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
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:
- Communication
Faculty Contact Information
In-person in my office (L336) on T/Th 11 AM – 12 PM
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Develop awareness of the communication process and understand the relationships among self, message, and others in effective message design.
- Listen to, evaluate, and critique verbal communication.
- Analyze the audience and situation and use language that is appropriate to enhance understanding and affect the desired result.
- Craft informative and persuasive speeches using appropriate organization methods and content, including research.
- Identify and employ effective delivery techniques.
- Prepare and use presentational aids that promote clarity and interest.
- Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials.
- Foundations of Human Communication
- Develop awareness of the communication process and understand the relationships among self, message, and others in effective message design
- Ethics
- Listen to, evaluate, and critique verbal communication
- Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials
- Topic Selection
- Discuss factors that characterize good demonstrative, informative, and persuasive speech topics
- Audience Analysis
- Analyze the audience and situation and use language that is appropriate to enhance understanding and affect the desired result
- Speech Delivery
- Identify and employ effective delivery techniques
- Reasoning and Support
- Learn proper research and citation methods
- Organization and Outlining
- Utilize a clear and effective organizational pattern which helps the audience follow along with the presentation
- Introductions and Conclusions
- Write an introduction which gains the audience's attention, reveals the topic, creates topic significance, and establishes your credibility
- Persuasion
- Utilize strategies and means of persuasion to craft a persuasive argument
- Presentational Aids
- Prepare and use presentational aids that promote clarity and interest
This class will use a textbook that is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license), which makes it freely available online at http://exploringpublicspeaking.com: Exploring Public Speaking, 4th ed., by Barbara G. Tucker and Matthew LeHew, University System of Georgia, 2022.
In addition to other assignments including reading notes, reflections, speech outlines, speech presentational aids (e.g., PowerPoints), etc., students will deliver, at minimum, three substantive speeches:
- Demonstration Speech (5-6 minutes, at least 3-5 credible sources)
- Informative Speech (5-6 minutes, at least 4-6 credible sources)
- Persuasive Speech (5-6 minutes, at least 4-6 credible sources)
Grading Breakdown by Percentage
| Assignment Category | Grade Percentage |
|---|---|
| Learning Activities (e.g., reading notes, reflections) | 20% |
| Supporting Materials (e.g., outlines, PowerPoints, works cited) | 20% |
| Demonstration Speech | 20% |
| Informative Speech | 20% |
| Persuasive Speech | 20% |
Final Letter Grade Based on Percentage of Points Earned in the Course
A student's final letter grade is determined by the percentage of points earned throughout the course. Rounding up of grades by less than 1% will be determined by the individual student’s active and meaningful participation in the class, per the instructor’s discretion.
Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
90-100% | A |
80-89.9% | B |
70-79.9% | C |
60-69.9% | D |
0-59.9% | F |
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Failure Policy: Pursuant to IAI requirements, a student who does not complete a minimum of three major speeches (Informative and Persuasive) of at least 5 minutes in length will automatically fail the course.
Attendance: In this course, “attendance” is measured both by attendance of our in-person class meetings and meaningful participation online (course-related communication with the professor & submission of assignments in Canvas). Students who don’t submit work or communicate meaningfully with me throughout the course may be marked as “absent” or “inactive” on the Census Day and Midterm reports I am required to submit to the college, which may impact these students’ financial aid.
Late Work: Due dates for the coursework are designed to help you stay on track with course content and be fully engaged with class activities (including live speeches). Attempting to submit work past the deadlines not only affects your own progress but can also disrupt activities like in-class discussions and the in-class delivery of speeches. No late assignments will be accepted except in extreme circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor. You need to contact the instructor as soon as possible if an issue arises. Documentation may be required to receive any due date accommodations.
Technology: All online assignments must be submitted in their appropriate place in Canvas. Lost or accidentally deleted files will not be an acceptable excuse for not submitting work. Be sure back up your work. Students are expected to have sufficient technological skills to complete the requirements of the course, which include using Canvas features, formatting and typing written work, submitting files to Canvas, emailing, using presentation tech (like Google Slides or PowerPoint), recording a video, etc. For this course, students must also have access to a computer with the internet on a regular basis. Facing technical problems? Contact KCC’s ITS Helpdesk at 815.802.8900 or helpdesk@kcc.edu.
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to do their own original work in this class. From brainstorming ideas and reading assigned texts to communicating their ideas in their own words – all the work students do in the process of completing assignments should be their own. If students are struggling with any part of an assignment, I would encourage them to request support from a KCC writing tutor and/or me (the instructor). Tutors and the instructor will help guide students through the process without doing the work for them. While AI-assisted tools might be tempting to use (and even appropriate for these tasks in other circumstances), using them for assignments in this class is prohibited and will be considered a form of cheating or plagiarism. Cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, fabrication, etc. are all forms of academic dishonesty and they will not be tolerated in this class.
Cheating can take many forms in this class: copying or using another student’s work, adjusting format to make papers appear longer (a form of misrepresentation), working in groups on individual assignments (whether openly or in secret), sharing or stealing answers for tests or assignments, using AI to develop part (or all) of an assignment, making up “research” (a form of fabrication), etc. Section 17.6B of the Student Code of Conduct explains that cheating also includes, “Submitting the same paper, report, or other assignment for more than one course without the expressed permission of the faculty member. If a student believes that he/she can complete an assignment that meets the requirements of two or more faculty members, he/she should obtain prior approval from all faculty involved.”
Plagiarism is also defined in section 17.6B of the Student Code of Conduct: “Taking, reproducing, and/or using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, paraphrases, data, reports, graphic designs, or computer codes of published or unpublished work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course.”
Plagiarism in this class includes but is not limited to:
- submitting someone else’s work and/or AI-generated or AI-assisted writing (this prohibits tools like Grammarly!)
- using published material (including materials published online) without proper attribution
- paraphrasing or quoting someone without attributing the quote in your paper with a correct in-text citation, even if the source is included on the works cited page; improper paraphrase (sometimes referred to as “synonym swapping”) may also be plagiarism if the attempted paraphrase too closely imitates the writing style (including syntax) of the original source
- failing to clearly indicate when you are using quoted materials by not including (or properly formatting) quotation marks
- working with someone (without my permission) to write your paper and presenting it as your own
If you are in doubt, ask me or visit the KCC Writing Studio before you submit your assignment.
No form of academic dishonesty is acceptable. Cheating, plagiarizing, misrepresentation, and/or fabrication on any assignment in this class will have consequences and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The severity of consequence (from automatic failure on the assignment to possible immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw) depends on the instructor's judgment of intentionality. The violation of this course policy will be reported to the Director of Student Success. If the student has a repeated instance of academic misconduct reported to the Director of Student Success, the student may be suspended from the institution.
Minimum Requirements: Be aware that speeches that fail to meet minimum requirements (i.e., type of speech, minimum length in minutes, and/or number of credible sources), will receive point deductions. Also note that simply meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a passing grade.
Mandatory File Type for Assignments: Current KCC students may freely use Office 365 products. It’s also very easy to download a Google Doc as a Word (.doc or .docx) file and Google Slides as PowerPoint files (.ppt or .pptx), which you could then upload to the Canvas assignment. Because not all file types are adequately accessible within Canvas, I require all students to submit PowerPoint files for presentational visual aids and Word document files for writing assignments that require file submissions.
Communication: The best way to know what to do for class is to consult the syllabus, course calendar, and our Canvas course. If you have a question about what's due, consult these resources first. If neither the instruction materials nor your classmates can answer your questions, then you may email me. There are two ways to email me: through Canvas (preferred) or through KCC’s email. If you email me through Canvas, no worries. If, however, you email me through KCC’s email, be sure to include the following: your full name and what course you are taking with me (also, if you email me at jpecora@kcc.edu, then you should use your KCC student email address; other email addresses may be filtered & I won’t even see them). I will communicate important course-related info via Canvas email or Canvas announcements. Check your email often—at least every 2 days. I will typically respond to emails within 24 hours, though sometimes on weekends it may be longer. You may also be expected to participate in online class discussions that are open to all students’ view.
Title IX: Students sometimes choose to share private information with their professors. We appreciate your trust! Nonetheless, students need to be aware that KCC faculty and certain staff are required to report any incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence that we may hear about. Specifically, we will contact KCC’s Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Student Development and Services. Please don’t feel like you can’t reach out but be aware of our requirement to report. If you want to speak with someone who is not required to report, please know that you are very welcome to call the county’s confidential sexual assault hotline (no referral is necessary, and your anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to share your name): 815-932-3322 (Kankakee) or 815-432-0420 (Iroquois).
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging: I fully embrace the idea that an intellectual community is enriched and enhanced by diversity along several dimensions, including race, ethnicity, national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, social class, and religion. My goal is to create an environment in which each student is able to openly hear and respect each other, offering his, her, or their opinion, insights, and analysis of course content without fear of inflammatory feedback or ostracism. It is critical that each class member show respect for all views, ideas, and perspectives expressed in class.
Expectations for Behavior: To ensure an enjoyable, inclusive, and engaging learning environment, you are expected to openly share your ideas and express your opinions in both the classroom and online environment. Respect the opinions, values, and identities of your classmates, instructors, and guests. Honor the open environment of the class by respecting confidentiality when appropriate. You are expected to do your best work, meet assignment deadlines, engage regularly in class discussion and activities, and treat other members of the class with courtesy and respect.
Course Calendar: 8-week Introductory Speech
The following calendar is subject to change but it should provide a good overview of the course.
Module 1 – Intro to Public Speaking & Initial Speeches (Weeks 1-4)
Concepts & activities covered: Course overview (including syllabus policies, calendar, etc.). Introduction to public speaking and its basic principles (including the communication process, ethics, and audience awareness with an understanding of the relationships among self, message, and others in effective message design). Developing topics and speaking with confidence. Listening to, evaluating, and critiquing verbal communication.
Week 1:
In-class meeting (T 6/2): We'll review the overall purposes and basic requirements of COMM-1553 as well as the information provided in the course syllabus. We’ll also discuss public speaking in general and the communication process in more detail. Finally, I'll introduce the Object Speech requirements.
Required work after class:
- Don't forget to verify that you read the entire course syllabus by 11:59 PM on T 6/2.
- Read Chapter 1 (The Basics of Public Speaking) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussions on the chapter by 11:59 PM on W 6/3.
- Submit your Intro to Public Speaking Reflection by 11:59 PM on W 6/3.
In-class meeting (Th 6/4): Review the expectations and requirements for both speakers and audience members during in-class speeches. Q&A on Object Speech requirements, if needed.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Speaking with Confidence Reflection by 11:59 PM on F 6/5.
- Prepare for your 2-minute Object Speech, to be delivered in class next week.
Week 2:
In-class meeting (T 6/9): All students will deliver their Object Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Read Chapters 2 (Audience Analysis and Listening) and 4 (Developing Topics for Your Speech) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussions on each chapter by 11:59 PM on W 6/10.
In-class meeting (Th 6/11): Discuss the importance of analyzing your audience, situation, and language use in each public speaking situation. Review the Demonstration Speech requirements. Discuss speaking with confidence.
Required work after class:
- Read Chapters 3 (Ethics in Public Speaking) and 5 (Researching Your Speeches) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussions on the chapters by 11:59 PM on M 6/15.
Week 3:
In-class meeting (T 6/16): Discuss ethics in public speaking in more detail. Discuss proper research and citation methods, including verbal citations during speech delivery.
Required work after class:
- Read Chapters 6 (Organizing and Outlining Your Speech) and 8 (Introductions and Conclusions) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussions on the chapters by 11:59 PM on W 6/17.
In-class meeting (Th 6/18): Discuss organizing and outlining your speech as well as intros and conclusions in more detail. Students will sign up for the day and order to deliver their Demonstration Speech in class next week.
Required work after class:
- Prepare for your 5-minute Demonstration Speech, to be delivered in class next week.
- Submit your Demonstration Speech Outline and Works Cited by 11:59 PM on M 6/22.
Week 4:
In-class meeting (T 6/23): Day 1 of students delivering their Demonstration Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Demo Speech Review Comments (Day 1) by 11:59 PM on T 6/23.
In-class meeting (Th 6/25): Day 2 of students delivering their Demonstration Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Demo Speech Review Comments (Day 2) by 11:59 PM on Th 6/25.
- Submit your Delivering Your Speech Reflection by 11:59 PM on F 6/26.
- In Module 2, read Chapter 12 (Informative Speaking) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussion on the chapter by 11:59 PM on M 6/29.
Module 2 – Speaking to Inform (Weeks 5-6)
Concepts & activities covered: Crafting informative speeches using appropriate organization methods and content, including research. Identify and employ effective delivery techniques. Prepare and use presentational aids that promote clarity and interest. Continue practicing the course objectives that were introduced in Module 1.
Week 5:
Required work before class:
- Read Chapter 12 (Informative Speaking) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussion on the chapter by 11:59 PM on M 6/29.
In-class meeting (T 6/30): Review the Informative Speech requirements. Discuss effective delivery techniques and presentational aids. Go into more detail on supporting your speech ideas (referencing Chapter 7).
Required work after class:
- Read Chapters 11 (Delivery) and 9 (Presentation Aids in Speaking) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussions on the chapters by 11:59 PM on W 7/1.
- Begin preparing for your Informative Speech, to be delivered in class next week.
In-class meeting (Th 7/2): Go into more detail on language choices (referencing Chapter 10 in Exploring Public Speaking). Sign up for dates/order for the Informative Speeches, which will begin to be delivered in the following week.
Required work after class:
- Continue preparing for your Informative Speech, to be delivered in class next week. Submit your Informative Speech Outline, PowerPoint, and Works Cited by 11:59 PM on M 7/6.
Week 6:
In-class meeting (T 7/7): Day 1 of students delivering their Informative Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Info Speech Review Comments (Day 1) by 11:59 PM on T 7/7.
In-class meeting (Th 7/9): Day 2 of students delivering their Informative Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Info Speech Review Comments (Day 2) by 11:59 PM on Th 7/9.
- In Module 3, read Chapter 13 (Persuasive Speaking) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussion on the chapter by 11:59 PM on M 7/13.
Module 3 – Speaking to Persuade (Weeks 7-8)
Concepts & activities covered: Crafting persuasive speeches using appropriate organization methods, content (including research), and delivery techniques. Continue practicing the course objectives that were introduced in Modules 1 and 2.
Week 7:
Required work before class:
- Read Chapter 13 (Persuasive Speaking) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussion on the chapter by 11:59 PM on M 7/13.
In-class meeting (T 7/14): Review the Persuasive Speech requirements. Brainstorm topics and begin researching, outlining, etc. with the remaining time.
Required work after class:
- Read Chapter 14 (Logical Reasoning) in Exploring Public Speaking and contribute to the Reading Notes discussion on the chapter by 11:59 PM on W 7/15.
- Continue working on your Persuasive Speech.
In-class meeting (Th 7/16): Finish preparations. Sign up for dates/order for the Persuasive Speeches, which will begin to be delivered on Thursday this week.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Persuasive Speech Outline, PowerPoint, and Works Cited by 11:59 PM on M 7/20.
Week 8:
In-class meeting (T 7/21): Day 1 of students delivering their Persuasive Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Persuasive Speech Review Comments (Day 1) by 11:59 PM on T 7/21.
In-class meeting (Th 7/23): Day 2 of students delivering their Persuasive Speeches in class.
Required work after class:
- Submit your Persuasive Speech Review Comments (Day 2) by 11:59 PM on Th 7/23.
- Submit your Final Self-Reflection by 11:59 PM on F 7/24.
Note: Thursday, July 23 is officially the final day of the course! Absolutely no coursework will be accepted for grading after the end of this day.
College Policies, Resources and Supports
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.
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.
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.