Standard CMS 210 Syllabus

Eastern Kentucky University
Department of Communication
CMS 210 Public Speaking
CRN: 010/014

Instructor: Shawn Apostel
Office: Noel Studio/Library
Office Hours: T/R: 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Phone: 622.7330
Email: shawn.apostel@eku.edu

WELCOME to CMS 210, one of the most powerful and practical classes you will ever take! This is a course designed to address the fundamental theories and processes of effective public communication as well as provide ample opportunity for you to develop and deliver several types of speeches and presentations. This course will emphasize critical and creative thinking as the means by which effective communication skills are developed.

Please note that the instructor of this course reserves the right to make adjustments in the assignments and format of this course at any point within the duration of this course. Such adjustments will only be made to enhance the course and/or meet the unique learning needs of the enrolled students. No changes in the policies described in this syllabus will be made.

CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION: Principles and practices in the art of public speaking. Study of the invention, organization, style, delivery, and audience adaptation of informative, persuasive, and commemorative speeches.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Using critical and creative thinking skills, CMS 210 students should be able to demonstrate the following by the end of the course:

(1) Describe and explain the relationship between effective public communication skill and personal, professional, and community power.

(2) Analyze various forms and purposes of oral public communication.

(3) Gather appropriate audience-centered information and evidence to produce adequate support for informative and persuasive speeches.

(4) Synthesize supporting materials to produce logical, audience-centered plan for presentation.

(5) Demonstrate competent verbal and non-verbal communication skills in speech delivery.

(6) Demonstrate effective comprehensive and critical listening skills through self and peer evaluation processes.

(7) Successfully implement context-appropriate technology into speech delivery.

(8) Demonstrate ethical communication practices, as reflected in the National Communication Association’s Credo for Ethical Communication (http://www.natcom.org/index.asp?bid=514).

GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS: These student learning outcomes align with goals set forth by the General Education curriculum (Block I, Goals 1, 2, and 8) and the Quality Enhancement (QE) theme at Eastern Kentucky University, which states that “EKU will develop informed, critical, and creative thinkers who can communicate effectively”. More specifically, this course is designed to help you communicate effectively by applying skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening and through appropriate use of information technology, to use appropriate methods of critical thinking to examine issues and to identify solutions, and to integrate knowledge that will deepen your understanding of, and will inform your own choices about, issues of personal and public importance. As such, you will be engaged in a variety of activities and assignments involving the research and organization of ideas, systematic audience analysis, and the creative development and delivery of both informative and persuasive speeches in an ethical, other-oriented manner.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

1. Beebe, S. A. & Beebe, S. J. (2009). Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach. Allyn-Bacon/Pearson Education. NOTE: If you purchase your textbook at the EKU bookstore, please note that the pages will be in loose-leaf format, bound in a three-ring binder.
2. MyCommunicationLab (MCL) access code. NOTE: If you purchase a new textbook from on-campus bookstore, MCL will come packaged with your binder textbook at no additional cost. If you use a textbook that does not come with MCL, you may purchase an MCL access code separately at: www.mycommunicationlab.com (for about $60).
3. Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2008). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools. The Foundation for Critical Thinking. NOTE: This is a very small blue book available at the on- campus bookstore.
4. If your instructor is using the MediaShare tool within MCL, you will also need a jump drive for this course.
5. Finally, you will need an active EKU email account that you check on a regular basis. Your instructor may also be using Blackboard technology to supplement the information and communication for this course. Please be sure that your account and password have recently been updated or you may miss important information.

CLASSROOM POLICIES:

Attendance: Your regular attendance is imperative to the successful completion of this course. We will be covering a significant amount of material during each class period, so students who make it a goal not to miss any classes will gain the most. Acknowledging, however, the fact that illness, and other legitimate reasons for missing class do arise, the following policies are, therefore, extended:

For MWF classes, you can miss up to four class periods without penalty to your grade. For TR classes, the limit is three class periods. For once a week classes, the limit is one. Absences beyond these limits will result in a grade reduction PER ABSENCE from your final point total. It is entirely possible that you may fail this class due to excessive absences. Your instructor will define what the term “excessive absences” means and will provide other specific guidelines for your particular class. Most instructors of this course adopt the policy that missing more than 20% of the total class meetings (representing excused, university-approved, and unexcused absences) results in failure. Leaving class early is also considered missing class!

If you must miss class, please know that you are responsible for all of the material covered in class that day. Deadlines for assignments can be renegotiated only if your absence is a university approved absence. (Proper documentation for the absence is required and will be collected.) If absent, you are responsible for getting all information pertaining to the class on that given day.

Tardiness: Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class. In this class it is especially important that you don’t arrive late to class. Not only is our time together extremely valuable, but there will be many instances when individuals and/or groups will be presenting their speeches and, as such, late arrivals are extremely disruptive and rude. If you have arrived to class after attendance is taken, you will be considered tardy and it is your responsibility to talk to your instructor after class about it. If you do not contact your instructor after class, please understand that you will be marked absent for that day. Every three times late (or leaving early) will be considered the same as one absence.

Assignments/Due Dates:

All major assignments are designed for you to integrate gained knowledge from this course. They are important not only for learning assessment to take place, but to reinforce long-term retention and understanding of public speaking processes and skills. Therefore, YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL ASSIGNMENTS in order to receive a passing grade for this course. Failure to complete any major assignment will result in failure of this course.

You are expected to turn in written work on time, take quizzes when scheduled, and adhere to our presentation schedules related to graded speeches! You should never be surprised as to when any assignment is due or quizzes given, as they are all announced well in advance. YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY IF YOU ARE GOING TO MISS AN ASSIGNMENT. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT CLASS AND ASSUME EVERYTHING WILL BE OK. Do not take advantage of your instructor’s good nature.

For written work (outlines, evaluations, etc.): Two letter grades will be deducted for the first day a written assignment is late, plus one letter grade for each subsequent day the assignment is late. A “day” is defined as “the next day,” not the next class period.

For quizzes/exams: Make-up quizzes/exams WILL NOT BE GIVEN unless you provide your instructor with an original doctor’s excuse or other “university approved” excuses. Please note that make-up quizzes/exams are almost always more difficult. Avoid these if you can.

For speeches: Students who miss class the day they are scheduled to speak (“no-shows”) will receive a failing grade for that assignment. Only students who present a written, university-approved excuse PRIOR to the scheduled speech will be given another opportunity to speak.

Unless otherwise specified, your instructor expects all work you turn in to be typed, representing your best effort for that assignment. Because your instructor has high expectations for you in this class, extra-credit assignments are generally not given, so please do not ask.

Student Progress: Your instructor will provide you with progress feedback before the mid-point of this course. You are also encouraged to meet with your instructor to discuss your progress in this course any time you are unsure about your academic standing or if you have questions regarding any of your work for this course.

Academic Integrity Policy: Students are advised that EKU’s Academic Integrity Policy will be strictly enforced in this course. The Academic Integrity Policy is available at: www.academicintegrity.eku.edu. Questions regarding the policy may be directed to the Office of Academic Integrity.

Your instructor expects your work to be your own. Copying, borrowing, plagiarizing, or in any way representing others’ work as your own is a serious academic offense and will result in a failing grade for this course. Please refer to the rules, regulations, and penalties for academic misconduct in your Student Handbook.

Students with Disabilities: If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please obtain your accommodation letters from the OSID and present them to the course instructor to discuss any academic accommodations you need. If you believe you need accommodation and are not registered with the OSID, please contact the Office in the Student Services Building Room 361 by email at disserv@eku.edu or by telephone at (859) 622-2933 V/TDD. Upon individual request, this syllabus can be made available in an alternative format.
Use of Electronic Devices: Please TURN OFF ALL electronic devices when in class. You should not text, make, or take calls during class. You should not get up during class and exit to text, take, or make messages, unless you have a potential emergency situation and have discussed this with your instructor ahead of time. Failure to comply with this policy will result in a 5 percentage point reduction of your FINAL POINT TOTAL per infraction.

Respect for Others: Because we want to create a classroom environment that is comfortable for all, you are asked to (1) pay attention and be fully engaged in classroom discussions and activities, (2) turn off all electronic devices in class (see above), (3) display respect for the instructor and your classmates by avoiding racist, sexist, crude, or other negative verbal or nonverbal messages that may make others in our classroom community uncomfortable, (4) be willing to accept others’ personalities and listen to their opinions, even if they are very different from yours. Also, (5) the use of tobacco products in class is prohibited.

Important Dates: This course begins August 24, 2010. Midterms grades for this course will be submitted by Friday, October 15, 2010. The last day students can withdraw from this course is Friday, October 29, 2010.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

Your instructor uses the National Communication Association’s (NCA) criteria for effective public speaking, the EKU Oral Communication Competency and Critical Thinking rubrics to help determine grades for speeches in this class. Copies of these rubrics will be made available to you.

1. “First Speech” (25 points): This three-minute presentation serves as an initial assessment of your current attitudes and skills related to public communication. Your instructor will give you the specific criteria for this assignment within the first week of class.

2. Informative Presentation (50 points + 25 points + 10 points): While more specific criteria about this first formal speaking assignment will be provided to you within the first three weeks of this course, the emphasis of this 6-minute assignment is for you to demonstrate that you understand how to choose (and narrow) an appropriate topic, adapt your message to your specific audience (audience analysis), conduct research and utilize a variety of types of quality support within your presentation, appropriately organize your support by way of preparation and speaking outlines, realize the importance of “on-your-feet” rehearsal, and (although effective verbal and nonverbal delivery is addressed later in the semester) do your best deliver a confident, extemporaneous informative presentation. The speech itself is worth 50 points, the formal preparation outline is worth 25 points, and the self-evaluation is worth 10 points.

3. Persuasive Presentation (75 points + 25 points + 10 points): A good persuasive presentation requires everything that a good informative presentation does, but is anchored in deeper critical and strategic thinking. For this 6-minute extemporaneous speech, you will learn about strategic message designs, and gather and organize evidence into proofs, and proofs into inductive, deductive, and/or parallel arguments. Additional emphasis will be placed on developing effective delivery skills, including the use of visual aids. Use of PowerPoint technology is REQUIRED for this presentation. As for the informative presentation, a formal preparation outline and self-evaluation is also required.

4. Impromptu Speeches (10 points each – we’ll do as many of these as our schedule allows): Speaking with little or no preparation is, for most people, a daunting experience. You will learn in this class, however, the skills and benefits associated with this type of communication. Don’t worry – you’ll learn that impromptu speaking is not as bad as you may think…maybe even enjoyable!

5. Quizzes/Exams (100 points total): Although this course is a skills-based learning experience, your instructor will require you to take quizzes, exams, or a combination of both to test your acquired “content” knowledge related to public speaking. These quizzes or exams will be given at the discretion of your instructor and are worth a total of 100 points.

6. Final Speech, Exam OR Final Project (50 points): Depending on the needs of the class, you will engage in a final presentation (informative or persuasive in nature), a special project involving public speaking (i.e. service learning project), or a comprehensive final exam. Your instructor will provide you with details as the semester progresses.

7. Skill Development Assessment (25 points): At the end of the semester, you will conduct an in-depth review your taped speeches and complete an overall evaluation of how your public speaking knowledge and skills progressed.

ALSO IMPORTANT – BE SURE THAT YOU KEEP ALL YOUR WORK that you generate for this class, especially your recorded speeches. It is likely you will want to include the documents, tapes, and files for your professional portfolio!

Grading Summary (90 – 100% grading scale):

“First Speech” 25 points
Informative Presentation (50) +
Formal Outline (25) +
Self-Evaluation (10) 85 points
Persuasive Presentation (75) +
Formal Outline (25) +
Self-Evaluation (10) 110 points
Impromptu Speeches 10 points each, as time permits
Quizzes/Exams 100 points
Skill Development Self-Assessment 25 points
Final Exam/Final Presentation 50 points

TOTAL: 395+ points
GRADING PROFILES *:

The Grade of F – F-level work fails to display an understanding of effective public speaking , and in any case does not display the critical thinking or communication skills and abilities which are at the heart of this course. The work at the end of the course is as vague, imprecise, unreasoned, and unskilled as it was in the beginning. There is little evidence that the student is genuinely engaged in the task of taking charge of his or her thinking as it relates to public communication competency. Many assignments appear to have been done without putting significant effort into thinking through them. Evidence exists that the student is not analyzing communication situations clearly, not formulating communication information accurately, not distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information, not able to identify key questions or issues pertaining to communication competence, not able to identify assumptions or concepts about communication, not able to identify or analyze different/competing points of view, not reasoning carefully from clearly stated premises, and is not recognizing implications about communication practices in various contexts. The student’s work does not display discernable reasoning or problem-solving skills related to human communication.

The Grade of D - D-level work shows only a minimal understanding of what public communication competence is, along with the development of some, but very little, critical thinking skills or abilities. D work at the end of the course shows that the student only occasionally demonstrates communication knowledge and skills. Most assignments are poorly done. There is little evidence that the student is “reasoning through” communication situations or assignments. Often the student seems to be only going through the motions of the assignments, carrying out the form of the assignment without reaching the essence of the intended learning objective. D work rarely shows any effort to take charge of ideas, assumptions, inferences, and intellectual processes. In general, D-level thinking lacks discipline and clarity. In D-level work, the student rarely analyzes public communication issues clearly or precisely, almost never formulates communication knowledge accurately, rarely distinguishes the relevant from the irrelevant, rarely recognizes key questionable assumptions made about communication, almost never clarifies key communication concepts effectively, frequently fails to use communication language in keeping with establish professional usage, only rarely identifies competing communication points of view, almost never reasons carefully from clearly stated premises, or recognizes important implications or consequences of communication acts. D-level work does not show good reasoning about communication and frequently displays poor reasoning and problem-solving skills.

The Grade of C – C-level work illustrates some but inconsistent achievement in grasping what effective public communication is, along with the development of modest critical thinking skills or abilities. C-level work at the end of the course, it is true, shows some emerging public communication knowledge and skills, but also pronounced weaknesses as well. Although some assignments are done reasonably well, others are poorly done or are at best, mediocre. There are more than occasional lapses in reasoning. Only on occasion does C-level work display a mind taking charge of its own ideas, assumptions, inferences, and intellectual processes. Only occasionally does C-level work display intellectual discipline and clarity. The C-level student only occasionally analyzes communication issues clearly and precisely, formulates communication information accurately, distinguishes the relevant from the irrelevant, recognizes key questionable assumptions, clarifies key communication concepts effectively, uses communication language in keeping with established professional usage, identifies relevant competing points of view about communication, reasons carefully from clearly stated premises, or recognizes important communication implications and consequences. On the whole, C-level work shows only modest development in public communication knowledge and skills and demonstrates inconsistent reasoning abilities.

The Grade of B – B-level work represents demonstrable achievement in grasping what effective public communication competence is, along with the clear demonstration of a range of specific communication-related thinking skills or abilities. B-level work at the end of the course is, on the whole, clear, precise, and well-reasoned, though with occasional lapses into weak reasoning. On the whole, communication terms and distinctions are used effectively. The work demonstrates a mind beginning to take charge of its own ideas, assumptions, inferences, and intellectual processes. The student often analyzes public communication issues clearly and precisely, often formulates communication information accurately, usually distinguishes the relevant from the irrelevant, often recognizes key questionable assumptions about communication, usually clarifies key communication concepts effectively, typically uses communication language in keeping with professional usage, frequently identifies relevant competing points of view about human communication, and shows a general tendency to reason carefully from clearly states premises, as well as noticeable sensitivity to important implications and consequences within human communication activity and contexts. B-level work displays good reasoning and problem-solving skills related to public communication.

The Grade of A – A-level work demonstrates outstanding achievement in the public speaking knowledge and skill. The work at the end of the course is, on the whole, clear, precise, and well-reasoned, though with occasional lapses into weak reasoning. In A-level work, public communication terms and distinctions are used effectively. The work demonstrates a mind clearly taking charge of its own ideas, assumptions, inferences, and intellectual processes. The A-level student usually analyzes communication issues clearly and precisely, usually formulates communication information accurately, usually distinguishes the relevant from the irrelevant, usually recognizes key questionable assumptions about human communication, usually clarifies key communication concepts effectively, typically uses communication language in keeping with established professional usage, usually identifies relevant competing points of view about communication, and shows a general tendency to reason carefully from clearly stated premises, as well as noticeable sensitivity to important implications and consequences within public communication activity and contexts. A-level work displays excellent reasoning and problem-solving skills. An A student’s work is consistently at a high level of intellectual excellence.

* Note that the articulation of these Grade Profiles is based on Linda Elder’s (1999) publication entitled Critical Thinking: Basic Theory and Instructional Structures. Students enrolled in this course should use these grade profiles in conjunction with corresponding grading rubic(s) when discussing course or assignment grades with your instructor.