Introductory Communication Course Research Articles

Can I get better? Exploring mindset theory in the introductory communication course

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mindset theory and public speaking apprehension, interpersonal communication competence, and student engagement in the introductory communication course. The study adapted a mindset theory measure towards specific communication skills. Researchers collected and analyzed data from 1,037 participants gathered at the end of one semester of the introductory communication course. Results showed growth mindset was correlated with higher speech grades, higher interpersonal communication competence, and lower public speaking anxiety. Additionally, multiple regression tests indicated growth mindset and interpersonal communication competence, but not public speaking anxiety, predicted student engagement in the course.

Training the butterflies to fly in formation: cataloguing student fears about public speaking

ABSTRACTThis study catalogues student (N = 828) self-described fears related to public speaking. Specifically, this investigation adds to the knowledge of public speaking anxiety through an initial inductive analysis of students’ fears about public speaking and a second analysis (of different data) to authenticate emergent categories. Resulting categories included both internal and external fears about public speaking, providing meaningful implications for teaching and learning within the introductory communication course.

DESIGN OF AN INTRODUCTORY ENGINEERING DESIGN AND COMMUNICATION COURSE WHICH INTEGRATES FIRST SEMESTER COURSES


 Abstract - In their first semester at UWaterloo, Mechatronics Engineering students take a course which introduces them to their chosen discipline, and which has a focus on communication skills (MTE 100 – Mechatronics Engineering). In 2010, a multi-year refresh of MTE 100 was initiated to address shortcomings in both the course, and the semester as a whole. The first semester instructors have now completed the refresh of MTE 100. Multiple hands-on, integrative activities that connect the other first semester courses to MTE 100 were added throughout the first semester. The introduction of these integrative activities has improved the first semester of the Mechatronics program. Survey data and feedback from end of term course critiques show an increased appreciation of foundational courses like Chemistry. From focus groups conducted with upper year students, there is a strong desire for similar experiences in upper years.

“It was at the library; therefore it must be credible”: Mapping patterns of undergraduate heuristic decision-making

ABSTRACTIn this study, we explore the heuristic decision-making skills of undergraduate students as they incorporate information into their persuasive speeches. We interviewed 26 students enrolled in an introductory communication course to ascertain their information literacy for vetting sources for their public speeches. From their responses, we generated four patterns in students’ heuristic decision-making when they made appeals to justify or legitimize their selection of evidence within their persuasive public speech. We conclude by discussing our findings in the context of information literacy scholarship and providing pedagogical advice for instructors who teach public speaking in the introductory communication course.

Using Rhetorical/Relational Goal Theory to Examine College Students’ Impressions of Their Instructors

Guided by rhetorical/relational goal theory, the purpose of this study was to examine whether students’ impressions of their instructors’ credibility, attraction, and homophily are influenced by four specific rhetorical and relational communication behaviors that instructors use when communicating with their students in the classroom. Participants were 193 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of introductory communication courses at a large mid-Atlantic university. Using a series of multiple regression analyses, it was found that (a) clarity emerged as the sole indicator of instructor competence, trustworthiness, and task attraction; (b) clarity and confirmation emerged as indicators of goodwill; and (c) humor and confirmation emerged as indicators of social attraction and attitude homophily.

Constructing narratives of success in the introductory communication course: Using written self-assessments to understand students’ perceptions of learning

ABSTRACTLearning outcomes assessments are an important aspect of course administration. However, these efforts tend to prioritize the perspective of instructors/administrators. This study seeks to understand how students perceive their learning gains after taking the introductory communication course. In qualitatively analyzing a sample of more than 2,500 student self-assessments, we found that students crafted narratives of success that focused on verbal and nonverbal improvements, provided accounts of growth in confidence, and demonstrated mastery of course principles. These findings incorporated student perceptions of learning and closed the assessment loop by highlighting learning outcomes that need to be better emphasized in the introductory course.

Applying challenge-based learning in the (feminist) communication classroom: Positioning students as knowledgeable change agents

ABSTRACTThis article explores the potential of challenge-based learning (CBL) for feminist pedagogy. In a qualitative case study of an introductory mass communication and social theory course, students were more likely to indicate sophisticated, intersectional understandings of course concepts following the CBL project. Before the CBL project, students spoke tentatively and hypothetically about “making change.” Self-reported ability to take action was defined passively and negatively. In contrast, after the CBL project, students employed positive frames when discussing ability to act, and proposed avenues for action were expanded. The paper concludes with a discussion of how faculty might incorporate CBL.

Complicating audience: A critical communication pedagogy commitment

ABSTRACTCourses: This activity is designed specifically for public-speaking courses, but it could be used in the general introductory communication course. It also holds potential for use in persuasion, argumentation, or strategic communication courses.Objectives: This activity helps students understand audience as a more complicated concept—one that recognizes the power of a speaker in creating and challenging communities and interrogating power through their performative speeches in the courses named above.

A longitudinal analysis of students’ motives for communicating with their instructors

ABSTRACTThis study utilized the longitudinal survey research design using students’ motives to communicate with their instructors as a test case. Participants were 282 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory communication courses at a large Mid-Atlantic university who completed the Student Communication Motives scale at three points (Time 1: second week, Time 2: eighth week, Time 3: 14th week) during the Spring semester. The use of the longitudinal survey research design revealed three motives fluctuated in use: (a) the relational motive was used more at Time 3 than at Time 2, (b) the functional motive was used less between both Time 1 and Time 3 and Time 2 and Time 3, and (c) the sycophancy motive was used less between Time 1 and Time 2, but more between Time 2 and Time 3. The advantages of using a longitudinal survey research design in instructional communication studies are reviewed.

Public speaking versus hybrid introductory communication courses: exploring four outcomes

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to compare student growth in public speaking and hybrid introductory communication skills courses on four outcomes: public speaking anxiety, self-perceived communication competence, intercultural effectiveness, and connected classroom climate. This study also sought to find out whether there were differences in the achievement of outcomes and growth in each outcome by sex and ethnicity. Data from 908 participants utilized a within-subjects and between-subjects repeat measures design. Results showed that public speaking and hybrid communication courses reduced public speaking anxiety and increased self-perceived communication competence and connected classroom climate a similar amount, but did not significantly increase intercultural effectiveness for students overall. Small effects were found for sex on all outcomes and for ethnicity on two outcomes.

The case for core competencies in introductory communication courses

ABSTRACTMost academic disciplines offer an introductory course that presents an overview of the discipline and introduces students to the fundamental principles and core competencies of that discipline. In communication studies, several context-based courses may qualify as “introductory,” e.g., public speaking, introduction to human communication, interpersonal communication, group communication, business and professional communication. Rather than proposing a single, standardized introductory course, this paper advocates the adoption and application of a set of core competencies for all introductory communication courses. This approach justifies the diversity of introductory courses and helps legitimize communication studies as a significant and unique academic discipline. In making the case for applying core competencies to all introductory courses, this essay also describes the benefits of this approach and responds to several common arguments claiming that introductory communication courses are neither appropriate nor critical as general education or graduation requirements.

Understanding the ecology of the public speaking course

ABSTRACTThis essay explores the nested interdependencies and feedback systems that help explain why the “basic” or introductory communication course can only evolve slowly and with difficulty. It considers differences between the basic course and first year composition, and the challenges for bringing them into a closer alignment around a civic theme.

Beyond basic: developing our work in and through the introductory communication course

ABSTRACTHow we describe, develop texts for, and prepare the teachers of introductory courses contributes to the assumption that they are “basic”—merely disciplinary service. Innovation is essential and achieved by drawing complex research into our introductory courses and by making such courses a meaningful component of our research agendas.

The development of a set of core communication competencies for introductory communication courses

ABSTRACTIn most academic disciplines, there is one introductory course that presents an overview of the discipline and introduces fundamental, discipline-specific principles and competencies. However, in Communication Studies, the discipline recognizes and offers multiple course options that may serve as the introductory course. This project sought to identify a set of core communication competencies that should constitute the basis for any and all introductory communication courses within and across a variety of communication contexts. Working in four phases over a three-year period using a modified Delphi method and conducting seven focused group sessions with 125 participants, seven core competencies for the introductory communication courses were identified: Monitoring and Presenting Your Self, Practicing Communication Ethics, Adapting to Others, Practicing Effective Listening, Expressing Messages, Identifying and Explaining Fundamental Communication Processes, and Creating and Analyzing Message Strategies.

Implementing the Political Engagement Project in an Introductory Communication Course: An Examination of the Effects on Students’ Political Knowledge, Efficacy, Skills, Behavior, and Ideology

A repeated measures design was employed to assess the effects of participation in the Political Engagement Project (PEP) on measures of students’ political knowledge, efficacy, general interpersonal skills, skills of influence and action, political behavior, concern for political issues, and political ideology. Results demonstrate that students in PEP sections of an introductory communication course show significantly larger pre- to posttest gains on virtually all of the measures. Specifically, mean scores indicated that both experimental groups (PEP without video and PEP with video) reported significantly greater increases, compared to the control group, in political knowledge, efficacy, general interpersonal skills, skills of influence and action, and political behavior. However, the control group produced significantly greater increases on the concern for political issues measure as compared to the PEP with video experimental group, while showing no significant differences to the PEP without video experimental group. Finally, there were no differences over time for any of the groups on a measure of political ideology.

Competency and Connection: Undergraduate Students and Effective Email Messages

Courses: Introductory communication courses and those requiring email and online communication with the instructor.Objectives: Undergraduate students will engage in class discussion and an out-of-class activity designed to improve their ability to craft professional email messages and potentially increase out-of-classroom interaction with the instructor.

“Hey, I Didn't Say That!”: Teaching Textual Integrity through Misrepresented Quotes

Courses: Introductory Communication Course, Public Speaking, and Business and Professional CommunicationObjective: The goal of this single-class activity is to show students the importance of accurately representing texts while conducting research.

Potentially deceptive health nutrition–related advertising claims: The role of inoculation in conferring resistance

Objective: This study sought to examine the efficacy of inoculation message treatments to facilitate resistance to health nutrition–related (HNR) commercial food advertising claims. Design: Data were collected across three phases extending across a 5-week period conducted over two semesters at a Midwest US university. A 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design was adopted, with multivariate and univariate analyses being used to interpret the results. Setting: Pittsburg, USA. Method: Participants were emerging adult undergraduate students (aged 18–25 years) recruited from introductory communication courses. A total of 167 students participated in Phase 1 of the work, of whom 152 completed Phase 2 and 145 completed Phase 3 (resulting in an 86.8% retention rate). Among these, 45% were men. Results: The results indicated ( F(3, 129) = 9.83, p < .001, partial η2 = .18) that compared to control ( M = 5.20, standard deviation [ SD] = .84), participants who received an inoculation treatment experienced greater Phase 3 attitude strength ( M = 5.73, SD = .77) to the position that eating healthy food is necessary to maintaining a healthy life. Inoculated participants reported greater Phase 3 attitude certainty ( M = 77.15, SD = 19.21) for the above position than the control group ( M = 65.43, SD = 25.48). Inoculated participants held less favourable views towards the source of the HNR claims ( M = 4.80, SD = 1.18) relative to controls ( M = 5.73, SD = 1.36) and generated greater numbers of counter-arguments ( M = 3.90, SD = 1.74) compared to control groups ( M = 2.75, SD = 1.69), thus demonstrating resistance to persuasion. Conclusion: Inoculation was demonstrated to be an effective preemptive strategy against potentially deceptive HNR advertising claims. Hence, it may offer an effective strategy for helping to protect the health-conscious attitudes of emerging adults by providing resistance to the ‘pufferised’ appeals used by many commercial food advertisers.

The Relationship Between Students’ Motives to Communicate With Their Instructors and Classroom Environment

This study examined the relationships between students’ motives for communicating with their instructors (i.e., relational, functional, participatory, excuse making, and sycophantic) and their perceptions of the classroom environment (i.e., classroom climate, classroom connectedness, and personalized education). Participants were 174 undergraduate students enrolled in several introductory communication courses at a large, Mid-Atlantic university. The results indicated that students’ self-reports of their relational, functional, participatory, and sycophantic motives to communicate with their instructors were positively related to their perceptions of the classroom environment, but students’ self-reports of their excuse-making motives were not related to their perceptions of the classroom climate. Future research should examine whether students’ motives to communicate with their instructors remain constant or whether these motives fluctuate over the course of a semester or increase or decrease based on the instructional tasks that normally occur during an instructional period.

Mechanisms of Mindfulness in Communication Training

Mindfulness, an ancient spiritual practice, is becoming an increasingly popular component of communication courses, training individuals to reserve judgment in their dealings with others. However, the effects of mindfulness in communication courses are not well researched. We compared students taking an introductory communication course that included a mindfulness component (N=20) against a control group of students taking an equivalent course without mindfulness content (N=24). Both groups improved in their positive reappraisal tendencies following communication training; however, the groups appeared to differ in how they positively reappraised situations. Only the mindfulness group demonstrated improved mindfulness scores following training, accounting for that group's increases in positive reappraisal, and providing evidence for mindfulness training as one mechanism for reducing negative reactivity in communication.