COMM 20
Andrew W. Ishak
Winter 2018
Course Information
Time: TTH 10:20 am to 12:00 pm
Location: Vari Hall 135
Course Site: Camino (login required)
Email: aishak@scu.edu
Office Phone: 408-551-7066
Office Room: Vari Hall 227
Office Hours: Mondays from 9:30 to 11:30 am and by appointment
Required Textbook: Zarefsky, D. (2016). Public Speaking: Strategies for Success (8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Course Description
This course is designed to make you a more effective communicator in various settings, including workplace meetings, special occasions, interpersonal conversations, and social advocacy opportunities. We’ll work on reaching this goal using the following methods:
- Researching principles, examples, and theories of effective communication.
- Applying these ideas through consistent practice, in and out of the classroom.
- Integrating effective communication principles into our speechwriting process.
- Delivering well-prepared tech-free and multimedia presentations to the class.
Course Schedule
Readings and other responsibilities should be completed before coming to class, unless otherwise noted. You will receive exact details for assignments as we progress through the quarter. This schedule is subject to change.
Tuesday, Jan 9: Hello! + Course Introduction
Thursday, Jan 11: The Basics (Ch. 1) + Presentation : “The Day That Changed My Life”
Tuesday, Jan 16: Style/Wording (Ch. 12)
Thursday, Jan 18: Delivery (Ch. 3) + Presentation: Product Pitches
Tuesday, Jan 23: Topics, Content, and Outlines
Thursday, Jan 25: Presentation: Special Occasions
Tuesday, Jan 30: Organizing (Ch. 9 + 10)
Thursday, Feb 1: Conducting Research (Ch. 7) + Presentation: Report Previews
Tuesday, Feb 6: Speech Workshop
Thursday, Feb 8: Presentation: Future Reports
Tuesday, Feb 13: Persuasion (Ch. 14)
Thursday, Feb 15: Thinking About Your Audience (Ch. 5)
Tuesday, Feb 20: Reasoning (Ch. 8)
Thursday, Feb 22: Winning The Competition: Visual Aids and Q&A
Tuesday, Feb 27: Round 1 Presentations: Day 1
Thursday, Mar 1: Round 1 Presentations: Day 2
Tuesday, Mar 6: Round 1 Review
Thursday, Mar 8: Speech Workshop
Tuesday, Mar 13: Final Presentations: Day 1
Thursday, Mar 15: Final Presentations: Day 2
Assignments
The Day That Changed My Life – 10 pts
Product Pitches – 20 pts
Special Occasion Speeches – 40 pts
Future Reports – 80 pts
Round 1 Presentations – 50 pts
Final Presentations – 100 pts
Reading Reviews – 50 pts
Audience Analysis Assignment – 10 pts
360 pts total
How to Succeed in This Course
- Be physically present. Be in class and be on time.
- Be mentally present (see the electronics policy below).
- Be active and contribute to class. Speak up when you have something to say. Pay attention to your classmates. This will make the course better for you and your classmates.
- Strive for excellence. If you want to get an excellent grade, do excellent work. I want to push you to do your best, not just to do adequate work.
Course Policies
Electronics
Use of electronics is not allowed in class except when permitted by the instructor, on both individual and class-wide bases. For more information, read here.
Accommodations
If you have a documented disability for which accommodations may be required in this class, please contact Disabilities Resources, Benson 216 (www.scu.edu/disabilities) as soon as possible to discuss your needs and register for accommodations with the University. If you have already arranged accommodations through Disabilities Resources, please initiate a conversation with me about your accommodations during my office hours within the first two weeks of class.
Students who are pregnant and parenting may also be eligible for accommodations. Accommodations will only be provided after I have verification of your accommodations as approved by Disabilities Resources, and with sufficient lead time for me to arrange testing or other accommodations. For more information you may contact Disabilities Resources at 408-554-4109.
If you have religious, military, or athletic commitments for me to note, please inform me as soon as possible (in advance) and in an appropriate manner.
Late Work
The highest grade a late assignment can receive is 79.9 percent. Work that is more than 48 hours late will not be accepted.
Regrading
If you would like your work to be regraded, make your request by responding directly on the assignment evaluation on Camino. Please include a 100-200 word reasoning for the request. Please wait at least 24 hours before making a request, and no longer than 7 days. If you do not follow these parameters, your request will not be viewed. Note: if you make a regrade request, the entire assignment will be regraded.
Department Learning Objectives (DLOs)
This course helps you fulfill learning objectives for the Communication major, which are listed below.
The course objectives in the next seciton line up with the appropriate DLOs.
Students will be able to:
1. Recognize and define key variables and concepts in communication processes.
4. Discern the social impact of communication on diverse, local, and global communities.
6. Apply ethical analysis to the communication process.
7. Propose how communication can contribute to social change.
8. Students participate in and reflect upon service-learning projects.
9. Synthesize and evaluate communication research, methods, and theories
10. Demonstrate ability to conduct independent or directed research.
11. Show how communication-related theories, concepts, and methods affect everyday life.
12. Students produce messages that are grounded in communication research and theory.
13. Students assess audiences and adapt messages appropriately.
Course Objectives
1 .To select and narrow a topic and develop a thesis statement (DLOs 3, 12, 13).
Assignments: All speeches + Reading Reviews
2. To effectively organize a speech (DLO 3, 12).
Assignments: All speeches, Reading Reviews
3. To research and select appropriate support materials (CD 9)
Assignments: Preview, Future Report, Rd. 1 and Final Presentations + Reading Reviews
4. To be aware of the vast diversity among audiences and to adapt speaking strategies to specific audiences (DLO 13)
Assignments: All speeches, Audience Analysis Assignment, Reading Review
5. To listen effectively and critically (DLO 5)
Assignments: Rd. 1 and Final Presentations, Audience Analysis Assignment
6. To apply ethical standards to your own and others’ speeches (DLO 5)
Assignments: Future Report, Rd. 1 and Final Presentations, Audience Analysis Assignment
7. To develop effective visual aids to enhance speeches (DLO 3, 12).
Assignments: Rd. 1 and Final Presentations, Audience Analysis Assignment