Continuing Education

This course is designed for adult learners interested in improving their public speaking.

Note: PEWD program participants should be 18 years or older.

No prerequisites required.

• ★ Expert Supported
• ★ Accessible
• ★ Games & Flashcards
• ★ Real-world case studies
• ★ Mobile-friendly
• ★ Badge and credit-awarding
• ★ Video content
• ★ Audio-enabled in-app

This course has an "Ask the Expert" feature, which submits your questions directly to an expert in the field you are studying. Questions are answered as quickly as possible and usually within 24 hours.

Learners must achieve an average test score of at least 70% to meet the minimum successful completion requirement and qualify to receive IACET CEU credit. Learners will have three attempts at all graded assessments.

In most organizational settings, you'll be expected to work in teams. At times, your team members may not be physically in the same office as you. And yet, communicating effectively within these teams is critical to the success of the team, and critical to your personal success on any given project or task. This introductory-level course will help you improve your collaborative communication by providing best practices and effective tips and techniques.

Learning Outcomes:
• Identify the factors in interpersonal communication
• Modify communication strategies to be successful in small and large groups
• Devise a strategy for working effectively in remote settings, including in telework settings
• Explain the purpose of various types of meetings and explain the outcomes expected
• Attend a meeting and perform the role of an effective communicator in the meeting
• Prepare for, moderate, and follow up after a meeting to ensure effective use of organizational resources
• Document a meeting and distribute minutes or a meeting summary as appropriate

The ability to write clearly and directly is highly prized in most organizations. Well-written emails and documents can help you earn respect from your peers. And poorly written emails and documents can detract from success at all levels. The ideas, techniques, and checklists in this introductory-level course apply to all forms of business writing: memos, reports, brochures, proposals, presentations, catalogs, and websites. This course will also teach how to revise for wordiness, unnecessary phrases, redundancy, and jargon, and the appropriate use of email in an organizational setting.

Learning Outcomes:
• Recognize the difference between ineffective and effective writing
• List and define the four major factors of effective writing (clarity, tone, organization, and delivery)
• Recognize the role of the audience in effective communication and the importance of understanding an audience's needs
• Employ formal and informal outlining techniques
• List and recognize techniques for overcoming writer's block
• Recognize the importance and dangers of writing quickly
• Revise for wordiness, unnecessary phrases, redundancy, and jargon
• Write more effective emails and recognize the appropriate use of email in an organizational setting
• Employ checklists for organizing, writing, and revising

The ability to deliver an effective presentation is critical in most job functions. This introductory-level course helps learners organize, structure, and create effective presentations that feature slides as a visual aid. Because many organizations use PowerPoint as a way of communicating information, this course offers advice and guidance on the most effective and persuasive uses of PowerPoint, including best practices on word count, graphics, and structure.

Learning Outcomes:
• Recognize what makes communication effective
• Understand the elements in the communications process
• Organize your communications and presentations
• Understand PowerPoint graphic rules of thumb
• Create an effective summary slide
• Describe and employ the four steps of purposeful communication in your presentations
• Understand the forecast, present, and echo structure for presentations
• Recognize key visual considerations for PowerPoint slides and presentations
• Understand how to organize and create PowerPoint presentations
• Revise PowerPoint slides to make them more effective
• Understand the success factors for face-to-face presentations

Confidence is key to delivering an effective speech or presentation. This two-module course, Effective Public Speaking, helps you to develop the skills you'll need to become an outstanding and confident public speaker. It reviews the seven stages of public speaking through games, interactive exercises, and videos. The tools and techniques in this course can ensure that you'll excel when speaking in any situation, from the start of your speech or presentation to its successful end.

Learning Outcomes:
• Describe the seven stages of giving a speech or presentation
• Discuss the elements of establishing your purpose for speaking (Stage One)
• Recognize the need to consider your audience (Stage Two)
• Describe how to develop your central message (Stage Three)
• Explain how to employ evidence in supporting your main points (Stage Four)
• Discuss how to craft your speech (Stage Five)
• Explain how to rehearse for your speech (Stage Six)
• Describe techniques for delivering your speech (Stage Seven)
• Recognize best practices for employing slides in your presentation
• Describe key techniques for dealing with speech anxiety
• Discuss how to handle difficult questions
• Describe effective responses when things go wrong

Communicating clearly and concisely in written formats like email, memos, and letters is very important in a workplace setting. Clearly communicating your thoughts, plans and proposals is a highly effective means to advance your ideas and earn the respect of your peers. This course will help you improve your use of these common business communication vehicles by providing best practices and effective tips and techniques.

Learning Outcomes:
• Recognize when it's appropriate to use an email, a memo, or a letter.
• Explain the parts of an email, a memo, and a letter, and format each so that the communication is effective.
• Consider primary and secondary uses for the email, memo, or letter.
• Explain how to facilitate both primary and secondary uses.
• Create a sample email, memo, and letter employing best practices.