Academic, Professional, Technical, Trade, Research Books & Journals
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BCCA Contents & Abstracts, Volume 26, 2014
Editor Joseph M. Valenzano III
ISBN 978-0-89641-531-7THE BASIC COURSE FORUM
Wallace, Samuel P. —Student Learning Outcomes: Primary Drivers of Course Design (1-8)
Troester, Rod — Civility as a Central Student Learning Outcome in the Basic and Introductory Communication Courses (9-24)
Upchurch, William R.— Public Address as the Basic Communication Course (25-33)
Kahl, David H.— Basic Course Central Student Learning Outcomes: Enhancing the Traditional with the Critical (34-43)
Patterson, Andrea, Omar Swartz — Social Justice and the Basic Course: A Central Student Learning Outcome (44-56)
ANALYTICAL ARTICLES
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Broeckelman-Post, Melissa A., Angela M. Hosek — Using In-Class versus Out-of-Class Peer Workshops to Improve Presentational Speaking — This study sought to determine whether there is a difference in the effect of in-class and out-of-class peer workshops on Cognitive Learning, Affective Learning, speech grades, Public Speaking Anxiety, Connected Classroom Climate, and Perceived Workshop Value. This study used a within-subjects modified switching-replications design and found that there were no significant differences in the effects of the two types of workshops. However, students preferred in-class workshops, and there is slight evidence that there might be benefits for doing an in-class workshop first so that students can build trust and learn to give and receive better feedback before considering out-of-class workshops. (57-94)
Denker, Katherine J. — Clicking Instead of Speaking: The Impact of Students’ Communication Apprehension on Their Evaluation of Mediated Participation and Learning in the Basic Course — As research has well established the benefits to students of an engaged classroom, faculty are called to transform their classrooms into spaces focused on the learner (Petress, 2001). Though the basic course has traditionally been an engaged space, some formats of the basic course are limiting interaction. Researchers have argued that Student Response Systems (SRS) or “clickers” are one of the most promising technologies in transforming the classroom, particularly with the basic course, and offer venues for engagement for students particularly those who are most prone to avoid interaction. Nonetheless, many claims about these types of pedagogical tools have yet to be fully explored. This study looks to answer the question of how students within the basic course with high communication apprehension evaluate SRS, how they are limited in their participation in the classroom, how apprehension impacts their learning, and how these variables work together to explain more variance. Results indicate communication apprehension significantly predicts many of these variables and works with technology to mediate impact. Practical implications for the basic course, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are offered. (95-142)
LeFebvre, Luke, Leah LeFebvre — The Communication Center at U.S. Colleges and Universities: A Descriptive Overview — Communication centers were originally designed to augment the basic communication course and assist students in the development of their oral communication skills. According to the National Association of Communication Centers (2012), there are currently over 70 communication centers in the United States. This study offers a descriptive investigation of communication centers at colleges and universities from communication center directors. Our purpose is to provide data about the nature and state of centers so that it may inform others about how to develop, maintain, and compare centers’ trends and tendencies. This investigation discusses the following communication center information: (a) institutional context, (b) structure and configuration, (c) services, (d) resources, (e) institution and community impact, and (f) curriculum. Additionally, the study opens a discussion for explanations of the results. Collectively, these findings provide insight into communication centers’ primary purposes and the impact these centers offer for the basic communication course, communication discipline, and higher education. (143-173)
Broeckelman-Post, Melissa A., Melissa F. Tindage, Jewlz M. Shaffer, Chantel Solomon, Sarah J. Black, Mylen F. Yamanoto — Preparing to Learn: Structuring the Basic Course to Increase Student Preparation and Learning — This manuscript investigates whether frequent quizzing might facilitate greater preparation and learning in the Basic Course and tests variations of frequent quizzing through a series of three separate studies in order to identify best practices for using such quizzes. The first study showed that students who were given frequent quizzes performed better on the final exam than students who were given a midterm. The second study showed that frequent online quizzes can be just as effective as frequent in-class quizzes. In the final study, students were given skeletal notes to fill out as they prepared for class, and the results showed that students who were allowed to use their notes performed better than those who could note use their notes on quizzes, but those who did not use their notes on quizzes performed better on the final exam and had greater long-term retention. (174-221)
Paskewitz, Emily A. — Communication Apprehension in Hybrid and Public Speaking Basic Communication Course Textbooks — For students enrolled in the basic communication course, their primary source for information about communication apprehension comes from the course textbook. Previous researchers have content analyzed textbooks for their coverage of communication apprehension in public speaking textbooks, but none have compared hybrid textbooks and public speaking textbooks. Twenty basic communication course textbooks, ten hybrid and ten public speaking, were analyzed for how they address communication apprehension. Results were consistent with previous research regarding communication apprehension in public speaking textbooks, noting few changes over the past 30 years. Implications for the basic communication course, along with suggestions for future research regarding communication apprehension are discussed. (222-252)
