Abstract
This article surveys the evolution and persistent challenges of the basic speech communication course, drawing on national and regional studies to outline major instructional trends. It notes that although the course remains central in many departments and often grows faster than overall enrollment, shifts between public speaking, hybrid, and communication oriented models are inconsistently documented and frequently influenced by methodological weaknesses in existing surveys. The discussion highlights structural factors that hinder curricular innovation, including reliance on graduate assistants, limited faculty involvement, departmental perceptions of the course as peripheral, and institutional constraints on staffing and resources. It also examines how textbook publishing practices reinforce conventional approaches by offering minimal variation among public speaking, interpersonal, and hybrid formats. The article argues that meaningful reform requires improved survey design, renewed departmental commitment, research driven decisions about pedagogy, stronger support for course directors, and greater experimentation with alternative instructional models. It concludes that despite longstanding critiques, the basic course is likely to remain largely unchanged unless the discipline prioritizes systematic inquiry and collaborative innovation.
Recommended Citation
Trank, Douglas M.
(1985)
"An Overview of Present Approaches to the Basic Speech Communication Course,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 52, Article 28.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol52/iss1/28
