Designing and Developing an e-Learning Course: Public Speaking and Business
Communication Skills _ PSC201
List three to five (3-5) learning outcomes for the first three (3) weeks of instruction. Name this item
�Learning Outcomes: Weeks 1-3.�
Build a weekly schedule for these three (3) weeks that includes: (a) topic(s) and (b) learning outcomes
that are aligned with these topics. Name this item �Weekly Schedule: Weeks 1-3.�
Designing and Developing an e-Learning Course: Public Speaking and Business
Communication Skills _ PSC201
Course Description
This course is an online course in Public Speaking and Business Communication Skills.
The course offers an introduction to effective communication with an emphasis on public
speaking. Public speaking and business communication are essential skills required to succeed in
professional and social life. Effective communication skills enable one to creating powerful
messages and communicate them in a manner that is appropriate to their audience. Acquiring
business presentation competencies enables professionals to create and make simple, clear and
compelling presentations, and to deliver them effectively formal audiences in any situation.
The goals of this course are to teach voice and body language, content and structure
audience engagement and quality of execution in making public speeches and formal
presentations. Voice and body language will teach skills in vocal projection, pace, breathing,
stance, posture, gesture and movement. Content and structure will teach students how to make
preparations, organization of content, narrative and framing messages, and using visual aids in
9 Running Head: COURSE IN: PUBLIC SPEAKING AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
presentations. Audience engagement will teach how to connect and interact with the audience,
how to secure and maintain their attention, how to earn their interest and respect, and how to
manage questions and discussions. Quality of execution will teach students how to effectively
deliver presentations with confidence, authority and intended impact.
Public speaking instills fear in many individuals and thus can be daunting, but confidence
and competence in communicating to audiences can indeed be learnt and practiced to perfection.
Students are welcome to take this stimulating and inspirational short course in public speaking.
In the eight week duration of the course, students will build presence, confidence and authority
necessary to captivate an audience and make effective public presentations.
Instructional Materials
Required materials
Books:
Lucas (2015). Art of Public Speaking (12 th Ed.). McGraw Hill
O’Hair, D., Stewart, R. and Rubenstein, H. (2007). Speaker’s Guidebook: Text and
Reference (3 rd Ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s
This text book gives detailed guidelines on how to develop written speeches and business
presentations. The text book resources provide
Supplemental materials
Nikitina, Arina (2011). Successful Public Speaking.
This e-book explains the foundational aspects of persuasion for public speaking. The e-
book is useful for learning how to make convincing persuasion in formal situations
Videos:
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Harrington, Andy (2013). Video: Public Speaking Tutorial . Accessed from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzf7z-VfSbs
This video presentation presents tips about being a successful public speaker. The video
explains steps of preparing a great speech and explains certain essentials relating to confidence
for a good public speaker. The video presentation is relevant for the course in visually explaining
to students the practical aspects of public speaking.
Learning Outcomes
In the first three weeks of this course, students will learn how to:
- Plan, prepare and structure presentations effectively
- Manage nerves and exude confidence
- Establish rapport and engage an audience
- Deliver speeches professionally with formal style and intended impact, and
- Design and make powerful, compelling visual aids for use in public presentations.
Instructional Strategies
In teaching effective public speaking skills, the course will use video replay alongside
lecture notes to provide constructive and practical personal coaching that instructs on key
learning points. Materials used will deepen the student’s knowledge on best practices and what
works in public communication.
The course will seek to empower the student in interpersonal skills using role-play and
structured practical exercises in vocal communication and presentation, breathing exercises and
9 Running Head: COURSE IN: PUBLIC SPEAKING AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
body language. This will enable students to learn by doing in teaching students to enhance their
stage presence.
The instruction will require students to complete multiple choice and writing tests, and
make brief Power-point presentations on their own subject of knowledge and interest. This will
evaluate students on their level of competence in writing and speaking, and performance.
Weekly Schedule
Week One: In the first week, students will learn the basics of public communication and
writing speeches, and the qualities of effective speakers.
Topic 1: Public Communication and Writing Speeches
The learning outcomes for this module are
- Reading and writing formal speeches and presentations using correct grammar,
punctuation, and spelling - Expressing oneself accurately, clearly, vividly, and appropriately following a critical line
of thought - Organizing and supporting a persuasive argument
Topic 2: Proper Preparation, Planning and structuring - Selecting, narrowing and focusing on topics for speech and presentation
- Researching material to generate speeches and presentations
- Adapting the speech to the specific audience being addressed
- Supporting ideas with concrete evidence and sound reasoning
- Organizing the message for effective communication
- Generating speaking and presentation notes from a full speech manuscript
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Discussion questions:
- Explain five guidelines for effective informative discourse in researching information for
use in public speaking - What are the key points to remember in developing, interpreting and expressing ideas
through effective oral and visual communication in public
Required Activities:
Gather, evaluate, analyze and synthesize information relevant to a particular controversial
question or issue in society. Write a short five minute speech in which you develop and
demonstrate a logical position in the form of a perspective, thesis or hypothesis that
acknowledges the ambiguities or contradictions that emerge from the question or issue.
Week Two: In the second week, students will learn basic oral communication skills
necessary for functioning effectively in public social settings and in front of an audience
Topic 3: Managing Nerves and Building Confidence - Speech anxiety and how to deal with it
- Effective speech and delivery techniques
- Principles of vocal projection, pace, breathing and improving your speaking voice for
effective speech delivery - The oral communication process and importance of the speaker-audience situation
- Overcoming potential obstacles in the speaking situation
- Generating audience interest and involvement
- Basic strategies for effective communication and participation in public settings
Topic Four: Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
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- Styles of speech delivery using notes, memorized speech and reading from a text
- Determining the best style of delivery suited to skills and level of experience
- Etiquette, body language and portraying an appropriate image in public occasions
- Nonverbal principles of effective speech delivery stance, posture, gesture and movement
- How the self-concept influences the intrapersonal and public levels of speech
communication - Development of the self-image in public speaking
Discussion questions: - What are the verbal cues that can be used by an audience to interpret the ideas,
competence and validity of a public speaker - What are some of the body postures and gestures that a public speaker can use in
communicating ideas and enhancing the effectiveness of oral communication
Required Activities:
List and explain at least five aspects of etiquette that a public speaker must be aware of when
delivering a speech to a formal audience or business meeting.
Week Three: Best Practices for Developing and Delivering Speeches and Presentations
Topic 5: PowerPoint Presentation and Audio-Visual Excellence - Using visual aids to reinforce and clarify the verbal message
- Critically and creatively analyzing materials obtained from print and electronic sources
- Information acquisition through interviewing, library research
- Creating a research bibliography and taking research notes efficiently
- Distinguishing main points from minor points in oral and written discourse
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Topic 6: Audience Engagement in Delivering Speeches and Making Presentations
- Assessing the credibility and the reliability of claims in sources and supporting materials
- Judging the soundness of evidence for use in public speech and formal presentations
- Assessing the validity of reasoning used in public discourse
- Listening for the main points and supporting materials of a speaker’s message
- Focusing on a speaker’s ideas rather than the style used in delivering the speech
- Maximizing leadership skills for use in formal speaking situations
- Persuasion, audience analysis and credibility
Discussion Questions: - What are the basic issues relating to audience needs, presentation planning and
practicality of reasoning encountered in developing and delivering policy speeches - What methods can be employed in delivering a persuasive presentation to a formal
audience
Required Activities:
Create a nine-minute persuasive Powerpoint presentation in which you persuade the
audience to support or reject a specific question of policy. In writing the speech, you will seek
either agreement or immediate refusal of the policy from the audience.
Assignments:
(a) Quiz: - Explain the communication process as it occurs in a specific context
- Identify elements of ethical speaking
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- Identify levels of listening and ways to improve listening skills
- Analyze an audience and relate a speech topic to that audience
- Write an appropriate goal and thesis for a speech
(b) Writing Assignment:
Write a seven-minute speech that informs the audience about an particular object, concept,
process, or event that is relevant and affects society.
REFERENCES
Anderson, L. E., & Bolt, S. B. (2013). Professionalism: Skills for workplace success (3 rd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Baccarani, Claudio & Bonfanti, Angelo (2015). “Effective public speaking – a conceptual
framework in the corporate-communication field”, Corporate Communications, 20(3),
375-390.
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Claudia, Ann-Marie W. (2015). “Soft skills perceived by students and employers as relevant
employability skills”, Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. Walden University.
Guffey, Mary E. & Loewy, Dana (2010). Business Communication – Process and Product.
South-Western Cengage Learning
Guffey, Mary Ellen & Loewy, Dana (2012). Essentials of Business Communication (9 th Ed.).
South-Western College Pub.
Rattenborg, A. N., Simonds, C. J., & Hunt, S. K. (2010). Public speaking: Prepare, present,
participate (1 st ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Wood, J. T. (2012). Communication in our lives(6th ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
