It could be argued that the basic communication course is the center of the speech communication discipline. And yet there is little consensus as to the approach to teaching speech skills, what skills to teach, or whether the teaching of skills is even effective. Four areas for discussion must be considered if communication scholars are to…

Communication competence is too complex to assess as the result of one course in communication. If scholars in the field of communication tell accrediting agencies, administrators in higher education, state legislators, and/or the general public that students are competent communicators when they "pass" one communication course, they are…

The interests of all communication educators would best be served if those educators could agree on a single broad definition of critical thinking that incorporates a variety of perspectives. Toward this end, questionnaires were sent to a ramdom sampling of 300 members of the Speech Communication Association; 88 were returned. The questionnaire…

Fundamental differences exist between conceptualizing and operationalizing experiential education, in general, and graded speech communication internship classes-for-credit, in particular. Monitoring participation in experiential activities (including intercollegiate athletics, musical or stage production, publication of the campus newspaper, and…

A study examined the effectiveness of an experimental system of peer assessment. Two speech communication classes consisting of 22 student groups (110 participants) served as subjects. At the beginning of the semester, students in both classes were assigned to groups. Each group was responsible for presenting a project. The groups met both inside…

The l992 Hope College (Michigan) Interpersonal Communications Seminar provided a basis from which participants could examine the scope of interpersonal communication as a "practical discipline." Discussions focused on the constructivist perspective wherein persons approach the world through interpersonal processes which then channel…

A study examined communication majors' attitudes toward job opportunities in their chosen areas (and communication in general) and how communication majors have proactively prepared themselves to enter the work world. A convenience sample of 140 undergraduate students enrolled in communication programs at 4 different universities responded to a…

Composition teachers today are aware of the practice of differentiating between written and spoken language. The "basic writing" student often views written language as a nearly new language altogether. Therefore, it is increasingly important to recognize and codify not merely the disparity between speech and writing but also the…

This study explores the linguistic abilities and political insights of African Americans in the inner city, focusing on the women and children of one particular neighborhood. Many of the research conversations were conducted with 12 members of 2 families. Based on more than 3 years of fieldwork, the book presents the oral, literate, and analytical…

A participatory model of public relations proposed by Dean Kruckeberg and Kenneth Starck would seek not to serve a public but to build a sense of community. In this model the advocacy focus of the publicity model is dropped and there is a movement toward relationships rather than selling products and services. Leaving behind the journalistic…

A survey assessed the current status of the business and professional communication course. A questionnaire was completed by faculty members at 39 Texas colleges and universities. Results indicated that 66% of the institutions surveyed offer a course in business and professional communication (with titles such as Business Speech, Oral…

In response to demographic changes among entering college students, more and more colleges are offering freshman orientation courses that have come to be known as "College 101." At Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, a course called COL 101 was begun in 1985. A survey of teachers of the course investigated speech or oral…

Noting that an "at risk" population in American higher education is often overlooked, this paper investigates the ABD (all but dissertation) phenomenon, analyzing efficiency, educational excellence, and equity issues. The paper discusses barriers to completion of the dissertation, as well as inequities found in the education of female…

Forced discipline refers to the specific procedures, routines, and standards required for carrying out course-related tasks. This paper discusses various facets of discipline, then looks at how 160 students in a basic speech-communication course respond to forced discipline. The paper next looks at how 30 basic-course directors define forced…

This study was designed to examine how an intercultural communication course in speech communication affects students' responses to intercultural communication. It was hypothesized that students would show significant differences after participating in the course. Students from an intercultural communication and research methods course were used…