BCOM 1300/3300 GUIDED LECTURE NOTES

These questions are meant to help guide your notetaking for readings and in-class lectures as you
prepare for the exam.

Test 1

Lecture 1: Effective Business Communication—Chapter 1

1. What are the eight essential components of communication? What do they look like in real
life?
2. What are the different types of interference/noise one can experience?
3. What is the difference between the transactional model and the constructivist model?
4. Identify examples of the five types of context.

Lecture 2: Delivering Your Message—Chapter 2

1. What is the semantic triangle?
2. What are the three different types of messages and their functions?
3. What is a residual message?
4. What are the rules of language (syntax, semantics, context)?
5. How do we assign meaning to words (denotative v. connotative)? How do the majority of
communication problems occur?
6. What is the difference between abstract and concrete language?
7. What are the obstacles to communication (e.g., clichés, jargon, slang, sexist and racist
language, euphemisms, and doublespeak)?
8. What are signposts, summaries, foreshadowing, and repetition?

Lecture 2: Understanding Your Audience—Chapter 3

1. What are the differences between attitudes, beliefs, and values?
2. What is a self-concept?
3. What are the looking-glass self and the self-fulfilling prophecy?
4. What factors influence selection?
5. What are Gestalt principles and how can they relate to business communication?
6. What are the 3 stages of perception?
7. How do culture, stereotypes, primary/recency, and perceptual sets impact perception?

Lecture 6: Topic Selection and Audience – Chapter 10

1. What are the different types of general speech purposes?
2. Why should you know how the audience feels about your topic?
3. What are the three main factors to consider when picking a topic?
4. How do you construct a specific purpose?
5. What does a good thesis statement look like?
6. What are some good strategies to combat fears of public speaking?

There are no lecture notes for Linked In Lecture (Lecture 4) or Networking (Lecture 5).

Lecture 8: Research and APA Style

1. What are primary and secondary research? What counts for each one?
2. What are the differences between popular and scholarly sources?
3. How do you evaluate a source?
4. How do you cite in a speech?
5. How do you avoid plagiarism? How do you incorporate quotes and paraphrasing into your
presentations (what to do v. what not to do)?
6. What are the differences between an APA and MLA in-text citation? Can you tell the
difference?
7. What are the differences between an APA Reference Page and an MLA Works Cited page?
8. What are the major differences between an APA reference page entry and other styles? Can
you identify one?

Lecture 7: Outlining Presentations – Chapter 12

1. What are ethos, logos, and pathos?
2. What is the five-finger model of public speaking? Be able to identify examples of each
finger.
3. What are the organizing principles for a speech? Be able to identify time through elimination
from table 12.6. (Will not test on ceremonial through oral interpretation)
4. What are the different types of transitions?

Lecture 7: Presentations to Inform – Chapter 13

1. What’s the difference between an informative and persuasive speech?
2. How can interpretation, point of view, and/or bias impact your presentation? How can you
present a neutral speech?
3. What are the different categories of informative speeches? (focus on the main four)
4. What is framing?
5. What should a good introduction do and include?
6. How do you structure an introduction?
7. What is serial position effect (i.e., primacy and recency)?
8. What are the steps of a conclusion?

Lecture 9-10: Presenting and Q&A – Sections 11.3-11.5

1. What is the speaker’s triangle?
2. What are appropriate facial gestures and eye contact?
3. How do you use lecterns/podiums?
4. How do you use vocalics effectively?
5. What is the appropriate font size for a visual aid?
6. What’s the 6 x 6 rule?
7. What are the criteria for preparing visual aids?
8. What are the dos and don’ts of visual aids?
9. How do you answer questions appropriately at the end of a presentation?