This study tested the notion that the impact of clarity (i.e., structure) on learning is indirect and occurs, in part, through the reduction of cognitive load and subsequently through students' motivation to process instructional information. Two hundred fifty-two students were randomly assigned to one of two text-based lessons (clear or unclear)…

This study sought to gain insight into how faculty in other disciplines perceive communication skills as well as to conduct a needs analysis that can help us to develop resources to support faculty who are integrating communication assignments into their disciplinary courses. Survey data were collected from 232 faculty at three large, public…

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were initially adopted in 2010 and serve as high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. The initiative has been met with mixed reviews. At the same time, the National Communication Association called for communication standards and competencies in K-12 education to enhance…

Numerous studies have argued for the importance and examination of communication curriculum in K-12 (Book, 1989; Hunt et al., 2014; Rudick & Dannels, 2020; Wright, 2020). More recent trends have shown that while higher education communication educators have been successful in advocating for the importance of K-12 communication instruction, the…

We outline critical grief pedagogy as a Mad feminist response to the silencing of loss that often occurs in academic spaces. This pedagogical framework creates openings for students to "break open the bone" of their own and others' losses, particularly through community-engaged learning and research. Using collaborative autoethnography,…

The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between visiting a communication center and taking an introductory communication course on student public-speaking anxiety, goal orientation, and motivation. Researchers analyzed pre- and post-course survey data for 1,373 students enrolled in a fundamentals of communication…

There is increasing research on the challenges experienced by Chinese international students during their studies in the UK such as language barriers, social interactions, academic achievement, and psychological adjustment. This study proposes to understand these challenges through a kindness approach. It explores how sixty-three Chinese Master's…

Using [Canary, D. J., & MacGregor, I. M. (2008). Differences that make a difference in assessing student communication competence. "Communication Education," 57(1), 41-63. doi:10.1080/03634520701635133] prototypes of ideal and less-than-ideal student communication behaviors, I rhetorically analyzed participant interview transcripts…

The purpose of this study was to investigate communication mindset changes across one semester of the introductory communication course and differences across students' demographic backgrounds. The study measured the communication mindset and other instructional constructs of 1299 undergraduate students during the first two and last two weeks of…

This exploratory study examines the role virtual reality can play in student speech practice for oral communication courses. The study focuses on situational communication apprehension of the virtual reality practice session in relation to students who practice face-to-face and the final grade of the subsequent speech. Test and control groups…

The history of the academic discipline of communication and the subsequent departments that followed are linked in some form or fashion to the evolution of the introductory communication course. Given the prominence and continued relevance of the introductory course in the communication discipline, researchers have conducted surveys for over 60…

Previous studies of grading as instructional feedback reveal contrary patterns of motivation among public speaking students. That is, in some cases students who received lower grades on their initial speech assignments made substantial improvements on their subsequent speeches. In other studies, scholars have reported the exact opposite finding.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mindset theory and public speaking apprehension, interpersonal communication competence, and student engagement in the introductory communication course. The study adapted a mindset theory measure towards specific communication skills. Researchers collected and analyzed data…

This study investigates stakeholder perceptions of a communication studies department's diversity-focused learning outcome. Drawing from critical communication pedagogy and based on thematic analysis, we argue that the language of our department's diversity-focused learning outcome (similar to two of the National Communication Association's…

Public-speaking instructors are uniquely positioned to foster a culture of accommodation in their basic course classrooms. A communication course is one that can cause specific types of apprehension, and it is important to recognize that a distinction exists between this and other, broader anxieties that students may be facing. Given this, the…