SPC 1024 Course Preview Page
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This class meets online only. There are no required face-to-face class meetings and no on-campus exams or presentations.
Course Preview Page
Introduction to Speech Communication |
SPC 1024
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Fall 2015
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Faculty Introduction
Welcome to SPC 1024! I am Professor Karen Dickson and I will be teaching this course this semester. I have been teaching at Broward College since 2006. My Master's Degree is in Communication (with a concentration in Organizational Communication). I also have a Juris Doctorate Degree. I practiced law for more than 12 years before I started my teaching career. Currently, in addition to teaching I am also a partner in law firm.
Faculty Contact Information
Instructor Name: | Karen Dickson |
BC Online Phone: | 954-201-7900 |
Fax: | 954-201-7937 |
Email: | Please use the D2L email tool. Use my BC email ONLY if you are unable to access the course email: kdickson@broward.edu |
Online Office Hours: | Day(s): Thursdays and Sundays Time: 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Meeting Location: Chat, Discussion, Pager, or outside program such as Skype. I will be online during these days and hours. |
BC Safety Phone #: | 954-201-HELP (4357) |
Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of speech communication including speaking and listening. Topics include: intrapersonal, interpersonal, verbal, nonverbal, small group communication, and public speaking in various cultural contexts.
General Course Outcomes
- Gain an understanding of the elements involved in the communication process.
- Gain an understanding of the internal processes involved in creating and receiving messages.
- Gain an understanding of the importance of and problems involved in effective listening.
- Gain an understanding of the types of nonverbal communication and its different interpretations in various cultural contexts.
- Gain an understanding of the various aspects of verbal communication and how a culture uses language to define itself.
- Gain an understanding of and experience in utilizing the factors associated with successful interpersonal relationships.
- Understand group processes and leadership formation.
- Deliver an effective informative speech.
- Deliver an effective persuasive speech.
- Gain an understanding of the purposes and techniques used in mass communication and advertising.
Prerequisites and Corequisites
To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course prerequisites:
- Co-requisites/Prerequisites: n/a
Methods of Instruction
This is a 3-credit hour fully online course. In this class, you will engage in structured out-of-class and online activities. The online activities may include, but are not limited to, readings, discussions, essays, case studies, research, and/or online quizzes and tests. See the course schedule for a detailed description of activities. Students are responsible for regularly reviewing the course schedule and completing all required assignments.
Textbook and Materials
![]() | Required Text: Title: Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies, v. 1.0 Author: Richard G. Jones, Jr. ISBN 13: 978-1-4533-5202-1 This is a free, open textbook available to you as a BC Online student enrolled in this class. There is nothing for you to purchase; the textbook chapters will be provided to you in D2L. Use Firefox or Chrome to access the textbook. Internet Explorer may show only the first three chapters. If you wish to obtain a print version of the text, either click the textbook link from Content, or textbook informationand scroll to bottom of page. Enter Professor, School or Course. You will be charged for the print version -- details are available after clicking the link. Students are required to have ready access to the Internet. |
Class Activities
Read and refer to this section regularly. It will tell you what assignments you should complete, and how to complete them. Deadlines for assignments, assessments, discussions, quizzes, tests, and all other graded and non-graded activities are posted in the course schedule. Submitting work late will be permitted only under extenuating circumstances and only with prior notification and documentation (original funeral notice, original doctor note, etc.).
Discussions
Discussions
Use the general discussion thread to post questions that might be of interest to all students such as questions about assignments, tests, etc. Feel free to respond to other students with thoughtful responses. Proofread the content of your posts before making them public; proper grammar and sentence structure are expected. Remember that the discussion tool is public - all enrolled students will be able to view posts and responses. Please follow proper netiquette. Grades for discussion postings will be posted within five working days after the discussion has closed. If you need general information and support for the discussion tool visit the discussion tutorial page.Assignments
Graded Discussions
- Students will need to answer discussion questions every week.
- You must complete the weekly quiz before attempting the discussion question.
- You must post a reply to the discussion topic before you will see postings from classmates.
- Original posting must be at least 300 words. If it is less than 300 words, it will not be graded and will recevie a zero.
- Students are also to comment on two classmates' posts Each reply must be at least 50 words.
- To receive credit, the student must answer the discussion question thoroughly with cites from the text and give thought provoking opinions in response to the other students' posts.
- Each discussion is worth 20 points:
- 10 points for answering the discussion question and
- 10 points for two responses to two students' post. Two comments must be made for it to be graded.
- Each of the three postings must be on three different dates or you will lose 20% of the grade per discussion.
- NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE.
Assignments may be submitted only during the availability dates as specified in your syllabus. The submission of an assignment is the sole responsibility of the student. Students should not leave assignment preparation until the last minute and must plan their workloads so as to be able to meet the deadlines. Assignments submitted after the due date and time will only be accepted if prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. Assignments should not be mailed, faxed or emailed directly to your instructor unless otherwise directed. You should keep an electronic copy of all assignments. Grades for assignments will be posted within five working days of the closing date of the assignment. If you need general information and support with assignments visit the assignment tutorial page.Quizzes
Instructions for Outlines and Reaction Papers:
Instructions for Speeches:
- Outlines for speeches are to be submitted by the day the speech is due via the Assignment dropbox.
- Outlines will be submited to the assignment dropbox AND automatically connect to Turnitin.
- Reaction papers are to be submitted within a week of due date of speech via the Assignment dropbox.
- NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE.
- All speaking assignments should be delivered in an extemporaneous manner (see chapter 14).
- Eight (8) adult audience members are required. Less than 8 adults will cause you to receive a zero on the speech.
- You must film your audience in one continuous flow before and after the speech.
- Minimum of 4-5 sources must be cited in the written speech and 2 sources out of the 5 must be cited verbally.
- Each speech has a minimum time requirement:
- Introductory Speech: - 3-4 minutes
- Informative Speech: - 4-5 minutes
- Persuasive Speech: - 5-6 minutes
- NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE.
Assessments may be taken only during the availability dates as specified in the course schedule. The submission of an assessment is the sole responsibility of the student. Please allow ample time to complete assessments and be observant of the time limit. Make sure you have a solid internet connection. Most online quiz and exam grades will be available after finishing the quiz or exam. If you need general information and support with assessments visit the assessment tutorial page.
It is at the discretion of the instructor to offer a make-up exam. Make-up exams will only be considered under extenuating circumstances, and with prior notification and documentation (original funeral notice, original doctor note, etc.). Scheduling conflicting appointments and vacations are not valid reasons for requesting a make-up exam.
Instructions for Quizzes:
- 12 quizzes @ 20 points each
- 20 Questions per quiz
- Duration: 60 minutes
- NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
Rules for Speeches
- Speeches must be submitted by the assignment due date.
- Topics should be appropriate for a college level audience. “How to Make Brownies” is not a good topic. This is information anyone can obtain from the box of a brownie mix or a basic cookbook. Your topics must focus on social justice issues. Your topic must be cleared with your instructor via email one week or earlier before the speech due date.
- At the start of your speech, you must film your audience of no less than 8 adults, then begin. After you complete your speech, you must show the audience again. All the filming must be done in one continuous flow and cannot be stopped. Moreover, I must be able to clearly see your face and posture as well as hear your voice. I suggest a well lighted room. Please check your filmed speech before uploading it to our class site to ensure that the quality is acceptable.
- No speech work attached to the assignment will be graded, if the speech had not been uploaded on time.
- No drugs, alcohol, or other substances not appropriate or allowed in university settings should be incorporated in your speeches.
- No swearing—OF ANY KIND. General audiences will perceive anything even vaguely inappropriate negatively.
- YOUR SPEECH MUST MEET THE MINIMUM TIME REQUIREMENT OR IT WILL NOT BE GRADED!
- You must have completed at least an informative or persuasive speech to receive a grade. If you have missed both you will receive an 'F' in this class.
- You have an introduction outline and a persuasive outline. If you use the wrong outline for the specific required speech, you will receive a zero. There are no make-ups.
Class Schedule
Start Here / Orientation Module: | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes By the end of the orientation students will be able to:
| Readings
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Module 1: The Communication Process | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 1.1 Identify and explain the major elements in communication. | Readings
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Module 2: Self, Perception and Communication | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 2.1 Explain factors involved in the internal communication process (e.g.: age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, etc.) | Readings
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Module 3: Verbal Communication | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 3.1 Explain the cognitive process of encoding and decoding language. | Readings
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Module 4: Nonverbal Communication | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 4.1 Give examples of various nonverbal communication carriers. | Readings
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Module 5: | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 5.1 Determine purposes of listening (discriminative, comprehensive, empathic, analytical) | Readings
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Module 6: Interpersonal Communication | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 6.1 Identify and explain the elements of interpersonal communication based on assigned readings. | Readings
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Module 7: Evaluating and Improving Relationships | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 7.1 Identify and explain the elements of interpersonal communication based on assigned readings. | Readings
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Module 8: Conflict & Conflict Management | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 8.1 Identify and explain the elements of interpersonal communication based on assigned readings. | Readings
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Module 9: Small Group Communication | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 9.1 Assess the effects of attitude, values, cultural experiences and emotion on perception. | Readings
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Module 10: Communicating Professionally | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 10.1 Differentiate purposes for oral communication (informative, persuasive, special occasion). | Readings
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Module 11: Informative Speaking | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 11.1 Choose a topic that seeks to change or reinforce the audience’s attitudes, values, beliefs, or behavior.11 | Readings
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Module 12: After Informative Speaking | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 12.1 Choose a topic that seeks to change or reinforce the audience’s attitudes, values, beliefs, or behavior. | Review
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Module 13: Persuasive Speaking | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 13.1 Choose a topic that seeks to change or reinforce the audience’s attitudes, values, beliefs, or behavior. | Readings
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Module 14: Persuasive Speaking | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 14.1 Choose a topic that seeks to change or reinforce the audience’s attitudes, values, beliefs, or behavior. | Review
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Module 15: Team Assignment | Assignments & Assessments |
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 15.1 Explain the factors responsible for group attractiveness and effectiveness based on assigned readings. | Review
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Grades
How your Grade will be DeterminedAssessment | Graded Points | Percent of Final Grade |
Speeches | ||
Introductory Speech | 100 | 10% |
Informative Speech | 100 | 10% |
Persuasive Speech | 100 | 10% |
Written Outlines | ||
Introductory Speech Outline | 25 | 2.5% |
Informative Speech Outline | 25 | 2.5% |
Persuasive Speech Outline | 35 | 3.5% |
Written Reaction Papers | ||
Introductory Speech Reaction Paper | 25 | 2.5% |
Informative Speech Reaction Paper | 25 | 2.5% |
Persuasive Speech Reaction Paper | 25 | 2.5% |
Discussions | ||
10 Discussion Questions @ 20 points each | 200 | 20% |
Chapter Quizzes | ||
10 Chapter Quizzes @ 30 points each | 240 | 24% |
Group Work | ||
Team Assignment | 100 | 10% |
Total | 1000 | 100% |
Grading Scale | |
Grades | Percentage |
Grade = A | 90-100+% |
Grade = B | 80-89.9% |
Grade = C | 70-79.9% |
Grade = D | 60-69.9% |
Grade = F | 59.9%-0.0% |
Policies and Procedures
You are responsible for being familiar with all BC Online policies and procedures related to your activity in this course.Attendance and Participation
AttendanceDuring the first week of class, you must complete the designated activity in the course to verify attendance. Typically the Syllabus Quiz from the online orientation is the designated activity. You must complete the Syllabus Quiz with a score of 100% from the online orientation. Simply logging into the course will not satisfy your attendance during this time. As with an on-campus course, students who are reported for non-attendance in an online course who are withdrawn are still responsible for paying for the course. If you do not complete the requirements of the first week of class, you should drop the course by the official drop/add deadline or expect to pay for the course.
Participation
Regular, active, and meaningful participation in online learning activities is an important component of this class and is essential to your success. Logging into the class does not count towards participation and attendance. You must actively participate in class activities by completing discussions, assignments, and assessments. It is recommended to check your email, the announcements, and class discussions regularly. Your date of last attendance is based on the last day you completed a documented class activity.
The following are academically related activities for the purpose of participation and attendance:
- Participation in a graded discussion board,
- Assessment attempt,
- Assignment submission, and
- Initiating contact with your instructor to ask a class-related question via D2L email