Syllabus CA 109 ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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Bellevue University
CA 109
Oral Communication Skills (3 credit hours)


Important Notes:
This syllabus and the course schedule are subject to change as deemed appropriate by the
instructor. Students must check BU email accounts and log into the Cyber-active classroom
regularly; it is the individual students responsibility to stay informed about the course.
You must have the course text and resources.
This course requires use of MyCommunications Lab (MyCom Lab) and MediaShare to upload
speeches for evaluation by the instructor and other members of the class. By remaining enrolled
in the class, you agree that you will not share links to class speeches outside of this course.

Required texts and resources

Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach (9
th
ed.) by Steven A. Beebe and Susan J. Beebe.

Microsoft Office Word, PowerPoint, and reliable Internet access

Webcam

MyCom Lab and MediaShare account

Course description
This course will help the student develop and apply the skills necessary to design and deliver an effective
and well-organized speech. The course provides instruction in the preparation and delivery of various
speech types while developing competencies in the area of critical thinking, organization of thought,
creativity, planning, and public speaking.

Course objectives
Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:

1. Explain the basic elements of an argument.
2. Analyze verbal discourse.
3. Evaluate evidence which will support claims made in an argument.
4. Characterize the organizing formats for various types of speeches.
5. Assess the use of three modes of proof in a persuasive argument.
6. Demonstrate speech delivery skills.
Syllabus CA 109 ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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Assignments
Reading quizzes (8 @ 10 points each) 80 points
Discussion board forums (7 @ 5 points each) 35 points

Elevator speech worksheet 10 points
Elevator speech self-evaluation 10 points
Elevator speech peer evaluations 10 points
Elevator speech 20 points

PowerPoint presentation worksheet 1 10 points
PowerPoint presentation worksheet 2 10 points
PowerPoint presentation self-evaluation 10 points
PowerPoint presentation peer evaluations 10 points
PowerPoint presentation 30 points

TED talk speech worksheet 10 points
TED talk self-evaluation 10 points
TED talk peer evaluations 10 points
TED talk speech 40 points

Suggestion box speech worksheet 10 points
Suggestion box speech self-evaluation 10 points
Suggestion box speech peer evaluations 10 points
Suggestion box speech 50 points

Total 385 points possible

Grading scale
At the end of the term, your points earned will be tallied and a final course grade will be assigned using
the following scale:
Letter Grade Minimum Percentage
A 93.5
A- 90
B+ 86.5
B 83.5
B- 80
C+ 76.5
C 73.5
D+ 70
D 63.5
D- 60
F -



Syllabus CA 109 ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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Brief description of required assignments
Quizzes: Quizzes will cover reading assignments; the quiz format is true-false and multiple choice.
Quizzes are closed book/notes. You will have 10 minutes to complete each quiz. Quizzes must be
completed by 11:59 CT on Sundays.
Speeches: Specific speech assignments will be available within the course. The deadline for submitting
speech worksheets is 11:59 pm CT on Thursdays. Speech links must be posted to the Group Discussion
Board by 11:59 pm CT on Thursdays. Peer evaluations of other students must be posted to the Group
Discussion Board by 11:59 pm CT on Sundays. Self-Evaluations must be completed by 11:59 pm CT on
Sundays.
Discussion board: There are eight discussion board forums in which you must participate. The
discussion forums open at 8 am CT Monday and close, with no further posts accepted, at 11:59 pm CT
on Sunday. Original assignment posts must be made by 11:59 pm CT on Thursdays; responses to the
posts of other students must be made by 11:59 pm CT on Sundays. No credit will be given for posts
made after these deadlines. In addition, you must post to the discussion on at least two different days
of the week. You will not be credited if you make all your posts on the same day. Please follow these
rules for posting to the discussion board:
Identify the contents of your post in the subject line
Focus on the assignment; do not digress; satisfy word count requirements
Cite sources when quoting or paraphrasing; use APA parenthetical documentation
Use Standard English (no slang, no texting abbreviations), complete sentences, and full paragraphs
Answer any questions posed by the instructor and/or class members
Be respectful of other discussion board participants
Respond meaningfully to the posts of others; do not simply post good job, I agree, or similar remarks

Discussion board points will be assigned using the following criteria:

5 points Fully addresses all assigned discussion questions/topics for week
Makes required number of meaningful response posts to other students
Demonstrates excellent writing skills in posts that are free of errors

4 points Fully addresses all assigned discussion questions/topics for week
Makes required number of meaningful response posts to other students
Posts contain minimal errors

3 points Fully addresses all assigned discussion questions/topics for week
Makes required number of response posts to other students, although responses may not be thoroughly
developed
Posts contain minimal errors

2 points Fully addresses all assigned discussion questions/topics for week
Makes required number of response posts to other students, although responses may not be fully
developed
Posts contain numerous errors

1 point Addresses some but not all assigned discussion questions/topics for week and/or
Makes fewer than required number of response posts to other students and/or
Posts contain significant errors

0 points No participation or failure to meet deadlines
Syllabus CA 109 ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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Course Policies
Deadlines: Deadlines in this course are strict; please do not ask for extensions or make-up
opportunities. In general, credit will not be awarded for work submitted after the deadline.

Speeches: You must complete all speech assignments to earn a passing grade in the course.

Extra credit: There is no extra credit offered in this course.

Posting of grades: Points for the course required assignments will be posted weekly to the Blackboard
grade center. Grades for major assignments will be posted no later than five business days after the due
date.


Bellevue University Policies

Instructor Response Policy
Your instructor will respond to emails or questions/comments in the Virtual Office Hours section of
the Blackboard discussion area within 48 hours EXCLUDING holidays and weekends. Your instructor is
also available during office hours and by appointment. If you have questions about an assignment, ASK
EARLY to allow yourself plenty of time to finish assignments. If you have a question about your grades,
email your instructor or make an appointment for a conversation.

Academic Honesty Policy
Bellevue University is committed to academic excellence. The University expects academic honesty
from all members of the University community and believes that it is essential for academic excellence
and integrity. Academic honesty includes adherence to guidelines established by the instructor in a
particular course for both individual and group work. It prohibits representing the work of others to be
ones own (plagiarism); receiving unauthorized aid on an assignment (cheating); and using similar papers
or other work products to fulfill the obligations of different classes without the instructors permission.
Penalties for academic dishonesty may include a grade of F on the work in question or for the course.
In addition, any student engaged in academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action including
reprimand, short-term suspension, long-term suspension, and/or expulsion according to the policies and
procedures of the University. The Student Handbook provides detailed information pertaining to
academic dishonesty, including procedures for determining disciplinary action.

The penalty for any form of academic dishonesty in this course is an automatic 0 on the assignment in
question and a report to the Dean of Students.

ADA Information
Students with a documented disability, who may need classroom academic adjustments or auxiliary aids
and services, should contact Disability Services to arrange an appointment to discuss their individual
needs for accommodations. Students are also encouraged to notify their instructors right away about
any disability-related academic needs they may have. To contact the Disability Services Specialist,
please call 402-557-7417 or 800-756-7920 ext. 7417 or email disability@bellevue.edu.

Withdrawal Policy
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Please contact your academic advisor and reference your Student Handbook regarding withdrawal from
this course or from the program. Failure to do so may have an adverse effect upon your financial aid
and academic standing at the University.

Course Outline
This outline is tentative and subject to change. Students should check the Cyber-active classroom
announcements and BU email regularly to stay informed about course and schedule changes.


Week Topics Reading Assignments due
1 Speaking confidently and
ethically
Chs. 1, 3 Quiz
Discussion Board
2 Elevator speeches Speech Worksheet
Speech
Self-Evaluation
Peer Evaluations
3 Speaking to inform Chs. 5, 13 Quiz
Discussion Board
4 Developing and supporting
a speech
Chs. 6, 7 Quiz
Discussion Board
5 Organizing a speech Chs. 8, 9 Quiz
Discussion Board
6 Delivering a speech and
using visual aids
Chs. 11-12 Quiz

7 PowerPoint presentations Presentation Worksheet
Presentation
Self-Evaluation
Peer Evaluations
8 Listening, language, and
style
Chs. 4, 10 Quiz
Discussion Board
9 TED talks TED Talk Worksheet
TED Talk
Self-Evaluation
Peer Evaluations
10 Speaking to persuade Chs. 14-15 Quiz
Discussion Board
11 Speaking on special occasions Ch. 16 Quiz
Discussion Board
12 Suggestion box speeches Speech Worksheet
Speech
Self-Evaluation
Peer Evaluations
Course Evaluation