COM 110 Introduction to
Communication Fall 2005
Office: S-200D, D’town, N317 North Hrs: MTWF 11-12:00, D’’town TH 9:15-10:15, North
Instructor, Karen Brown Phone: (910) 362-7236
Course Description:
This course provides an overview of the basic concepts of communication and the
skills necessary to communicate in various contexts. Emphasis is placed on communication theories
and techniques used in interpersonal, group, public, intercultural,
and mass communication situations. Upon
completion, students should be able to explain and illustrate the forms and
purposes of human communication in a variety of contexts.
Course Objectives:
You will demonstrate
through tests, projects, and other activities your
1.
Understanding
of the human communication process and your awareness of the factors which
influence the process of communication such as perception, self-concept,
informational and evaluative listening, and nonverbal communication.
2.
Abilities to
observe and analyze human behavior in the interpersonal situations and to make
competent communication choices in interaction with others.
3.
Cooperation
with others as you communicate and develop
problem-solving skills in a small group setting.
4.
Abilities to
select a subject to gather, analyze, focus, organize develop and present
information to or persuade a specific audience.
3 credit hours, 3
contact hours weekly
Required Text: Communicate! by Rudolph F. Verderber. 11th ed.
Materials required: One #2 pencil, one PC formatted 3
½ diskette
Specific course requirements: There are 4 small projects, one dyadic project, one
speech, and one group project. There is
a final exam. All students are required
to participate in class group activities.
Tests and other assigned material: The assignments will cover communication foundations,
interpersonal communication, group communication and public speaking. Assignments/projects will be centered around
each one of these areas and each one, together with the final exam will account
for your final grade.
Course Meeting Schedule
Week 1 Introduction
to course, classmates.
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4 Form dyads and work in dyads
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9 Ch.
Week 10 Chapter 9, Resumes & Covers Letters, Interviews
Week 11 Interviews continued
Week 12 Continued
Week 13 Speech Chapters
Week 14 Speeches
Week 15 Ch.
Week 16 Group Work
Week 17 Group Presentations/review for final
Week 18 Final Exam
Grading Scale: A=92-100 D=68-75 WP=Withdrawal Passing
B=84-91 F=0-67 WF=Withdrawal
Failing
C=76-83 I=Incomplete NC=No Credit
Attendance is mandatory on the day of speeches/presentations. If you are absent on the day another person/group presents, your grade for that project will be lowered one letter grade. In addition, your attendance will be averaged as a grade worth 100 pts.
Plagiarism statement: Plagiarism is using as your own the words or ideas
of another, whether written or oral.
When you use material from a source, you must quote or paraphrase
accurately and properly cite the information.
Failure to do so is considered plagiarism. Examples of plagiarism include word-for-word
copying without correctly indicating that you are quoting, inaccurate quoting
and paraphrasing and incomplete or missing documentation. Purchasing a paper or copying someone else’s
work and submitting it as your own is also plagiarism. Any misrepresentation of the source in your
writing or speaking would constitute a form of plagiarism.
Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is not acceptable. The Humanities and Fine Arts Department adheres to the CFCC policy on cheating as stated in the Catalog and Student Handbook.
1st Day Handout for Com. 110: Introduction to Communication
HOURS, CREDITS, PRE-REQUISITES:
Course Hours Per Week: 3 Semester Hours Credit: 3
Pre-requisite: English 095 or English and Reading ASSET
score of 42 or higher
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Prompt and regular
attendance is important. Save absences for emergencies.
Please arrive on time
to class. If you are tardy 3 times, it
counts as an absence. If you arrive
late, please see me at the end of the hour to makes sure you are counted
present. If, however, according to the
clock in the room or the instructor’s watch you are 25 or more minutes late,
you will be counted absent for a 50-minute class. If you must leave early, please inform the
instructor ahead of time. You must be in
class 25 minutes for a 50-minute class.
If you “over cut” or
miss more than 20% of class time, you will receive a grade of “F.” Therefore, if you find you must “over cut” a
class, I suggest that you officially withdraw from the class, especially if you
have a passing average; a “WP” (withdrawal passing) does not affect the
grade-point average. You must withdraw
before you overact in order to receive a “WP.”
If you are absent, you are responsible for catching up; call
the instructor or a dependable classmate so that you can be prepared when you
return to class.
Students with perfect attendance will be exempt from the
final exam. You are not allowed to make
up a class unless:
·
You talk to me before you plan to be absent (for only
1 class)
·
You contact me
personally via phone/email before or during your scheduled class
·
You must stay the entire class time for all classes
Failure to comply with these rules will result in
non-exemption from the exam.
MAKE-UP POLICY:
Tests, projects, and
papers are due on assigned dates. If you
have a conflict with a due date or a set schedule, contact the instructor as
soon as possible before the
due date to see if rescheduling is possible.
If an emergency
occurs which prevents your meeting a deadline, contact the instructor before you return to class to
see if rescheduling is possible. NO
late work will be accepted.
Assignments may be
taken early but may not be made up unless you have a verifiable emergency. Presentations
must be given on the due date and may not be made up unless you have a
legitimate, verifiable emergency, such as being hospitalized, or a death in the
family. This is a Communication Departmental guideline that all communication
instructors adhere to. We have a
tight schedule to maintain, and in real life, presentations must be given when
the audience is present in a specific place, on a specific date, and at a
specific time.
Note: Please, no
eating, drinking in class; it’s CFCC’s policy. Please!
Assignment Point Values
Chapter 1, 2, 3,
& 4 Assignment (50 pts. each) 200
Chapter 2 Object
Representing Yourself 25
Dyadic Presentations
- Interpersonal Communication 100
Small Group Project 100
Mock Interview, cover
letter, resume, Thanks You 130
Note
Final Exam 100
Attendance (% grade based on
attendance) 100
Instructor Optional
Points 25
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES:
PERSONAL
COMMENT: If you want it to, this course can change
every area of your life: personally,
educationally, physically, and professionally!
Go for it!!!!
Dyadic Project
1. Select an activity: Teams of two students are to select an
interpersonal communication activity to conduct in class. You may select this activity from your
textbook, from another book or class, or create your own. Choose an activity which involves the a concept
of interest to you and your partner from the list below. Be sure the activity is workable and has not
been conducted in class before. Plan on
a maximum of 10 minutes of class time for your activity. From the sign up sheet provided by the
instructor, teams will be assigned a date to conduct the activity in class that
correlates with the discussion topic for that day.
2. Explain and conduct the activity. A
written paper (two-pages, typed, (answer a bullet with a bullet) should include
the following: This paper is due before you begin on that day of your
presentation.
·
Clear identification of the activity
·
An explanation of why you chose the activity
·
Indication of what you hope the class will learn from
participating in the activity
·
Discussion of the significance of the activity
·
Discussion about the workability of the activity
·
Plan for a follow-up discussion after the activity
discussing with the class what happened and what was learned about the concept
and about communication
·
Include 2 opened ended questions to ask the class at the
end.
Dyadic Presentation Topics -
Dates
of Presentations
Perceptions of Self:
Self-Concept and Self-Esteem (30-33)______________________________
Perception of Others
(pp. 37-45) _____________________________________________
The Nature and Use of
Language (pp.52-56)
_____________________________________
Speaking More Clearly
& Speaking Appropriately (pp. 57-67
) ________________________
Communicating
through Nonverbal Behavior (Chapter 4)
______________________________
Holding
Effective Conversations (Chapter 5)
________________________________________
Attending
and Understanding (pp. 124-129)
________________________________________
Remembering
:Retaining Information & Critical Analysis (pp. 130-141)
____________________
Self
Disclosure/Disclosing Feelings (pp. 150-149)
____________________________________
Giving
Personal Feedback/Assertiveness (pp. 160-171) _______________________________
Types
of Relationships/Types of Relationships (pp. 176-188)
___________________________
Conflict
in Relationships (pp. 188-201) ____________________________________
Introduction
to Communication, COM 110, Assignments for Chapters 1 - 4
Unless otherwise noted, each assignment must be 1 typed
page, double-spaced. (Please
write your name, date and the DAY/TIME of the class above the top margin
of your paper.). Ten points will be
deducted if it is not typed.
Chapter 1:
Choose 1 of 4 listed below. Due: _________________
Choice 1: How would
you describe a competent communicator? Using the description of a competent
communicator in Chapter 1 and your own thoughts and opinions, describe one of the
best communicators you know and discuss the characteristics that make them a
competent communicator.
Choice 2: Choose a
movie (approved by teacher) to watch and review – relating the movie to at
least 6 concepts discussed in this chapter (highlight/underline) the 6 concepts in your paper).
Choice 3: Do the
“Observe and Analyze” from the text on p. 10.
Please give detailed examples and highlight/underline
the chapter concepts in your paper.
Object Representing Yourself:
Assignment due: __________________
You are to devise a means
of relating some part of or the essence of your “self” by bringing an object
that represents you to class (2-3 minutes). The only restrictions are that your
project must be in good taste and that you really put some thought into it. Do not start your presentation by saying, “My
name is . . ..” Instead say something
that will grab your audience’s attention (use an attention getter that directly
relates to your object and you!), and then tell us your name. Do not memorize what you are going to say or
read it, but make sure you practice and write down a few, short notes to
guide you.
Chapter 2: Due: _____________________
Make
a personal goal picture book like the one I read about from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Use
magazine pictures or other types of pictures to create your book. Your book must include at least 5 pages. Do not
use white paper. You must type a paragraph for each
goal, which explains your pictures. You do not have to type an additional paper
or share this book in class.
Chapter 3: Complete the following: due__________________What are five “new” words that have become popular in the last five years? Give a detailed explanation of each word’s popularity, when and where you first heard the word used and examples of how you and others use the word in sentences.
·
What are five “old” (obsolete) words that are no longer
commonly used (e.g. unusual expressions you’ve heard used by persons who were
raised in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, etc.)?
Give a detailed
explanation of each word’s popularity, how the word was used and where or from
whom you heard about the word.
·
List your connotation for (5) of the following word and
attempt to determine the source of that connotation (why do you feel the way you do about the word?): generation x,
confederate flag, marriage, education, alternative lifestyle, assisted suicide,
athlete, president, ballet dancer, censorship, feminist, illegal aliens, media,
police officer, politically correct, soccer mom, welfare.
Chapter 4: Choose one of the
following to be presented to the class (in small groups) aloud ________________________.
Choice 1: Dress 3 different ways and go into a store to make a
purchase. Observe if you are treated
differently by the way that you are dressed.
Choice
2: Create a box or bag that describes you
nonverbally. Disclose personal things on
the outside that everybody can see, but share some things on the inside that
people may not know about you.