Academic, Professional, Technical, Trade, Research Books & Journals
americanpress@flash.net • 617-247-0022 • 60 State Street #700 • Boston, MA 02109
BCCA Contents & Abstracts, Volume 4, 1992
Editor Lawrence Hugenberg
ISBN 978-0-89641-255-21991 Speech Communication Association Basic Course Committee Award Winning Papers
Lubbers, C.A. & Gorcyca, D.A. — Academic success in the basic course: The influence of apprehension and demographics — Past research has identified communication apprehension as a causal agent for academic success. This investigation focused on the relationship of apprehension to success in a basic communication course. (1-15)
Hess, J.A. & Pearson, J.C. — Basic public speaking principles: An examination of twelve popular texts — Although the basic communication course has become more widely investigated in recent years, the basic course textbooks have not enjoyed the same attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the twelve most popular basic public speaking texts. The primary principles included in these books were determined as was the relative importance given to each principle. (16-34)
Articles on the Basic Communication Course
Ford, W.S.Z., & Wolvin, A.D. — Evaluation of a basic communication course — This study addressed the effects of a basic communication course on students' perceptions of their communication skills. (35-47)
Sandmann, W. — Critical thinking is/as communication — This essay argues for the place of critical thinking in the basic communication course. Included in the argument is a discussion and critique of traditional modes of critical thinking, an analysis of an alternative approach to critical thinking, the grounding of this alternative approach in a classical communication model, a discussion of why the basic course in communication is the most appropriate home for the teaching of critical thinking, and a sample approach to teaching critical thinking in the basic course. (48-71)
Newburger, C. & Hemphill, M. — Video-modeling and pre-performance apprehension: Is ignorance bliss? — This research examined the impact of video-modeling on basic communication course students' public speaking apprehension. (72-79)
Weaver, R.L., II & Cotrell, H.W. — Directing the basic communication course: Eighteen years later. — We focused on three problems that evolve over time for veteran basic course directors. After briefly commenting on the state of basic course literature, we discuss dealing with tradition, motivating students for the long term, and maintaining our own motivation for the course. (80-93)
Gill, M.M. & Wardrope, W.J. — To say or not; to do or not—those are the questions: Sexual harassment and the basic course instructor — Although men and women may be the victims of sexual harassment, the majority of women will experience harassment in the classroom and/or on the job. A training module is offered which presents guidelines for the basic course director to use in acquainting his or her staff with appropriate actions to guard against sexual harassment complaints. (94-114)
The Public Speaking Basic Course
E-mail americanpress@flash.net to order PDFs of any article.
Leff, M. — Teaching public speaking as composition — The public speaking course has changed little during the past two decades, despite the rapid and profound changes that have occurred in rhetorical scholarship. By contrast, the basic composition course in English Departments has undergone transformations that more closely reflect the development of the scholarship. One reason for this difference may rest in our failure to regard the public speaking course as a serious part of our mission as teachers and scholars. (115-122)
Isserlis, J.A. — Be relevant, careful, and appropriate: Scary advice on the use of humor to the novice public speaker — Most contemporary public speaking texts contain some reference to the effective use of humor by public speakers. This advice tends to reflect common assumptions o n the role of humor in public speaking and the ability of the novice speaker to incorporate humor in a speech. A review of 27 contemporary texts explores the trend in humor instruction and offers 11 categories which summarize the treatment of humor. (123-140)
Whitecap, V.A. — The introduction of a speech: Do good introductions predict a good speech? — Can the introduction predict the success or failure of the speech? Does anything predict a successful speech? Textbooks were examined to see what is being taught about introductions. Then the results of the first speeches given by freshman and sophomores in a hybrid communication were studied to see if successful introductions predicted successful speeches. (141-153)
Vicker, L.A.— The use of role models in teaching public speaking — This study investigated the use of role models as an instructional strategy in public speaking classes. The subjects in this study were 24 college students in two communication classes. One group viewed a videotape of seven informative speeches given by upper-division speech students and representing a range of ability. The other group did not view the video. Both groups were videotaped presenting their own speeches and these speeches were rated by a group of senior speech majors at another college. The results are analyzed. (154-161)
