%–80%
C+	79%–77%
C	76%–73%
C-	72%–70%
D+	69%–67%
D	66%–63%
D-	62%–60%
F	59% and lower

Course Assessment Standards

The course will use the following standard to help students assess and evaluate their efforts. The instructor will expect them to use these standards to evaluate progress throughout the semester.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

BYU-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course does require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Disability Services Contact Information:

• Website: Disability Services
• Phone (US only): (208) 496-9210
• Email: disabilityservices@byui.edu
• Fax: (208) 496-5210

Other University Policies

Go to the Student Resources module to review the university policies regarding honesty, online etiquette, communication expectations, etc.