Each student needs to achieve optimally in oral communication. The rural student should have ample opportunities to experience quality learning activities in communicating with others. First, pupils should have ample opportunities to practice making introductions. In society, people are introduced to each other. It is important to make the…

The traditional method of evaluating student speeches involves an instructor who listens to the speeches while filling out a critique form and/or writing comments. There are many problems with the traditional method that can be solved by the use of computer feedback; moreover, it will give the student speaker specific design and evaluation…

Henry Cisneros, speaking on the theme, "the colorful past and promising future of Hispanic heroes in Texas," in Amarillo, Texas, on February 7, 1989, was successful in eliciting a positive response from his Anglo/Hispanic audience. An analysis of Cisneros' use of narrative demonstrates its effectiveness in leading to a feeling of…

The film "Stagecoach," a 1939 Western epic, was used in a 200-level small-group communication course as an instructional resource to illustrate the emergence of group norms and roles, the treatment of deviance and conflict, and the influence of external threats, interdependent goals, and shared history on the development of cohesiveness…

Within each speech communication class, the teacher can more easily realize the overriding goals of general education by expanding the horizons of the assignment using the method of forced choice. Forced choice operates within the assumptions that the spectrum of structure helps reach a more thorough set of educational goals, and giving the…

A group leadership exercise that incorporates the elements of leadership and other aspects of interaction within small groups can be useful in a basic communication course. The exercise is designed around three basic leadership styles: laissez-faire, democratic, and authoritarian. The exercise is conducted in the following way: (1) the class…

While many strategies have been suggested to treat communication apprehension (CA), no research has accounted for potential gender differences in the treatment of CA. Further, no research has documented the effect on CA of self-modeling. A study identified differences in CA remediation across gender among the following treatment conditions: video…

Describing a game-playing concept called "Tangoes" which is also known as the ancient Chinese puzzle game of Tanagram, this paper offers a teaching method which enables students to better understand the roles played in groups as well as how groups function. The paper contains a list of materials, an explanation of the process, usage…

Intended for teachers, this paper offers a method of incorporating narratives and postmodernism theory into the introductory communication course. It discusses narrative and the essential role it plays in attaching meaning to human experiences and establishing their identities. The paper describes the concepts taught in the introductory course,…

As early as 1993 James Madison University realized that a significant revision was necessary in its undergraduate core curriculum. A General Education Committee was formed which undertook a review and evaluation of 1352 objectives; the Committee produced and published a list of approximately 100 specific learning objectives. These learning…

This paper describes an assignment that is used in a hybrid speech course to test students' knowledge as well as work toward more application of the interpersonal, small group, and conflict aspects of the course. Discussion is scheduled after the lectures that cover those aspects, and a one-day lecture on the topic of persuasion and sources…

Arguing that the most effective method to help shy people develop essential social and communication skills is a modification of the way these people perform, this book proposes a system which includes skills training, cognitive restructuring, and systematic relaxation. The book's 12 chapters are as follows: (1) Understanding Communication…

Intended to help prepare individuals for job seeking, this digest suggests some resources to consult to help improve basic communication skills needed for the interview process. The digest reviews research on teaching interview skills in the classroom, discussing role playing, videotapes, and techniques workshops. The digest also lists practical…

This paper argues that instructors can enhance the effectiveness of oral instruction through attention to both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of their teaching. After defining and offering 2 means of achieving effective speaking, the paper discusses how lecturers should analyze their delivery, and makes 32 recommendations for improving delivery,…

This collection of short papers describes various aspects of the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at DePauw University in Indiana. The five papers and their authors are as follows: (1) "The Department of Communication Arts and Sciences," giving an overview of the department; (2) "History" (Robert O. Weiss),…