A1 Lower Division Oral Communication

Lower Division English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (Area A)

Students take three classes (9 units), one each from A1, A2, and A3. To be used for fulfillment of General Education Requirements, Area A1, A2, and A3 courses must be completed with a CR or C- or higher grade.

Course Expectations for Lower Division Oral Communication (A1) (3 units)

To be certified by the Baccalaureate Requirements Committee as meeting the lower-division oral communication (A1) general education requirement,

1.  The course must be lower division, open to all students, and may not have prerequisites.

2.  At least one of the assignments must be related in some way to one or more of the following topics, drawn from the goals for the baccalaureate at San Francisco State University: (a) human diversity within the United States and/or globally; (b) ethical choices; (c) social justice; (d) the well-being of communities, nations, or the people of the world; (e) the sustainability of the natural environment; (f) applications of academic knowledge to what is important in one’s own life; or (g) what unites us as human beings across time.

3.  At least one of the assignments shall involve (a) utilizing a plan for acquiring and recording information employing basic search strategies to explore core sources, including library resources; (b) articulating and applying rudimentary criteria in evaluating information and sources; and (c) using and citing properly the information in assignments.

4.  Assignments shall foster the understanding and value of academic integrity, and encourage students to take responsibility as an engaged person in various roles: student, learner, professional, and global citizen.

5.  Some assignments or classroom activities should encourage the development of skills and strategies for working collaboratively.

6.  At least one of the assignments must be related to one of the following: (a) plans for academic or co-curricular experiences on campus; (b) intellectual or social activities of university life (e.g., performances, exhibitions, lectures, etc.); (c) time and/or stress management; or (d) financial planning including money and credit management during college and/or after graduation.

7.  The course syllabus must include references to assignments that are described above as part of the course expectations.

8.  The course syllabus must include the university-approved student learning outcomes for oral communication and link them to activities and/or assignments that students complete to demonstrate they have met the outcomes.

Student Learning Outcomes for Lower Division Oral Communication (A1) (3 units)

After completion of a lower division general education course in oral communication, students will be able to:

1.  effectively organize, construct, and deliver prepared and spontaneous presentations to groups of 20 or more, using the following:

• a plan for acquiring and recording information using basic search strategies to explore core sources, including library resources;
• careful assessment of claims, supporting materials, and arguments;
• organizational principles leading to a coherent presentation focused on a main point and a reasonable number of supporting points given time constraints;
• information and strategies that will facilitate listeners’ understanding;
• effective delivery techniques for oral communication;

2.  articulate principles for making effective technologically-enhanced presentations;

3.  effectively listen to prepared and spontaneous discourse by using the following:

• active listening skills;
• careful assessment of claims, supporting materials, and arguments;

4.  demonstrate skills for working collaboratively, including articulating a perspective, rationale, and exchange of ideas in forming a group goal;

5.  demonstrate perspective-taking skills, both as a speaker and a listener;

6.  engage in informed civil discourse with persons different from themselves in intellectual and cultural outlook;

7.  demonstrate ethical conduct in their communication including such practices as

• accurate presentation of information;
• appropriate citation of the ideas and words of others;
• respectful treatment of others even when disagreeing;
• acknowledgment of the importance of the privacy and confidentiality of others; and
• acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of one’s discourse;

8.  reduce their own speech anxiety and project greater confidence as a speaker; and

9.  apply communication principles in their personal lives and their communities.

Links between Educational Goals and Outcomes for Lower Division Oral Communication

The student learning outcomes were developed in relationship to the “Educational Goals for the Baccalaureate at San Francisco State University.” The chart below illustrates that relationship for lower division oral communication. The numbers correspond to the way the educational goals and student learning outcomes are numbered above.