Education Commons^™

The Basic Course In Speech Communication: An Historical Perspective, Pamela L. Gray

Basic Communication Course Annual

The purpose of this paper is to trace some of the changes that have taken place in the basic course in speech communication through the use of representative literature concerning the basic course.

In addition, a direction for the future, indicated by the literature, will be suggested. This paper should serve as both an historical perspective of this course and a summary of the changes that may have occurred as this course has responded to philosophical/ intellectual and/or pragmatic pressures.

Implications Of Student And Instructor Involvement In The Basic Course, Samuel P. Wallace, Don B. Morlan

Basic Communication Course Annual

The purpose of the study is to test the notion that students in the basic course who possess high levels of communication competence will perform better in and subsequently will be more satisfied with the course than their counterparts with low levels of competence. Results show no support for the initial hypothesis. Further analysis, however, showed that the level of instructor competence has a significant effect on student evaluation of instructors.

Training Or Teaching? A Professional Development Program For Graduate Teaching Assistants, Douglas M. Trank

Basic Communication Course Annual

Basic course directors are urged to consider the range of roles available to them in working with graduate teaching assistants. The key element in establishing an effective professional development program is the development of an appropriate atmosphere where the graduate instructors know they are viewed as valuable members of the faculty. Such a program must remain flexible enough to meet the needs of the graduate instructors and the department it serves. Treating graduate instructors as colleagues and involving them in the process, giving them power and freedom, and valuing the teaching they do benefits the students, the graduate instructors, the …

Teaching Basic Courses: Problems And Solutions, Richard L. Weaver Ii, Howard W. Cotrell

Basic Communication Course Annual

Basic speech courses enroll many students. Basic course instructors are often under great pressure to succeed and to be effective. Because of the numbers of students and the pressures, they experience many problems. Five are discussed in this article: rigor versus leniency, independence versus dependence, theory versus skills, being close versus being distant, and objective evaluation versus subjective evaluation. Solutions to these problems are likely to affect both student and instructor motivation. Solutions are also likely to affect how students perceive instructors. That's why, with respect to basic course instructors, you have to have solutions for the problems.