Rubrics are a commonly used tool to evaluate student work in the introductory communication course. Although rubrics may appear objective, they are continually interpreted by both instructors and students, often reflecting traditional classroom power dynamics. In order to understand how rubrics constrain as well as expand opportunities for the…

Developing new scales to measure aspects of mentoring, including guidance in scientific communication (SciComm), is important to enhance success among trainees pursuing research careers in science and medicine. This study examined the psychometric properties of three new measures, based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT), as mentors address…

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) often lack the self-efficacy necessary to effectively implement STEM education into their classrooms. Undergraduate research experiences (URE) can help fill this void by providing opportunities for PSTs to engage with STEM content and K-12 students in a field-based research context. This case study details the impact a…

As previous Texas Association for Literacy Education presenters and university instructors of literacy, the professors highlighted in this chapter knew the value of presenting at the annual conference and wanted to extend that opportunity to their students, challenging them to not only attend a state literacy conference but to also collaborate and…

Communication teachers have long been concerned with the development of students' oral communication competencies. Regrettably, public speaking remains one of the most feared communicative contexts. Though there has been extensive interest in cognitive/behavioral strategies for alleviating communication apprehension, there has been surprisingly…

Listeners evaluate well-delivered presentations more positively than those that are poorly delivered. In today's world, presenters often face challenging questions and objections from listeners during or after their presentations. Surprisingly, while there are a number of theoretical reasons to anticipate that how presenters respond to objections…

This project was designed to train active and potential preachers in the Ellis County Baptist Missionary Association of Texas in the basics of expository preaching. Chapter 1 outlines the ministry context at Heritage Baptist Church, the project's purpose, and the project's goals. Chapter 2 examines the biblical and theological rationale that…

One of the main goals of universities is to graduate students who are capable and competent in competing in the workforce. As presentational communication skills are critical in today's job market, Hispanic university students need to be trained to effectively develop and deliver presentational speeches. Web/technology enhanced training techniques…

K-12-level competitive robotics is growing in popularity around the country and worldwide. According to one of the leading organizers of these events, FIRST--For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology--250,000 students from 56 countries take part in its competitions. FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a yearly event the organization puts…

The purpose of the quantitative correlational study was to explore the relationships between communication apprehension and the organizational structure of a Texas community college. The two survey instruments were the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24 and a demographic questionnaire. Participants self-reported feelings about…

The identification techniques in Herbert C. Kelman's schema of identification were used to analyze the near, and perhaps surprising, success of Rep. Frances (Sissy) Farenthold's bid for the Democratic Texas gubernatorial nomination in 1972. Opposing government corruption, Farenthold overcame the potential obstacles of being a politically liberal…

Every year, historians in the United States attend the American Historical Association (AHA), a conference that has met annually since 1884. The AHA draws scholars from all specializations, and it is the primary organization through which the profession is represented. In 1969, the conference met at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. At…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 7 titles deal with the following topics: (1) two approaches to teaching public speaking at the community college level, (2) case studies from a communication skills peer-tutoring program for underachieving college freshmen, (3)…

This two-part source book offers administrators both general information for effective communications in public education and case studies describing methods used by individual Texas school districts to solve communications problems. General articles include guidelines for working with the news media, producing school newsletters, developing a…