Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Abstract

Online classrooms are becoming more and more prevalent in the world of post secondary education as institutions realize the benefits of the online format for both the students and educational institutions. When determining the practicality of an online only oral communication or speech course, instructors must consider the importance of such a class. Oral communication and speech courses are among those courses considered “core” classes at most colleges and universities. At Simpson University, where this project was completed, oral communication is a course required for all students, no matter what their declared major. Oral communication is so important that Aristotle condemned the individual who could not represent himself well orally. This project sought to find the best practices for creating an online only oral or speech communication course. Four communication theories were used as the basis for the development of an online version of oral communication. They include Walther’s (1992) social information processing (SIP), Cronen, Pearce and Harris’s (1979) coordinated management of meaning (CMM), Altman and Taylor’s (1973) social penetration theory (SPT) and Lengel and Daft’s (1984) media-richness model (MRM). It was discovered during the process that the application of the four theories in the course design made the course stronger than applying just a single theory. Further study in this area must include information from students on what worked well during the course and what did not work well.

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