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Oral Communication Focus
O Focus sections are designated every semester
based on the course/instructor information found in Banner/MyUH.
Faculty members with current, active approvals do not
need to submit a proposal form. As long as they are listed as the
section's instructor of record in MyUH before continuing student
registration begins, their approved Focus designation(s) will be
added to their section(s).
Faculty members who do not have active Focus approval for their
course (or whose approval has expired) should submit a
"Focus form" to request a Focus designation for
their section(s). Department Chairs may submit a
"STAFF" form if
the faculty member is unknown, or a
"COURSE-based" form if the department wishes to designate all
sections of a course every semester.
Click here for all Spring 2009 Focus
proposal forms (in both Word and pdf formats).
Hallmarks of Oral Communication Classes
The faculty on the Oral Communication Focus Board use these Hallmarks when
evaluating proposals for the "O" designation.
O1. Each student will
conduct or participate in a minimum of three oral
communication assignments or a comparable amount of oral
communication activity during the class. In addition, at least
40% of the final grade for a 3-credit course will be a
function of the student's oral communication activities (30%
for a 4-credit course; 60% for a 2-credit course; 100% for a
1-credit course).
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O2. Each student will
receive explicit training, in the context of the class, in
oral communication concerns relevant to the assignment or
activity.
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O3. Each student will
receive specific feedback, critiquing, and grading of the oral
communication assignments or activities from the instructor.
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O4. If
instructor feedback primarily involves individual or paired
students, enrollment will be limited to 20 students. If
instructor feedback primarily involves groups of students,
enrollment will be limited to 30 students.
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| O5. The
course will be numbered at the 300- or 400-level. |
Rationale for the requirement and explanatory
notes
Establishing a Need for Oral
Communication Intensive Classes
There is no shortage of arguments
addressing the need for UHM students to be provided with the opportunity
to improve their oral communication knowledge and skills. To see some
arguments, click here.
Forms/types
of Oral Communication assignments
It is assumed that O classes
will develop assignments responsive to student needs and to the
professional demands the students will face. Consequently a variety of
assignments can be designed to satisfy the O requirement.
- Individual creative/aesthetic
performances (e.g., storytelling, performance of literature,
interpretations and readings)
- Group presentations--
incorporating individual presentations
- Facilitating/Participating in
group discussions and community gatherings
- Chapter/Section presentations
to class
- Individual
presentations/Speeches-- formal/informal
- Panel discussions
- Engaging in outreach
activities that incorporate oral communication skills (e.g., community
teaching, coaching, presenting)
- Various forms of
interviews/interrogations
- Press conference
- Various persuasion/influence
appeals (e.g., sales presentations, solicitations, motivational
presentations)
- Debates (individual and team)
- Critiques of and responses to
others' performance, presentations
Teacher Resources
Resources available:
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Hallmarks & Proposal Form (above)
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Rationale for
an oral communication
requirement
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Oral communication defined
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Types of acceptable
assignments
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Issues to consider when designing O assignments
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Steps to
effective oral communication--typical steps students should follow when
preparing to give an oral presentation
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Communication apprehension
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Helping students manage communication apprehension
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Evaluating
student presentations
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References/Bibliography
Requirements for Students
| NON-TRANSFER STUDENTS
Students are required to complete 1 Oral
Communication ("O" or "OC") class. |
| TRANSFER STUDENTS Transfer students may have reduced
requirements, based on the number of accepted transfer credits. |
| Number of accepted credit hours |
Contemporary
Ethical Issues |
Oral Communication |
| 0-54 |
1 |
1 |
| 55-88 |
1 E or 1 O |
| 89+ |
0 |
0 |
Assessment
Student survey form, survey results,
outcomes statements.
Updated August 25, 2008 |
