comm 2210: perspectives on human...
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COMM 1210-010: Perspectives on Human Communication Course Syllabus
Spring 2010 Lecture: M &W 9:00-9:50 p.m (CHEM 140); plus once weekly recitation
Instructional Staff Course Director: Cindy H. White, Ph.D. [email protected] Lecturer: Cindy H. White, Ph.D.
Recitation Instructors: Mary Butler (mary.butler@colorado,edu) Erica Delgadillo ([email protected]) Lisa Irvin ([email protected]) Jamie McDonald ([email protected]) Yi-Chen Cathy Pan ([email protected]) Allison Rowland ([email protected])
Office hours for Course Director, Hellems Rm. 89: Mon., 10-11 & Wed., 2-3 Office hours for Recitation Instructors: Refer to recitation syllabus for your recitation instructor
COMMUNICATION WITH INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF: Please communicate with us either face-to-face during office hours or by means of e-mail. Remember that although you can email at any time, you should expect that email responses from instructors will not be immediate and instructors may not respond to email during weekends and holidays. Please be aware that email is an official form of university communication, and students are expected to check their CU email accounts regularly since course information or notifications may be sent by email.
Also, please note that you will be required to use the CULearn site for course materials.
Welcome to Perspectives on Human Communication: This is an overview course designed to introduce you to the issues and ideas that are central to the study of communication. A basic assumption of most communication research is that conversation, images, and language matter; they both reflect and define our social world. In this course, we will consider how our ways of communicating with one another are tied to who we think we are and to our relationships with others. We will also think about how institutions, such as business, government and the media, influence communication between individuals and within society as a whole. Our survey of the area of communication will involve two important facets. First, we will introduce you to some of the most compelling questions and applications of communication scholarship with the hope that this will provide a forum for thinking about the role of communication both in your day-to-day life and in the management of important social issues. Second, we will work to help you acquire a specialized vocabulary for describing and analyzing communication events. Learning a specialized vocabulary is beneficial because it allows us to step back from our everyday experiences and see things from a different perspective.
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Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are (1) to enable you to evaluate communication, in both personal and public forums, in order to understand its potential impact, (2) to prepare you to critically examine how communication practices, at the personal, institutional, and societal levels, reflect our social norms and play a role in defining the nature of our society, and (3) introduce you to the field of communication and to the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado, and (4) to help you become familiar with the broad range of research and theoretical work carried out by communication scholars.
Required Readings & Materials: We will have assigned reading each week, and you will find that in order to get the most out of this course you must complete the reading before class. Please refer to the syllabus for reading assignments. While lectures will sometimes review material in the reading, please do not assume that lecture notes will substitute for your own reading and note-taking on the material.
1) Textbook: Alberts, J. K., Nakayama, T. K., & Martin, J. N. (2007). Human communication in society. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. (1st Edition)
2) Custom Reader: Selected Chapters from Griffin, E. (2008). A first look at communication theory (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Primis. **Please note: This is a custom text, so it is available only through CU area bookstores or on-line as an ebook at ebooks.primisonline.com. (To purchase as an ebook, click on Custom Books and follow instructions to find our class. Be sure to DOWNLOAD the text—do not purchase on-line access.)
3) Two assigned readings available through CULearn.
**You need an iClicker for this class. (Once you have one, you must register it through CUConnect.)
Course Structure: We will first consider the nature of human communication. We will discuss the history of the study of communication and the role of theory as well as explore the role of language and nonverbal behavior in interaction. Next, we will examine different contexts in which communication takes place. We will examine the role of communication in defining identity and social order as well as the way culture is expressed and created through communication. We will explore communication in interpersonal relationships so that we can learn how issues such as power, trust, and openness impact relationships. Then, we will turn our attention to institutions so that we can consider how communication systems within organizations influence the ways people relate to one another (i.e., employer-employee relationships) and impact organizational outcomes. We will then broaden our perspective to look at communication in the public sphere, examining the nature of communication in such endeavors as political debate and discussion of social issues.
This course involves both lecture (M/W) and recitation each week. Important learning will happen in both lecture and recitation. You will need to attend both to do well in this course and to be able to keep up with course progress. RECITATIONS BEGIN THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS! BE SURE TO ATTEND TO AVOID BEING DROPPED FROM THE COURSE.
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A Note about Notes: Please be aware that you are responsible for taking notes during lecture and recitation. The material presented in class provides an outline of the topics discussed and will NOT be made available by the lecturer or TAs. If you miss class, you are responsible for getting notes from another student in class.
A Note about Technology in the Classroom: Laptops and other technology in the classroom should be used ONLY for learning purposes. Surfing, checking email, playing games on your laptop is really no different than opening a magazine or newspaper in class and signaling that you are not there to learn. (And, to be honest, it is often just as obvious!) There is no real evidence that note taking on a computer improves student learning, and there is some evidence that it actually interferes with learning. Students who use technology for purposes other than class learning will be prohibited from bringing laptops and other devices to class. They may also be withdrawn from the class if their use is found to be offensive or disruptive to the class.
¡Clicker Technology: We will be using clickers in the lecture portion of this class to help you gauge your learning and create chances for you to participate. Some course points (see grading below) will be earned in lecture by answering clicker questions. Although we will ask several clicker questions each lecture, there will typically be only ONE clicker question that provides points in each lecture. You must be present and click-in on that question to earn points! We are using clickers because there evidence that having a clicker and using it during class contributes to student learning and provides a way for you to reflect on ideas we have covered. Clicker responses also help us gauge student learning and manage the course more effectively. You MUST register your clicker in CUConnect in order to earn points in this class for your clicker use. Please bring your clicker to each lecture!
Course Assignments: Exams. There will be 3 exams, which will include both objective format questions (multiple choice/true-false) as well as essay questions. Exams will test your understanding of material from lecture, learning activities in lecture and recitation, and readings. Because you need sufficient time to test on the material, exams will involve testing on both Monday and Wednesday of the testing week; we will take multiple choice items on Monday and essay items on Wednesday.
The final exam will cover material from the last section of the course PLUS it will include a section that covers cumulative material for key topics throughout the course. Because the final exam period is 2.5 hours, it will provide enough time to complete all testing in one time block. Please make a note of the date and time for the final exam, which is listed on the schedule below. Please notice that the exams are a large portion of your grade; it is unlikely you will succeed in the course if you do not perform well on the exams.
NOTE: In no case will you be allowed to make up an exam without a compelling and documented reason.
Make-up exams will be given only a) If the student was required to attend an officially sanctioned athletic event as a
participant and notified the instructor in advance. b) In cases of documented, serious illness. c) In the event of a documented family emergency.
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d) In the case of religious observance where the instructor is notified in advance. e) Where student has verifiable legal obligations that cannot be adjusted (e.g., court
appearances)
Communication Analysis Paper. The goal of this assignment is to help you develop an understanding of how to observe and analyze communication processes. The paper will involve observing communication behavior in a setting you determine, connecting this to theoretical concepts learned in the course, and analyzing what you observed based on the theoretical framework; the paper will be 5-6 pages in length. Further written instructions will be provided for this paper assignment, and papers will be submitted in recitation. This is a major assignment in the course and, except in cases of true emergencies (such as hospitalization), late analysis papers will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day for each calendar day it is late, up to 3 days. Late papers will NOT be accepted more than 3 days after the due date.
Learning Reflections—submitted on-line through CULearn: These short writing assignments are designed to encourage you to do integrative thinking that helps you be reflective about what you are learning in the course. They also provide information to the 1210 teaching team about how students are understanding material, which helps us do a better job in teaching the course. There will be a total of 4 learning reflection assignments throughout the course—basically, one at the beginning of the course, one at the end, and two throughout the semester (see syllabus for due dates). You will need to complete 2 out of the 4 learning reflections. (They are worth 10 points, so 2 reflections x 10 points each = 20 points).
iClicker Points. We will be using iClickers in lecture. You will need to purchase and register your iClicker for this class through CUConnect. There will be at least one "Clicker Point Question" during each lecture, and you can earn one point per lecture day. There are 15 points allotted in the final grade for iClicker points; once you reach 15 you cannot earn more but you should continue to use your clicker to test your learning and contribute to the class.
Recitation Assignments: These assignments are designed to help you master the material and to prepare you to contribute to recitation discussion and learning. These assignments will be given in lecture or recitation, and must be submitted IN-CLASS in recitation. Some will be completed in class and others will require that you prepare a small assignment and bring it with you to recitation. There will be at least 8 of these available throughout the semester; you must complete 5 of these to earn full credit (each one is worth 5 points; so, 5 recitation assignments x 5 points each = 25 points). Recitation assignments must be typed. Because recitation assignments are part of recitation discussion, they MUST be submitted IN CLASS on the day they are due. No late recitation assignments will be accepted! (If you miss recitation on a day you plan to submit one, you will need to complete another—this is why you only need 5 of these.)
Recitation Participation. Participation points will be awarded at the end of the semester by your recitation instructor. These points will reflect the instructor's assessment of your contribution to the recitation discussion and activities. Of course, you cannot participate if you do not attend, but remember that participation goes beyond being present—it involves actively working to make the recitation a worthwhile learning experience.
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Grading:
In introductory courses, students often feel uncertain about how their learning experience is matching up with their grade. In my experience, a number of things contribute to this, but I think you will find that you can manage this by doing a couple of things. First, take advantage of office hours. By talking one-on-one, you have a chance to work with material in a more personal way, and you may be able to better understand assignments or requirements. Everyone teaching this course is fascinated by communication, and we hope to share some of our enthusiasm with you! Second, acknowledge that learning new ideas and new vocabulary takes diligence and attention. I doubt that anyone would expect that they could learn the scientific notation for Chemistry just by listening in class and skimming the text; you can't really learn much about communication using that approach either.
Final grades will be composed of the following: Exam #1 100 Exam #2 100 Final Exam 140 Communication Analysis Paper 80 Learning Reflections (2 @ 10 pts. each) 20 IClicker Points (earned in lecture) 15 Recitation Assignments (5 @ 5 pts. each) 25 Recitation Participation 20
Total Points 500
Final letter grades will reflect the percentage of total points earned in the course: A = 93% & above; A- = 90-92%; B+ = 87-89%; В = 83-86%; В- = 80-82%; C+ = 77-79%; С = 73-76%; С- = 70-72%; D+ = 67-69%; D = 63-66%; D- = 60-62%; F = below 60%.
Here's the grading philosophy we will follow in this course: "A" is an extremely good grade. It means you have demonstrated excellent mastery of the material; your work and performance were consistently better than nearly everyone else in the class. "B" is a very good grade. It means you did all of the required work and performed in class at a level that is noticeably and demonstrably superior to many of your classmates. "C" is a good grade. It means that you met all of the expectations for students noted in the syllabus, and you did all of the required work at a level that was competent. Anything below "C," means you did not master the material adequately. A grade below С should prompt you to assess your study/classroom habits and visit office hours so you can diagnose what you need to do differently in your studying, assignment preparation, etc.
Keep in mind that for grades to be meaningful (to you, me, or anyone else) they have to reflect differences in mastery. If an "A" means that you merely did what you were asked to do, it is no different than a "C," and it therefore means nothing at all. We cannot make grading changes simply to help students avoid academic consequences such as delayed graduation, academic probation, etc.
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*A note about Extra Credit: Extra credit may be offered in this course for involvement in research projects or completion of specific extra learning opportunities. Any extra credit opportunities will announced in class or by email. If you want to earn extra credit, you must take advantage of these when they are announced; no personal opportunities for extra credit can be created for individual students.
Feedback about the Course: Naturally, you will be expected to fill out an FCQ on the course at the end of the semester. In the meantime, we want to explicitly invite you to provide us with any comments or suggestions you might have about the course or our performance at any time during the semester. You may write us a note, visit during office hours, send an e-mail or whatever. We will listen carefully and seriously to what you have to say.
University Course Policies:
Accommodation for students with special needs . If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to your recitation instructor a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. You must submit documentation to us by the third week of class to be eligible for accommodations for the first exam. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Accommodation for religious observance: Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. You should review the course schedule and notify your recitation instructor within the first three weeks of class if a religious observance will interfere with a course assignment or exam. See full details of this policy at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac relig.html
Classroom behavior: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. We will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise us of this preference early in the semester so that we may make appropriate changes to records. See polices at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edU/studentaffairs/iudicialaffairs/code.html#student code
Discrimination: The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above
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referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh
Honor code: All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council ([email protected]; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
COURSE SCHEDULE:
1210 Course Schedule—NOTE: Final Exam is Thürs., May 6 at 7:30 a.m. Unit/Dates Topic Reading Introduction Text = textbook; CR = custom
reader Week 1 1/11-1/15
Introduction to Communication Chapter 1 (Text) Launching Your Study of Communication Theory (CR)
Week 2 1/18-1/22
Communication and Identity *No class 1/8—Martin Luther King Day!
Chapter 3 (Text) Symbolic Interactionism (Mead) (CR) ^Learning Reflection #1 Due on-line by 1/22 at 5:00 p.m.
Week 3 1/25-1/29
Verbal Communication Chapter 5 (Text) Communication Accommodation Theory (Giles) (CR)
Week 4 2/1-2/5
Nonverbal Communication Chapter 6 (Text) Expectancy Violations Theory (Burgoon) (CR)
Week 5 2/8-2/12
Take Exam 1—Mon. & Wed. 2/8 AND 2/10 Interpersonal Communication
Week 6 2/15-2/19
Communicating in Close Relationships
Chapter 8 (Text) The Interactional View (Watzlawick) (CR)
Week 7 2/22-2/26
Communicating in Close Relationships—Continued
Relational Dialectics (Baxter & Montgomery) (CR) ^Learning Reflection #2 Due on-line by 2/26 at 5:00 p.m.
continued on next page
Organizational Communication Week 8 3/1-3/5
Communicating in Organizations Chapter 10 (Text) Adaptive Structuration Theory (Poole) (CR)
Week 9 3/8-3/12
Communicating in Organizations Cultural Approach to Orgs. (Geertz & Pacanowsky) (CR) *Learning Reflection #3 Due on-line by 3/12 at 5:00 p.m.
Week 10 3/15-3/19
Take Exam 2—Mon. & Wed. 3/15 AND 3/17 *COMM Analysis Proposal due by 3/19
Week 11 3/22-3/26
SPRING BREAK! no classes Public Communication
Week 12 3/29-4/2
Communicating in Public: Rhetoric
Chapter 11 (Text) The Rhetoric of Aristotle (CR)
Week 13 4/5-4/9
Communicating in Public Narrative Paradigm (Fisher) (CR)
Looking Ahead in Communication Study
Week 14 4/12-4/16
Communication Across Cultures * Communication Analysis Paper Due in recitation
Chapter 7 (Text)
Week 15 4/19-4/23
Researching Communication Processes; Communication in the Future
Reading available on CULearn (Human Inquiry and Scientific Inquiry about Comm) plus pp. 45-58 of Text
Week 16 4/26-4/30
Communication in the Future Reading: To Be Announced; will be available on CULearn *Learning Reflection #4 Due on-line by 4/30 at 5:00 p.m.
**Final Exam: Thürs., May 6 at 7:30 a.m.**