Catalog Description
- Transfer Status
- CSU/UC
- Unit(s)
- 3.00
- Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
- Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
Course Description: This course provides students with the foundational knowledge and practice of speech making in a democratic society, while simultaneously emphasizing theory and research about communication in a variety of small group contexts. This course exposes students to rhetorical theory, small group theory and public speaking fundamentals within the context of their interpersonal interactions, group communication processes, and live presentations (including informative and persuasive speeches). Students will learn historical roots and key rhetorical theories that ground the study and practice of public speaking, and be able to discover, develop and critically analyze ideas and information in public discourse. Students will also explore and evaluate group communication processes, including problem-solving, conflict management, decision-making and leadership. (C-ID COMM 140).
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Apply effective persuasion, decision-making and problem-solving strategies in a variety of small group contexts.
- Demonstrate successful conflict-management strategies and an understanding of conflict management theories.
- Identify and apply theory and communication skills that contribute to effective leadership.
- Locate, critically evaluate, and use supporting materials from primary and secondary sources for credibility, accuracy, and relevance in their speeches and presentations.
- Develop and persuasively use sound reasoning and compelling arguments in support of a guiding thesis and organizational pattern appropriate for the audience, occasion, and across a variety of rhetorical contexts.
- Effectively prepare for and deliver faculty-supervised, faculty-evaluated speeches to a live audience (one to many), including informative and persuasive speeches using effective speech organization and delivery techniques.
- Listen effectively, especially to provide constructive criticism to peers.
- Demonstrate rhetorical sensitivity to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility, when adapting communication strategies to fit the audience and situation.
- Explain the theoretical foundations of creating and sharing knowledge, including the canons of rhetoric, the Aristotelian proofs, theories of small group communication, and the psychological, social and cultural basis of oral communication.
- Describe and adhere to ethical communication practices in public speaking and group discussion, which include truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the integrity of communication.
- Apply rhetorical principles to analyze historical and contemporary public discourse.
- Employ effective verbal and nonverbal practices while delivering a speech and managing communication apprehension.
- Design and use presentational aids effectively to enhance the message.
Course Content
Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic
Lecture
| Topics | Lec Hrs |
|---|---|
Rhetorical theories and genres of communication (e.g. Aristotle), including informative and persuasive speaking | 3.00 |
Communication ethics in various contexts (e.g. public speaking & small group decision-making) | 3.00 |
Organizing, evaluating and reporting information orally and in writing, to adapt to the rhetorical situation (audience, occasion and purpose) | 6.00 |
Rhetorical sensitivity to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility, in public speaking and small group contexts | 3.00 |
Effective listening, including strategies for providing and receiving feedback on presentation content and form | 3.00 |
Communication dynamics and roles within groups (e.g. leadership) | 3.00 |
Group problem-solving and decision-making | 3.00 |
Conflict management | 3.00 |
Small group theories of communication (e.g. Systems Theory) | 3.00 |
Understanding and managing communication apprehension in public speaking and small group contexts | 3.00 |
Effective research for presentations, including locating and critically evaluating ideas and information from primary and secondary sources | 3.00 |
Effective presentational aid design and use | 3.00 |
Verbal and nonverbal delivery skills in public speaking and small group contexts | 3.00 |
Rhetorical analysis of public discourse | 3.00 |
Context, audience and purposes of small-group communication, including dyads, small and large groups and public settings and genres of public speaking | 3.00 |
Delivery of a variety of student-composed speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches | 3.00 |
| Total Hours: | 51.00 |
Methods of Instruction
- Class Activities
- Collaborative Group Work
- Discussion
- Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
- Lecture
- Multimedia Presentations
- Problem-Solving Sessions
- Reading Assignments
Methods of Evaluation
- Exams/Tests
- Research Projects
- Oral Presentation
- Written Assignments
- Class Discussion
- Speech presentations: A minimum of three faculty-supervised, faculty-evaluated, oral presentations in front of a live audience (one to many), including an Informative speech of at least five minutes per speaker and a Persuasive speech of at least six minutes per speaker; speech outlines and works cited/references; critiques of speeches.
Examples of Assignments
Reading Assignments
- Read the assigned textbook chapter and come to class prepared to work with your group to explain and critique the theory of communication competence and the transactional model of communication.
- Using the Butte College online database “CQ Researcher”, locate and read an article that includes the pro and con side of a current controversial issue. Come to class prepared to discuss the article and its value as a possible source for a persuasive speech.
Writing Assignments
- Based on the information and examples provided in class and the assigned reading on Outlining, prepare a formal, full-sentence preparation outline for a 5-minute informative speech. Include a minimum of 4 sources, 2 of which are from academic journal articles, with corresponding references using APA guidelines. Your outline should be 3-4 pages long.
- Review two of your videotaped speeches and write a 2-3 page self-evaluation essay analyzing your speech content, organization and delivery. Provide an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as a speaker and discuss specific ideas for improvement.
Out-of-Class Assignments
- Locate a code of ethics that is or has been used by an organization or agency. Identify line items in the code that relate to communication ethics (if any), and assess whether the code adequately addresses communication ethics for the entity it governs. Come to class prepared to share your analysis and assessment in class discussion.
- Attend a real-world group meeting (e.g. library board, city council, student government), and analyze the communication strategies used by the members to persuade or influence each other. Connect your analysis to Aristotle's three modes of proof (ethos, logos, pathos). Prepare a 1-page analysis paper presenting your analysis and evaluating the effectiveness of the group's persuasive dynamics.
Recommended Materials of Instruction
Dan Rothwell. (2021). In Mixed Company: Communicating in Small Groups and Teams. Oxford University Press, 11th. 9780197602812.
Adams, K., & Galanes, G.J. (2021). Communicating in Groups: Applications and Skills. McGraw Hill Higher Education, 11th. 9781260253894.
Jasmine R. Linabary. (2021). Small Group Communication: Forming and Sustaining Teams. Jasmine R. Linabary, OER. https://pressbooks.pub/smallgroup/.
Kerry Osborne. (2020). Small Group Communication. Kerry Osborne, OER. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Courses/College_of_the_Canyons/COMS_120%3A_Small_Group_Communication_(Osborn).
Zero Cost Textbook
Barton and Tucker. Exploring Public Speaking. (Latest edition). Libre Texts. (OER)
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Public_Speaking/Exploring_Public_Speaking_3e_(Barton_and_Tucker)
Mapes, M. Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy. LibreTexts. (OER)
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Public_Speaking/Speak_Out_Call_In%3A_Public_Speaking_as_Advocacy_(Mapes)
Minimum Qualifications
Communication Studies