Basic public speaking courses: The relationship between time of enrollment, performance, and undergraduate GPA

This study looks at the relationship between enrollment and performance in courses intended to improve oral communication skills and overall academic performance at the university level. Using data gathered from recent graduates of Tennessee Technological University (n=78), time of enrollment and course GPA were used in a multiple regression design to predict students' final undergraduate GPAs. Time of enrollment was effective at explaining .121 of the variance in final GPA and had a -.322 correlation with final GPA. Course grade was effective at explaining .096 of the variance in final GPA and had a .280 correlation with final GPA.