Abstract
This article proposes the use of a common materials approach to strengthen the basic public speaking course and to develop higher order cognitive and communication skills. It argues that contemporary demands for information processing, problem solving, and issue analysis require instructional strategies that integrate communication abilities with critical thinking. The common materials approach provides students with a shared body of content drawn from a curated set of books, articles, and reference materials organized around a single theme. The article explains how this method supports systematic library instruction, guided research practice, and problem solving group discussions that precede speech assignments. It details how shared materials create a realistic speaking context by narrowing topic selection, increasing audience familiarity with issues, and enabling more sophisticated evaluation of logic and evidence. The article further discusses how the approach encourages extemporaneous delivery, facilitates audience analysis, and prepares students for persuasive tasks such as Lincoln Douglas debate. Advantages for instructors include reduced reliance on recycled topics and improved ability to assess student reasoning. The article concludes that theme based common materials enhance student engagement, unify course focus, and foster greater appreciation for communication as an academic discipline.
Recommended Citation
Webster, Kathie A.
(1985)
"Teaching the Basic Course from a Theme Perspective,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 54, Article 21.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol54/iss1/21
