Courses: Introduction to public speaking, advanced public speaking, hybrid/survey introduction to communication. Objectives: At the end of this activity, students will be able to (1) explain the elements of a speaking outline and discover these elements in real-world speech examples, (2) recreate outline formats effectively in their personal…

Many instructors and textbooks encourage the use of debate and critical thinking in the classroom by creating artificial public space in which students then act out engagements. The tools gained from such activities do encourage better thinking and speaking, but they do not adequately prepare students for "real" situations when they must…

This experimental study reviewed the efficacy of a new classroom tool known as the Showcase Assignment. This assignment reduces public speaking anxiety in the public speaking classroom. This assignment asked students to pick a talent (poetry reading, singing, etc.) that is important to them in some way, give a brief description of what their…

This assignment described here serves as a meaningful way to engage students who are perhaps less involved in giving back to their own community (Galston, 2003). By engaging students in "pay it forward" experiences, this assignment can help foster a sense of active citizenship. Often political engagement is associated with acts related…

Presents six impromptu speaking exercises suitable for developing a variety of speaking skills. (PD)

Includes course description, unit outline, instructional objectives, and details of three assignments. (SP)

Describes a speech assignment in which students describe a geometric figure well enough so that listeners can then draw the figure. Exercise is based on philosophy of teaching and learning in W. Timothy Gallwey's "The Inner Game of Tennis." (PD)

Recommends teaching speech students how to plan for, recognize, evaluate, and utilize the listener's response to a persuasive discourse. (SW)

Describes three assignments for vocationally oriented speech students: an informative talk, an instructional assignment in operations and maintenance, and a persuasive presentation. (MH)

This paper presents 10 extemporaneous presentation assignments which are designed to review, test, and give students practice on every aspect necessary to become an effective public speaker in many situations. The paper begins with a description of the introductory communication course requirements and guidelines for grading of practice…

The keeping of journals by students in the basic speech course is the focus of this paper, which is divided into three parts. Part 1 examines the benefits of journal use to students and teachers and points out that three types of learning can thus be encouraged: the development of thinking skills, personal growth, and content learning. It also…

Explains three exercises which emphasize the individual in a communication situation. (SW)

The two articles in this publication focus on ways of teaching argumentation and debate in the college setting. The first article examines the place of the argumentation and debate course in the speech communication curriculum and suggests cognitive and behavioral objectives and assignments for use in such a course. The second article discusses…