This paper defines communication assessment in terms of the four characteristics of communication identified by John Daly, which propose that: (1) communication is interactive and dialogic; (2) communication occurs in real time; (3) communication is inherently contextual; and (4) communication is personal as well as social. The paper then examines…

This paper describes the rationale and purpose of a library assignment (suitable for 100- and 200-level communication courses) designed to expose students to concepts about communication research. The assignment encourages students to explore the library, enhances their understanding of the research process and scholarly journals, helps them…

This 42-item annotated bibliography provides information on some of the assessments currently available to assess communication competence. In addition to actual assessment instruments, the bibliography also includes related articles that discuss the oral communication skills that should be assessed, while other articles provide research results…

The goal of this paper is to show how experience transcends subject-matter planning. Indeed, there is a paradox in planning authentic experiences; hence the word "quasi-authentic" in the title. Subject matters are defined here as disciplinary genres. They are integrated into a new framework for semiotic research into disciplinary…

A study investigated differences in self-disclosure, comparing patterns in Americans versus Chinese. Subjects, 198 American college students and 146 Chinese (Taiwan) students studying in the United States, completed a 200-item self-disclosure chart to target persons on special topics. Results of t-tests and analysis of variance indicated that…

A study investigated the effects of Interactive Television (ITV--a two-way television system of instruction which is a near replication of face-to-face classroom instruction) on learning. Sixty-seven rural, midwestern high school students who were taking classes via ITV were asked to complete a network analysis survey to identify the frequency of…

Debate surrounding the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fires provides material for a case study into the relationship between a crisis and public argument. Studies like this reflect the importance of a recent trend in higher education, namely, the analysis of environmental issues from different academic perspectives. In this case, analysis of…

This study examined how modes of organizing conversation determine the type of knowledge conveyed to preschool and kindergarten children. Approximately 150 audiotaped conversations from 23 classes of students of different age levels from 2 to 6 years were analyzed. Children's spontaneous speaking turns or answers to teachers' questions were…

The life cycle of "new math" is fertile ground for the study of the diffusion of an innovation. New math arrived in 1958 to save the day for America after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first successful space flight in 1957. In a period of 16 years an entire diffusion cycle was completed throughout the entire educational system…

A study used discussion, role playing, writing, observation and evaluation to assess students' understanding of humanistic values as experienced in three pieces of dramatic literature. Subjects, a selected group of 14 eleventh-grade students enrolled in a creative and performing arts magnet school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, used "Our…

A study described student evaluations of an assignment in a course in family communication that required writing and performing (in small groups) a personal family narrative. Of the 43 students sent questionnaires asking for their reactions to the assignment, 40 returned completed questionnaires. Content analysis of the responses to the assignment…

A study examined the classroom communication behaviors adult learners and traditional undergraduate students associate with highly effective and highly ineffective instructors. Subjects, 155 traditional undergraduate students (68 males and 87 females) and 95 adult learners (23 males and 71 males) at a large midwestern university, rated the…

A study examined the relationship between teacher use of power and teacher effectiveness in samples of adult learners and traditional undergraduate students. The primary goal was to provide educators with practical information that may assist them in adapting their classroom communication styles to different student audiences. Subjects, 71…

A description of what occurs in the social context of the supervisory conference, based on the concept of conversational inference, a process by which participants assess each others' intentions and make appropriate responses, is presented in this paper. Using the illustration of a supervisor's request for teacher action that occurs in a…

One of a regular series on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical research applications, this report consists of 14 papers. Topics covered in the papers are (1) skilled actions, (2) the control of fundamental frequency declination, (3) selective effects of masking on speech…