Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

Oregon Survey Of Initial Nursing Care For Infants With Cleft Lip ± Palate, Kirsten Joy Lindaas

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the current status of initial nursing services provided by Oregon hospitals to families of newborns with cleft lip ± palate. The research questions asked were: (a) Do hospitals provide assistance to parents of newborns with cleft lip ± palate? (b) Do hospitals identify and refer to craniofacial specialists? ( c) Is level of associated services provided to families of newborns with cleft lip ± palate correlated to the number of births that occur at the hospital in which the infant was delivered? (d) Do hospitals provide inservice education programs in cleft lip and palate? (e) Do hospital …

An Ethnography Of Classroom Interaction In Hoshuko: A Case Study Of The Japanese Supplementary School Classroom, Nobuko Higashi

Dissertations and Theses

Based on the Ethnography of Communication perspective, this study explores the patterns and norms for interaction in a hoshuko classroom setting, as well as the participants' socially-constructed reality of hoshuko schooling. The focus of this study is the classroom communication patterns of the participants of a first grade hoshuko classroom in the U.S.

Hoshuko, Japanese supplementary school, is one type of school for overseas Japanese children which they attend on weekends or after regular, weekday school hours at local schools in their host country. The school is "supplementary" in the sense that the students learn subjects they would have …

A Comparison Of Parent Interview And Direct Assessment Of Receptive Language In Preschool-Aged Children With Cerebral Palsy, Susan Kathleen Livick

Dissertations and Theses

Cerebral palsy is a multiply handicapping condition which may affect motor skills, hearing, sight, speech and cognitive functioning. Assessment instruments which do not rely on an intact sensory and motor system are needed for use with the population with cerebral palsy in order to obtain valid information regarding levels of functioning. The information obtained from the results of modified assessment instruments can be used to plan and implement intervention at the child's current level of functioning.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether or not parent interview/report is a reliable means of assessing receptive communication skills in …

Temporal Characteristics Of Fluent Speech In The Stuttered Utterances Of Children, Dixon Ira Kirsch

Dissertations and Theses

Studies investigating the stuttered speech of children are fewer in number as compared to those exploring adult dysfluency. This is notable as the features that characterize child stuttering are generally thought to be significantly different from those that describe advanced stuttering. Clinical intervention programs currently use timing-based interventions as one means of treating stuttering. As such, acoustic data describing the timing disorder is critical to determining the efficacy of these programs for both children and adults. The present study investigated the difference in duration (in msec) between words of stuttered and nonstuttered utterances of children. The words immediately before and …

A Lay Theory Of Relational Satisfaction With Best Friends In Japan, Eriko Maeda

Dissertations and Theses

Using a total of 529 Japanese college students (275 females, 254 males) living in Japan, the present study employed five sequential stages. First, it explored Japanese people's beliefs about relational satisfaction with best friends and the organization of these beliefs. In order to explore these beliefs and their organization, this study replicated Cole and Bradac's (1994) study of a lay theory of relational satisfaction with best friends, which focused on people from the United States. The study then examined similarities and differences of Japanese beliefs and organization of the beliefs with those of the U.S. Lastly, the study investigated Japanese …

Effects Of Student Nonverbal And Verbal Immediacy Behaviors On Teachers' Behaviors And Perceptions, Nina C. Persi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the education profession, teachers are often hired, retained, or terminated based on their effectiveness at teaching and moreover, their skill in engaging students to learn. Effective teachers promote student learning which involves cognitive, affective and behavioral changes (Bloom, 1956). As Comstock, Rowell, and Bowers (1995) state, “In other words, teachers who communicate positive regard to their students promote student learning” (p. 251).

Numerous studies have sought to identify the particular communication behaviors that a teacher can employ to increase his or her effectiveness in the classroom. Additionally, researchers have been interested in explaining how teachers communicate this positive regard …

Social Skill Training Effects On The Interpersonal Distance And Touch Recognition Abilities Of Second Grade Children, Thomas E. Redden

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effects of training on interpersonal distance and touch recognition abilities among 46 second grade children was evaluated. The children were involved in two, 45 minute training sessions each week for three weeks. Training effects were measured using the Emory Dyssemia Index-Brief Form (EDI-b). The teachers rated the children with the distance and touch subtest ofthe EDI-b. Pre-test and Post-test measures were obtained. A one way analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Alpha was set at .05. There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups prior to training. There was a significant difference between …

Leadership And Listening: Perceptions And Behaviors, Scott D. Johnson, Curt Bechler

Rhetoric and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Recently, however, Bechler & Johnson (1995) made an initial attempt to identify a relationship between perceptions of leadership and perceptions of listening skill. Their study found a significant positive correlations between member perceptions of who was leading the group and member perceptions of which members were the best listeners. “Those subjects ranked as most like a leader were also typically ranked as good listeners…Individuals perceived to be leading the groups were most commonly believed to be listening to the groups” (Bechler & Johnson, 1995, pp.82-83). This essay extends that study, reexamining the relationship between perceptions of leadership and listening and …

Title Page

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Written Feedback In The Basic Course: What Instructors Provide And What Students Deem Helpful, Karla Kay Jensen, Elizabeth R. Lamoureux

Basic Communication Course Annual

Although the issue of speech evaluation has been a mainstay in our discipline, an updated discussion of written feedback merits our attention. To revisit this topic, this two-part content analysis first reveals the type of written feedback instructors offer students in basic public speaking classes.

Building on these findings, the second part focuses on student perceptions of the helpfulness of the written feedback. The findings are collectively discussed and their implications for written evaluations of students' oral performances are considered. Any instructor who has labored over written critiques, wondering whether students actually read and/or use the comments can value from …

Computer-Mediated Learning Environments: Theory And Research Into Practice, Chris R. Rasch

Basic Communication Course Annual

Information technology is furnishing modes of accessing and manipulating knowledge which are radically different from those offered by the traditional curriculum. Teaching effectiveness in the basic course is likely to depend increasingly on understanding the nature, function, benefits and potential costs of computer-mediated communication. The purposes of this article are to: (1) review theory and research illuminating the potential benefits and costs of computer-mediated instruction, (2) suggest some starting points for implementing computer-mediated instruction, and (3) identify factors which are likely to influence the effectiveness of teaching in computer-mediated environments.

The Use Of Simulation In The Beginning Public Speaking Classroom: Let's Make It Realistic, Relevant And Motivating, John J. Miller

Basic Communication Course Annual

This article offers the instructional method, the simulation, as an alternative public speaking assignment in the beginning public speaking course. The three phases of simulation, play, debriefing, and journal writing, are described. Simulations should be realistic and relate to student goals, interests, or career aspirations. As a result, the assignment has two benefits. Simulation creates a clear rhetorical situations which aids students in the topic selection process. Further, its relevancy to the student increases the motivation to learn the art of public speaking.

A Commentary: The Basic Communication Course, General Education And Assessment, Lawrence W. Hugenberg, Barbara S. Moyer

Basic Communication Course Annual

The importance of developing student communication skills in a general education program is a focal point of each college and university accrediting agency in the United States. However, course directors and faculty frequently find themselves at the center of a controversy when trying to include a basic communication course in skill development in a general education program. This article develops a case for the inclusion of a basic communication course in a general education program.

Back Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 9

Basic Communication Course Annual

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The Em-Powter-Ing Of America: Using Info-Mercials To Teach Persuasion And Popular Discourse In The Basic Communication Course, Daniel W. Heaton

Basic Communication Course Annual

This article describes how a critique of Susan Powter's "Stop the Insanity!" info-mercial provides educators with an effective, class-tested, and fun assignment to be included in the persuasion section of a basic communication course. This assignment provides students with an excellent example of a message from popular discourse that follows Monroe's Motivated Sequence. It also facilitates discussion of several key issues related to persuasion in general. Additionally, because this activity uses a popular discourse text, students enhance their critical thinking skills and become more critical consumers of messages they receive through popular discourse.

Three Metaphors For The Competencies Acquired In The Public Speaking Class, Michael Osborn

Basic Communication Course Annual

The many skills taught in the basic public speaking class come together in three fundamental metaphors. The first of these, the speaker as builder, suggests we need to shape our surroundings through the spoken word. The second, the speaker as weaver, includes the arts of shaping symbols into the fabric of a speech, and of designing evidence and proofs into the tapestry of argument. The third, the speaker as climber, emphasizes overcoming interference. Barriers of fear, indifference, suspicion, and cultural variation recede as speakers and listeners learn to climb them.

Perceptions Of Basic Communication Texts: Factors In Student Learning And Textbook Adoption Decisions, Donald D. Yoder, Robert A. Davilla

Basic Communication Course Annual

The purpose of this study is to assess existing pedagogical assumptions about basic communication course textbook features. Two separate surveys were administered to students (N= 1,379) and instructors (N= 118) in basic communication courses at 15 colleges and universities.

The findings of the study are twofold. First, students and teachers differ in their perceptions of usefulness of textbook pedagogical features. Second, students perceive basic course texts to be less difficult and less theoretical though more interesting, enjoyable, relevant, and practical than other introductory course texts. When making publication and text selection decisions, the findings help authors and teachers better choose …

Persuasive Effects Of Story And Statistical Evidence, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

The persuasive effects of story and statistical evidence were examined for three different message topics. Students (N = 100) read three story or statistical messages and completed post-test measures, including ones involving beliefs and cognitive responses. A two-way interaction between message topic and evidence indicated that the persuasiveness of evidence varied by message topic. Exploratory analyses revealed that statistics were rated as more scientific and less personal than stories, but these characteristics of evidence were not related to persuasiveness.

Front Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Author Information

Basic Communication Course Annual

Biographical information about those who contributed scholarly content to this issue.

The Juice Is Loose?: A Qualitative Study Of Employees’ Perceptions Of Informal And Formal Communication Channels, Warren Jerome Brown

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how employees perceive formal and informal communication channels within their organizational experiences. This study sought to answer two questions: One, what are employees' perceptions of formal and informal communication channels? Two, what similar or dissimilar perceptions of formal and informal communication channels emerge from interview and observational data? I selected eight respondents from the greater Olympia, Washington and Seattle, Washington areas. Each respondent was purposely selected based upon their rich experiences across different sizes of and public/private structures of organizations. Additionally, I conducted seven observations within a medium-sized (50 -75 employee) public …

Gangstas, Niggas, Bitches And Hos : A Narrative Analysis Of Gangsta’ Rap Lyrics, Darnell A. Watson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines gangsta' rap as a form of narrative. It addresses the following questions: 1) Is gangsta' rap a form of narrative; most significant characterizes the 2) if yes, which narrative elements are to interpreting the stories; 3) what elements which are most significant to interpreting the stories and 4) what kinds of stories are being told? Data for the analysis included transcribed lyrics from a representative sample of gangsta' rap recordings. Journal articles, media articles and books germane to understanding the social and cultural context of gangsta rap were also used. It was found that gangsta' rap lyrics …

Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

Editors and manuscript reviewers for Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 9 (1997)

Editorial Policy

Basic Communication Course Annual

The Editor and the Basic Course Commission invite submissions to the considered for publication in the Basic Communication Course Annual. The Annual is distributed nationally to scholars and educators interested in the basic communication course. Articles are accepted for review throughout the year for publication consideration. Manuscripts exploring significant issues for the basic course, research in the basic course, instructional practices, graduate assistant training, classroom teaching tips, or the status, role, and future of the basic communication course are invited. It is incumbent on contributors to establish a position on how the work they seek to have published advances knowledge …

Contents

Basic Communication Course Annual

Table of contents and abstracts for all articles in the volume

Culture Shock In The Basic Communication Course: A Case Study Of Malaysian Students, Eunkyong Lee Yook

Basic Communication Course Annual

Malaysian students compose a large student group coming to the U.S. for higher education. Despite these numbers, however, there has been little attention given to their culture shock in the classroom. The present study investigates the concerns of Malaysian students in the basic communication course. Through interviews with Malaysian students, this study concludes that Malaysian students perceive having three major problems in presenting speeches in basic communication courses.

The first problem is the language barrier. Another is that certain nonverbal behaviors such as gesturing and talking in a loud tone are seen as disrespectful in their culture. Third, they have …

Two Heads Are Better Than One? Setting Realizable Goals In The Basic Course, Glen Williams

Basic Communication Course Annual

Establishing goals is central to the success of the basic course. The degree to which those goals are realized depends, in large measure, upon the manner in which they are established and reviewed. This article assists course directors and instructional staff by examining the process of defining objectiveness, a process which encompasses goals, mission, and vision and which benefits from widespread, active involvement. This article presents sample objectives for consideration, and it notes the conditions under which the process of defining objectives thrives or is threatened.

"Blame It On Intake” : A Critical Ethnography Of The Negotiation Of Access To Shelter Services In A Shelter For Homeless And Battered Women, Kathleen Marie Drew

Dissertations and Theses

Even though the number of homeless women has increased among a population viewed as typically male (Merves 1992), there is still little research focused on women. This study investigated the communicative practices in and through which gendered identity was constructed, negotiated and performed at a point of rupture when the norms for judging a "good woman:"--that is woman as wife, as mother, and as homemaker appear to have been violated. The negotiation of access into an urban shelter for homeless and/or battered women provided a rich site for the study. The research was grounded in the assumptions of symbolic interaction …

An Ethnographic Study Of Chinese Adolescent Identity In Taipei, Taiwan : Franchise Hangouts, Jui-Fang Ruby Chen

Dissertations and Theses

One of the discriminating changes that Taiwan is experiencing is a shift in young people's view of "self," manifested in and through their daily activities within its cultural context (Yang, 1981). The question arises, how do Taiwan's adolescents shape their view of "self' within this contemporary context at the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures? This thesis examined on how Chinese adolescent identity was constituted symbolically in and through their speech practices within a public social context, a typical Westernized dining place--McDonald's, a U.S. fast food restaurant, and how such a locale both served and made sense by these urban …