COMM 1311: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION

Transcription

1 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY COMM 1311: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION SPRING 2018 ONLINE ALYSSA CERRONI

2 Contact Information Professor: Alyssa Cerroni, M.A. Phone: (956) Office Location: ARHU 171A Online Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 1:30-3:30p.m. or by appointment Course Description COMM 1311 is designed to showcase the communication studies discipline by introducing basic human communication principles in a variety of contexts including interpersonal, small group, and public speaking. The purpose of this course is twofold. First, students will learn how to adapt and deliver verbal and nonverbal messages to communicate effectively with family, friends, and coworkers. Second, students will learn how to successfully develop and deliver a persuasive presentation. In short, COMM 1311 will prepare students to be effective communicators in their personal and professional lives. COMM 1311 Learning Objectives After completing COMM 1311, students will be able to: 1. Understand and apply the five principles of human communication. 2. Value and recognize the five principles of human communication during personal and professional conversations. 3. Analyze and manage interpersonal conflict effectively. 4. Engage in effective group/team communication. 5. Develop, organize, and deliver a persuasive presentation. 6. Value and recognize an effective persuasive presentation. Departmental Learning Objectives For those majoring in Communication, upon completing all your course work, you will be able to: 1. Apply cognitive and behavioral skills in critical listening and thinking within multiple venues of human communication. 2. Exhibit an appreciation and tolerance for the culturally diverse patterns in which humans communicate. 3. Effectively implement competent verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors in various situations one-to-one, one-to-a few, and one-to-many for different purposes to inform, to persuade, to entertain. 4. Demonstrate ethical communication practices. 5. Assess your own level of communication competence and critique others level of performance in verbal and nonverbal communication. 6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of information (i.e., concepts, principles, theories, critical issues, problems and behaviors). 7. Demonstrate effective research skills using professional journal articles, and other academic or substantial, credible sources. 8. Use discipline-appropriate technology applications, such as library databases, computer applications, Internet research, non-print media, multi-media applications, desktop publishing, Blackboard, course-based electronic communication, etc.) in preparation and presentation of course projects.

3 Course Textbook Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Ivy, D. K. (2009). Communication: Principles for a Lifetime (5 th ed.). Boston: Pearson. ISBN-10: Note: You may use the 5 th, or 6 th edition of the textbook Course Requirements Course Requirements Points 1. Ten Reading Quizzes Five Discussion Questions Oral Persuasive Presentation Topic Selection 50 Video Presentation 100 Total Points 400 Grades will be distributed in the following manner: = A = B = C = D = F Course Structure This course will be delivered entirely online through the Blackboard Learn system and is organized into 6 weekly modules. Over the course of 15 weeks, we will review 13 chapters from the textbook. Quizzes, discussion questions, and assignments will be structured around chapter readings. Please adhere to the Course Schedule on your syllabus for due dates of quizzes, discussion questions, and assignments. All other information can be found in the Course Resources tab located in the course menu. Instructor Communication & Response Time All correspondence must be through your UTRGV , NOT BLACKBOARD. If you should have any questions, please me at alyssa.cerroni@utrgv.edu. If you me please make sure to include your full name and course number and section you are taking with me. I will hold in-office and online office hours on every Monday/Wednesday 1:30-3:30p.m. I will provide grades and give feedback to assignments one week after the due date. I will respond to s within 48 hours, expect a longer wait time during holidays and weekends. Course Technology In this course, you will be using a variety of Web-based instructional materials. You are expected to be proficient with installing and using basic computer applications, the Internet, and have the ability to send and receive attachments. The following digital tools will be used throughout the course:

4 Blackboard. This course requires you to use Blackboard to view announcements, to retrieve course grades and lecture videos/outlines, and to submit assignments. To retrieve course resources, visit the Course Resources folder located in the course menu. To retrieve course grades, visit the My Grades link located in the course menu. Account. All course communications will be sent to your UTRGV . If you are using a personal account (ex.: Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, etc.), you will miss important information that is sent out for the course each week. It is very important that you use and read your UTRGV at least 1 time per day. Video Recording Software. You will need a comprehensive video producing recording software for this course. You can use any video recording software, there is no required software. Blackboard Collaborate. I will be available to meet during my online office hours. If you would like to chat with me in Blackboard Collaborate, please let me know in advance to schedule an appointment. Course Assignments and Grading Reading Quizzes. You are expected to read assigned material. Reading quizzes are short quizzes over the assigned reading that will be a regular part of this course. Reading quizzes must be submitted through UTRGV Blackboard Learn by Sunday at 11:59p.m. Reading quizzes will open in Blackboard each Monday morning by 8:00 a.m. Please note that you will only be given one hour to take each Reading Quiz, so give yourself ample time to study. There are 5 questions in each quiz, each is worth 3 points. Follow the steps below to correctly submit your completed Reading Quiz: 1. Log on to Blackboard Learn COMM Select the Reading Quiz tab on the left 3. Open the appropriate Reading Quiz link and complete the quiz 4. Click submit and check that it has been posted Discussion Questions. After reading the assigned texts, please post your response to the weekly discussion forum questions. The questions are intended to get you to synthesize, evaluate, and extend your knowledge and understanding of the materials you have read. To receive credit for class participation, you must provide a personal response to the question, and must comment on at least one of your classmate s responses to the Discussion Question(s) each week. Please note that both quantity and quality are important considerations when it comes to participation. Specific Instructions: In the subject box, please put the Discussion Question number (i.e. Discussion Question #1 or DQ #1). To receive full credit for class participation you must: (1) respond to the DQ question each week with a well-thought-out and fully developed post (10 points), and (2) write a wellthought-out and fully developed comment on at least ONE of your classmate s responses (10 points). Your response to the weekly question, as well as your response to at least ONE classmate must be made within a week of the DQ. Responses posted after the week of the DQ has ended will not earn credit. The quality and dynamics of our discussions will depend entirely upon your participation. Please refer to the discussion question rubric. Oral Presentation. You will develop, organize, and deliver one recorded persuasive presentation. The assignment description, evaluation criteria, and evaluation forms will be provided. The persuasive presentation is worth 150 points. The presentation should be well prepared, practiced, and professional. Students may upload their presentation to YouTube and send the link on Blackboard Learn. YouTube

5 links must be made unlisted or public until the course commences. Before submitting final presentations, students will submit a topic proposal. The topic proposal is worth 50 points. Course Requirements Policies and Assumptions Late Work: It is assumed that you will turn your assignments online and on time. All written assignments are due on the specified due date and time noted in your syllabus. No late work will be accepted unless proper documentation is provided. Writing Policy. All written work must be typed, double-spaced and meet the criteria for college-level writing. The topic proposal and persuasive presentation outline should not only meet the criteria specified in the assignment descriptions but also be coherent, organized, and grammatically correct. Please utilize the writing center. Do not turn in a paper or outline that has not been reviewed by someone else other than yourself. Ask the writing center, friends, or family members to check for puntuation, spelling, grammar, organization, and overall clarity of the paper or outline. In addition, please follow the APA manual when necessary. Netiquette Policy. Netiquette is internet etiquette, or a set of expectations that describe appropriate behaviors when interacting online. It is important to understand that you will be held to the exact same standards of students taking a face-to-face course. In fact, for online courses, your online classroom behavior may be the only interaction you have with your peers, therefore making your netiquette even more important. Remember, you only get to make a first impression once, irrespective of the course delivery method. Be courteous - You only get one chance for an online first impression. Make it count. Do not say or do anything in an online classroom that you would not do in a face-to-face classroom. This includes not YELLING (typing in all caps), not flaming (attacking someone, such as insults and name-calling), and/or not dominating the discussion. Be a good classmate - Remember your own role as a student. Follow your instructor s directions at all times. Be authentic and collaborative with fellow students. Be aware of cyberbullying and make every attempt to eliminate it. Appreciate the diversity and different communication styles of your peers. Remember, since this class is online, you may have classmates from all over the world. Be professional - Proofread your own writing for spelling, grammar, and punctuation to prevent miscommunication. Avoid slang, sarcasm, or emotionally-charged writing, as tone can be difficult to translate online. Profanity and offensive language will not be tolerated. Do not use abbreviations (2moro, 2T, B@U) or emoticons in your online class unless your professor approves and supports such writing styles. Changes to the Syllabus and the Course. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the Syllabus and the course as deemed necessary. Any and all changes will be posted on the Blackboard Announcements page of the course and students will also be notified by . Time Commitment: Online courses are typically just as time intensive, and may be more rigorous than traditional courses. Many students claim that online courses require more time and commitment. As you begin this course, you would be wise to schedule 8 or more hours per week for studying materials and completing assignments. Falling behind in this course is particularly problematic because the concepts we cover are cumulative. This means that not becoming proficient with information and objectives presented and assessed in a particular week can lead to low scores for that week as well as in subsequent weeks. Special Problems. Students with a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which affects academic performance) who would like to receive academic accommodations

6 should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) as soon as possible to schedule an appointment to initiate services. Accommodations can be arranged through SAS at any time, but are not retroactive. Students who suffer a broken bone, severe injury or undergo surgery during the semester are eligible for temporary services. Brownsville Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in Cortez Hall Room 129 and can be contacted by phone at (956) (Voice) or via at ability@utrgv.edu. Edinburg Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in 108 University Center and can be contacted by phone at (956) (Voice), (956) (Fax), or via at ability@utrgv.edu. Scholastic Integrity. As members of a community dedicated to Honesty, Integrity and Respect, students are reminded that those who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and expulsion from the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, plagiarism, and collusion; submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person; taking an examination for another person; any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student; or the attempt to commit such acts. Since scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced (Board of Regents Rules and Regulations and UTRGV Academic Integrity Guidelines). All scholastic dishonesty incidents will be reported to the Dean of Students. Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Violence. In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a Responsible Employee for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and so must report any instance, occurring during a student s time in college, of sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, or sexual harassment about which she/he becomes aware during this course through writing, discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively strive to provide a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect that is free from sexual misconduct and discrimination. Course Evaluation. Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your UTRGV account ( you will be contacted through with further instructions. Students who complete their evaluations will have priority access to their grades. Online evaluations will be available: Spring 2018 Module 1 February 14 February 20 Spring 2018 Module 2 April 11 April 17 Spring 2018 (full semester) April 11 May 2 Personal Note Welcome to COMM 1311 Introduction to Communication! My name is Alyssa Cerroni and I will be your instructor for this course. This course is delivered 100% through the Blackboard Learn system. All interactions will be facilitated through a mix of synchronous and asynchronous communication methods. I am looking forward to having you in class and getting to know you as we work through the semester together. We have much to accomplish this semester. Please adhere to the course syllabus and schedule as the semester progresses. The course moves very quickly, so please make sure to complete your assigned readings/assignments each week. Please know that I am committed to quality teaching. I encourage you to take advantage of my office hours and address. Thanks for being here!

7 Spring 2018 Tentative Schedule The UTRGV academic calendar can be found at Please visit the website for important dates on the semester. Note: All reading quizzes, discussion questions, and assignments are due on Sunday evenings by 11:59p.m. Week Topic Have Read/View/ Due Week 1 Jan Course Introduction & Syllabus Chapter 1 & Syllabus Foundations of Communication Week 2 Jan Reading Quiz #1 Perception and Awareness Chapter 2 Reading Quiz #2 Week 3 Jan 29- Feb 4 Week 4 Feb 5-11 Discussion Question #1 Understanding Verbal Messages Chapter 3 Reading Quiz #3 Understanding Nonverbal Messages Chapter 4 Reading Quiz #4 Week 5 Feb Week 6 Feb Discussion Question #2 Listening and Responding Chapter 5 Reading Quiz #5 Adapting to Others Chapter 6 Reading Quiz #6 Discussion Question #3 Week 7 Understanding Interpersonal Communication Chapter 7

8 Feb 26- Mar 4 Week 8 Mar 5-11 Week 9 Mar Week 10 Mar Reading Quiz #7 Enhancing Interpersonal Relationships Chapter 8 Reading Quiz #8 Spring Break No Classes Understanding Group and Team Performance Chapter 9 Week 11 Mar 26- Apr 1 Review Persuasive Presentation Assignment Discussion Question #4 Reading Quiz #9 Acknowledge that you have read the Persuasive Presentation Assignment See Blackboard Week 12 Apr 2-8 Week 13 Apr 9-15 Week 14 Apr Reading Quiz # 10 (Acknowledgment) Speaking to Persuade Chapter 15 Pick & Submit a Persuasive Topic by Sunday 11:59p.m. Organizing & Developing Your Presentation Chapters 11 & 12 s Discussion Question #5 Delivering Your Presentation Chapter 13 Week 15 Apr Apr 30- May 2 Record & Submit Persuasive Presentation Complete Teacher Evaluation Work on Video Presentation and Reference Page Video Presentation & Reference Page Due Sunday by 11:59pm.