Title

Shaking in Their Digital Boots: Anxiety and Competence in the Online Basic Public Speaking Course

Document Type

Article

Publication Version

Version of Record

Publication Date

2015

Abstract

In response to a call for increased research on educational quality of online public speaking courses, this study assessed online course impacts on students’ (N = 147) speaker anxiety and self-perceived communication competence. A significant decrease in speaking anxiety occurred over the course of the semester, supporting efficacy of the online basic speech course at the university level. However, the predicted significant increase in self-perceived communication competence was not found, warranting additional considerations in online course designs. The significant reduction in speaking anxiety within the online course is promising and suggests that this learning goal can be met in this instructional setting. However, since enhancing students’ self-perceived communication competence remains a critical learning outcome of the basic communication course, these findings suggest that online course development heighten focus on related interventions.

Publication Title

Basic Communication Course Annual

Volume

27

First Page

43

Last Page

77

DOI of Published Version

https://ecommons.udayton.edu/bcca/vol27/iss1/10/

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