Hello and Welcome:

Thank you for enrolling in SPC 1608 – Introduction to Oral Communications online at
Seminole State College. My name is Eric Craft, and I would like to welcome you to this
online course. I am looking forward to working with each of you and hope that you
will find the course both enjoyable and informative. My contact information can be
found on the class syllabus. As an online professor I do not have an office or an office
phone, so the best way to stay in touch with me is through e-mail at
crafte@seminolestate.edu.

Welcome to Intro to Oral Communications Online

(In other words, a public speaking course.)

The purpose of this course is to improve the basic skills of speaking and listening.

Course assignments & exercises emphasize preparing and delivering public speeches,
speaking with clarity and variety and listening with literal and critical comprehension.
Course participation is essential to succeed. Activities require students to prepare and
present speeches. Course challenges critical listening skills with peer speech reviews,
and recorded speech evaluations (TEDed,etc.). Focuses on empowering the novice
presenter with the organizational tools, presentation skills, the ethical responsibilities,
and the delivery confidence to persuade and present yourself, information, products,
processes, ideas, and special occasion speeches to peers, friends & family, in the
workplace, academically and professionally.

As an online course, you will need to be audio/video(AV) friendly.

Presentations for this course are completely managed by you, the student. You are
responsible for production work(AV), the script-writing(Outline), and on screen
talent(Presenter). Basically, you need to have strong computer skills to manage and
satisfy course expectations. Please beware that you are responsible for any difficulties
and challenges, to production requirements, like sound quality, video quality, and
editing/uploading. As an instructor, I evaluate quality of speech delivery, overall
presentation & content. If AV production is not college level work, then it will be a
distraction to your audience, which may affect the overall presentation scores. In turn,
this may affect your final course grade. Please take these responsibilities seriously for
your success in this online speech course, or consider taking an on-campus face to face
course at one of the various Seminole State College campuses

Distance Learning Considerations: To succeed in a Web-based course, you

should be motivated, self- directed, and willing to work on your own. This type of
course is not for everyone. If you like to interact regularly in person with a professor
and classmates, this might not be the course for you. If you can solve computer
problems on your own without asking for much help, this type of instruction should
work well for
you. Good time management skills, self-discipline, and motivation are required to
complete a course at a distance. How do you know if you are ready to learn online?
To determine if online learning is right for you, ask yourself these questions:

 Can I organize my time well, even when managing multiple demands?

 Do I have good reading and writing skills?
 Do I use the Internet, e-mail and word processing software regularly?
 Can I spend 10-15 hours a week on each class?
 Do I enjoy working independently?

If you answer “yes” to these questions online learning is a viable option for you.

Class Meetings: All class requirements may be completed online.

Taking classes with Seminole State Online:

Students participating in course work through Seminole State Online may use all on-
campus services as well as the Web-based services through the Seminole State Web site
and myseminolestate.edu, including the helpline Tools. Through myseminolestate.edu,
Seminole State provides each enrolled student with an official e-mail account, which
should be checked every day. For more information,
http://www.seminolestate.edu/livemail/

Students enrolled in online courses should carefully read instructions from faculty and
in course syllabi for additional instructions on communicating throughout the course.

Online, hybrid/blended, and some Web-enhanced/facilitated courses are delivered in

a primarily text-based environment; therefore, reasonably good reading and writing
skills are critical to adequate course participation. Additionally, research has shown
that students who are highly self-directed and manage their time well are more likely
to succeed using these delivery methods. Online courses can be time intensive.
Varying keyboard skill rates can impact the amount of time students spend
completing course work online. It is recommended that students carefully evaluate
their readiness and abilities in these areas before selecting distance learning courses.

Taking an online course is ideal for students with busy schedules and can be more
convenient than an on-campus class. But please remember, online classes are not easier
and do have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-
campus classes. Please budget your time carefully and keep an open line of
communication. If you are having technical problems, problems with your assignments,
or problems that are impeding your progress let me know as soon as possible by
emailing or calling me so that we can work together to ensure your success in the class.

 Taking an online course should be an enjoyable, rewarding experience, but please

remember to set aside uninterrupted time and space to work on your online course.
 Read everything carefully. When you first login to class and have completed the
Syllabus and Course Orientation Quiz, you should familiarize yourself with the
course design. Success depends on your ability and willingness to read carefully and
follow instructions.
 Be willing to participate, and understand the rules of participation. Please review
the “Course Decorum” section in the Syllabus carefully.
 Keep on track and don't fall behind. If you fall behind, it will be extremely difficult
for you to catch up. Find a calendar tool that you can live with and use it to chart all
of your due dates and assignments on a timeline. Set deadlines for yourself and stick
to them. Yes, it is easier said than done, but the reward is that you will save yourself
a lot of frustration and anxiety!
 Vocalize any problems or challenges to me and also the E Learning Office and
the Canvas helpline or chat help. I can help with all course content-related
questions, and they will handle everything else.
 Keep a positive can-do type attitude as this will help foster success in your learning
educational experiences online!
 Relax and enjoy learning in a convenient and challenging learning community!

Deadlines:
As you no doubt know, odd things happen in cyberspace. Emails get lost, servers
disconnect temporarily, your computer or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may
shut down at the worst possible times, and sometimes logins are impossible. So
please be advised: Don't wait until the last minute to get your work done. Allow
extra time to meet deadlines. Reply to emails and check for replies on every email
sent or received. Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to make sure that
you have the ability to connect to the Internet and access the course. If you were
taking a course on campus, you would be responsible for your transportation to and
from the college to attend class and turn in your work. Similarly, you are responsible
for working around any difficulties that you may encounter with your computer
during the term and making sure that course work is completed and turned in on
time. Computer difficulties are not an excuse for failing to log in to the course and/or
submit work.

Technical Safeguards and Support Services:

Good computer skills and work habits are very important in this course. Please be sure
to save and back up all your work. Save everything to the appropriate directory on your
hard drive; you should save copies to flash drives as well, so that you will always have
safe backup copies. For even better protection, always print out hard copies of your
work. NOTE: If you experience computer difficulties, you are responsible for solving
your own problems. The instructor is not in a position to help you with technical
problems. You must solve problems with your own equipment; however, please contact
the 24 hour Canvas hotline at 855-981-8103 Canvas also has chat help for students. They
will be able to answer questions you may have concerning specific software, hardware,
and other technical issues related to this course.

Students can also call the college Help Desk at 407.708.2000 (ext 2000 from a campus
phone) during operating hours. Please check the following link for specific operating
hours for the Help Desk:

http://www.seminolestate.edu/cts/computing-and-user-services/helpdesk.php

The Technical Support Help Desk is the initial point of contact for all college computer
and technical issues. Help Desk will provide support for computer and first tier
Distance Learning needs, and will forward you to the appropriate department if the
issue cannot be fully resolved by Help Desk personnel. Please call 407.708.2000 (ext 2000
from a campus phone). In addition to phone, email and walk-in support, the Technical
Support Help Desk now offers a Chat option for technical support during the operating
hours mentioned above. To chat with a technician, go to any of the following Seminole
State web pages:
http://www.seminolestate.edu/cts/
http://www.seminolestate.edu/livemail/

Required Text:
Purchase your textbook and review it immediately in the term so that you can see the
depth of the work and assignment material. Reviewing the syllabus, class calendar,
and the textbook will give you an idea of what will be expected of you in the course.
Be prepared and keep up with your reading and assignments.
 O'Hair, D., Rubenstein, H. &
Stewart, R. (2016).
A pocket guide to public
speaking (5thed.).
Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.

ISBN for the textbook is

ISBN-13: 978-1-319-08765-4

Audience Speech Presentation Requirements for Online:

Because of the online nature of this course, you will be required to gather your
audience. Public speaking requires a public. So, when taking an online speech course,
you are presenting online via video. You are still required to present in front of an
audience, and you will need to gather that audience. You are required to show proof of
the audience before video focuses on you and your speech. Audiences should range
from 5 -10 people.

Note: Not required for Introduction Speeches!

5 people being the minimum audience. Failure to produce an audience will reduce
project grade by 50%.

You will need to present your power points to your audience when delivering your
speech. My suggestion is to run your power points through a TV or projection system
when presenting to your audience. Power point presentations to an audience on a
laptop are unacceptable. Audience must be able to view the presentation.

Getting Started:

Accessing SPC1608 Intro to Oral Communications Online

This course will be taught in Canvas, Seminole State College's new learning
management system.

Please note that you must have an existing MySeminoleState username in order to
access Canvas. If you do not already have a MySeminoleState username, you will need
to create one before your Canvas account can be established. Go
to http://my.seminolestate.edu to create a new MySeminoleState account.
You will not be able to actually enter your class site in Canvas until the first day of the
term. If you register late, you should be able to access your Canvas class within 12
hours of registering.

To participate in this course:

1. Go to https://online.seminolestate.edu
2. Log in with your Seminole State User Name and your Network password.
o Your username is the same as your MySeminoleState username.
o Your default password is your first initial CAPITALIZED + your last initial
lowercased + the last two digits of your birth year + your birth month in two-
digit format + your birthday in two-digit format.
 Cs950214

3. Click "Courses" to go to this course in Canvas.

4. Go to "Help" in Canvas and choose "Canvas Student Tour" to familiarize yourself
with Canvas

If you have any difficulty logging into Canvas, please contact the Canvas hotline at 855-
981-8103, fill out the Online Course Problem Form, or call the E-Learning help desk at
407-708-2424.
Non-Attendance Reminder:

To avoid being withdrawn from the class, you must:

 Log into Canvas by May 13th. Students who are withdrawn for lack of online
attendance will not be reinstated under any circumstances.
 Upon entering the course, you need to read this Course Orientation, the Welcome
Letter, the Syllabus, and watch the Introductory Lecture in Canvas thoroughly.
Once you have reviewed those materials you need to complete the Introductory
quiz in Canvas with a minimum grade of 90% (9 out of 10 points). You may take this
quiz as many times as necessary to achieve 90%. This quiz must be completed with a
minimum grade of 90% before11:50 PM May 13th. Students who do not complete
the Introductory Quiz with a minimum grade of 90% before 11:50 PM May 13th
will be withdrawn from the course for non-attendance.
 In addition to the Introductory Quiz you must also post a response in the
Introductory Video Discussion Forum before11:50 PM May 13th. Failure to
complete this assignment by the deadline will also mean being withdrawn from
the course for non-attendance.
 Log into Canvas a minimum of two times per week and complete class assignments
(This means doing meaningful work). Failure to log into the course two times per
 week constitutes a “lack of attendance.” Failure to complete at least one of the
assignments within the same module before the required deadlines constitutes a
“lack of attendance.” Seminole State College of Florida policy permits an instructor
to withdraw a student from a course once he/she has missed 10% of the class.

Welcome Page:
Once you have entered the course, scroll down the Welcome page and click on the
START HERE link. After you have clicked START HERE you should find yourself in
the Introductory Lesson Module.

Here you will watch the Introductory Materials and read the syllabus in preparation for
taking the Introductory Pre-Test and Writing a Post in the Introductory Video
Discussion Forum. On the final page of this welcome letter you will find a schedule for
the dates when the Lesson Modules for the course will be released and the dates for
when all of the assignments in that Lesson Module will be due. I wish you a very good
term learning about the art & disciplines of public speaking.

Sincerely,

Professor Eric Craft

Below is a copy of the PROJECTED COURSE CALENDAR.

WEEKLY COURSE CALENDAR 12w k (Summer 2017) Online classes

Week Opens Description Closes

Week 1 5/8 Course Intro – Pre-test (10pts) 5/13

Becoming a Public Speaking(ch.1) & Overview of a Speech (ch.2)

Watch Video (Scott Geller) Post Discussion 10 pts

Quiz #1 (ch.1,2) 20 pts

Week 2 5/15 Submit - INTRODUCTORY ARTIFACT SPEECHES 50 pts 5/21

Managing Speech Anxiety(ch.3)

Watch Video (Amy Cuddy) Post Discussion 20 pts

Week 3 5/22 Ethics (ch.4) & Listening(ch.5) & Aud. Analysis(ch.6) 5/28

Watch Video (Julian Treasure) Post Discussion 10 pts

 Quiz #2(ch.4,5,6) 20 pts

Week 4 5/29 Select Topic (ch.7) & Support Materials(ch.8) & Sources(ch.9) 6/4

Quiz #3(ch.7,8,9) 20 pts

Exam #1 (Ch. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) 50 pts

Week 5 6/5 Organizing(ch.11) & Organizational Patterns(ch.12) & Outlines(ch.13) 6/11

Intro & Conclusions(ch14) & Special Occasions(ch.25)

Watch Video (Present like Steve Jobs) Post Discussion 10 pts

Quiz #4(ch.11,12,13,14) 20 pts

Week 6 6/12 Watch Video (Jon Stewart) Post Discussion 20 pts 6/18

Submit - SPECIAL OCCASION/DEMO SPEECHES w/ outline 120 pts

Week 7 6/19 Language(Ch.15) & Methods(Ch.16) Quiz #5(ch.15,16) 20 pts 6/25

MLK Video / Post Discussion 20 pts

Voice & Body in Delivery (Ch.17 & 18) Quiz #6(ch.17,18) 20 pts

Week 8 6/26 Informative (Ch.22) 7/2

Exam #2 (Ch. 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,22) 50 pts

Watch Video (Simon Sinek) Post Discussion 20 pts

Week 9 7/3 Submit - INFORMATIVE SPEECHES 120 pts 7/11

w/outline 40 pts & Power-point 25pts

Week 10 7/10 Principles of Persuasion (Ch.23) Quiz #7 (ch.23) 15 pts 7/18

Watch Video (Daniel Pink) Post Discussion 20 pts

Persuasive Strategies (Ch. 24) Quiz # 8(ch.24) 15 pts

Week 11 7/17 Submit - PERSUASIVE SPEECHES 140 pts 7/27

w/ outline 40 pts & Power-point 25 pts

Week 12 7/27 Final Exam #3 (Ch. 1-24) 50 pts 8/3

Watch Video (Jonathan Haidt) Post Discussion 20 pts