The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore community college student perceptions of taking an online public speaking course within the theoretical construct of the Community of Inquiry model, which describes the manner in which the elements of social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence interact to create an educational experience. An opportunity to participate in the researcher survey was offered to students at two Alabama community colleges enrolled in online public speaking courses from Spring 2022 to Spring of 2023. Twenty-eight students completed the researcher's survey about their online educational experiences in an online public speaking course. Three students who completed the researcher's survey agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview. Review of end of course student evaluations further informed the study. Interpretive analysis of data was utilized to identify themes and provide insights into student perceptions of taking an online public speaking course. The data analysis revealed five major themes: communication, instructor involvement, course design, learner engagement with content, and learner needs. The study results indicated that communication through discussion board participation was a major source of engagement for online students taking an online public speaking course, instructor support was perceived, and students requested more interaction with the instructor. The study results further demonstrated that student engagement with content influenced the students learning preferences and learning goals. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]