Communication-across-the-curriculum (CXC) programs provide assistance to other disciplines on the teaching and learning of communication--meeting an increasingly important need for students not only to be content specialists, but also coherent communicators. Research emerging from this initiative details programmatic challenges and emphases, but…

Civic engagement has become an essential learning goal for institutions throughout higher education. Communication scholars employ various pedagogical tools to foster civic engagement. For instance, service learning has been shown to increase political and community engagement in courses such as family communication and public relations. Teachers…

Reviews published assessments of oral communication across the curriculum programs in higher education. Reports activities and results from a faculty and student development program at a midsized comprehensive state university. Suggests that this approach holds significant promise for curricular development and improvement of student communication…

Describes an alternative approach to a communication lab or speaking center known as the Speech Center, which serves the entire university community. Notes that the use of the center is based entirely on voluntary participation by faculty and staff. Reviews methods and operating procedures for this alternative program. (SG)

This paper describes an assessment program utilized by the Center for Excellence in Oral Communication at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, that focuses on the assessment of communication competency in the interpersonal communication course. First, the paper provides a rationale for the course. Next, the paper describes the…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 24 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: a social skills training program; facial kinesic correlates of terminal cancer patients; the relationships among indices of social cognition, motivation, and…

This article describes a new construct for coding the social communicative performance of school-aged children as they interact with peers and teachers in the classroom. The Social Communication Coding System (SCCS) allows clinicians a way of describing how children actually spend their time during the school day by observing ongoing behaviors…

A study examined upward-communication practices (from lower levels to higher levels in an organization) in American industry. Seventy-five large top-ranked companies responded to a survey concerning their upward-communication programs, for a response rate of 39%. Forty of the completed surveys included materials describing their…

To describe the conflict management training practices in 10 large American organizations, a study gathered descriptive data through interviews with organizational personnel responsible for training and development, a review of written materials where available, and observations of the delivery of conflict management training programs. The…

Explores the rationale for the creation of the rumor control center and identifies the few valuable models found in the literature. Examines the usefulness of the center as an additional channel of communication and considers the desirability of using such a mechanism. Suggests an approach to teaching rumor control. (JMF)

This study draws on research and programs in Sweden, England, Canada, and the United States to examine communication interaction between a person using a communication aid and a person who is an able-bodied, natural speaker. It primarily addresses the child or adult with normal or near-normal cognitive abilities who uses augmentation and interacts…

Discusses the importance of increasing effective communication in outdoor education programs. Examines sensory preferences and how they affect vocabulary, voice tone, and body language. Describes ways that outdoor educators can use this information to improve their communication skills. (LP)

Examines results of a field study investigating the ability of the Texas Special Olympics'"Athletes for Outreach" program to enhance the communication skills and the perceived social competence of participant with mental retardation. Validates the relevancy of the "Athletes for Outreach" program for Special Olympics Texas and…

Clear verbal communication is a key skill for the modern scientist. In this article we describe two model science courses, one given to a small class and the other to a large class, in which verbal communication is emphasized as a key learning objective. Both courses use a form of problem-based learning (PBL) with an end point that involves…

Presents information obtained from department heads of 148 communication departments in four-year colleges and universities across the United States. Examines data related to departments' current, expected, and desired course offerings. Suggests that communication departments are making moderate efforts to cover a broad range of…