1

SPCH 1315: Public Speaking (Web)

SPCH 1315. Public Speaking 3-3-0

Fundamentals of public communication including interpersonal and small group situations.

Includes researching and organizing material, using the voice and body in presentation and

delivering various types of speeches in differing situations. Prerequisites: Must be TSI complete

in reading or be concurrently enrolled in READ 0308 and eligibility to enroll in ENGL 0306.

Recommendation: The speech faculty strongly recommends that the student be eligible to enroll

in ENGL 0308. F, Sp, Su (2310015312)

INSTRUCTORS:

Name: Mrs. Jeanine Tagg

Office Number: CA 106

Office Phone: 903-983-8176

E-Mail: jtagg@kilgore.edu

This contact information is for emergency situations only: all on-line communications must be

within the Moodle class email.

COURSE RATIONALE: This course prepares the student for the increasing need for public speaking skills required in

modern society and business. This preparation includes analysis of the subject of the speech, the

occasion, the audience, and the most effective method of communication. The course also

satisfies the speech component in the Communications section of the Kilgore College Core

Curriculum and the speech requirement for the A.A., A.A.T. and A.S. degrees at Kilgore

College.

TEXTBOOK:

Public Speaking for College and Career, Hamilton Gregory (McGraw-Hill, New York, 2010).

In addition to the required textbook, the students are required to download the SPCH 1315

Course Handbook, a detailed description of the course, its objectives and its requirements,

written by the Kilgore College Speech Faculty. This Course Handbook also provides the

student a ready record of his performance on each in-class presentation.

EVALUATION: Grading for SPCH 1315 is divided into four different units:

(1) the “Assigned Written Work” unit, valued at 25% of the semester grade;

(2) the “Speaking Assignments” unit, valued at 40%;

(3) the “Final Examination Speech” unit, valued at 20%; and

(4) the “Written Final Examination” unit, valued at 15%.

The SPCH 1315 Course Handbook includes a detailed description of each instructional unit.

2

CLASSROOM POLICIES: The classroom policies are explained in the SPCH 1315 Course Handbook which each student

is required to download.

In addition, students should read the Kilgore College attendance policy in the Kilgore College

Catalog and should be aware that an instructor may drop a student from the class as a result of

excessive absences (12.5% of the total hours of instruction in any term). The dates for

withdrawal and the related grades are also listed in the catalog.

Students should also read the Academic Honesty Statement in the Kilgore College Catalog to be

aware of potential penalties associated with academic dishonesty.

Each instructor reserves the right to make modifications in content and schedule as necessary to

promote the best education possible within the prevailing conditions affecting this course.

EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: (found in the Faculty Handbook for each

Core Component)

The student must be able to:

1) understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention,

organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation;

2) understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select

appropriate communication choices;

3) understand and appropriately apply modes of expression, i.e., descriptive, expositive,

narrative, scientific, and self-expression in written, visual, and oral expression

4) demonstrate speaking processes through organization, drafting, revision, editing and

presentation

5) understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and

technical proficiency in the develop of exposition and argument;

6) develop the ability to research and write a documented paper and/or to give an oral

presentation.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In learning to prepare speeches: A. Students will identify the target audience for a speech

Activities: text readings, class lecture and discussion

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, and written assignments

(Meets EEO #2, 3)

B. Students will demonstrate an ability to distinguish between the general purpose and the

specific purpose of a speech topic

Activities: test readings, class lectures and discussions

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, and written assignments

(Meets EEO #1, 4, 5)

C. Students will apply critical thinking methodology to develop the central idea of a speech,

based upon the general purpose and the specific purpose

Activities: text readings, class lecture and discussion, internet search and/or library research

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, and written assignments

( Meets EEO # 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)

D. Students will locate, understand, and interpret written research materials supporting the

above-referenced concept for in-class presentations

Activities: text readings, class lecture and discussion, internet search and/or library research

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, and written assignments

(Meets EEO #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

E. Students will organize material logically and develop material adequately, providing a written

outline for each speech

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, and written assignments

( Meets EEO #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

In learning to present speeches: A. Students will discover the importance of practicing a presentation prior to presenting it to an

audience

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, and written assignments

(Meets EEO # 1, 2, 4, 6)

B. Students will demonstrate effective oral presentation skills through a series of in-class

speeches.

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion, in-class presentations

Assessment: Evaluated speeches

(Meets EEO # 1, 2, 4, 6)

C. Students will discover effective methods to control stage fright

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion, in-class exercises

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, written assignments

(Meets EEO # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

D. Students will evaluate in-class presentations, either through videotape or by using their

classmates speeches, according to defined criteria.

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion, in-class exercises

Assessment: written assignments

(Meets EEO # 1, 2, 3, 5)

E. Students will distinguish between hearing and listening

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion, in-class exercises

Assessment: Unit tests, final examination, written assignments

(Meets EEO # 1, 2)

F. Students will recall the elements of effective oral communication and the elements of

effective presentation.

Activities: text readings, class lectures and discussion

Assessment: Unit tests and final examination

(Meets EEO # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:

Assigned Written Work (25%): Primarily, this section includes a series of three Unit Tests based on the material contained in

the course textbook. Each test covers four chapters and contains fifty questions. Tests must be

completed in an approved testing center, such as the Kilgore College Testing Center. Each Unit

Test will be available in the testing center for a four day period as stated on the course calendar on

this Web site. Summer testing schedules may vary according to Testing Center policies. Web

students may repeat each test once to earn a better grade, but a 24-hour waiting period is required

between tests. However, if a student does repeat a Unit Test, the second grade will be the recorded

grade for the test even if it is lower than the first grade.

For each chapter, McGraw-Hill, the textbook’s publisher, offers a practice test on its interactive

web site. These tests are also available on the SPCH 1315 web site. Web students are strongly

encouraged to use these practice tests to review each chapter before taking the Unit Tests.

Students must have a passing average of 70 or above on the unit tests in order to proceed to

the Speaking Assignments Unit.

Each web student is required to turn in a typed outline of his/her speech according to the

semester schedule provided by the course instructor; failure to turn in the required outline at the

required time will result in the student’s losing his/her speaking space and receiving a grade of

“0” for that speech.

For the web-based course, due dates for student speech outlines will be posted on this website

and/or emailed to course participants by the beginning of the semester.

Speaking Assignments (40%): Each student enrolled in Speech 1315 is expected to complete four speeches during the period of

time set aside for student speeches. Each speech is assigned a numeric grade ranging from "0" to

"100." At the end of the time allotted for student speeches, the student's "Speaking Assignments"

grade (40% of the semester grade) is determined by averaging the grades for his/her four

speeches. In the event that a student does not complete the four speeches within the allotted

speaking time, his/her average is determined by adding together the total score on the speeches

that he/she does complete and dividing that total by four. The Kilgore College speech faculty has

determined that this method is the best way to encourage each student to pursue constant

improvement in his/her speaking assignments.

Students must have a passing average of 70 or above on the Speaking Assignments Unit in

order to proceed to the Final Examination Speech.

When a student fails a speech, his/her failure is almost always due to one or more of the

following problems: (1) he/she is obviously unprepared to speak; (2) he/she fails to meet the

requirements of a specific assignment; (3) he/she plagiarizes material within the presentation, (4)

he/she fails to follow the required dress code for speakers; or (5) he/she reads a speech rather than

delivering it extemporaneously. Any one of these situations occurring in a student's speech

results in an automatic grade of "F" (50) for that speech. These grades of “F” are absolute

and non-negotiable.

In addition, each of the "Speaking Assignments" categories has a specific time requirement. Each

student must keep his/her presentations within these time requirements. A penalty of one point

per five seconds is deducted from the student's grade for all deviations from the required

5

time limits on each speech. A speech that is one minute or more too short or one minute or

more too long will automatically receive a grade of “F.”

For the web-based course, several weeks of the term are allotted for student speeches. The

student must complete his/her speeches according to the SPCH 1315 calendar published on this

website and/or emailed to the class participants by the instructor. In general, there is no set order

for the student speeches: the student is free to choose topics from the "Speaking Assignments" list

in any order he/she chooses.

Final Examination Speech (20%)

The Final Examination Speech is in addition to the four speeches made during the "Speaking

Assignments" section of the course and is given near the end of the course term. This speech must

be no shorter than seven minutes and no longer than twelve minutes in length.

As the single most important speech of the semester, the Final Exam Speech should be carefully

written and rehearsed, and it must be presented extemporaneously. Again, a final copy of the

student’s typed outline must be submitted according to the course schedule. Like the other

speeches, this speech is given a numeric grade ranging from "0" to "100." A penalty of one point

per five seconds is deducted from the student's grade for all deviations from the required time

limits for this speech. And, a speech that is one minute or more too short or one minute or

more too long automatically receives a grade of “F.”

All class policies certainly apply to the Final Examination Speeches. Specific guidelines and/or

requirements for the web-based Final Exam Speech will be posted on this website and/or emailed

to the class participants by the instructor prior to the speech’s due date.

Written Final Examination (15%): This comprehensive test will be given during the period set aside for final exams on the Kilgore

College calendar. It will include the material from the textbook as well as any pertinent material

discussed during the semester.