COM 231 Public Speaking

Lecture: 3 Lab: 0 Clinic: 0 Credits: 3

This course provides instruction and experience in preparation and delivery of speeches within a public setting and group discussion. Emphasis is placed on research, preparation, delivery, and evaluation of informative, persuasive, and special occasion public speaking. Upon completion, students should be able to prepare and deliver well-organized speeches and participate in group discussion with appropriate audiovisual support.

This course has been approved for transfer under the CAA as a general education course in Humanities/Fine Arts (Substitute). This is a Universal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC) course.

Pre-requisite(s): DRE 097 or ENG 002
Course is typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
At completion of the course, the student should be able to do the following:

Prepare well-organized speeches using correct organizational principles such as an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Conduct effective demographic and situational audience analysis.
Use supporting materials effectively and ethically while speaking in class.
Demonstrate effective listening skills as an audience member in the evaluation of others’ presentations, according to guidelines provided in class.
Demonstrate effective verbal and nonverbal delivery skills such as vocal fluency and variety, gestures and eye contact.
Create professional presentation aids that increase clarity, retention, and persuasiveness.