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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "COM 101-2"
COURSE NAME: "Public Speaking: Oral Rhetoric and Persuasion"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2014
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brian Thomson
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
-Winston Churchill

In this course we will be examining in depth the skills that contribute to successful public speaking, from the classical canons of rhetoric to the use of new media on a public stage that continues to evolve with every advance in technology. Although the course naturally focuses on overcoming stage-fright, organizing your thoughts into logical arguments, structuring a thesis statement and supporting it with rigorous reasoning and pertinent evidence, and presenting compelling and persuasive ideas to an audience, we will also explore what it means to be a member of the audience and how the practice of contemporary rhetoric demands critical listening skills.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Overview of rhetorical theory and the ethics of public speaking
Listening skills and criticism
Selecting topics
Thinking about the audience
Organizing and delivering different types of speeches (informative, deliberative, persuasive, etc.)
Using language effectively
Research, supporting materials, and visual aids

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course you should be able to confidently prepare and present a 10-15 minute speech that logically develops an idea and persuasively addresses the intended audience. You should understand the proper use (and recognize the abuse) of quotations, statistics, and multimedia elements, including the swings and roundabouts of PowerPoint presentations. You should be able to efficiently research a speech using a variety of sources, including interviews. As a listener, you should understand how speakers use classical and contemporary rhetorical devices to persuade their audiences, and you should be able to assess the content, style, and ethics at play on the public stage.

TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Informative Speech 20
Critical Speech 20
Persuasive Speech 20
Persuasive Speech with Multimedia Presentation 20
Peer Reviews 12
Homework and participation 8

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
You are expected to attend class regularly. More than two unexcused absences will result in dropping a letter grade. Owing to time constraints, failure to deliver a speech on your assigned day will result in a failing grade for that speech.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Week One
  • The Five Canons
  • Showing and Telling

Week Two

  • Getting a response: The Three Appeals
  • Show and Tell

Week Three

  • Peer Reviewing
  • Brainstorming

Week Four

  • Informative Speeches

Week Five

  • Organization I
  • Organization II

Week Six

  • Beginnings
  • Endings

Week Seven

  • Critical speeches

Week Eight

  • Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
  • Incentives

Week Nine

  • PSA’s
  • Lying with Statistics

 

Week Ten

  • Persuasive Speeches

Week Eleven

  • Sources and fallacies
  • Persuasion (Kunstler on Urban Planning)

 

Week Twelve

  • Solutions (Mark Thomas on SOCA)
  • Avoiding Powerpoint disasters

Week Thirteen

  • Media Workshop

 

Week Fourteen

  • Persuasive speeches with Multimedia Presentation