| This dissertation defines a speech communication course concept by examining a perceived speech communication shortfall at Marine Corps Command and Staff College (CSC), Marine Corps University (MCU), Quantico, Virginia. The CSC was selected because of the important academic work it performs in service to our country, and an awareness discovered through preliminary research that CSC students need but are not provided with any substantive speech communication education and training during their attendance at the 84-year-old college. A supporting reason to focus this effort at CSC was to connect a learning shortfall at that college with a reasonable learning solution: Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC)-Woodbridge. Partnering with a community college is at the heart of the Doctor of Arts in Community College Education program because it looks to community college faculty to investigate a particular academic problem and then design, develop, and deliver a solution that meets the needs of the community---like CSC.; This dissertation used a combined qualitative and quantitative research strategy that surveyed students from two academic years (2002--03 and 2003--04) at Command and Staff College, as well as students and faculty from one academic year (2003--04) at Marine Corps War College (MCWAR), and interviewed selected Marine Corps University leaders. Quantitative analysis to interpret survey responses was achieved by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Qualitative data collected from interview responses were coded and grouped into categories using concept mapping. Concept mapping was then used to compare and organize survey and interview responses.; Analysis determined that (a) there is a need for speech communication instruction at CSC, (b) that due to an already full curriculum, instruction should parallel, support, and be integrated into the learning objectives of existing CSC courses, and (c) learning objectives should focus on improving CSC students' ability to design and deliver information briefs using clear, concise, and accurate language. My findings also suggest that partnering with the speech communication faculty at NVCC-Woodbridge, through its Workforce Development Department, is the most efficient and practical way to teach speech communication at CSC. |
