Considering the acknowledged importance of oral communication competency and the intense interest of communication scholars in terms of its definition, conceptualization, and assessment, a need now exists to systematically apply the communication competency construct to instruction of the university undergraduate. This paper outlines the…

Surveys of businesses and business managers indicate that developing communication skills within organizations is a priority. Communication consulting exists over a wide spectrum of activities that include guest speaking, conducting workshops, and conducting management training programs. These three processes can include a "canned program" that…

The ability of debate coaches and instructors to define the goals of their activity is essential to any meaningful evaluation of success in achieving those goals. Much of the criticism of debate rests on the faulty assumption that coaches and instructors agree as to what they are trying to teach students. Numerous writers have addressed the…

Clemson University is addressing the related issues of: (1) how to integrate writing in courses throughout the curriculum; and (2) how to assess students' writing ability as well as the impact of assessment programs on that ability. Since 1990, the responsibility for addressing these two goals has been assumed by the Pearce Center for Professional…

This paper presents materials from a workshop which explored the application of oral communication across the curriculum (OCXC) to enhance the learning of course content and the improvement of oral communication skills. Specifically, the paper aims to prepare participants to articulate the need for oral communication across the curriculum,…

To formulate, justify, and establish priorities for high school debate goals, one must consider only those things that debate can uniquely offer to participating students. The most important goal that debate offers is the development of critical thinking. Educators must continue to develop critical thinkers who can anticipate, discover, and…

Debate educators have been concerned about the disadvantages of tournament debating. While student debaters have learned critical thinking, research, writing, public speaking, and other skills, some former participants feel the experience left them too argumentative generally. Some scholars favor moving away from formal debating contests. A…

The Communication across the Curriculum (CAC) program at the University of Melbourne (Australia) was set up in a top-down manner, which was partly driven by outside pressures. Although informed by writing-across-the-curriculum theory and practice, the program reflects the university's original concern about the teaching of communication skills by…

This paper reports on a statewide project in New South Wales, Australia, in which 241 teachers of students with moderate or severe disabilities responded to a survey concerning their needs and concerns in the area of communication interventions. A large number of teachers expressed a need for support in assessment, programming, and instructional…

This report outlines procedures for a weekend study session between a school board and the superintendent. The purpose of the study session is to provide an opportunity to establish basic directions and decision-making roles for the board and the superintendent. The weekend study session is usually attended by the board and the superintendent's…

This paper describes the components of the interdisciplinary, kindergarten through grade twelve communication skills program developed by educators in the Lincoln, Nebraska, public schools. The paper contains (1) a brief discussion of the background of the communication skills program; (2) an overview of its characteristics; (3) statements of the…

This paper describes the development of one high school peer counseling program created in response to a number of adolescent suicides and attempted suicides. The formation and activities of the interdisciplinary team (school social worker, school psychologist, school guidance counselor, health education teacher, and students) to develop and…

The communication department at Western Michigan University has organized its program around a humanistic philosophy of education that places first priority on concerns related to student growth. The department views communication as those processes by which individuals, groups, organizations, and societies develop and function. The understanding…

Purdue University's School of Pharmacy has developed goals for its professional degree program that emphasize problem-solving and lifelong learning skills leading to the advancement of pharmaceutical practice. The next step is to link learning strategies across courses. (MSE)

The experience of Kansas communication educators in developing speaking and listening assessment has been characterized by unusual cooperation and collaboration among members of the educational community and the professional communication organizations at several different levels. In 1992, the Kansas State Legislature established the Quality…