Review of Straighterline's Introduction to Communication

[sanantone]

If you can't take the DSST for Public Speaking, which I heard is an unpleasant experience, then I highly recommend Straighterline's Introduction to Communication course to fulfill TESU's oral communication requirement. The only test center for CLEP and DSST in my city doesn't offer the DSST for Public Speaking, and I didn't want to drive to Austin.

If you have a social science background, the course is pretty easy. On some of the questions, it's easy to determine the answer just on a basic understanding of sociology. Plus, there's some overlap with organizational behavior, which I've taken at the undergrad level and practically studied again in a leadership course in my doctoral program. On the other questions, you can just look up the answers in the book. The quizzes were 25 questions each, and you're given an hour for each one. The final exam is open book.

I ended up finishing the course with a 97% which is much higher than I thought my final grade would be. I had a 94% after the quizzes and exams and expected my score to go down after the speeches were graded because I rushed them. There is a required introduction speech that's not graded and two graded speeches. The introductory speech only has to be 2-3 minutes. The first graded speech is 4-6 minutes. The final speech is supposed to be 8-9 minutes, if I remember correctly. You also have to turn in an outline for the final speech. I recorded everything with my webcam while sitting down.

With my experience with teaching college courses and facilitating therapy groups, I could have gone the PLA route; but, that would have been more expensive and time-consuming.