SPC 2608 ♦ Spring 2013
BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS
(ONLINE COURSE)
BASIC COURSE DIRECTOR:
Dr. Tressa Kelly
tkelly1@uwf.edu
INSTRUCTOR:
Meiga Loho-Noya
Dptmt of Communication Arts
OFFICE:
OFFICE HOURS:
EMAIL:
Building 36, Office 137
By appointment
mlohonoya1@uwf.edu
PUBLIC SPEAKING: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS (6TH EDITION)
WITH MYCOMMUNICATIONLAB ONLINE ACCOMPANIMENT (CLASS ID: cm772215)
DAVID ZAREFSKY
ISBN# 0-205-79901-9
Required Technology (beyond Internet, email, and word processing):
Desire 2 Learn (aka D2L or eLearning)
My Communication Lab and MediaShare @ http://mycommunicationlab.com/
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Basic Communication Skills (SPC2608) is a three credit-hour course that focuses on speech making and
public speaking. It emphasizes the link between the fundamental theories in speech communication and
effective public speaking. The class includes practical training and study in public presentation skills,
audience analysis, speech construction and problem solving using lecture and experiential learning format
(UWF Catalog).
This course is designed to assist you in becoming an organized, confident, effective public speaker and
critical listener. The course is intended to expose you to a general cross section of rhetorical theory and
practical speech communication skill building by introducing you to the base concepts, theories and ideas
that underlie the Communication discipline.
The skills taught in this class will help you communicate information in a public setting with greater skill
and less anxiety. There are four primary goals to this course: 1) To create a comfortable, positive
classroom environment that facilitates greater appreciation for the diversity of people and perspectives. 2)
To develop each student’s ability to organize thoughts and material for the purpose of presentation. 3) To
develop each student’s understanding and ability to analyze their audience. 4) To develop each student’s
ability to speak in an extemporaneous fashion. Additionally, this course, like so many in the humanities,
attempts to foster critical thinking and writing skills.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1.
Student will be able to, following the study of language, to understand the relationship
between words and meanings, and to identify factors that contribute to a speaker’s effective or
ineffective use of language.
2.
Students will be able to better control their nonverbal output as a speaker, following the study
of physical presentation strategies and practice.
3.
Students will be able to construct and compose speech outlines that are appropriate to the
context and occasion.
4.
Students will be able to perform public speeches in an extemporaneous fashion.
5.
Students will be able to organize and synthesize information for public presentation following
the study of topics such as: 1) organizing a speech 2) utilizing appropriate supporting material,
3) composing appropriate introductions and conclusions, 4) and utilizing appropriate visual
aids.
COURSE POLICIES
1) ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: All written work must be submitted in my Digital Drop box within
the D2L system. Regarding D2L: Assignment submissions are given a time stamp within that system,
so it will be clear as to when an item was submitted (both for the instructor and student).
Work will not be accepted after the assigned deadline. The dropbox, quiz, and video sections will
date and time stamp submissions.
2) WRITTEN WORK: All written work should meet the following conditions:

Follow APA format. The following website contains an article (with links) that breaks down the
style manual to the essential components for this course (i.e. 12 point Times or TNR font, 1-1.25”
margins, title page, abstract, reference page, etc.). If you are interested APA has a complete style
manual (available in the library, online and at all the local bookstores) and several websites are
available to assist you in navigating the style format.
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796

All written work must be submitted in my digital drop box in D2L on the day the assignment is
due.

The evaluation and assessment of written work will include spelling, grammar, sentence and
paragraph structure and style. All written work will be held to college level expectations.
PROOFREAD THOROUGHLY BEFORE SUBMITTING WORK! If the written component of
any assignment does not meet the minimum expectation for college level writing you may be
encouraged to visit the writing lab.
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3) SPEECHES:

There are four required speeches in this course. Each student needs to complete all four to pass
the class. Speeches should be recorded and submitted via Media Share @ My Communication
Lab: http://vut.pearsoncmg.com/user (Course ID: VLMUS-71000).

Audience: You are required to deliver every speech you submit in front of a small audience that
you gather yourself. Your audience should be composed of at least four adults (they should be an
attentive audience: no reading or working on a laptop while listening). Your audience must be
evident during at least part of the recording.

Video recording guidelines:
o It is important that you show the audience members prior to speaking (at a minimum).
o I want to see your body language and facial expression. Make sure the camera focuses on
you and that the lighting is sufficient for me to see your eye contact, facial expressions,
hand gestures, body movement, etc. You can use a wider shot if you are using a visual aid,
but I do not want to see only the visual aids and not the speaker.
o Don't be afraid to move while on camera. While nervous movement is bad, some
movement is good! This might require some help to run the video camera.
o Make sure the volume is adequate and speak loudly if necessary. I need to be able to hear
you throughout the speech.
o Consider your background. Simple is best. Speaking in front of bare walls or curtains
works well. Wear a color that contrasts rather than blends with your background. Also,
make sure you look professional…you would not give a speech barefoot in a classroom
setting. Don’t do it online either!
4) ONLINE PARTICIPATION EXPECTATIONS:

Online Discussions: You are expected to participate in this class and will be graded on your
participation. Participation will be assessed in terms of quality and quantity of readership and
authorship. You are expected to play a significant role in the online exchange. If your classmates
post messages read them; involve yourself in the discussion as though we were in a classroom
together. Responses to posted messages should reflect a sense of depth, thoughtfulness and
consideration for the question (the message to which you are responding). You will be exposed to
many divergent views during this class. Please respect everyone’s point of view, even if it is
contrary to your own. You don’t have to agree with everyone, but you do have to be willing to
listen.

Online Content Consumption: You will be expected to consume the online material (PowerPoint
lectures, articles, websites, etc) made available to you. Your online activity will be assessed
through assignments and exams.

Email: Check your email frequently (at least once per day).

Deadlines: All speech assignments will be due on the Tuesday of the week that they are
assigned, to allow for feedback from classmates. Feedback, discussion posts, and all other
assignments will be due at the end of each time frame (Thursday). All assignments are due by
11:59 pm EST on the day of the deadline. Generally speaking, you will find that the online
learning setting provides you a much more liberal schedule for assignment completion and
participation than the traditional classroom.
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
Warning: Be sure not to save all your online participation for the very end of a time frame.
Progressive involvement is key. I would suggest checking into the eLearning classroom everyday
in order to make a contribution to the classroom conversation, project, or challenge. If you have
three days to complete a discussion and don’t get involved until the last two hours, two things will
occur. First, you will have limited your ability to contribute to the class discussion experience (as
well as your own) and second, you will have provided clear insight into the regard you have for
this module of the course (thus, impacting final grade). Advice: stay involved online…frequently!

The only way to consistently make deadlines is to work ahead of them. You should check D2L
and on-line resources at least 24 hours in advance. It is not an acceptable excuse to say your work
is late because the computer lab was closed or the D2L system was down.
5) EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT/PLAGIARISM POLICY: As members of the University
of West Florida, we commit ourselves to honesty. As we strive for excellence in performance,
integrity—personal and institutional—is our most precious asset. Honesty in our academic
work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in ways, which erode that integrity. Accordingly,
we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to plagiarize the work of others. We
pledge to share community resources in ways that are responsible and that comply with
established policies of fairness. Cooperation and competition are means to high achievement
and are encouraged. Indeed, cooperation is expected unless our directive is to individual
performance. We will compete constructively and professionally for the purpose of stimulating
high performance standards. Finally, we accept adherence to this set of expectations for
academic conduct as a condition of membership in the UWF academic community. A full
statement of the plagiarism policy is provided at
http://uwf.edu/cassupport/insupport/Plagiarism.rtf
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and will result in a lowered or failing grade for the
assignment or the course, depending on the situation. Academic dishonesty includes:

Using material without appropriately citing its source (doing this will result in a
considerably lowered grade on the assignment)

Cheating on an assignment or exam (results in a failing grade in the course)

Interfering with another student's learning (after one warning, this will result in a failing
grade in the course).
PLAGIARISM WARNING
If you use the words or ideas of someone else, you must cite the original source of information in your
written and spoken work, including your written outlines and speeches. If you do not cite your sources,
you will be plagiarizing. Copying someone else’s words or ideas without giving that person credit is a
very serious offense. If I suspect you have done so, I will ask to see the sources of your information and
you will not receive a grade until I have verified the source of every idea in question. If you have copied
someone else’s words or ideas without giving appropriate credit, I will send your case to the Academic
Standards Committee. They may choose to fail you in the course or suspend or expel you from school.
Because of the serious nature of this offense, I will recommend serious consequences.
Note: If you use a source’s exact words, you must present the words in quotation marks. (Use direct
quotes sparingly.)
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Note: Unless the information is common knowledge, give the source credit even when you are
paraphrasing (not directly quoting) source’s words. Remember, it is better to over-cite sources
than to under-cite. Don’t assume ideas are common knowledge just because you know them!
Note: Paraphrasing means more than changing a few words. For example, if the author writes, “It will be
essential to consider the impact of communication on financial performance,” it is NOT sufficient
to write, “It will be important to think about the impact of communication on fiscal performance.”
Note: Any material drawn from a source must be cited during oral presentations as well.
6) GRADE COMPLAINTS: Complaints about grades must occur within one week after you receive the
grade. Complaints must be given to the instructor in writing in order to receive consideration.
Include a printed copy of your original assignment (with instructor evaluation) with your grade
complaint or it cannot be reevaluated.
7) SPECIAL NEEDS: The Student Disability Resource Center SDRC at the University of West Florida
supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the
instruction or design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as time limited
exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, please
notify the instructor or the SDRC as soon as possible. You may contact the SDRC office by email at sdrc@uwf.edu or by phone at (850) 474-2387. Appropriate academic accommodations
will be determined based on the documented needs of the individual.
GRADING
Final grades are based on an absolute point total. A student's final grade is a function of the number of
points earned in the course divided by the total number of points yielding a percentage. Each assignment
will be awarded a point value. The division of point received to points available will determine a letter
grade for an assignment. For instance, if an assignment is worth 100 points and the grade received is 85,
then the corresponding letter grade would be a B.
GRADING SCALE
A
A-
94-100%
90-93%
B+
B
B-
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
C+
C
C-
77-79%
74-76%
70-73%
D
F
65-69%
<64%
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ONLINE PARTICIPATION AND ACTIVITIES
PEER FEEDBACK ON SPEECHES
ONE-POINT SPEECH
INFORMATIVE SPEECH
COMMEMORATIVE SPEECH
PERSUASIVE SPEECH
EXAMS
TOTAL
20 POINTS
20 POINTS
100 POINTS
200 POINTS
150 POINTS
250 POINTS
300 POINTS
1050 POINTS
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Tentative Schedule
(Please note that this schedule is still being revised and dates are subject to change. Readings and
assignments, however, should remain fairly the same.)
Date
1/7-1/10
1/14-1/17
1/21-1/24
1/28-1/31
2/4-2/7
2/11-2/14
2/18-2/21
2/25-2/28
3/4-3/7
3/11-3/14
3/18-3/21
3/25-3/28
4/1-4/4
4/8-4/11
4/15-4/18
4/22-4/25
4/29-5/2
Topics covered
Introduction & Course Overview
Review of syllabus
Welcome to Public Speaking –
Preparing your first speech
Presenting the speech
Review One-Point Speech Assignment
Listening Critically
Analyzing your audience
Choosing a Topic and Developing a Strategy
ONE-POINT SPEECHES (due 1/29)
Informative Speeches
Review Informative Speech Assignment
Researching the Speech
Reasoning
MIDTERM EXAM
Organizing the Speech: The Body
Introductions, Conclusions and Transitions
Outlining
Speaking with Visual Aids
INFORMATIVE SPEECHES (due 2/26)
Special Occasion Speeches
Review Commemorative Speech Assignment
Using Language to Style the Speech
Spring Break
Vocal and Nonverbal Delivery
Work on Commemorative Speech
COMMEMORATIVE SPEECHES (due 3/26)
Persuading
Review persuasive speech assignment
Persuading
Work on Persuasive Speech
PERSUASIVE SPEECHES (due 4/16)
Semester wrap up
FINAL EXAM
Reading Assignment
Ch 1
Ch 2
Ch 3
Ch 4
Ch 5
Ch 6
Ch 13
Ch 7
Ch 8
Ch 1-8
Ch 9
Ch 10
Ch 11
Ch 15
Ch 16
Ch 12
Ch 3 (review)
Ch 14
Ch 14 (continued)
Ch 9-16
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DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS
Guiding Principles
There are four assigned speeches. All speeches must be given in order to complete the course.
The four speeches are designed to emphasize the processual aspect of the canons of rhetoric by
introducing different skill sets as the semester develops. This course considers the canons of rhetoric to be
building blocks. You will incorporate a new set of speech skills with each speech building up to the final
speech, which incorporates all five rhetorical canons.
Accompanying each speech will be an outline, reference page (except speech 1) and an audience
analysis. The outline should be a complete sentence outline. The sentence outline is preferred over other
styles because it shows advanced preparation and reflects our commitment to extemporaneous delivery.
You should not write the speech out word for word. Additionally, your note cards should reflect key
words and phrases to continue making the speech more extemporaneous. For the reference page, you are
required to use APA.
An audience analysis statement is required with each speech. Many of the classroom activities are
designed to foster stronger and more insightful audience analysis.
All speeches must be given in order to complete the course. Each speech should be developed with your
particular audience in mind. This makes the audience feel as if they are significant to the speaker and
allows the speaker to hone in on specific points, which will catch your audience’s attention.
As you are choosing your speech topic, consider your audience. What do you know about them? What do
they know about the topic? What are your audience’s attitudes, interests, goals and knowledge? How can
you make your topic of interest or value to the audience?
Once you have considered the relationship between your topic and audience, you can begin to construct
your presentation. Remember to narrow your topic and purpose to fit the constraints of the situation.
Consider support (personal experiences, examples, observations, statistics, etc.) that will contribute
directly to your main idea (thesis).
Assignments in this class will build upon each other, so it’s important that you devote the time to
understand each one. You will slowly begin to see how the principles and skills applied in one contribute
to the next assignment.
**See eLearning for Standards of Excellence (detailed instructions for speech and written work, and
evaluation criteria) and Sample Outline Formats to guide your work.
One-point Speech – Audience Analysis and Purpose
100 points
(50outline/50presentation)
Topic: Culture Exploration
2-3 min
The first speech is a one point informative speech that emphasizes one aspect of your culture. This
speech highlights the canon of invention by focusing on finding a topic, analyzing the audience and
developing a clear specific purpose. Think about culture broadly. While ethnicity is part of culture, it is
only one dimension. Consider: group memberships, roles you play (athlete, student), lifestyle (vegetarian,
sexuality), race, nationality, gender, etc.
Informative Speech – Organizing, Outlining and Using Visual Aids
200 points
(100/100)
Topic: Related to a Social Issue of your choice (instructor’s approval)
5-6 min
For speeches two and four, you should talk on the same topic. Speech two is an informative speech. This
speech adds the canon of arrangement by focusing on organizational skills such as outlining, choosing an
organizational structure, and incorporating evidence. Since this speech is linked to speech four, you need
to choose a topic that is persuasive in nature.
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Speech two provides information in order to raise awareness and increase understanding on the topic.
Speech two requires a power point presentation to accompany the speech.
Commemorative Speech – Language, Oral Delivery and Physical Delivery
150 points
(75/75)
Topic: Commemorate something or someone you know (instructor’s approval)
5-7 min
Speech three is a commemorative speech designed to honor, pay tribute to someone or something
important in your life (grandmothers, best friends, favorite pets, favorite coaches, summer camps, etc.).
The only requirements are that you have a personal relationship with the topic (not an athlete looked up
to from afar) and that the speech be positive in nature. This speech incorporates the canons of style and
delivery. It should rely heavily on the use of narratives and examples as supporting materials. Look for
evidence in creative ways. A personal interview is required for one source. Other sources could stem from
literature, poetry, music, non-fiction books, etc. The delivery style should be conversational, uplifting and
inclusive to the audience with an emphasis on storytelling.
Persuasive Speech – Persuasion
250 points
(125/125)
Topic related to Informative Speech
7-9 min
Speech four is the same topic discussed in speech two. This speech, however, is a persuasive speech.
This speech incorporates the canon of memory, which completes the five rhetorical canons. The speech
should be a question of policy, arguing for clear and appropriate solutions for the target audience in
addition to the general audience. You will need to develop a cohesive and complete argument for your
position.
NOTES REGARDING ASSIGNMENTS
*Note: Work will not be accepted after the deadline.
**Note: Written components for speeches are required to be submitted to the dropbox preceding the
presentation. Your speech will not be graded until the written material is in the possession of the instructor.
***Note: for all assignments: any use of scholarly sources must be 1) cited verbally in the speech, 2) noted in
a reference page, and 3) cited in the outline (in the approximate place where it is utilized in the speech.
Basic Communication Skills is designated as a General Studies course. The General Studies curriculum at the
University of West Florida is designed to provide a cohesive program of study that promotes the development of a
broadly educated person and provides the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in university studies. This course
has been approved as meeting your requirement in the Contemporary Values & Expressions area. The major
General Studies learning outcomes for this course are Communication: Speaking and Values/Integrity:
Personal/Cultural Values.
If you are interested in a major in Communication you should contact the Department of Communication Arts in
the School of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at 850-474-2874. If you are undecided about you major
you should contact your academic advisor or the Career Center at 850-474-2254.
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