While essays and research papers are likely the most common types of writing assignments you’ll receive in college, more and more, students are being expected to write in digital environments. In the 21st century, you’re likely to be asked to create a PowerPoint or Prezi to present the main points of your research paper, or you may be asked to create an electronic portfolio to share all of your work for a semester. Students in online classes will write discussion board posts every week, and some professors are even replacing some of your traditional essay assignments with assignments like photo essays or video essays.

The Public Speaking course was developed through the Ohio Department of Higher Education OER Innovation Grant. This work was completed and the course was posted in September 2019. The course is part of the Ohio Transfer Assurance Guides and is also named OCM013. For more information about credit transfer between Ohio colleges and universities, please visit: www.ohiohighered.org/transfer.Team LeadJessica Papajcik                                Stark State College   Content ContributorsJames Jarc                                        Central Ohio Technical CollegeJanny Nauman                                  North Central State CollegeCarrie Tomko                                     University of Akron LibrarianAllen Reichert                                   Otterbein UniversityReview TeamLaura Garcia                                     Washington State Community CollegeJasmine Roberts                               Ohio State University

By this point, you’re probably aware that delivering your speech is only one part of the public speaking process. Clearly, it’s a critical part of the process, and most likely, the only part that your audience will see, so it’s important to get it right. Strong, confident delivery can help you build rapport and trust among your audience. Supporting your speech with effective presentation aids will help increase audience interest and hopefully understanding of your important ideas. This section will go over several strategies for how to make the most of your time in the spotlight, on stage, in class, or in the corporate boardroom. Part one of this topic deals with the actual delivery of the speech. Part two of this section deals with the development and use of presentation aids. Upon completion of this unit, students should be equipped with practical strategies that they can use to deliver dynamic, engaging, and memorable speeches, no matter the situation. Of course, it takes practice to develop good speech delivery habits, so students should be encouraged to take extra time to form these skills. With support and guidance, even the most timid students can make great strides toward developing a strong “presence” that audiences will really respond to!