- By Eduardo Magalhaes III
- Jul 18, 2016
- Filed in CC 1 Explicit Instruction, Planning an OC Course, SLO 2 Evaluate Arguments, SLO 3 Credible Evidence, Text
Online textbook on public speaking, which contains a great deal of practical information about how to integrate research into your own original content. The seamless integration of original and sourced material is the core of truly effective and professional communication. Forms in which sourced material can be presented–summary, paraphrase, and quotation–and the reasoning and rules you should follow when deciding which form to use are discussed. There are even exercises at the end of the reading to reinforce your understanding of supporting and developing arguments.
Strengths
Clear and concise text related to specifics of using/finding support and creating arguments. Each chapter includes a variety of exercises and questions on the topics.
Concerns
The book is 622 pages long, and does not have a table of contents, so you have to scroll through the entire PDF to find what you’re looking for. Also, certain sections (such as audience analysis and effective listening) are covered more concisely in other resources.
Recommendation
This would be a very useful resource for the faculty member to develop lectures on various research topics, and find activities that could be shared with students. Students could also be directed to sections to prepare for their speeches. Of particular use to students would be the section from page 140-183, which lists different purposes for OC and talks about how to choose an effective topic, which is often the toughest step for students. The next section goes into depth about how to research a speech. This section could be paired with a discussion/exercise about planning for effective research and evaluating sources (see below).
This can also be paired with a funny discussion about the dangers of spreading misinformation by looking at the Dihydrogen Monoxide hoax from 2013. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4534017/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/local-officials-nearly-fall-ho-hoax/#.V4z7u_krIuU
Strategies for verbally citing sources, organizing your speech, effective introductions and conclusions, and using supporting materials are also discussed in subsequent chapters. On page 316, sample speeches are linked for student analysis.