- Spring 2013 Semester MWF 12:10PM 1:00PM Carver Hall Room 305 Iowa State University Revised January 12, 2013 Professor Contact Information Dr. T. R. Hurt Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Email: trh@iastate.edu **preferred method of communication** Phone: (515) 294-9804 Office: Palmer Building Suite 1364 Office Hours: Wednesdays from 11:00am 11:50am and by appointment Teaching Assistant Contact Information Mrs. Laila Ali-Husin (first name is pronounced Lyla ) Graduate Student, Human Development and Family Studies Email: lailaali@iastate.edu Phone: (515) 294-3042 Office: Palmer Building Suite 1363 Office Hours: by appointment Teaching Intern Mrs. Jacy Downey Graduate Student, Human Development and Family Studies Required Materials Galvin, K. M., Bylund, C. L., & Brommel, B. J. (2012). Family Communication: Cohesion and Change. (Eighth Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Clicker Device from Turning Point Technologies Course Description This course is designed to provide you with an understanding of how communication functions to develop, maintain, enrich, and limit family relationships. We will also explore family theories related to communication. This course will be a personal growth experience because you will apply course material to your own families. Through this process, you will gain a better understanding of yourself and your family. Communication is the basis of all relationships. Therefore, this learning experience will generalize to the work setting in that you will be more prepared to work effectively with individuals and families. Page 1
Course Objectives Examine the family from a communication perspective. Identify external, social, and environmental influences of communication. Understand the developmental aspects of communication in families. Communicate and interact more effectively (including talking and listening) with others. Explain how communication processes serve to create and reflect family relationships Engage in meaningful discussion of family dynamics and family issues. Recognize the role of family structure in family communication. Assess family and interpersonal interactions and communication. Facilitate conflicts/issues with other people or between people. Utilize research in understanding the communication process. Learn lifelong skills to enhance your personal and professional lives. Use theory to understand and explain family interaction patterns. Apply concepts and theories to real-life situations; use theory to explain interaction patterns. Integrate theory and information on communication processes in order to analyze families. Course Policies and Reminders Academic Dishonesty: Please review the university s policy on academic dishonesty. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in the course. Any violations will be reported to the appropriate office. (Reference: http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/catalog/2009-11/geninfo/dishonesty.html) Cell Phone Policy: Students are prohibited from using cell phones in the classroom for playing games, communicating with others, and activities not related to the course. If you must leave your cell phone on to receive emergency phone calls or texts, please ensure the setting is on vibrate and inform the professor or teaching assistant prior to the start of class. Please sit at the rear of the class in case you may need to step out, so as not to disturb the learning process for other students. Be Kind: While you are attending this class, it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not disrupt the learning process for other students. This includes, but is not limited to, surfing Internet sites not related to lecture (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, email), napping, and/or conversing with your classmates while the professor (or guest lecturer) is addressing the class. Food and Drink: Keep food and drink to a minimum. Food and drink should not disrupt the learning environment for other students. Illness: Please do not attend class if you are not feeling well, and by attending you would subject your classmates to colds and other ailments. We already know you are a serious student and are committed to your college education. Stay home. Thank you. Laptop Users: If you are a laptop user, we kindly request that you sit in the second to last row to avoid distracting your classmates. Last Row Is Reserved: Please leave the last row of seats open for late arrivals and early departures. Absences: Students absent from class for any reason are responsible for all work missed. Please consult a classmate to get an update on the course activities you missed. Page 2
Responding To Your Concerns: If you have concerns about your performance in the class, you are welcome to discuss these in a respectful manner with the professor. Your professor cannot address issues that she is not aware of. Procedures for Handling Concerns: Your professor is available to collaborate with you on a plan to help you be successful in the course. As per the federal law (i.e., the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, I will not communicate with parents/guardians regarding a student s performance in this class. If after consulting with the professor you feel unsatisfied with the outcome, the next step would be to raise your concerns to your academic advisor. If the matter has not been successfully resolved, you should then contact the department head in Human Development and Family Studies. These procedures are outlined in the university student handbook. Respect for Diversity: All perspectives are welcome. Opinions should be presented in a respectful manner. Students should be open to hearing alternative perspectives on family issues, though they may not personally agree with the viewpoint. Try to focus on understanding why the individual may hold a viewpoint rather than immediately dismissing their opinion as false or unfounded. Let s focus on understanding diversity related to family communication. Spirit of Inclusiveness: The goal of this class is to present a range of different lifestyles and patterns related to family communication. Please understand that there is no way every variation in family communication can be addressed. This particularly applies to experiences among minority populations (e.g., race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation). The text introduces the common patterns observed based on theory and research; course discussions and presentations will take the same approach. If, at any time, you believe an important area is being overlooked based on your personal experiences, you are welcome to contribute this to the class. Sharing: Due to the nature of the class, we will discuss family issues. You are not expected to share anything that makes you uncomfortable. This applies to all course activities including (but not limited to) assignments, discussion board postings, class discussion, or group presentations. Other Support and Professional Services: Because of the nature of course material, we may discuss topics that are uncomfortable for you based on your past family and relationship experiences. At any time you feel it may be helpful to reach out for other support or professional services, please make a responsible choice and contact the Office of Student Support Services, 1010 Student Services Building, email dso-sas@iastate.edu, or phone 515/294-1020. Their website is: http://www.dso.iastate.edu/sa. Accommodations for Special Needs: Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office (515-294-7220). DR is located on the main floor of the Students Services Building, Room 1076. Lectures: PowerPoint lectures will be posted on Blackboard after class. You are welcome to download them and use them as a study resource. Course Format: This course will be delivered in a hybrid (or blended learning) format. We will meet face-to-face in Carver Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays. Friday class instruction will take place Page 3
online (i.e., Virtual Friday). You are still responsible for attending class on Friday, if requested by the professor. Class material for Virtual Fridays will be available for your review and completion beginning on Wednesday after 1:00pm (in most cases). All required course material must be completed by Friday at 1:00pm to allow the professor and teaching assistants to prepare for the following week s class. Please be advised that you should now plan when you will complete the required work to ensure that you do not fall behind with the requirements for the online portion of the class. Virtual Fridays are designed to create more avenues for learning for students. Required course material will include quizzes, discussions, readings, videos, real-time discussions via collaborate voice tool in Blackboard, etc. Chat 270: Once per month, students will have an opportunity to visit with the professor, teaching, assistant, and/or teaching intern in an informal setting. We will be available to talk about professional development issues (e.g., pursuing graduate study, faculty responsibilities outside of teaching classes) and other family communication topics. Students are welcome to bring other questions or topics to discuss. These meetings will be held at 11:00am in Carver Hall Room 270 on select Wednesdays throughout the semester. See the course schedule for the dates. On dates when Chat 270 takes the place of standard office hours on select dates. Grades: Your grades are posted for you on Blackboard which is accessible to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is your responsibility to monitor your grades periodically and know your standing in this course. Please do not email me nor the teaching assistant requesting that we update you on your grade. We will not. If you perceive an error in grading, we will be glad to consider your request to investigate this matter. Grade Weighting Quizzes Assignments Group Presentation Participation 50% of grade 20% of grade 15% of grade 15% of grade Quizzes = 50% of your course grade Quizzes will be taken online through Blackboard. The quizzes will comprise 20 multiple choice questions. You will have 30 minutes to take the quiz and each quiz is worth 20 points; students with approval for longer periods on exams will receive additional time. In the spirit of the team-based approach to teaching and learning, quizzes will be administered prior to the week when the chapter will be discussed in class. Therefore, it will be important for you to read and be prepared to take the quiz in advance of the week s discussion. Please review the course schedule for quiz dates. Your lowest two grades will be dropped from your final grade. No study guide will be provided. It is recommended that you use the course review provided at the end of each chapter for this purpose. There are no makeup quizzes in this course. If you miss the quiz, you will be assigned a 0. If you miss the quiz because of illness, family emergency, or death in your family, I will require documentation to avoid penalizing you for not taking the quiz. Students who provide documentation will have the quiz waived, thereby lowering the total point amount for their final grade but not penalizing the student for not taking the quiz. Page 4
Assignments = 20% of your course grade There will be multiple course assignments throughout the semester. You are strongly encouraged to complete all assignments on time. If you are unable to submit your assignment on the due date, you can turn in your paper in at a future date. Partial credit can be earned if you submit assignments before the end of the semester. However, you will only receive 50% of the credit for completing the assignment. In addition, any assignments submitted after the due date without a doctor s note or other documentation will not receive full credit. These assignments will be regarded as late. Assignments will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard. On occasion, extra credit may be available. Group Presentation = 15% of your course grade Students are expected to contribute to the presentation of course material. Students will sign up for one chapter on Blackboard (see link labeled In-class Presentation Sign-up and Group Discussion) and work together as a group to decide on a presentation format. No more than eight students can sign-up for a chapter. Each group will be responsible for enhancing the course by using innovative approaches to illustrate key themes raised in the chapter material. You may do this by showing a movie or television clip, performing a skit, engaging students in a debate or discussion, or using some other mode of communication. You are welcome to explore controversial issues. Students should ensure that their presentations reflect back on issues and topics raised in the assigned chapter. In general, the presentation should highlight an aspect of the readings, engage the students in an activity, and/or contribute outside sources of information to enhance the understanding of the readings. Note: If you use YouTube or a television or movie to highlight an issue, be prepared to lead the class in discussion and or engage in another activity to stimulate student interest. The presentation should last no more than 15 minutes. Students should not prepare lectures, but rather develop a presentation that provides applications of key concepts. Your presentation should highlight an interest point from the chapter material. To reiterate, because of the number of students enrolled in the class, your professor requests that students assigned to the same chapter work together as a group in order to present one cohesive presentation. The sign-up list for in-class presentations will be available on Blackboard effective today. To locate the date that you will deliver your in-class presentation, please review the instructions area in the sign-up sheet on Blackboard or the course schedule. If you find that one or more of your group members are not participating in the process to develop the presentation, the group should submit this information to the professor. Please detail what the student did and did not complete, as well as how this negatively impacted the group. All other group members should sign this lame duck report to provide validity to the report for record-keeping. Page 5
Group Presentation Rubric: 20 pts = Exceptionally delivered a well-designed presentation covering concepts and applications. 15 pts = Proficiently delivered a presentation covering concepts and applications. 10 pts = Satisfactorily delivered a presentation covering concepts and applications. 5 pts = Inadequately delivered a presentation covering key concepts and applications. 0 pts = Did not deliver a presentation covering concepts and applications. Participation = 15% of your course grade Participation in class is important and expected; students are strongly encouraged to actively participate in class discussions. To learn effectively, students should pay attention and participate in ongoing class activities. The more you are engaged in learning, the more successful you will be. In order to participate in class, you must attend. Therefore, attendance in this class is critical to your overall success and performance. On occasion, you will be expected to respond to questions regarding family communication using your clicker. The following points will be awarded: 2 points for a correct response to each question, 1 point for an incorrect response to each question, and 0 points for no response. Your response will serve as your class participation. If you do not have your clicker device, you will not be able to participate. Students will be excused for two participation activities, without professor approval. As such, the lowest two scores on clicker points will be dropped. Letter Grades and Corresponding Percentages 93% - 100% = A 73% - 77% = C 90% - 92% = A- 70% - 72% = C- 88% - 89% = B+ 68% - 69% = D+ 83% - 87% = B 63% - 67% = D 80% - 82% = B- 60% - 62% = D- 78% - 79% = C+ 59% or less = F Tentative Course Schedule. Professor reserves the right to change the schedule as needed. Date January 14 18 Orientation Course Activities January 21 25 Virtual Friday: Quiz on Chapter 1 and Online Assignments Monday: No class in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - Chapter 1 - Assignment 1 Due prior to class - Chapter 1: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 2 Quiz and Online Assignments Page 6
January 28 February 1 February 4 8 Monday and Chapter 2 - Chat 270 at 11:00AM, Carver Hall 290 - Chapter 2; Chapter 2: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 3 Quiz and Online Assignments Monday: - Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Student Group Presentation Guest speaker, Mr. Jason Haglund, Family Resource Center Virtual Friday: Chapter 4 Quiz and Online Assignments February 11 15 Monday: Chapter 4 Wednesday; - Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 5 Quiz and Online Assignments February 18 22 Monday: Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 6 Quiz and Online Assignments February 25 March 1 Monday: Chapter 6 - Chat 270 at 11:00AM, Carver Hall 290 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 7 Quiz and Online Assignments March 4 8 Monday: Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Student Group Presentation Page 7
Virtual Friday: - Chapter 8 Quiz and Online Assignments - Midterm grades posted with the University at 2:15pm March 11 15 Monday: Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Student Group Presentation March 18 22 March 25 29 Virtual Friday: Chapter 9 Quiz and Online Assignments Spring Break Monday: Guest speaker, Miss Leah Kinnaird - Chat 270 at 11:00AM, Carver Hall 290 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 10 Quiz and Online Assignments April 1 5 Monday: Chapter 10 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 11 Quiz and Online Assignments April 8 12 Monday: Chapter 11 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Student Group Presentation Virtual Friday: Chapter 12 Quiz and Online Assignments April 15 19 Monday: Chapter 12 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Student Group Presentation April 22 26 Virtual Friday: Quiz on Sexual Communication in Families and Online Assignments (Readings to be announced) Monday: Sexual Communication in Families - Chat 270 at 11:00AM, Carver Hall 290 - Group Presentation on Sexual Communication in Families (Readings to be announced) Page 8
April 29 May 3 Virtual Friday: Special Topic (TBA) Dead Week: Special Topic (TBA) Friday: - No Virtual Friday - Final opportunity to raise any concerns about your course grades to the professor. No grade adjustments will be made after May 3 at 1:00pm. May 8 Final Quiz from 2:15pm 4:15pm Tips to being successful in this course (adapted from by Dr. Steven Haas, Penn State University) 1. Read the syllabus. It is full of answers to such questions as when is the mid-term? When are office hours? Is there extra credit available? If you don t find the information you are looking for in the syllabus then read the syllabus again. If you still don t find it, ask me before/after class, during office hours, or send me an e-mail. 2. Come to class (on time), participate, and take notes. It is extremely rare for someone who regularly attends class and participates to do poorly. 3. If for some reason you must miss class, I prefer that you consult with a classmate to find out what you missed and/or visit Blackboard to obtain any missed material or notes. Utilize your resources. 4. Do the assigned readings (on time). Not everything is covered in class. In addition, reading is good for your cognitive health as it inhibits the accumulation of neural plaques and will lower your life-time risk of dementia. 5. Read the Syllabus. Again, there is a lot of useful information in there. 6. Do all of the assignments and turn them in on time. 7. Come to office hours. I am very friendly. I am more than willing to talk things through with you. If you are not doing well or do not understand the material, do not wait to the last minute to seek help. Ask questions about things you do not understand. 8. Turn off your cell-phone. That all important call/text/tweet/game of angry birds can wait 50 minutes while you focus on your education. 9. Use your ISU e-mail account and/or have set it to forward to whatever email account you really use (e.g., gmail, hotmail, yahoo). Also, please make sure your inbox is not over its space limit. I will from time to time send e-mails to the class and you will only get them if your ISU account is ready to receive messages. 10. Do not cheat or plagiarize in this course. There is a zero tolerance policy. You will get caught. You will fail this course. It will be reflected in your transcripts. Page 9