In Exploring Public Speaking, especially in its second through fourth editions, we have attempted to create a usable, zero-cost textbook for basic public speaking courses or courses that include basic public speaking skills as one of their primary learning outcomes. The free, open nature of the text means that instructors are able to use all or part of it, and add their own materials.

We believe this text addresses all the subjects that traditional publishers’ books would address in an appropriate writing style and with appropriate college-level learning theory in mind. The appendices address some additional topics that might be excluded from most texts, but that we believe add to the experience: learning theory, plagiarism, speaking online, speaking to diverse audiences, and humor in public speaking. In the third and fourth editions we have added “case study” examples and some different outline samples.

We think this book is especially useful in coverage of PowerPoint, audience analysis and responsiveness, ethics in public speaking, persuasion, special occasion speeches, and structure of speeches. Because it was written by communication professors with decades of experience in the classroom, we are aware of the needs of basic public speaking students. Three ancillaries are currently available: electronic “flash cards” for study, PowerPoint slide decks on the 15 main chapters, and test banks for the 15 main chapters. As the website is developed, it will include videos of student speeches.

A writing practicum associated with 11.200 and 11.205 that focuses on helping students present their ideas in cogent, persuasive arguments and other analytical frameworks. Reading and writing assignments and other exercises stress the connections between clear thinking, critical reading, and effective writing.

This course systematically examines the elements of an effective speech and goes through an element-by-element examination of the essentials of public speaking, while also identifying traits of the individual speaker and how they affect preparation and presentation. This course also demonstrates specific, performance-oriented aspects of public speaking. The themes of information and ethics tie these elements together and are emphasized in every part of the course because they are vitally important to all communicators.

Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies overviews the time-tested conceptual foundations of the field, while incorporating the latest research and cutting-edge applications of these basics. Each chapter will include timely, concrete, and real-life examples of communication concepts in action.

A key feature of this book is the integration of content regarding diversity and organizational communication in each chapter through examples and/or discrete sub-sections. Discussions of diversity are not relegated to feature boxes. Also integrated into the content are examples that are inclusive in terms of race, gender, sexuality, ability, age, marital status, religion, and other diverse identity characteristics.

The first two weeks of this course are an overview of performing improvisation with introductory and advanced exercises in the techniques of improvisation. The final four weeks focus on applying these concepts in business situations to practice and mastering these improvisation tools in leadership learning.

In Exploring Public Speaking, especially in its second through fourth editions, we have attempted to create a usable, zero-cost textbook for basic public speaking courses or courses that include basic public speaking skills as one of their primary learning outcomes. The free, open nature of the text means that instructors are able to use all or part of it, and add their own materials.

We believe this text addresses all the subjects that traditional publishers’ books would address in an appropriate writing style and with appropriate college-level learning theory in mind. The appendices address some additional topics that might be excluded from most texts, but that we believe add to the experience: learning theory, plagiarism, speaking online, speaking to diverse audiences, and humor in public speaking. In the third and fourth editions we have added “case study” examples and some different outline samples.

We think this book is especially useful in coverage of PowerPoint, audience analysis and responsiveness, ethics in public speaking, persuasion, special occasion speeches, and structure of speeches. Because it was written by communication professors with decades of experience in the classroom, we are aware of the needs of basic public speaking students. Three ancillaries are currently available: electronic “flash cards” for study, PowerPoint slide decks on the 15 main chapters, and test banks for the 15 main chapters. As the website is developed, it will include videos of student speeches.

Instructors: The Third Edition includes a set of test banks which are not available to the public. For access to these resources, please contact Dr. Barbara Tucker at btucker@daltonstate.edu.

Exploring Public Speaking: The Free College Public Speaking Textbook began as the brainchild of Dr. Kris Barton, Chair of the Department of Communication at Dalton State College. It also was made possible through a generous Textbook Transformation Grant in 2015 from Affordable Learning Georgia, a highly successful program of the University System of Georgia. Dr. Barton asked me to help him author/compile the text.

The goal was to provide a high-quality, usable, accessible, and low-cost textbook for the hundreds of students who take COMM 1110 at Dalton State College every year. This course is required of all degree-seeking students. We have been able to save students hundreds of thousands of dollars already with this text. Unexpectedly and happily, the text has also been downloaded close to 14,000 times (as of August 2018) all over the world and has been adopted at many other institutions.

Dr. Barton and I worked on creating the textbook from July 2015 until May 2016, with the goal of going live with the text in Summer of 2016. Tragically Dr. Barton passed away in early May, a reality that still does not seem real. He has been greatly missed as a friend, colleague, father, scholar, teacher, and mentor.

The launch of the book proceeded; however, due to the loss of Dr. Barton, the ancillaries were not finished. In Summer 2017 I took on a significant revision and updating which I named the Second Edition. I included in that edition information on college student success in the appendices. In January 2018, a colleague, Matthew LeHew, and I won a grant from the University System to create the ancillaries and improve the format for more accessibility. I decided to remove the “Dalton State” from the title and most examples for wider appeal. An appendix on library research retains the information for specific use of Roberts Library on our campus.

Over 90% of the book is original with Dr. Barton, me, or other colleagues at Dalton State College. Some parts, specifically from Chapters 9, 10, and 15, are adapted from another open resource public speaking text whose author prefers not to be cited.

This Third Edition, along with including necessary updates and being formatted with different software, includes four more appendices: one on online speaking, one on APA, one on humor and storytelling in public speaking, and one on Dalton State’s Library. I have also tried to clarify concepts, to provide “case studies” to show the rhetorical process, and include more outlines and examples.

We think this book is especially useful in coverage of PowerPoint, audience responsiveness, ethics in public speaking, special occasion speeches, and structure of speeches. Three ancillaries are available: electronic “flash cards” for study, Powerpoints on the 15 main chapters, and test banks for the 15 main chapters.

Thank you for downloading Exploring Public Speaking, and the co-authors and I truly wish you happy teaching and learning with it. We welcome input. If you choose to use it, let us know at btucker@daltonstate.edu.

Exploring Public Speaking: The Free College Public Speaking Textbook began as the brainchild of Dr. Kris Barton, Chair of the Department of Communication at Dalton State College. It also was made possible through a generous Textbook Transformation Grant in 2015 from Affordable Learning Georgia, a highly successful program of the University System of Georgia. Dr. Barton asked me to help him author/compile the text.

The goal was to provide a high-quality, usable, accessible, and low-cost textbook for the hundreds of students who take COMM 1110 at Dalton State College every year. This course is required of all degree-seeking students. We have been able to save students hundreds of thousands of dollars already with this text. Unexpectedly and happily, the text has also been downloaded close to 14,000 times (as of August 2018) all over the world and has been adopted at many other institutions.

Overview: Examines the principles and practices of public speaking, communication theory, and techniques for public speaking. Includes speech organization, development, research, audience analysis, reasoning, and presentation skills for the development of informative and persuasive speeches.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Speaking
Chapter 2: Ethics
Chapter 3: Speaking With Confidence
Chapter 4: Listening Effectively
Chapter 5: Audience Analysis
Chapter 6: Organizing and Outlining
Chapter 7: Introductions and Conclusions
Chapter 8: Delivering Your Speech
Chapter 9: Visual Aids
Chapter 10: Supporting Your Ideas
Chapter 11: Using Language Well
Chapter 12: Informative Speaking
Chapter 13: Critical Thinking & Reasoning
Chapter 14: Persuasive Speaking
Occasion Speaking

This Grants Collection uses the grant-supported open textbook Exploring Public Speaking from Dalton State College:

http://oer.galileo.usg.edu/communication-textbooks/1/

This Grants Collection for Fundamentals of Speech was created under a Round Three ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

This workbook is designed to help faculty guide their students in developing their public speaking skills. When utilized with course lectures and readings, this workbook will provide valuable resources to ensure students' understanding of public speaking. 

This three-week module, centered on a focal case, represents the second part of the Department‰ŰŞs introduction to the challenges of reflection and action in professional planning practice. As such, it builds on the concepts and tools in 11.201 and 11.202 in the Fall semester. Working in teams, students will deliver a 20-minute oral briefing, with an additional 10 minutes for questions and comments, in the last week of the class (as detailed on the assignment and posted course schedule). The teams will brief invited guests (‰ŰĎbriefees‰Ű) taking the roles of decisionmakers. DUSP faculty and fellow students may also be in attendance.

The course is an introduction to the preparation and delivery of oral presentations in an extemporaneous style. Emphasis is on ethical research, critical and logical analysis, and organization of informative and persuasive presentations.

This course assists students in developing oral communication skills. Students will be able to speak effectively and comfortably to audiences; explain the nature, value, and requirements of effective public speaking; speak effectively to groups in an academic environment; speak effectively to groups in a non-academic environment; apply principles of cultural diversity to public speaking; and, employ effective information literacy techniques in public speaking.Login: guest_oclPassword: ocl

This website offers an assortment of virtual tools to help users improve their public speaking skills. A variety of speech professionals who are dedicated to providing free and low cost instructional materials contributed their original work. The project is growing and we will be adding and updating the content regularly. Please note this site is under construction - but we are working hard to add content as quickly as possible. If you find our website useful, please share it with others.

This course instructs students in the basic communication skills required to compose and deliver effective public speeches and professional presentations. Students study, create, deliver, and evaluate various types of speeches, including impromptu, informative, persuasive, storytelling, and special occasion speeches as well as an “elevator pitch” designed to prepare them for future employment opportunities.

This course is SPCH 1315: Public Speaking created in Canvas. The export file and link to Canvas Commons can be found below.

This report shares the results of an OER Gap Analysis completed by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The analysis identified free, openly licensed full courses and textbooks for 25 highly transferable, high-enrollment courses required for two-year or four-year degree paths in high-wage/high-demand fields. Most courses selected for the scan are also Texas Core Curriculum courses. Texas high-wage/high-demand fields were identified using data from the Texas Workforce Commission and included nursing, business, accounting, computer science, engineering, and health administration. The following courses needed for multiple degree paths in these fields were selected for the scan:Science: Anatomy and Physiology I and II; Biology I; Chemistry I; Physics IMath: College Algebra; Elementary Statistical Methods; Pre-Calculus; Calculus I; Calculus IISocial Sciences: Texas Government; Federal Government; General Psychology; Introduction to Sociology; Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of MicroeconomicsHumanities: US History I and II; Introduction to Ethics; Introduction to Philosophy; Public Speaking; Composition I; Composition IIBusiness: Business Computer Applications; Principles of Finance

Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy is a contemporary, interdisciplinary public speaking textbook that fuses rhetoric, critical/cultural studies, and performance to offer an up-to-date resource for students. With a focus on advocacy, this textbook invites students to consider public speaking as a political, purposeful form of information-sharing.