SP 110
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
3 credit hours

Course Information
Course Description: An introductory public speaking course stressing the organization and presentation of the extemporaneous speech in a variety of settings. The goal of this course is to incorporate the typical speaking assignment into situations students might face in their personal and professional lives.

Units 1-6 involve the study of the basic steps in preparing and delivering any speech. Tasks and discussion questions  reinforce the  information through application and practice. The concepts learned in Units 1-6 are utilized to complete the three major speaking assignments which are Units 7, 8, and 9. These assignments represent the three most common types of speeches - informative, demonstration and persuasive.

 Students present these three speeches to real audiences of their choice in the community. These audiences are frequently groups that are already part of the student's life such as coworkers, clubs, and educational settings. Speeches will be videotaped and mailed  to the instructor for evaluation and feedback. All speaking situations are subject to the approval of the instructor. 

Course Objectives: As a result of completing this course, the student will be able to:
  • Overcome self-consciousness when speaking by developing poise, self-confidence, and a sense of communication.
  • Acquire a good vocabulary and effective oral sentence sense.
  • Develop effective use of body action in speaking.
  • Develop a command of ideas and their arrangement in speeches.
  • Develop standards for the evaluation of speech activities.
  • Integrate the fundamental speech processes into normal speech situations.
  • Understand the basic principles of various communication situations.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the various purposes of public speaking.
Prerequisites and Corequisites:  ENGL1010
Course Topics: This course is divided into numerous SHORT lessons which teach the skills involved in becoming an effective speaker. Most of the information is covered during the first six weeks so that adequate time is left for preparing and delivering the speeches during the second half.

Unit 1 - Getting Started
      Lesson 1.1 - Setting Up Your Speeches
      Lesson 1.2 - Extemporaneous Speaking
Unit 2 - Beginning Steps
     Lesson 2.1 - Purposes
     Lesson 2.2 - Selecting and Narrowing Topics
Unit 3 - Audiences and Goals
     Lesson 3.1 - Audience Analysis
     Lesson 3.2 - Credibility
     Lesson 3.3 - Wording Your Goals
Unit 4 - Supporting Materials
      Lessons 4.1 - Types and Uses
      Lesson 4.2 - Finding Sources
Unit 5 - Organizing Your Speeches
      Lesson 5.1 - The Body
      Lesson 5.2 - Beginning and Ending
      Lesson 5.3 - Outlining
Unit 6 - Practice and Delivery
      Lesson 6.1 - Notes
      Lesson 6.2 - Delivery
      Lesson 6.3 - Anxiety
Unit 7 - The Informative Speech
Unit 8 - The Demonstration Speech
Unit 9 - The Persuasive Speech

Specific Course Requirements: You must have access to a video camera since the three major speeches and one introductory activity are videotaped and mailed to the instructor for evaluation and feedback. Mailing instructions are included in Lesson 1A. Speeches and activities should be recorded on a standard VHS tape or placed in an adapter that can be played in a standard VCR..
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:

 http://rodp.bkstr.com

Supplementary Materials: A CD Rom accompanies your text.

You must have access to a video camera since the three major speeches and one introductory activity are videotaped and sent to the instructor for evaluation and feedback. Speeches and activities should be recorded on a standard VHS tape or placed in an adapter that can be played in a standard VCR..

Hardware Requirements: For PC users.
A minimum computer system that will help you access all the tools in the course is a Pentium 133 or better; 32 Megabytes of RAM or better; Windows 95 or higher if possible; communications software (this lets your computer talk to the modem); a modem (28.8 or better will give you best performance); and a dependable internet service provider (ISP).

For Mac users.
A comparable system will work well.  If you are using a Macintosh you will need to contact your instructor to see if  they can accommodate you, or give you any specifics you might need.  (90% of the computers used are PC's).

Remember! These specifications are minimal, and you'll get by with them, but more sophisticated systems are better.

Software Requirements: The CD Rom which comes with  your textbook requires the use of Media Player..
Assessment and Grading
Testing Procedures:  The weekly quizzes in Units 2-6 are each comprised of five multiple-choice questions which verify that you have an understanding of the basic concepts in each unit. 
Grading Procedure: The information and exercises in this course are designed to help you build the skills necessary for becoming an effective speaker in a variety of settings. An effective speaker delivers information and ideas in a lively, direct manner  with content and structure that is adapted to each particular audience and situation. Feedback from speeches is recorded on an evaluation form provided to you in Units 7, 8, and 9..  
Grading Scale: The following grading scale will be used in this course: 
 90-100    A
80-89      B
70-79      C
60-69      D
0-59        F
Your course grade will be calculated from the point values for class activities and assignments which are listed in the section below.
Total points accumulated will be added up and divided by total possible to obtain a %.
Assignments and Participation
Assignments and Projects: The design of a public speaking course differs from many other courses online. Most of the information in the course must be covered in the first six weeks so that adequate time is left for the preparation and delivery of the speeches during the second half. So do not be overwhelmed! The skills in public speaking have been divided into small units. The tasks guide you through the steps in preparing your speeches.

 In each of the first six units, there are 2 or 3 lessons. At the end of each unit, there is
  •  a task ( 25 points)
  •  a discussion question (15 points)
  • a short quiz (20 points).

 The only exception is Unit 1 which does not have a quiz.
.
The last three units are the three speaking assignments. Each of these involves some required paperwork for each speech (worth a total of 20 points for each unit) and the taped speech itself (each of the three is worth 100 points).

6 Tasks @ 25 points each                       = 150
6 Discussion Questions @ 15  points each =  90
5 Quizzes @ 20 points each                      =  100
3 Speeches @ 100 points each                 =  300
3 Sets of Paperwork @ 20 points each    =   60
Total possible                                           =  700
See grading scale above.

Class Participation: Students must make weekly submissions to the discussion forum. Each week's material includes a specific question or task.

Punctuality:

Part of the nature of being an independent learner is being able to work at your own pace. However, the  format for this course is designed to prevent you, the student, from getting overwhelmed at the end of the course thereby increasing your chances of not completing the course. Every effort must be made to conform to the time line presented so that adequate time will be left to complete the speaking assignments. In Units 1-6, weekly submission of tasks, quizzes and discussion participation is required for full credit . Deadlines are included on the course calendar.

LATE WORK - I have developed a system that deals with any crises or delays you may encounter. The following penalty will be assessed for work  submitted after each week's deadline. This system applies to Units 1-6. Tapes of speeches (from Units 7-9) are due one week before the end of class.

Up to one week after the deadline - 10% penalty
Up to two weeks after the deadline-20% penalty
Up to three weeks after the deadline-30% penalty
Up to four weeks after the deadline - 40% penalty
Five + weeks after the deadline - 50% penalty

For example: Let's say that during the third week of class, your child, your computer, and the coworker you have to cover for all come down with a virus! You just cannot get to that 3rd lesson for the week but you finish it and submit it the next week. Assuming that you do the same complete and thorough job that you always do, you would earn 90% of the points possible for the task, quiz, or discussion you submitted late. The penalties will be assessed after the work is graded. This system will allow you to set your priorities and determine your own grade possibilities. Obviously, an occasional late submission will not "sink the boat", however chronic lateness will definitely affect your grade.

 Units 1-6(the basics) must be completed before any of the speeches can be presented. After that, Units 7, 8, and 9 (the speaking assignments) may be completed in any order to correspond to the dates scheduled for the speaking assignments. All of the paperwork related to each speaking assignment (including revised outlines) must be completed at least 3 days prior to the speech.

Course Ground Rules

What you get out of this course is entirely dependent on what you put into it.  I cannot know what help you need unless you ask .You should expect to spend 4-6 hours per week on this course. This commitment parallels the time spent preparing for and attending a traditional course.

Arrangements for the three speaking assignments should begin as soon as the student registers for the course. All speaking situations are subject to the approval of the instructor. If assistance is needed in locating speaking opportunities, then these efforts can be coordinated with the course instructor.

Academic honesty: The work completed as part of this course is expected to be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

Always include a subject line .Begin your subject line with your initials. The subject line should include the appropriate unit and lesson number. For example- DSJTask4B

Assignments will be submitted via email accompanied by attachments.

When you send me a question, begin the subject line with your initials and a brief indication of the subject of your question.

Respect the privacy of other class members.

Discussion Groups: Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.

Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other's ideas.

Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.

Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Chat:

Not applicable to this course.

Web Resources: http://de.cstcc.cc.tn.us/anxiety

Library

The Tennessee Board of Regents Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

 Any necessary changes to the course syllabus will be sent to the student by e-mail and posted on the bulletin board.

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