Describes an eight-hour module the author uses to teach multimedia presentations to students from the school of computer engineering. Focuses on color and animation, and examining overuse of effects, coordinating the chosen effect and the intended meaning, and altering the style to suit the audience. Includes an outline of assignments and of the…

This book sets out the skills that are necessary for a public speaker to address an audience with confidence and clarity. The book discusses the kinds of speeches a speaker might be called upon to make and gives clear advice on how to prepare, rehearse, and deliver them. It explores the power of humor, helps one deal confidently and persuasively…

The purpose of teaching speech is to give students enough basics and practice so they can become more confident and effective at the podium. Theory may be useful but there is no substitute for practice: students in a speech class taught at a community college gave six speeches during the semester, three of them solo speeches and two in groups. The…

Critical thinking skills are inherent in limited preparation forensic activities which, with some modification, can be successfully incorporated in virtually any classroom situation. Furthermore, extemporaneous and impromptu speaking provide educators with certain advantages over debate activities in terms of assessment and classroom logistics. In…

Integrating theory and practice, this book is designed to teach presentation skills to students of technical communication, whose careers will involve making complex scientific and technical information accessible to a variety of audiences (including lay audiences). It focuses exclusively on technical communication and provides a rich,…

Noting that fear of public speaking is shared by people of all types, the second edition of this book offers practical, easy-to-follow strategies for confident and effective public speaking. The book discusses the following aspects of public speaking: what to talk about; how to research a topic; how to organize a speech; how to keep an audience…

An essayist shares ideas on the making of good speeches. Elements recommended include establishing rapport early, structuring the speech well, using language for movement, making the most of the occasion, focusing comments carefully, phrasing well, communicating purpose, having a theme, avoiding problematic vocabulary, and arriving at completion.…

To bridge the gap between broad philosophical claims about the value of forensics and actual current practices and experiences, the concept of the "total" forensic program offers critical components that are educationally valid with numerous advantages for participants and sponsoring departments. The total approach is defined as the most…

Proposes and analyzes Video Audience Simulation Technique (VAST), an electronic instructional aid related to video robotics, used to simulate audiences for public speakers, providing realistic speech rehearsal, instructor control of audience feedback to facilitate learning, and portrayal of specialized audiences unavailable in normal instructional…

Audience adaptation is a concept that is heavily stressed in the basic public speaking course. One way to introduce students to a new audience is by using feature film clips as hypothetical examples. Clips heighten student interest without sacrificing academic rigor while allowing observation and evaluation of communication processes in action.…

A study examined some of the reasons behind communication apprehension. The participants were 240 students (120 men and 120 women) from a southern community college enrolled in the basic public speaking course. Their writings were collected over a period of 7 years and selected randomly for analysis. The second week of the semester, students were…

This paper presents six original in-class activities for audience analysis and adaptation before, during, and after a speech presentation in a basic public speaking course. The activities in the paper combine audience information surveys, demographic traits, situational traits, adaptation strategies, adjustment to audience feedback, and self…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to constructing and delivering speeches in the English language for a variety…

Designed to help any person develop the communication skills required for the global business environment, this book teaches not only the basics but also many of the finer points of communication. The book features: (1) the five keys to successful communication; (2) how to use words and body language effectively; (3) how to communicate in the…

A close examination of nine popular speech textbooks was conducted to determine how adequately and accurately they covered researching in the library and its importance in the speechmaking process for the student. Results indicated that the texts did not emphasize critical thinking skills; they also contained an inappropriate emphasis on online…