Although not intended as a step-by-step guide for developing a communication assessment program, this paper shows how one department, the Department of Communication and Theater at Youngstown State University, began the process of assessing its program. The paper points out that the difficulty in assessment is that each program is different and…

The conceptualization of the Mars Hill College (MHC) communication major is a type of the refocused, liberal arts-based programs appearing at many colleges and universities around the country--Mars Hill is an undergraduate college of 1100 students. The final product (the liberal-arts based, interdisciplinary MHC communication major) is the result…

This book presents 14 essays on the topic of "E-Prime," a variant of the English language that eliminates the verbs of the "to be" family. Essays in the book claim that some of the benefits of using E-Prime in speech and writing are lively, concise writing and speaking; clearer, more critical thinking; better communication,…

This paper discusses assessment in speech communication in terms of maintaining faculty control and the mandate of various accrediting bodies. The paper (1) explains the importance of assessment; (2) defines assessment; (3) explains the different levels of assessment; (4) identifies obstacles to assessment; and (5) identifies the challenge of…

The speech communication discipline seems to be stuck in status quo. The current climate of the discipline K-12 is one that is not mobilized for the future. However, a paradigm shift within the Speech Communication Association may be evolving in the creation of a model for the process for development of assessment strategies and instruments.…

Delineating the content that must be covered in the secondary schools of the State of Idaho, this guide presents a course of study for a full-semester course designed to help students better understand the complexities of the communication process and succeed in a world of interaction. Although educators sometimes use the terms interchangeably,…

In considering academic success, equal emphasis should be given to oracy and literacy competencies. The view that oracy is achieved naturally while literacy requires taught methods needs to be revised, since both areas demand a framework to support their mutual development. The giving and receiving of spoken information is an area that has been…

The Senior Seminar in Communication Theory at George Mason University was originally designed to provide graduating seniors with an opportunity to study a variety of communication theories from all areas of the discipline. More recently it has also been used as a "capstone" course to assess student outcomes, allowing faculty to observe a…

This annotated bibliography lists books, articles, and other related sources dealing with the areas of speech communication education and critical thinking. Besides works dealing specifically with the area of speech communications, a majority of the sources focus primarily on the general topic of critical thinking, its value to secondary and…

Communication apprehension (CA) refers to a family of related terms: (a) reticence, (b) shyness, (c) unwillingness to communicate; and (d) stage fright. One pervasive but not totally substantiated assumption in current literature is the relationship between the level of communication apprehension and the level of communication skill demonstrated…

The American Indian, whether as a racial group or tribal group, is presumably the most researched group in the United States. Every aspect of Indian culture has been studied from topics such as "uses of time" to "forms of public speaking." Although the Indian has been thoroughly studied, there is a lack of current research that…

A study investigated speech anxiety in the basic speech course by means of pre and post essays. Subjects, 73 students in 3 classes in the basic speech course at a southwestern multiuniversity, wrote a two-page essay on their perceptions of their speech anxiety before the first speaking project. Students discussed speech anxiety in class and were…

Teaching freedom of speech to undergraduates is a difficult task, in part as a result of the challenging history of free expression in the United States. The difficulty is compounded by the need to teach the topic, in contrast to indoctrinating the students in an ideology of free speech. The Bill of Rights, and specifically the First Amendment,…

This paper presents a chronological guide (from hiring to evaluating) in directing associate faculty in communication studies. The paper reviews the small amount of research and advice published in this area. It discusses hiring and orienting associate faculty, standardization of the basic course in speech communication, and empowering,…

Critical thinking involves a multitude of mental operations from recalling to analyzing to evaluating information and ideas. In order to foster critical thinking, students need to build bridges between concrete, everyday ideas and abstract, academic concepts. These bridges can be built through journal writing. In his book "Critical Thinking:…