Oral Communication in the Disciplines

Oral Communication in the Disciplines: A Resource for Teacher Development and Training is divided into three sections. The first section provides a rationale for using oral communication as an instructional tool in various courses and briefly summarizes the strategic framework for the book. This section also identifies two kinds of oral communication assignments/activities, each of which address different instructional outcomes-informal communication activities to facilitate interrogation of course content, and more formal communication activities designed to explicitly develop communication competence. Each of the chapters includes decision-making templates and a number of examples of activities and assignments from various disciplines that could support these goals. The second section addresses student performance complexities unique to oral communication assignments and activities (e.g., managing apprehension, facilitating discussion, navigating group/team work, dealing with difficult interactions, and addressing diversity). Each of these chapters draws on communication research and provides pedagogical strategies for helping students manage the complexities when they emerge. The third section of the book discusses evaluation of oral communication assignments, feedback, and general assessment concerns related to evaluating oral communication. This section provides various strategies for creating rubrics, providing responses, and giving feedback on oral communication activities and assignments. With an Epilogue by Chris M. Anson. About the Authors Deanna P. Dannels is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor in the Department of Communication at North Carolina State University. She is the author of the book Eight Essential Questions Teachers Ask: A Guidebook for Communicating with Students. Patricia R. Palmerton is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Amy L. Housley Gaffney (PhD, Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, North Carolina State University, 2010) is director of the Oral Communication Center at Hamilton College.