Book Review: 'The Basic Communication Course Online: Scholarship and Application'

Authors

Paul J. Siddens III, University of Northern Iowa

Abstract

Citation information for the book reviewed:

• Goodnight, L. J., & Wallace, S. P. (2005). The Basic Communication Course Online: Scholarship and Application. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt, 96 pp.

“The debate over whether the basic communication course should be taught online is over. Despite our reservations, we have … successfully created and taught the basic course as distance learning.”

This first sentence in co-editor Lisa Goodnight’s preface to this source book succinctly summarizes its theme: We are past the point of debating the issue of teaching the basic course online. It is now time to ensure that we engage in this process in a meaningful, academically sound, and productive manner. As the editors point out, instructors are more and more interested in applying the use of online and other technologies to the basic course for many reasons: Some are required to do this by their institutions, some see pedagogical advantages to this and pursue it as part of their own course development, and yet others do not want to create full internet or distance learning courses, but want to use technologically based modules, units or activities in their courses. Goodnight also notes in her preface that as of 2006 “somewhere between two and five million students will be taking at least one course via the internet.” All these factors contribute to our need to address this issue as basic course administrators and instructors.

Recommended Citation

Siddens, Paul J. III (2007) "Book Review: 'The Basic Communication Course Online: Scholarship and Application'," Basic Communication Course Annual: Vol. 19, Article 12.
Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/bcca/vol19/iss1/12