COMM 1553 Introductory Speech Syllabus H41 Summer 2026

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Credit Hours 3.00 Lecture Hours 3 Clinical/Lab Hours 0
Type of Credit
Baccalaureate/Transfer
CIP Code
23.1304
Course Meeting Time

Wed. 1pm -3:30 pm,

Course Description

The student will be introduced to basic principles of effective speaking and listening. Emphasis is on both understanding basic communication theory and on improving oral communication skills. The student will learn to prepare, organize, and deliver effective research-based informative and persuasive speeches.

Course Alignment

IAI Number
C2-900
IAI Title
Oral Communication
General Education Outcomes

General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:

  1. Communication

Faculty Contact Information

Faculty Name
Lauri Zumwalt
Faculty Email
lzumwalt@kcc.edu
Faculty Phone
815-953-7859
Faculty Office Number
815-802-8780
Faculty Student Support Hours

Before midnight

Faculty Information

Lauri Zumwalt

BA-English

MEd-Education Administration

MA-English

MA- Speech/ communication

Course Information

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Develop awareness of the communication process and understand the relationships among self, message, and others in effective message design.
  2. Listen to, evaluate, and critique verbal communication.
  3. Analyze the audience and situation and use language that is appropriate to enhance understanding and affect the desired result.
  4. Craft informative and persuasive speeches using appropriate organization methods and content, including research.
  5. Identify and employ effective delivery techniques.
  6. Prepare and use presentational aids that promote clarity and interest.
  7. Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials.
Topical Outline
  1. Foundations of Human Communication
    1. Develop awareness of the communication process and understand the relationships among self, message, and others in effective message design
  2. Ethics
    1. Listen to, evaluate, and critique verbal communication
    2. Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials
  3. Topic Selection
    1. Discuss factors that characterize good demonstrative, informative, and persuasive speech topics
  4. Audience Analysis
    1. Analyze the audience and situation and use language that is appropriate to enhance understanding and affect the desired result
  5. Speech Delivery
    1. Identify and employ effective delivery techniques              
  6. Reasoning and Support
    1. Learn proper research and citation methods
  7. Organization and Outlining
    1. Utilize a clear and effective organizational pattern which helps the audience follow along with the presentation
  8. Introductions and Conclusions
    1. Write an introduction which gains the audience's attention, reveals the topic, creates topic significance, and establishes your credibility
  9. Persuasion
    1. Utilize strategies and means of persuasion to craft a persuasive argument
  10. Presentational Aids
    1. Prepare and use presentational aids that promote clarity and interest
Textbook/s and Course Materials

There is no textbook required for this course. All Materials will be provided within the course.

Methods of Evaluation

Grades for the course will consist of the following:

Speeches     40-50 pts each

Outlines        10 pts each

Reflections   10 pts each

Debate           50 pts 

Quizzes          Varying values

 

90-100%     A

80-89%       B

70-79%       C

60-69%       D

 

Academic Division

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700

Course Policies

Students are expected to arrive on time or early to class and be seated and have necessary materials , laptop, etc. ready by the time class starts. Excessive tardiness or extended breaks during class may result being considered absent for the class period.

Only one class may be missed during the entire 8 weeks of class.

Students missing a speech day or the debate may receive a zero grade for that assignment.

Expectations for Classroom and Online Behavior

 

Students are to act  like adults for all student presentations and will be dismissed from class with a zero for the day if they are continuously on their cell phones (the exception is the timer).

Students are not to enter or exit during a student presentation (unless it's an emergency). 

 

 

Course Calendar

Course Summary of Summer Assignments for Comm 1553

Course Summary

DateDetails

Due

Sun May 31, 2026Calendar Event Week 1

12am

Wed Jun 3, 2026Calendar Event First Day of Class

12am

Fri Jun 5, 2026Assignment Why I'm Here

due by 11:59pm

Sat Jun 6, 2026Assignment Trial Intro Outlines

due by 11:59pm

Sun Jun 7, 2026Calendar Event Week 2

12am

Tue Jun 9, 2026Quiz Quiz Ch 1, 3, 11

due by 11:59pm

Wed Jun 10, 2026Assignment Intro outline

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Intro Speech

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Reflection Essay Intro speech

due by 11:59pm

Fri Jun 12, 2026Assignment Tentative demo outlines

due by 11:59pm

Sun Jun 14, 2026Calendar Event Week 3

12am

Tue Jun 16, 2026Quiz Quiz Ch 2, 4, 6

due by 11:59pm

Wed Jun 17, 2026Assignment Demo final outline

due by 11:59pm

Assignment demo reflection

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Demo speeches

due by 11:59pm

Sat Jun 20, 2026Assignment Tentative argumentative speech topics choose 1 st and 2nd choice and check back

due by 11:59pm

Sun Jun 21, 2026Calendar Event Week 4

12am

Tue Jun 23, 2026Quiz Quiz 5, 7, 8

due by 11:59pm

Wed Jun 24, 2026Assignment Children's story reading

due by 11:59pm

Sun Jun 28, 2026Assignment Outline Rough draft

due by 11:59pm

Wed Jul 1, 2026Assignment Argumentative Outline corrected

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Argumentative Reflection

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Argumentative Speech

due by 11:59pm

Mon Jul 6, 2026Assignment Tentative Works Cited page

due by 11:59pm

Tue Jul 7, 2026Quiz Ch 14, 16, 17 Quiz

due by 11:59pm

Wed Jul 8, 2026Assignment *Persuasive Speech

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Persuasive Outline

due by 11:59pm

Assignment Reflection Essay Persuasive

due by 11:59pm

Fri Jul 10, 2026Assignment Tentative persuasion topic

due by 11:59pm

Fri Jul 17, 2026Quiz Group Comm Quiz

due by 11:59pm

Sun Jul 19, 2026Assignment Rough Draft Group Outline

due by 11:59pm

Tue Jul 21, 2026Assignment Twelve Angry Men Study Guide

due by 11:59pm

Wed Jul 22, 2026Assignment Group Final

due by 11:59pm

Assignment The debate

due by 11:59pm

Thu Jul 23, 2026Assignment Debate/ Final Reflection

due by 11:59pm

 Discussion Topic Argumentation

 

Discussion Topic Public Speaking 

College Policies, Resources and Supports

College Policies

For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide. 

Resources

KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:

  • Clubs and organizations
  • Counseling and referral services
  • Office of disability services
  • Student complaint policy
  • Transfer services
  • Tutoring services, etc.
Copyright & Syllabus Disclaimer

The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright. 
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.