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Spring 2007 Syllabus
Public Speaking Syllabus Monterey Peninsula College Department of Speech Communication Spring 2007 Professor: Daniel S. Fox, Ph.D. Chair of the Department of Speech Communication. | Contact info: Email: dfox@mpc.edu Office Phone: (831) 645-1305 | Classes: (1) MWF 9:10-10:00; (2) F 12:10-3:00. (No assignments, papers, etc. are to be put under my office door; the Humanities Division box under my name is for that purpose.) | Office Hours : MWF 7:30-8:00, 10:00-11:00, M 5:30-6:00, and by appointment. Office: BH 103F |
Course Description & Goals Public Speaking is an introduction to the basic principles and skills of delivering information in a public setting. This course has two interrelated goals. First, it will introduce you to the basic concepts, vocabulary, theories, and processes relevant to understanding oral communication in a variety of interpersonal, public, and cultural contexts. Second, it will enhance your communication skills by providing systematic opportunities to practice clear, critical, and ethical oral communication. This course is designed with the intent to integrate theory and practice throughout the course. Your classroom experience will combine lectures, discussions, small group activities, written assignments, public speeches, and out of class observations. Together we will foster and maintain an interactive, open, and supportive classroom environment that promotes insight into self and others, critical thinking, intellectual growth and communicative competence. Relevance to the Learner In a complex and culturally diverse world, the ability to communicate effectively has become increasingly important. One of the most desired skills in corporate America is the ability to deliver information orally to a group of people. With this skill set comes the power to influence others. Living in a democratic country like the United States also reminds us that to voice our opinions about values, policies, and principles is our right and privilege. We must learn to express ourselves coherently so as to contribute to the on-going creation of our free society. Required Texts: Fujishin, Randy. (2005). The Natural Speaker, 5th Ed. Boston: Pearson Education Inc./Allyn & Bacon. Other requirements: Other costs will be incurred during the course, for such items as presentational materials (i.e., overhead transparencies, poster board, copies for participants), and materials for construction of projects. Est. need: $10. General Course Objectives: 1. To understand and interpret communication processes. 2. Develop skills of invention, organization, and expression. 3. Develop understanding and acceptance of communication ethics. 4. Develop skills in critiquing and producing visual images and messages to assist oral presentations. 5. Develop critical skills appropriate for responsible receivership of messages. 6. Gain understanding of relationships between self, message, and others in communication interactions. 7. Embody/enact communication behaviors that reflect each of the goals listed above. Specific course assignments: 1. Public speeches: These are designed to increase your skill in creating, organizing, delivering, interpreting, and evaluating informative and persuasive messages. These speeches include the (1) Self-Introductory Speech; and (2) Speech to Inform (sharing information with the audience). 2. Group Presentation: There are two group projects in this course, one focused Informational presentation, the other on Persuasive communication. This will involve coordination among presenters, both in preparation and presentation of the summary. This constitutes a second type of presentation format (in teams, rather than solo). 3. Reflection Paper: A reflection paper is due at the end of the semester. The paper is designed to give learners the opportunity to apply the course material to their experience of public speaking, reflect on the experience of developing and delivering their speeches, and make decisions about their future behavior in similar circumstances. A high level of writing ability is expected in this paper; it is recommended that the student successfully complete a basic English composition course before attempting this course. College-level writing is expected in this course for all assignments; this particular assignment represents 20% of the overall grade. 4. Midterm Exam: Learners will complete a midterm exam designed to demonstrate their comprehension, application, and synthesis of important terms, principles and definitions presented in the text and lecture/discussions. This exam represents a full 20% of the overall grade, attendance, reading and active note-taking will be essential to preparing for this exam. The exam will be in-class, closed-note, and comprehensive, covering both the text and lecture notes. The exam may be composed of multi-choice, true-false, fill-in, and short-answer, and may be conducted either orally, or with paper & pencil only. The student should be prepared to pay close attention and prepare thoroughly for this knowledge assessment. Assignments and grading Note: assignment sheets are available for each of the following activities. Assignment sheets describe the task(s) involved, purposes and/or learning objectives for the assignment, special considerations for accomplishing the task(s), and the criteria for grading your performance. Assignments: Orientation Quiz Self-Intro Speech Text Chapter Summary Project Oral Interpretation Presentation Speech to Inform Communication Analysis Project Midterm Exam Reflection Paper Total: | Points: 50 100 100 100 100 200 200 150 1000 |
Grading group projects: Each project will have approximately 1/3 of the points assigned via peer evaluation. Learners evaluate one another to some degree, based on the quality of their input to the product; this is intended to create some peer accountability for individual performance in the groups. After the project in completed, a score will be given to each other peer in the group; these will be tallied and averaged to provide each member with a peer evaluation score, which is added/averaged into the overall project score. Peer Evaluations: A peer evaluation consists of four parts: (1) your name (at the top of the page); (2) the names of each other member (in a column to left); (3) a score between 1 and 10 (1=low, 10=high) for each peer; and (4) a rationale statement next to each score, explaining why they gave that peer the score they did. These rationale statements MUST be: (a) complete sentences, and (b) give specific reasons for the score. Example: Name of Peer: | Score: (1-10) | Reason for Score (Rationale Statement): | Joe from Kokimo | 8 | Joe did a decent job in participating, although he missed two meetings; his contributions to the project were consistent and good quality; he was a good team player, although at times he goofed around when we needed some serious work done. |
The criteria for Peer Evaluation include: overall contribution to group product, overall contribution to the teamwork in the group (group process), and collegiality in interpersonal interaction. This document MUST be typed, and MUST be turned in no later than the class period following the presentation. The consequences of: (1) Late peer evaluation = 10% reduction in points for that person’s grade for each day late up to 3 days; (2) after 3 days the peer evaluation is considered not turned in, and the student receives no credit for that assignment. In the event of a “no credit” member, all peers will receive 100% in place of that member’s score. Group Membership: Another element of peer accountability is the ability of a group to “fire” a poor-performing group member. This can be done only by group consensus, only with prior notice to the instructor, and only for reasons of sub-standard performance, such as a pattern of failing to make meetings, a pattern of uncooperativeness, or pattern of not doing the work assigned to them. The procedure shall be that after the person has been let go by the first group, that person has then to seek another group with whom to join, essentially “applying” for a position with another group. This is the last chance the student has to bring their performance up to standard; if a second group justifiably “fires” that same student, they shall receive an “F” grade for the course. Grading and the Classroom Letter Grades: All assignments will receive a raw score. Final letter grades will be based on a 90-80-70-60 percent scale. “A” indicates outstanding achievement and performance that consistently exceeds expectations. “B” indicates high quality and performance that consistently meets expectations. “C” indicates average quality and performance that is below expectations. “D” indicates poor quality and performance that fails to meet minimal expectations. “F” indicates failure. In order to aid students in keeping track of their point totals and grade, a Grade Monitoring Form will be provided for students. Turning in Assignments: Most assignments will be turned into the professor during class; on occasion assignments will be accepted by turning them into the Humanities Division office, or in my office hallway box, marked “Fox.” Important: Assignments should not be submitted under my office door (there simply isn’t enough room between door and carpet, and the papers can get drenched by water and wax from hallway cleaning). Safety issues: If this is a class which meets into the evening hours, then please make yourself aware of your surroundings as you leave, and walk in well-lit areas. If you need the Campus Security Service, then please call them at 646-4099 from any phone, including the campus emergency phones. Students with disabilities: Every effort will be made to accommodate students with disabilities. Please let me know early on so that I can make arrangements. There are some excellent support services on campus for a wide range of disabilities (physical, perceptual, learning). Let’s talk and I’ll point you in the right direction (Services for Students with Disabilities, call 646-4070; for Learning Assistance Centers, call 646-4176). Letting me know EARLY ON is emphasized here because the professor cannot offer much assistance without prior knowledge, and is less able to make adjustments in the course later on. In the case of Public Speaking, it not recommended that you take the course if you currently have anxiety related issues in your life; public speaking is consistently ranked near the top of people’s list of fears, even above the fear of death. A student must be prepared for that experience in order to maximize the gains of the training. International students and Reentry students: If you are experiencing the stresses of adjusting to campus life, the “load” of academics, or the culture, then please take advantage of the student services on campus. International Student Programs can be reached at 645-1357. Re-entry students (anyone 25 years or older and who has not been continuously enrolled) have support systems created specifically for their needs; programs in this area can be located at 646-4276. Have fun. You are here to learn about human communication. Although we communicate all the time, and have been doing so for years, we sometimes lack the skills to communicate as effectively as we would like. In this case, you are here to improve your understanding and skills. You are not presumed to have been born with this: we will develop them together, and enjoy the process as much as possible. BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE Mutual respect and courtesy: “Respect for the rights of others” is third on the list of operating principles for Monterey Peninsula College (MPC Catalogue of Courses, 2001-2002 p.35). See the MPC College Catalogue (pp.35-37) for more in-depth discussion of this topic. Whereas, original thought and ideas are a type of “currency” for the Academy, mutual respect is the prime currency of interpersonal and classroom interaction. Without it, we cannot proceed effectively. By proceeding in this course, you agree to manage your own behavior in this course. Rude and distracting behavior might include (but not be limited to): side conversations, sleeping, eating in classroom, cosmetic activities, pencil tapping and pen clicking knuckle cracking, cleaning out your notebook, receiving cell phone and pager messages, and working on projects unrelated to this course. Based on the ethical and legal principle of free access to education, the rights of a student to express themselves freely do not extend to the disruption of learning opportunities of others. The freedom to learn without the negative influence of such things as threats, ongoing distractions, or disrespectful behavior must be preserved for the students who come with the serious intent of learning. The policy of this course shall be that when the instructor observes that the behavior of a student is disruptive to the interpersonal climate of the classroom, the learning environment, or to direct instruction, the instructor can either remove that student from the course, or give that student an “F” grade. Professionalism: Students are expected to maintain professional, courteous conduct in all activity associated with the course (in-class, in groups, coursework out-of-class). The professor reserves the right to drop any student who does not meet the course policies, including student contravention of courtesy, professionalism and respect, whether it is student-student oriented or student-teacher oriented. If, for example, a student knows that they have on-going issues with authority and/or finds themselves unable or unwilling to resolve task and relational problems in a professional and courteous manner with persons in authority, then they should not take this course. The service-learning project in particular may require the student to do work as part of an agency or organization, and the student is expected to behave civilly and professionally with all participants in the course, including those contact persons at their service-learning organization. Entering this course is not unlike hiring on at a job, in that there are certain demands made on the student’s performance. There is a behavioral contract in effect: Employees who don’t show up for work generally do not get paid. Employees who cause their customers undue grief are generally not retained. Employees who lack initiative or perform poorly are generally not promoted to higher levels of reward or responsibility. In this sense, there is no distinction between academic performance and the “real world” of work. There is the real world of work-life, and there is the real world of academic-life; both demand professionalism. Recovering missed material: When a student misses a class, for whatever reason, it is their responsibility to recover the material missed. It is recommended that the student utilize their colleagues in the classroom for this, by getting contact information for them so that notes can be shared, material recovered, etc. In some instances, where one-time quiz or test preparation information is provided, the instructor will not give it out a second time (unless there are special circumstances where that student is concerned). It is recommended that learners do what they can to keep track of what goes on in class while they are gone. Late work and Timeliness: No more than half credit (50%) is available for late assignments (unless special arrangements have been made with the instructor). Planning is an essential skill for a college student. Last-minute requests that should have been made at an earlier, more appropriate time, need to be addressed as well: Procrastination on the student’s part does not constitute an emergency on the instructor’s part. Classes with groups: It is the student’s responsibility to stay in contact with their group members during group projects. This is why the one of the first tasks of the first group meeting is to share contact information for each person. Most students live very busy lives, and to lose track of the work load in a group project can sometimes leave a person without points for that project, seriously affecting that person’s grade. Retrieving course products: Tests, papers or other assignments are retained for a limited time after the course. Students wishing any material (other than exams) must provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope (sufficiently large for that material) at the final exam period with instructions about which assignments they desire. Course Policies Acceptance of Policies: By remaining in this course, you are accepting the policies established in this syllabus. ATTENDANCE Attendance will be taken daily by the instructor; it will be taken at the beginning of the class, in most cases. If the professor uses a seating chart for this purpose, it is expected that learners will sit where they are assigned in order to facilitate this process. TARDINESS: Students who show up late must contact the instructor at the end of that class period to ensure they receive credit for being there. Tardiness, however, results in a loss of points (three tardies equal one absence). Leaving class early is considered the same as a tardy. ALLOWED ABSENCE: The total number of unexcused absences allowed for the course equal the number of times the class meets each week, or three (3) instructional hours (i.e., MWF = 3 absences allowed, TTH = 2, M = 1). This means that the student may miss a total of one (1) week of class without penalty. DISALLOWED ABSENCE: If a student is absent for a total of one week beyond that allowed (a total of two weeks absent), they will forfeit 200 points from their earned total, which effectively lowers the current grade by two levels (i.e., from A to C, or from B to F). 50 points will be deducted for each additional absence. WHAT TO DO: The reason for an absence does change the FACT of the absence. The reasons may be very important, perhaps life-threatening. However, like a train that is ever moving to its next destination, so is this course. We cannot reverse course so that a member can re-do the experience. The student will have to take advantage of any extra credit assignments offered throughout the semester. EXCUSED: Absences may be regarded as excused by the instructor only if an agreement has been made between the instructor and student. It is best for the student to make these agreements with the instructor before the absence. Generally, the nature of the circumstances must, in a way acceptable to the professor, be verified within two weeks of the absence. Failure to abide by these rules may result in point loss according to the above rules. In summer course sessions (M-Th for 2+ hours daily over six weeks) two class sessions are approximately equivalent to 5-6 hours of instruction. Therefore, in summer courses, two class session absences are allowed. For students absent two sessions beyond that allowed (total of 4 class sessions, or two weeks absent), they will forfeit 200 points from their earned total, which effectively lowers the current grade by two levels (i.e., from A to C, or from B to F). 50 points will be deducted for each additional absence. QUALITY OF SCHOLARSHIP Following Instructions: Fairly detailed instructions are provided for each assignment. It is intended that student follow them; points will be deducted from an assignment for failing to do so. For example, no papers are to be turned in by putting them under my office door (a provision for after-class submissions is made at the Humanities Division office). If assignments are received under in instructor’s office door, assuming the papers are even found in time, they will not be counted. Scholarship Required: Both written work and oral presentations are expected to reflect a high level of scholarship. Specifically, you are expected to use correct syntax, grammar and spelling. Please take advantage of the spelling/grammar programs in your word processing software. Refer to an APA (American Psychological Association) manual, or similar manual for acceptable paper citation formats. All assignments are to be typed, double-spaced and stapled, unless otherwise stated by the instructor (some exceptions will be made for certain assignments). While MPC policy allows open enrollment (meaning, anyone can enroll in a course, whether they have prepared sufficiently for college-level coursework or not), college level writing skills are a minimal performance standard for this course. If the student does not yet have the ability to write at the college level, then they should not expect to do well in this course. If you cannot write at the college level at this time, it is recommended that you acquire those skills first before you take this course, as your writing performance will be evaluated based on the assumption of this fundamental ability. Bottom-line: You will be graded on writing skills that you should have acquired prior to this course. Plagiarism, cheating: Plagiarism, or the use of another’s work without giving due recognition of the work’s source (i.e., presenting information as if it were your own) is unacceptable. The “currency” of the College, like the currency of the marketplace, is original thought (rather than money). To plagiarize or cheat destroys the trust so necessary for our learning community. To avoid any appearance of ethical misconduct, intentional or otherwise, use footnotes and endnotes to cite sources in any written work you do in this course, or any other course for that matter. In your presentations you must orally cite sources and clearly distinguish your ideas and words from theirs. This applies to what might be retrieved from the internet as well. If you are ever in doubt, please cite; your work will never be marked down for supporting your claims by citing evidence. See the College catalogue for specific policy details on plagiarism and cheating. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Standard format for papers: “Standard format” for papers in this course shall refer to the following criteria: typed, double-spaced, stapled when pages exceed two, paginated when pages exceed two, bold and/or underlined headers as organizers for the themes within the paper, name+date+course# at the top of the first page, references section on the last page (if other sources are cited within the paper’s text), and 1” to 1 ½” margins. No cover sheets are required or requested. Approach to this course The textbook is a resource/instructor is a resource and facilitator: We will summarize and discuss each chapter, but we will work harder to synthesize its content with the other readings, group projects and individual assignments. While the professor brings a certain amount of practical experience to this learning event, that experience is not nearly as important as the experience learners apply to their own discoveries; the professor will serve to facilitate the greatest depth and breadth of learning possible in the learners. Experiential learning: It is assumed in this course that there is a difference between practiced knowledge and discussed knowledge. Based on that assumption, the course is designed to maximize both types of learning, the experiential and the analytical, theoretical and practiced. Multidimensional view of self, learning, and instruction: This course is also designed to avoid a uni-dimensional approach to life. Rather, it embraces a multi-faceted, multidimensional approach. Group communication will be examined from cognitive, affective, and volitional dimensions. Communication will be examined from multiple theoretical perspectives, and will challenge the learner to arrive at a synthesis of theory which aligns with their world view, value set, and personal beliefs. Performance oriented: this course is intentionally designed to maximize the amount of investment that learners put into the learning experience. This approach (called Active Learning) engages learners more effectively than typical passive modes, such as strict adherence to lecturing. Toward this end, Problem-Based Learning is utilized as an instructional method, incorporating case studies, group discussion, team-based projects, action research, as well as lecture/guest speaker and panel presentations. Projects are designed to allow the learner to apply course principles and theory to what they are doing. Be advised: It is not an easy course when approached from a presumption of knowledge-absorption (i.e., learner sits and passively absorbs their “education”). This course is intended to get the learner to ENACT communicative skills, and participate in solving common human interaction problems so that you will experience realistic interaction and the strategies we utilize for successful communication. This approach is oriented toward knowledge-application and performance. When it comes to using what you learn in this course, perhaps in a future job or life situation, that which you have not embedded as a skill will probably not be available to you. Besides, theory is just that -- unless you know what to do with it.
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