Syllabus
Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals
COMN 1010: Public Speaking
Credits - 3
Description
This public speaking course will examine the core principles and contexts of communication, specifically in oral presentations. You will learn to recognize the interrelationships among speaker, listener, context, organization, language, and delivery. The course will include information on proper techniques for research, writing, and delivering oral presentations, as well as the preparation of audio visuals to enhance semester presentations. Students will also learn and demonstrate skills in argumentation, listening, and critical thinking.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Course Objectives
Students will:
- Compose and structure information that is appropriate for a particular purpose, listener, and occasion
- Develop research skills and techniques for specific rhetorical situations
- Organize, develop, and adapt messages for the intended audience
- Compose thoughtful and cohesive written and oral communications
- Evaluate presentations for efficacy
- Demonstrate performance skills associated with the five basic components of effective individual oral presentations including content, organization, physical expression, vocal delivery, and language
- Prepare audio, video, and slideware presentations based on basic design principles
SELF PACED DESIGN
On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.
Assignments
- Activities – These practice activities are worth 10 points, and they provide a start to working on items that are worth more points in the course.
- Quizzes – Each reading in this course includes a 5-question quiz that covers the assigned content. All of these are composed of multiple choice and true/false questions. The time limit for this assignment is 10 minutes.
- Final Exam – The final exam consists of 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions. It will be similar in style to the quizzes, and it will cover all assigned readings from the course. This is a closed book, proctored exam worth 100 points.
- This exam must be taken through ProctorU. See UNE’s Online ProctorU Site for information about signing up and scheduling your exam. The official UNE webcam is required (see the Course Materials section, above, for more information).
- Discussion Posts – A discussion, either written or video, is required each week. These will be in response to a posted video or article provided by the professor. Each student is responsible for providing an initial written post or video comment on the selected item. They will then respond in writing to two of their classmates’ posts. Each initial post is worth 10 points, while the follow-up posts are worth a combined 5 points. The initial written posts must be approximately 500 words in length, while the follow-up posts are about 50 words in length. The video posts should be approximately 90 seconds in length.
- Speeches – Four speeches are required for this course: a special occasion speech, an informative speech, a persuasive speech, and a subject matter expert speech.
- Bibliographies – Three bibliographies are required. These need to be written in APA (7th ed.) style, and they will cover the sources utilized for three of the class speeches.
- Outlines – Three outlines are required. These need to be written in APA (7th ed.) style, and they will cover the content planned for the associated speeches.
- Papers – A reflection paper is required after each major speech in the course as well as at the conclusion of the semester. These papers ask students to think about their speech presentations and evaluate them in a constructive manner. Each paper should be approximately 800 words.
- Podcast project – A short podcast is the final project for this course. This will include production elements, such as music or sound effects. The length of this assignment is approximately 5 minutes.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment Category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Activities and Discussion Posts | 23% |
| Quizzes and Final Exam | 17% |
| Speeches and Podcast Project | 40% |
| Bibliographies, Outlines, and Papers | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
|
Week |
Topic |
Readings/Resources |
Assignments |
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1 |
The Basics of Public Speaking |
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2 |
Delivery |
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3 |
Special Occasion Speaking |
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4 |
Ethics in Public Speaking |
Chapter 3 |
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5 |
Informative Speeches and Audience Analysis |
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6 |
Research and Support |
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Chapter 7 Quiz
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7 |
Organizing, Outlining, and Writing Introductions and Conclusions |
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8 |
Language |
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9 |
Persuasive Speaking |
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10 |
Logical Reasoning |
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11 |
Presentation Aids in Speaking |
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12 |
Communication in the Real World |
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13 |
Group Presentations |
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14 |
Podcasting |
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15 |
Podcasting, Part 2 |
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16 |
Final and Course Reflection |
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Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Student Lounge
The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.
Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.
Policies
Proctored Examinations
Your course may have proctored exams. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.
Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded any required additional software. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.
Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.
Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.
Exam Attempts Policy
Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade. Students can schedule their second attempt by following the same ProctorU instructions as with the original exam.
All students are encouraged to utilize a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.
Course Discussions
Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.
To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.
Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.
Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Length
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.
- Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
- Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..
Transcripts
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.
Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework
Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.
In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.
Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.
Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.
Citing AI Use
If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools.
Instructor responsibility
Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester.
Student responsibility
Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.