This course provides the basis for understanding potential problems of intercultural communication that arise in interactions between people from different cultures. As Samovar notes, complex nature of human behavior produces many communication problems-perhaps more than the problems addressed in this course. It is for this reason that we will explore how diverse cultural orientations influence the way we perceive and interact with an increasingly culturally diverse world. The overall purpose of this class is to understand causes of intercultural conflicts in different communication settings (interpersonal, small group, school, workplace and global) and how to manage them effectively.

Specific objectives are:

1. To learn how culture, your own and other peoples’, shapes the understanding of intercultural conflict analysis.
2. To explore cultural awareness of ‘self’, ‘other’ cultures and the challenges encountered in interaction between people of diverse culture.
3. To analyze cases of intercultural conflicts in diverse situations namely; interpersonal, small group, schools, workplace and global contexts, and acquire knowledge and skills that increase intercultural conflict competence.
4. To gain a critical perspective on local and global issues by using service learning pedagogy to address problems ensuing from increasing cultural diversity in St. Cloud.

Approach to Teaching and Learning about Cultural Diversity

You will have an opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and positive attitudes that increase your intercultural communication competence. I have adopted pedagogical approaches that include lectures, simulation, reflection exercises, role plays, small groups discussions, and service-learning that allow us to acquire an attitude of valuing diversity.

Course Text & Readings

Ting-Toomey, S. & Oetzel, J. (2001). Managing Intercultural Conflict Effectively.  Thousand Oak, CA: Sage Publication

Additional readings are available on e-reserve as indicated on the class schedule.

Service-learning pedagogy material will be posted on D2L from time to time. You will be notified via email.

Conceptual Outline of the course

The course is developed to address the following areas of interest in understanding intercultural communication problems and how to develop intercultural communication competence and effectively manage intercultural conflicts.

1. Problems of Intercultural Communication

You will learn about factors that explain problems of intercultural communication and ways to improve intercultural interactions. Additionally, key terms in the course will be defined. We will also consider pedagogical approaches relevant to helping students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to become a competent intercultural communicator.

2. Theorizing Intercultural Conflict

You will learn the theories and concepts basic to the understanding of intercultural conflicts that arise when people from diverse cultures interact.

3. Service-Learning Pedagogy

The course uses service learning pedagogy to allow you an opportunity to gain a critical perspective on local and global issues and in particular, to address problems ensuing from increasing cultural diversity in St. Cloud.

4. Intercultural Conflicts in Diverse contexts

Interpersonal relationships-You will learn to understand elements that affect effective interpersonal communication between people from different cultures.

School setting- You will learn about challenges of cultural diversity as you engage in experiential learning with local High school students from diverse cultural backgrounds

Diverse work groups’ setting- You will learn about how to work effectively in a groups with people from diverse cultures

Workplace setting- You will learn about managing effective managers-employees relations in a diverse workplace

5. Becoming Competent in managing intercultural conflicts

You will have an opportunity to critically reflect on lessons learned about problems in intercultural communication and importance of service learning as a pedagogical approach that generates new knowledge and develops skills that help you to effectively communicate in diverse communication settings.

Assignments

Complete guidelines for each assignment are contained in the assignments package

Summary of Assignment and Proportion of Final Grade.

Final Group Presentation – 100 pts

You and your group members will do a presentation on an assigned topic to the class.

Research Paper – 100 pts

You will do research on an intercultural conflict you are involved in or aware of. The analysis of this conflict will be based on the culture-based situational model developed by Ting-Toomey.

Journal Entries – 60 pts

You will write a one page reflection after each S-L session. See Field notes form posted on D2L.

Service-Learning Sessions activities – 60 pts

You and your group will participate in preparation of activities for each S-L session.

Tests – 100 pts

Two short essay and definition of terms exams over two chapters-50pts each

Participation – 30 pts

Attendance & participation in class activities

Attendance – 30 pts

Attendance to SL sessions (5pts each session)

Guest speaker – 20 pts

You will write a one page reaction paper to guest speakers’ lectures

Total – 500 points

Grading Scale

Letter Grade-Percentages-Letter Grade-Percentages

A 100-95%

A- 94-90%

B+ 89-87%

B 86-84%

B- 83-80%

C+ 79-77%

C 76-73%

C- 72-70%

D+ 69-67%

D 66-63%

D- 62-60%

F 59-0 %

Course Policies, Procedures and Courtesies (excerpted)

Attendance

Class and service-learning sessions is considered mandatory. It is five percent of your final grade. Because this is an interactive class, regular and prompt attendance is necessary. If you must miss a class/service learning session, make sure that you have documentation to verify your absence (personal family, medical emergencies only). In case this emergency requires two or more absences, we will discuss the possibility of a grade of I (Incomplete) or W (Withdraw).  Consult with your peers for material covered in class. After you have done so, feel free to ask me questions about the material covered during your absence. Also, if you are involved in a group project and encounter dire emergency, which prevents your being present for a presentation, it is your responsibility to contact one of your group members prior to class time. Do not bother to tell me about your absence (after missing class). However, you can be courteous and let me know in the first two weeks of class of important things that you think I should know e.g. medical related issues so that your absence does not jeopardize your final grade. I want all of you to succeed in this class and to do so we have to act with respect for each other. Excessive tardiness or absences will jeopardize your final grade, regardless of work completed. Missing SL sessions means 5 points off the SL attendance points and a ZERO for journal. Only one excused absence for class attendance allowed.

Written, Service-Learning (SL) activities and group project assignments.

Students will use non-racist and non-sexist language in class and in written work. All written work will meet the standards of academic and professional quality (no spelling, grammar or punctuation errors; please proof read your papers prior to turning them in). All of these factors along with the overall quality of the work (clarity of thinking, organization of text, etc.) will be considered in assigning a grade.

Unless otherwise stated, all written assignments are to be typed, double-spaced, and free of spelling and grammatical errors. In-class writing assignments must be legibly hand-written. All assignments and presentations are due on the scheduled dates AT CLASS TIME. Late assignments, for whatever reasons (including computer equipment failure) will be penalized one (1) full grade for each day late. (e.g. B to C) Since you know the due dates well ahead of time, there is not good excuse except for emergencies.

Group projects presentations and SL activities will be presented on the days assigned. The guidelines for attendance stipulate penalties for missed assignments/ unexcused absences. You have to be available for all group projects presentations. If your peers are going to be there to listen to you its only fair that you be there to hear them too. Likewise, absence during group presentations will affect your group grade 5points off the points awarded to your group. For example 90 points will drop to 85.

Golden Rule

Never fail to raise a question on any issue regarding the course that is not clear in your mind. I am here to work with you and ensure that we all experience a very enriching learning process. I wish you all well and look forward to a productive semester.

Class Weekly Schedule (Subject to changes)

Period/Topic/Reading

Week 1 – Introduction to the course& define key terms, Reasons for studying intercultural conflict, Service-learning pedagogy in promoting intercultural/interracial relations/Ch. 1 (1-15), Ch. 1 (15-26), Handout/D2L

Week 2 – The Culture-based situational model, Theoretical approaches to managing conflicts, Group meetings/ Prep for SL#1 session. Read articles assigned for next week/Ch. 2/ Handout/ D2L

Week 3 - S-L /Civic Engagement Literature/Loeb: Soul of a Citizen:  Introduction: ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And I am only for myself, what am I. Pipher: Cultural Collisions on the Great Plains. Mutua-Kombo: Using service-learning pedagogy to promote interracial relation.

Week 4 – Service-Learning 1st Session: Be the Change You Wish to See In the World @ Apollo High School

Week 5 – Intercultural conflict in interpersonal relationships, Guest speakers, Test # 1 on chapters 1, 2 & service learning, Group meetings/ Prep for 2nd SL session/ Ch. 3

Week 6 – Service-Learning 2nd Session: “Many Voices One World” @ Apollo High/Session #1 Journal due

Week 7 – Intercultural conflict in diverse work groups, Video: Supervising differences, Group meetings/ Prep for 3rd SL session, Test#2 Take Home (chap.3&4)/Ch. 4

Week 8 – Service-Learning 3rd session “Understanding and Respecting Cultural Differences” @ SCSU/Session#2 Journal due

Week 9 – SPRING BREAK

Week 10 – Service-Learning 4th Session: Intercultural Communication Skills & Principles of Nonviolence Communication” @Sauk Rapids-Rice High/Handout/D2L

Week 11 – International conflicts/ Post-conflict peace communication, Non-Western conflict management approaches, Challenges of doing research in post-conflict settings, Discussions and group meetings to prepare for 5th session /Mutua-Kombo, E. (2008). Rwandan Women’s words, actions and meaning: a researcher’s reflection.

Week 12 – Service-Learning 5th session: “Bridging Differences & Managing Intercultural Conflicts Effectively” @ Tech High/Session#4 Journal due

Week 13 – Discussions and group meetings-prep for 6^th session

Week 14 – Service-Learning 6th session: “Becoming an Ally” @ SCSU/Session#5 Journal due/Handout/D2L

Week 15 - Intercultural Conflict Competence, Reflections on lessons learned about intercultural conflicts; causes, effects and management across cultures, SL surveys & Course Evaluations, Research paper due/Ch. 6

Week 16 – Group Presentations, Group#1: A Campus of Difference, Group#2: A Community of Difference, Final Journal Entry 6: Assess you own learning due

Week 17 – Group Presentations, Group#3: A Workplace of Difference, Group#4: A Global Community of Difference

CMST 339 Communicating Common Ground

Service-Learning Sessions’ Agenda Spring 2011

Preamble

The theme for CCG 2011 is “Be the change you wish to see in the world”- Mahatma Gandhi. All six service-learning (SL) sessions will emphasize on skills that support the development of this challenging civic obligation “Be the change…” among participating students. CMST 339 students will use the SL sessions to gain a greater understanding of the theory and praxis of intercultural conflict management.

We will apply CMST 339 course content in ways that it informs the understanding of Gandhi’s philosophy in developing knowledge and skills to build strong intercultural and interracial relationships in our schools and communities. We seek to build capacity within high school students to become change agents in their schools. By using community based strategies to intercultural and interracial understanding, relationships will be build, conflicts managed and positive attitudes about peace, and co-existence fostered.  Specifically, the SL sessions aim to do the following:

• Develop civic and leadership skills to empower students to bridge differences and imagine a shared vision of our community.
• Educate students about ways to individually and collectively take leadership/responsibility in transforming their schools, communities, nation and the world into spaces of compassion, peace, and co-existence.
• Promote dialogue as a means to chart new ways for peaceful co-existence and intercultural learning.

Session# 1 Be the Change You Wish to See In the World @ Apollo

Students will engage in activities intended to develop critical self awareness of their role in making a difference in their schools, communities and the world. Students will reflect on what it takes to be the change one wishes to see in the world. For example, what do you do to when people are mean to those who are different based on their race, culture, religion, sexual identity, disability? Do you do something or choose to sit back and do nothing?  These questions among others will be answered during this first session and set the tone for what we will be doing for the rest of the semester.

Getting started

• Introductions (develop a fun activity to break the ice)
• Expectations (what do you all want for your group to succeed)
• Ground rules (ensure everyone participates in setting the ground rules)

Session’s Activity

The goal of this session is to ensure that the students understand the meaning behind the philosophy “Be the change you wish to see in the world”

Perhaps you may want to start off by asking the students why they joined CCG?  After listening to their responses, transition to discuss the questions below- Feel free to develop more questions as needed.

• What Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy mean to you?
• Is it necessary to be the change you wish to see in the world? Why?
• What are the benefits of embracing this philosophy?
• What challenges come your way of fully embracing this philosophy?
• What are some of the ways to overcome the challenges encountered?

Self-Reflection activity

It is important that we recognize that the call to “Be the change…….”is one that touches on the very core of our consciousness. In this regard, we have to reflect on the inner self- who we are –and how we perceive others. How then do our perceptions of self and others impact how we act to promote understanding across differences?

Ensure that the high school students understand that embracing Gandhi’s philosophy means acting differently for the common good. You are no longer doing things for “me” but for “us”.

For example, you can start the discussion on perception by asking the students this question: how often do you act in ways that bring dignity and integrity to yourself, friends, and your cultural/racial groups?

Task

Prepare a lesson plan that includes the following:

• Name/ title and a brief description of a “get to know you” activity
• Highlights of what you will teach about perceptions including some questions that get the students to reflect deeply on the idea of self perception and perception of others. This should include some questions that will get H.S students to reflect deeply on perceptions.
• Develop an assignment that you will assign H.S students at the end of the session. This assignment should require students to do something that responds to Gandhi’s philosophy. Due date is next session on 2/16.

Take Home Tips

• The need to act in ways that bring dignity and respect to themselves, their friends and family, and the cultural and racial groups they belong to.
• Positive perception of self and others projects the dignity in your inner self. Positive perception of self and others promotes healthy relationships and promotes understanding across our differences.

End of the session

Ask high students to write a statement of their commitment to being the change they wish to see in the world. Collect their responses and put them in the binder.  Encourage them to come back and also thank them for their participation.

Session # 2  Many Voices One World     @ APOLLO

This session aims to equip students with communication skills that promote dialogue as a means to address personal challenges to dealing with cultural misunderstanding and racial prejudice. High school students will have the opportunity to express their experiences. In turn, these experiences will be used to craft a new narrative that draws from experiences of renowned peacemakers whose words and actions offer great insights to ways that we can build strong communities in our schools, neighborhoods, nation and the world. The goal is to help high school students to develop communication strategies that transcend our differences in favor of peaceful co-existence.

Session’s Activity

H.S. students will identify the challenges of dealing with cultural misunderstanding and racial prejudice. The purpose of sharing these experiences is to collectively seek solutions to promote intercultural understanding and racial harmony among the students. It is important that you manage this session with outmost sensitivity and at the same time stay focused on the task for the day. It is difficult to talk about racial prejudice and so we should all be respectful to others’ experiences.

Suggestions to holding a meaningful dialogue

• Tell students that you be holding a dialogue about their experiences. Make it clear to them that dialogue is about “talking and listening to each other with a purpose”…it is not a debate or pointing figures at anyone but working together to collectively seek solutions to improve the circumstances detrimental to peaceful co-existence.
• Make it clear to the students that expressing their challenges clearly, accurately, and honestly is what will allow all of you to collectively find solutions to what we can be done to improve the situation.
• Take turns to talk and be mindful of time. Don’t take all the time others want to speak as well. Plan well so as to spend equal time on challenges and solutions.

After identifying the challenges, ask the students to consider what the following voices” teach about how to overcome the challenges identified. You may want to begin the conversation by asking students to say something about the people whose quotes are listed below. Most likely, the students will not be familiar with these peace-markers. So, it is your responsibility to make sure that you know who they are, the challenges they have encountered and still used kind words and good communication to promote understanding. Two things highly recommend: i) make sure you get to discuss at least 2-3 of the unfamiliar peace makers. This will give the students a change to connect with struggles in other parts of the world; ii) pictures of the peace makers to show the students.

QUOTES

It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees. Wangari Mathaai

Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.  Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy – January 20th 1961

The time is always right to do what is right. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. Nelson Mandela

We will surely get to our destination if we join hands.” -Aung San Suu Kyi

It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences- Audre Lorde

You can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea- Benazir Bhutto

Task

Your lesson plan must include the following:

1. An outline of how you will meet the goals of this session
2. Lessons learned from the quotes to share with the high school students. These lessons will be based on your group’s interpretation/ understanding of the quotes.
3. Develop at least three Take Home Tips about how to effectively communicate frustrations, anger, hopelessness in general those things that hurt us most without (intentionally) causing more hurt to self and others.

Take Home Tips

Review the responses from the assignment given last week. Develop some thoughts of what can be done based on the students’ responses. If these responses are not adequate feel free to offer your own tips to the students.

Session #3  Understanding and Respecting Cultural Differences @ SCSU

We will use the concept of culture as an iceberg to educate about cultural differences and strategies to overcome stereotypes, ethnocentrism and prejudice. The goal of the session is to enable students to gain an understanding of and respect for cultural differences by looking deeper into what is under the iceberg rather than looking only at what is on the surface.

Session’s Activity

High school students will share cultural histories of their families-how they came to America, when and why, and experiences of adjusting in a new cultural environment? Plan your time well so that some of you can also share your histories. After, sharing your histories, begin the discussion by asking the following questions:

• Looking at culture as an iceberg diagram what can you say most people see (at the top of the iceberg) about your culture?
• What is under the iceberg that we do not know?

Conclude the session by highlighting the importance of seeking the “hidden” meanings in the iceberg.

Task

Your lesson plan must include an outline of how you plan to go about meeting the goal of the session.

• Develop a teaching module that applies what you have learned about individualistic and collectivist cultures to help students gain a deeper understanding of how our cultural differences impact how we interact and communicate. Be sure to identify specific characteristics of each of these two cultures that you want the students to understand.
• Develop thoughtful tips to share with the students about the issues listed in the Take home tips section below.

Take Home Tips

• Dangers of looking at the tip of the iceberg
• Benefits of digging deeper into the iceberg

* Iceberg handout will be posted on D2L and additional worksheet provided the class period before this session.

Session# 4 Intercultural Communication Skills & Principles of Nonviolence Communication @SRRHS

This session focuses on the role of communication in connecting people from diverse backgrounds. Being a good communicator is an important prerequisite in a multicultural society and the world at large. High school student will acquire skills to enable them advocate for themselves as well as others. Acquiring these skills is important in improving every day intercultural/interracial interactions.

How do people interact in a community that is culturally heterogeneous?  What intercultural communication skills are needed? How do we advocate for principles of nonviolence communication? See Non-violence handout is posted on D2L [under Communicating Common Ground Materials Module]

Task:

• Prepare a lesson plan that highlights key skills needed in communicating across differences.
• Define the concepts: intercultural communication, intercultural competence, non violent communication principles and identify key skills and abilities needed to successfully negotiate cultural differences and to appreciate diverse perspective.
• Develop communication scenario/role play that illustrate effective intercultural/ non-violence communication.

Take Home Tips

Offer two tips about what you want high school students to know about communicating across differences (race, culture, class, gender, sexual identity, disabilities, religion, opinion etc)

Session # 5 Bridging Differences & Managing Intercultural Conflicts Effectively”  @TECH

Session # 3 highlighted the challenges encountered by many people based on their ‘difference’. Many a times, a lack of understanding about our differences results into conflicts. This session will equip students with knowledge and skills about cross-cultural conflict management. CMST 339 students will apply what they have learned about intercultural conflict styles and Ting-Toomey and Otzel’s Culture-based Situational Conflict Model to support H.S. students’ intercultural conflict skills development. In addition, we will recognize the purpose of peace education in empowering people with skills, attitudes and knowledge to:

• Build, maintain and restore relationships among each other (be it at school and other public spaces
• Develop positive approaches towards dealing with conflicts at the personal level and also understanding conflicts at other levels (that are not personal)

The goal of this session is to engage H.S. student to learn how to analyze and transform conflict. You want to be sure that they have some good understanding of the following:

• What is conflict?
• What are the causes and effects of the conflict?
• What can be done to manage conflict effectively?
• Get the students to reflect on how their experiences can be used to educate others, how these experiences can be used to transform conflicts.

Task

Prepare a lesson plan that teaches H.S students about the following:

• Definition of intercultural conflict
• Intercultural conflict styles
• Differences between Western and Non-Western conflict styles
• Develop a role play to emphasize the concepts that you want the students to learn.
• What do you want the students to take home?

Remember that the H.S students have not taken classes in intercultural communication. So, this means that you need to have a lesson plan that is accessible to the students. They must understand and relate to your ideas.  Simplify the concepts to be discussed and use many examples.

Take Home Tips

As stipulated in your lesson plan.

Session # 6 Becoming an Ally @ SCSU

We may not change peoples’ attitudes about prejudice, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other “isms”. However, we can strive to attract allies who will support our efforts to promote peaceful co-existence in our communities. How then do we embrace the essence of becoming an ally? What does becoming an ally mean? How do you become an ally? What does an ally do?

The activities for this session will focus on engaging students to understand the notion of becoming an ally as a possibility to build, maintain and restore relationships at all levels of human interaction. Students will reflect on lessons learned in sessions 1-5 to chart ways to become the change they wish to see in the world.

Task:

• Develop a lesson plan that helps students to understand the connection between becoming an ally and “being the change you wish to see in the world”.
• Explore ideas that get the students to realize that becoming an ally and embracing Gandhi’s philosophy

Take Home Tips

• Develop tips that support students quest to always seek a common ground, be each others’ ally and desire to become the change they wish to see in the world.

*Make this session memorable to you and the high school students.

*Handouts (posted on D2L) for this session are based on the work of Paul Kivel, Allan Creighton and The Oakland Men’s Project (Making the peace: a 15-session violence prevention curriculum for young people).

Course Goals

Our incredibly diverse society has changed the expectations for interpersonal competence. Continuing demographic changes in the United States are forcing us to recognize the we must become not only more culturally sensitive but also more culturally competent in our communication. In addition, increasing globalization requires that we be able to interact completely with people of different cultural backgrounds.

The purpose of the course is to develop an understanding of some of the major theories and principles of interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication concerns our interactions with others on a one-to-one or one-to-few basis. This type of communication can occur with family, friends, acquaintances, business associates, or intimates. We will examine peoples’ similarities and differences along ethnic, racial gender, socioeconomic, age, and sexual orientation. This course focuses on some of the distinct qualities of these types of interactions. This course fulfills the diversity requirement (D) for core.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe and define the basic interpersonal communication terms and concepts
• Explain the major theories of interpersonal communication
• Apply the theories of interpersonal communication to everyday interpersonal encounters
• Demonstrate understanding of the complexity of the interpersonal process
• Explain how meaning and identity are constructed collaboratively
• Explain how we make meaning during the perception process through the interaction and effective listening, and how this impacts interpersonal communication
• Explain how we provide messages verbally and nonverbally in our interactions, potentially moving relationships from being “social” to being “interpersonal”
• Think critically, constructing and deconstructing arguments form different points of view, demonstrating how conflict can be a productive part of communication.
• Demonstrate an ability to understand and interact productively with others in diverse communities with an informed awareness of their personal relevance.
• Demonstrate confidence in interpersonal encounters by articulating the values, assumptions, and methods of interpersonal communication
• Describe the ethical issues associated with interpersonal communication choices
• Demonstrate an understanding of the differences in verbal and nonverbal communication between varying ethnic groups
• Describe effective listening strategies in varied relationships
• Describe the various challenges affecting interpersonal interactions due to gender, technology, culture, and media
• Explain the nature of hidden stereotypes and bias in communication

Required Readings and Material

• DeVito, J. A. (2007). The interpersonal communication book (11 ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• Applegate, J. L., & Morreale, S. P. (1999). Service learning in Communication: A natural partnership.
• In D. Droge & B. O. Murphy (Eds.), Voices of strong democracy: Concepts and models for service learning in Communication Studies (pp. ix-xiv). Washington, D.C.: American Association for Higher Education

Course Requirements

• Exams: There will be four exams this semester- three during class time and a final exam. The exams will require analysis, recall, and application of the concepts we have studied both in class and in your reading. The texts, class discussions, supplemental readings, activities, and lectures will all be covered on the exams. (30%)
• Service Learning Project- Journal: see assignment at the end of the syllabus (30%)
• Class Presentation: You will present your learning from the service learning project in the last two weeks of the semester (5%)
• Homework: There will be homework assignment/exercises to complete (15%)
• Class Participation: Attendance at all class meetings is expected. The discussions, lecture material and class exercises are an integral part of learning the course material. (20%)

Service Learning Project

Consistent with the mission of Jesuit education, students should have an opportunity to learn to service others. Service learning provides students an opportunity to use the learning from their own coursework to enhance the lives of others. “Service learning presents each act of learning as a resolution of the dialectic between the individual and society. Each successful resolution enhances both the perspective of the individual and the fabric of society by strengthening the link between the two” (Applegate & Morreale, 1999, p. x). The service learning activity will be worth 30% of your final grade. The requirements are completion 1 ½ hours per week over a 10-week period beginning the week of January 29 continuing to the end of the week of April 2.

Service Learning
Specifically, students enrolled in Interpersonal Communication will have the opportunity to spend the semester working with a population or group that is significantly different from their own background. Through these interactions, you will have the opportunity to develop the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to be effective participants in a changing society. During this project you will work toward building and sustaining relationships with students from local schools (or through a community after school program), and to teach and to reduce stereotypes and prejudices. As a community partner, John Carroll University students will go to Caledonia Elementary School, St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School, or the Intergenerational School (preferred sites) once a week for one and one half hours over a ten-week period to tutor the children in the We the People Project. Transportation is provided. You must follow these guidelines:
Students must register with the Center for Community Service;

• The service must be completed at one service site for the entire semester
• You must visit the site one a week for ten weeks; you must be at the site for ~1 ½ hours each visit;
• The service must involve direct interaction with children enrolled in grades K-6;
• You must keep a service-learning journal that includes a complete a description of your responsibilities, a reporting of your activities while at the service site, and a description of how your service has enriched your understanding of communication, diversity, racism and fighting intolerance in today’s world.

Journal Entry Guidelines for service learning
Your journal must include the following information:

A. Use assignment one; Watch the Color of Fear and use the questions provided to guide your response

B. Weekly entries include the following information:

1. Describe briefly how your time was spent (one paragraph maximum)
2. Indicate what you learned from examining how you reacted. This is an important step because it indicates the result of your reflection-in-action; it records awareness and sensitivity. This is the critical analysis that moves learning beyond a description of the event/exercise or material. To accomplish this, you will have to attempt to step back form the situation and review what you saw or experienced, what you felt and recognized. You should integrate materials discussed in class to examine the theories and how they fit with what we have learned about interpersonal communication and cultural diversity. You will also be expected to question what you know or what you use believe. Discuss reactions to that particular day’s responsibilities. Your reactions can suggest issues to explore or think about. How did this relate to class readings?

Final Group Presentation
You individually or with classmates who volunteered or researched the same or similar service centers will have 30 minutes to present to the rest of the class. Every person must participate in this presentation. Your group presentation must be clear, concise and connected. In other words, each individual group member will present his/her own work, but these presentations must be integrated in a way that the class can see the connection in all of your work. Your presentation should include the following material:

1. What was your main goal/research question/hypothesis? In other words, what did you expect to find through service learning observations or research?
2. What did you find? (NOTE: remember…you don’t have a lot of time for this presentation so you should briefly outline your findings; however, also keep in mind that this is the only place that you will be able to report your actual findings so you should do a good job!)
3. Connect your results to the literature. How did what you observed “fit” with what you expected to find? Why do you think you found what you did? NOTE: this is the only place you will be able to integrate what you found with what you expected to find (i.e., Part II)…keep this in mind!! Your grade will reflect your ability to connect this information in a clear, concise, and meaningful manner!
4. The “overall” group presentation should be connected and should provide information to the class about interpersonal communication and diversity.

I. Contents of Syllabus
a. Contract
b. Required textbook
c. Course description
d. Course objectives
e. Course evaluation/assessment methods
f. Calendar of Events
g. Rules and comments for the course/classroom
h. Instructor’s expectations, perspective and rationale

II. Syllabus as contract
It is your responsibility to read this syllabus carefully. It is your contract for completing the course. Changes to this contract by the instructor may occur to facilitate opportunities for further study in specific areas and/or the course overall. If you have any questions regarding the syllabus items, you are tasked to ask the instructor in class, in her office at office hours or during a negotiated time.

III. Textbook required for the course
Wood, J.T. (2007).(5th Ed.). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

IV. Course Description
This is a service-learning course with a course project that will involve creating and delivering individual workshops for a particular population group from a not-for-profit organization. The project itself is outlined further in this syllabus. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the student with the field of interpersonal communication through an understanding of the fundamentals, an initiation of interpersonal communication theories and a view to the span of interpersonal communication research. Upon completion of this course, the student should have developed an understanding of the complexity of interpersonal relationship communication. Benefits of this course are that the student may gain a glimpse into the constantly changing flow of communication between people, not static but varying throughout relationship development. Further, the student will find that the exchange process of interpersonal communication influences the outcomes of relationships.
This class will specifically focus on ways that interpersonal communication helps the student to understand the variables involved in relationships, the way they perceive, talk, and listen to others, the rules followed, and common errors in daily communication exchanges. As a group, we will talk about communication with friends, family, and significant others and the impact and influence of culture, conflict, and power that confounds those relationships. This course will devote a considerable amount of time on cultural diversity issues and workplace communication.
Throughout the course, the guiding principle of all our interactions will be that we can all learn to improve our communication strategies with others by a growing awareness of others’ personal preferences and needs.

V. Course objectives and assessment methods
A. Students should be able to define the general terms and concepts of interpersonal communication. Assessed by four reflection papers, two examinations and two workshops.
B. Students should be able to express the concepts of interpersonal communication. Assessed by four reflection papers, two interviews with service-learning participants, two examinations and two workshops.
C. Students should be able to apply the principles and theories of interpersonal communication. Assessed by four reflection papers, two interviews with service-learning participants, two examinations and two workshops.
D. Students should be able to develop, apply and discuss critical thinking techniques in interpersonal communication situations and settings. Assessed progressively in four reflection papers, two essay examinations, two peer and self evaluation reports and two workshops.

VI. Assessments and Evaluations
A. Graded items
1. Interviews (2 @ 50 each) 100
2. Workshop outline #1 50
3. Workshop #1 100
4. Peer Evaluation on Workshop #1 50
5. Self Evaluation on Workshop #1 50
6. Reflection papers (4@50 pts) 200
7. Workshop outline #2 50
8. Workshop #2 100
9. Examinations (2@100 pts) 200
10. Participation and Attendance 100
Total 1000
B. Grading scale
1000-910 A 889-810 B 789-710 C 689-610 D
909-900 A- 809-800 B- 709-700 C- below 610 F
899-890 B+ 799-790 C+ 699-690 D+

VII. Calendar of events

Date Topic Evaluation
Aug 26 Introductions, discussion of course syllabus & questionnaire
Explanation of service learning project
Discussion of reflection paper (content and form)
Discussions on course direction, worldviews and value systems

Assignment:
Read Chapter 1

Aug 28 Discussion of Service-Learning Project and Chapter 1
Special Speaker from Service learning community partner
Discussion question: What is interpersonal communication?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 2

Sept 2 Discussion of Ch 2
Discussion question: How is self created and presented?
Discussion on service learning project

Assignment:
Read supplement chapter by Duck and McMahan
Prepare Reflection paper #1

Sept 4 Discussion of supplemental chapter Reflection paper #1 due Discussion question: What is my reflection of self?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 3

Sept 7 Discussion of Ch 3
Discussion question: How do I perceive others, myself?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 4

Sept 11 Discussion on Chapter 4
Discussion question: What is 9-11 for Americans, for others?

Assignment:
Review Chapter 5

Sept 16 Discussion of Chapter 5
Discussion question: What is your best, worst nonverbal
communication used by yourself, used by others?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 6

Sept 18 Discussion on Chapter 6
Discussion question: What is your listening score?

Assignment:
Prepare questions about Exam #1

Sept 23 Discuss Chapter 6 and Exam #1

Assignment:
Prepare for Exam #1 covering Ch 1-6, activities, discussions,
handouts, films and examples

Sept 25 Exam #1

Assignment:
Prepare interview questions for service-learning participants

Sept 30 Discussion on Service Project Workshops and Use of Interviews
Discussion and Activity with Interview questions—come prepared!

Oct 2 Interview Day with Service Learning community partner participants

Assignment:
Prepare Workshop #1 using Chapters 1-6 and interviews
Prepare Reflection Paper #2 on interviews (to be shared with
community partner management team)

Oct 7 & 9 No class: Dr. Crume at conference

Oct 14 Workshops #1 (4 team presenters) Reflection Paper #2 due

Oct 16 Workshops #1 (4 team presenters)

Oct 21 Workshops #1 (4 team presenters)

Assignment:
Prepare Peer Evaluations and Self Evaluations
Prepare Reflection Paper #3 on workshop experience (to be shared
with service learning community partner management team)

Read Chapter 7

Oct 23 Discussion of Ch 7 Reflection Paper #3 due
Discussion question: What is emotional intelligence?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 8

Oct 28 Discussion of Chapter 8
Discussion question: What do you do to achieve a desired
communication climate?
Assignment:
Read Chapter 9

Oct 30 Discussion of Chapter 9
Discussion question: What is your conflict style in a current
relationship?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 10

Nov 4 National, State and County Elections—VOTE TODAY
Discuss Chapter 10
Discussion question: What’s/ who’s a friend?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 11

Nov 6 Discussion of Chapter 11
Discussion question: What are different types of romantic
relationships and why?

Assignment:
Read Chapter 12

Nov 11 Discussion of Chapter 12
Discussion question: What is the bond/cement of family
relationships?

Assignment:
Prepare interview questions for service-learning participants

Nov 13 Discuss Workshops #2 using Chapters 7-12 (Service learning
community partner management attending)
Discussion and activity with interview questions—come prepared!

Assignment:
Revise interview questions for service-learning participants

Nov 18 Interview Day with Service Learning community partner participants
Nov 20 Discussion on Workshop #2

Assignment:
Prepare for Workshops #2 using Chapters 7-12

Nov 25 Workshop #2 (4 team presenters)

Nov 27 No class: Thanksgiving

Dec 2 Workshop #2 (4 team presenters)

Dec 4 Workshop #2 (4 team presenters)

Assignment:
Prepare for Exam #2 covering Chapters 7-12 with workshop
information, interview experiences and lectures

Dec 9/11 Exam #2 covering Chapters 7-12, workshops, interviews, lectures
Student Evaluations

We teach students the study of the strategic and ethical uses of communication
to build relationships and community.

Course Overview

Community is one of the oldest forms of human association that challenges our ability to balance individual responsibility and collective interest. In the 21st century, many people long for community but find instead an absence of social fulfillment. Community comes to look less like a possibility, and more like an unreachable dream.

In this seminar, we apply communication theory and research to observe how one community, Greensboro, maintains its identity as a site of civil rights struggle and triumph. We examine the history of community formation, and the impact of race, economics, social class, media, and collective memory on its present day status. Greensboro’s history is best understood within a broader context of the Southern narratives surrounding other events involving race, law and order, community, and collective memory. Specifically, our research foci will be on:

• The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the first of its kind in the United States. We examine the report issued in spring 2005 investigating the events of November 3, 1979 when KKK and Nazis opened fire on a Communist Worker Party-sponsored march on the east side of Greensboro.
• A look at the Orangeburg Massacre of 1968, the Wilmington Revolution of 1898, the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, and the Elaine Race Massacres of 1919.

Among other questions, we will ask, what hope exists for community amidst spiritual, cultural, and ethnic diversity? How do communicative practices sustain communal life? What are the ways in which our community is constructed through the lens of civil rights?

This elective course is designed for junior and senior communication majors who have successfully completed most if not all of the core requirements for the major.

Service-Learning

You will be engaged in community service work that focuses on needs assessment, program evaluation, research, policy development, grant writing or advocacy. Most, if not all of you, will have already completed a service-learning course where interaction or direct action with a community partner was the focus of your effort. In this course, we will be exploring more advanced forms of service-learning to develop your leadership potential in community work. You should plan on spending 30- 40 hours in community activities. You will need to record these hours AND receive a letter from your community partner detailing how your work contributed to the accomplishment of their organizational goals.

Course Objectives

1. Identify ethical and social responsibilities of community involvement in an intercultural society.
2. Examine the strategic uses of communication by varying special interest and governmental groups to build relationships and community.
3. Assess the agendas of various community stakeholder groups in advancing civil rights in Greensboro through an analysis of their communication practices.
4. Appraise how dialogue, ethics, and justice intersect in the constitution of community.

Required Books

Arnett, R. C. (1986). Communication and community. Southern Illinois University.
Chafe, W. H. (1980). Civilities and civil rights. New York: Oxford University.
Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report (2006).

The books we read provide an historical and more current perspective of civil rights in the Greensboro community, focusing on the events leading up to and following February 1, 1960 and November 3, 1979. Additional readings detail events in other Southern cities involving civil rights, race relations and dominant/alternative narratives.

Required Readings on Blackboard

Bass, J. (2003). Documenting the Orangeburg Massacre. Nieman Reports, 57: 8-11.
Goble, D. (2001). Final report of the Oklahoma commission to study the Tulsa Race Riot of
1921. Retrieved from www.tulsareparations.org on July 17, 2006.
Feldman, M.S., Skoldberg, K., Brown, R.N. & Horner, D. (2004). Making sense of stories: A
rhetorical approach to narrative analysis. Journal of Public Administration Research
and Theory, 14: 147-170.
Hossfeld, L.H. (2005). Narrative, political unconscious and racial violence in Wilmington, North
Carolina, pp. ix-xv. New York: Rutledge.
Stockley, G. & Whayne, J.M. (2002). Federal troops and the Elaine Massacres: A colloquy. The
Arkansas Historical Quarterly, 61: 272-283.
Waller, S. (2005). A City of Two Tales, pp. 1-12.

Web Sites You Should View

www.sitinmovement.org, www.sitins.com, www.greensborotrc.org, www.gtcrp.org

www.news-record.org (for blogs and archives)
www.tulsareparations.org
www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/1898-wrrc/report/report.htm

Course Requirements & Grading

Weekly Participation in Discussions, Field Trips, etc. 100 points
Community Meetings & Responses (2) 100 points
Reflection Papers (2) 100 points
Mid Term 200 points
Final Project 500 points
Total Possible 1,000 points
Grading Scale

A=900-1000; B=800-899; C=700-799; D=600-699; F=below 600 (plus and minus are in thirds of these categories).

Weekly Participation

Part of your grade will reflect the degree to which you contribute consistently, actively, and substantively during class. Thoughtful questions and respectful commentary on another’s perspective are encouraged to demonstrate excellent participation. We will be taking field trips and hosting many guest speakers during this course that require your attendance. Obviously, you cannot “make up” these experiences. Attendance Policy: You will be allowed three excused (I am notified in advance) absences only. Four or more absences will result in a lower class grade. For instance, the highest possible grade you can achieve with 4 absences is a B (assuming all your completed assignments are A quality). At five absences, the highest possible grade you can achieve is a C. Each additional absence will lower your final grade another full letter. You get the idea, better to be in class than absent.

Community Meetings

While the basis of our instruction will be in the classroom, we are examining practical, current community issues. In order to gain a sense of how people in the community are discussing matters related to civil rights, you will need to attend two meetings outside the classroom focusing on communication and civil rights. I will provide notice of some meetings, and you may find others. After you have attended, write a 3-4 page paper examining the communicative aspects of the meeting, drawing from and citing information from our texts.

Reflection Papers

Periodically, during the semester you will be asked to document your experiences and learning at your service site. Each of these papers will be structured in three parts: observations, analysis of episodes/examples (linking to course readings) and reflections/reactions. These papers are typically 3-4 pages in length.

Mid Term Exam

This will be an examination of your knowledge of facts surrounding history and current day practices concerning civil rights, and the communicative issues embedded therein. You will need to understand the concepts and theories in our readings, as well as the chronology and impact of events in our community\’s history.

Final Project

Your work in the community will be tied directly to the course readings, moving you to address with accuracy, depth, and breadth the various modes of civic engagement at your site, the goals of the project(s), the means by which people collaborate, and the constraints and opportunities of programs aimed at addressing community issues. You will learn from the inside out how to talk about communication, community, and civil rights, along with related topics (education, economic development, etc.), with confidence. To demonstrate your learning, you’ll prepare for grading the following: Service project plan and timeline; project notebook; oral presentation; evidence of completion of service hours and assessment letter by community partner.

Course Calendar

Week 1 Introduction to community as a social and political construction of
8/14 & 8/16 communication; review of the syllabus; inviting community into the classroom.
Read: Civilities and Civil Rights, Part I
View: Video on Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Week 2 The historical context
8/21 & 8/23
Read: Civilities and Civil Rights, Part II
Walking Tour of Greensboro

Week 3 Dialogue and conflict
8/28 & 8/30
Read: Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission Executive Summary
(available online at greensborotrc.org).
Guest Speakers: Community activists

Week 4 Community as interpersonal accomplishment and social demand.
9/6 Read:Communication and Community, Part I & II

Week 5 Survivor Stories (narratives) and Guiding Principles for Truth and Reconciliation
9/11 & 9/13
Read: Waller & Feldman et. al—on Blackboard
Read: Final Report, pp. 454-461.
Service Project Teams Finalized
Guest Speakers: November 3rd survivors

Week 6 Other communities and their conflicts
9/18 & 9/20
Read: Hossfeld, Bass, Goble, Stockley & Whayne—on Blackboard

Week 7 Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission
9/25 & 9/27
Read: Final Report, pp. 9-36 and pp. 394-423.
Guest Speakers: Truth Commissioners

Week 8 Midterm & Service Project Plan and Timeline Due
10/2 & 10/4

Week 9 Fall Break & Dialogue
10/11 Communication antidote to community conflict
Read: Communication and Community, Part III
Due: First community meeting analysis

Week 10 Racial and Economic Divides
10/16 & 10/18
Read: Final Report, Chapters 1-3, pp. 38-105

Week 11 What Led us to November 3rd?
10/23 & 10/25
Read: Final Report, Chapters 4-7, pp.107-210
Due: Service project reflections #1.

Week 12 Institutions of Power Respond
10/30 & 11/1
Read: Final Report, Chapters 8-10, pp. 212-256.

Week 13 Legal protection for civil rights, media portrayal and public opinion
11/6 & 11/8
Read: Final Report, Chapters 10-12, pp. 258-368.
Guest Speaker: Lewis Pitts, civil trial attorney

Week 14 Greensboro today: Embracing processes for reconciliation
11/13
Read: Final Report, Chapter 13, pp. 370-392.
Due: Service project reflections #2.
Guest Panel: Truth Commissioners and/or Staff

Week 15 The Promise of Community Dialogue
11/20
Read: Final Report, pp. 463-480.
Due: Second community meeting analysis

Week 16 More on Dialogue
11/27 & 11/29
Read: A Call to Dialogue booklet by Carol Steger
Dialogue Workshop

Week 17 Course Wrap Up & Evaluation
12/4
Read: To be determined.

FINAL EXAM Period Monday, December 11, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Students of Organizational Communication (SP 323) will have a unique opportunity to engage our local community this semester by participating in a service learning project that connects organizational study with philanthropy. We will begin the term by interviewing local nonprofit organizations and submitting funding recommendations to the Bonner Leaders program to determine which organizations are most apt to serve Spokane’s West Central neighborhood. The project, entitled Engaging Community, Inspiring Philanthropy, is designed to create a service learning opportunity where students gain practical experience in an applied environment yet collaborate in an effort that serves people through charitable giving.

The course will also examine the relationship between organizational context and communication processes, and in doing so develop the premise that organizational communication is a transactional process that is largely symbolic. This class will also provide a critical framework for evaluating how and why an organization operates as it does at various organizational levels. This framework in turn will allow students to make educated communication decisions in relation to the types of organizations they are preparing to serve.

The Course goals will be accomplished through lecture, reading, activities, discussion, case studies, papers, exams, guest lecturers and group projects.

Course Outcomes:

• Understand the role of philanthropy in various organizational contexts
• Understand the characteristics and functions of nonprofit organizations
• Engage in service learning so as to promote a culture of community serving
• Develop skills of collaboration, decision making and communication within small groups
• Develop an understanding of how organizational context influences communication processes
• Develop a greater awareness of how communication influences organizational behavior
• Develop a theoretical framework for understanding organizational structures
• Understand how specific organizational approaches (systems, critical, & cultural) influence organizational communication processes

Departmental Goals:

1. Demonstrate the interpersonal skills required to excel in job, family and other contexts.
Students will be able accurately to analyze interpersonal communication situations, and to make appropriate communication decisions based on those assessments. Students will demonstrate appropriate skills in human perception, verbal and nonverbal communication, listening, self-presentation, conflict management, and relationship development.

2. Demonstrate the ability to work both independently and cooperatively, and to be effective and comfortable in both settings. Students will develop work habits to complete tasks when working alone. Students will also work effectively in pairs and groups to complete tasks, whether assigned by others or discovered by the group. Students will display audience sensitivity and respect toward fellow group members. They will use effective interpersonal skills to facilitate the completion of group tasks, and to promote group cohesion.

3. Demonstrate the critical thinking skills required to excel in the intellectual, professional and personal dimensions of life. Students will be able to apply higher level thinking skills to human communication situations. Higher level thinking skills include: application of communication principles in the classroom, and beyond; analysis of the parts, organization, arrangement, relationships and principles of communication; synthesis of parts of communication to produce unique communication messages; and evaluation of communication by making appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative judgments of communication.

University Educational Goals:

Critical Thinking
The university enables students to use the tools of analytical and creative thinking to collect, process, and apply knowledge, and to imagine possibilities.

Effective Communication
The university teaches students to listen deliberately, speak persuasively and write clearly, and to engage responsively in artistic expression.

Oral Communication Requirement
This course fulfills the Oral Communication requirement for graduation. Through the study of content areas such as the nature of verbal and nonverbal communication, students will learn to create and organize effective messages for interpersonal contexts. Through the study of content areas such as the nature of human perception, listening, and conflict management, students will develop knowledge and skills necessary to share and receive interpersonal messages effectively.

Service-Learning:

Service-learning enhances understanding of course concepts through enabling students to put into practice in a community setting learned knowledge and skills. If at any time during the semester you have questions or concerns about your service-learning project in this class or you would like additional clarification or assistance, please speak with me or contact the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement.

Classroom Environment/Participation
A communication classroom requires a supportive environment where students are actively learning and engaging in various kinds of communication related activities and interactions. When listening to other students speak, be attentive and encouraging. A large majority of the learning will take place within the classroom through active participation in the form of class discussion and interaction. Please be mindful of your peers and reciprocate the same level of respect you would have others extend to you. Poor listening habits or distracting behaviors may result in a reduction in your grade.

Tentative Class Schedule

Date Topic(s)/ Due dates Readings

Feb. 5 Course Overview; Discuss Course Schedule
Feb. 7 Service Learning Overview; Classical Approaches Ch. 1
Discuss Group Project/Paper

Feb. 12 Human Relation Approaches / Discuss Audit Project Ch.2
Feb. 14 Communication in Human Relations; Group Paper Due

Feb. 19 Group Presentations Ch.3
Feb. 21 Group Presentations; Human Resource Approaches

Feb. 26 Systems Approaches Ch.4
Feb. 28 Systems Methods for Network Analysis

Mar. 4 Cultural Approaches Ch.5
Mar. 6 Communication & Culture; Audit Project Due

Mar. 11 Critical Approaches Ch.6
Mar. 13 Communication within Cultural Studies

Mar. 18 Recommendations Due; Exam Review
Mar. 20 Midterm Exams

Mar. 24-28 Spring Break – No Class

Apr. 1 Assimilation Processes Ch.7
Apr. 3 Communication during Assimilation; The Church Service

Apr. 8 Decision Making Processes Ch.8
Apr. 10 Participation in Decision Making; Too Many Majors

Apr. 15 Conflict Management; Approaches & Processes Paper Due Ch.9
Apr. 17 Alternative Views of Conflict; Problem w/Teamwork

Apr. 22 Change and Leadership Processes in Organizations Ch. 10
Apr. 24 Emotion in the Workplace; After9/11 Ch. 11

Apr. 29 Organizational Diversity Processes Ch. 12
May 1 Perspectives on Encouraging Cultural Diversity

May 6 Technological Processes Ch. 13
May 8 The Changing Landscape or Organizations / Review Ch. 14
May 13-16 Final Exams

Assignments

Exams – 50 points each
You will be given two exams throughout the duration of the term that are designed to assess your level of knowledge and mastery over the various materials that are presented and emphasized in class.

Quizzes – 10 points each
You will also be given the opportunity to demonstrate your level of understanding and involvement with the readings and the lectures by taking quizzes. Quizzes will be unannounced and given either at the beginning of class or administered through Blackboard.

Cases Studies –10 points each
We will review several case studies throughout the course of the semester. Each case is accompanied by discussion questions that relate the case material to the concepts presented from the readings. You will be responsible for reading the assigned case studies, typing your responses to the questions (no more than two pages), and preparing to discuss your responses in class.

Writing Assignments – 200 points total
You will be given ample opportunity to demonstrate your level of understanding and application of the concepts presented from class in the form of writing assignments. As mentioned previously, your ability to thoughtfully express your ideas in writing will be an important measure of your mastery over the key concepts.

Group Project and Presentation – 90 Points
In this assignment you will work together in groups and begin a research process designed to deepen your understanding of philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. After compiling your research you will organize your information, articulate it in the form of a paper, and present it before the class using PowerPoint. Your presentation should be 20 minutes in length and include a bibliography with at least six internet resources and two references from other sources. Below is a basic structure of what to cover in your paper.

Philanthropy (3-4 pages)
• Define Philanthropy- what is it?
• How is Philanthropy applied?
• Why is Philanthropy important?
• Are there various forms of philanthropy?
• Examples of philanthropic contribution

Nonprofit Organizations (3-4 pages)
• What is a nonprofit organization?
• What differentiates them from for-profit organizations?
• How does grant writing factor into a nonprofit
• Examples of nonprofit organizations

Organizational Audits – 75 points
In this assignment you will have an opportunity to conduct interviews with local nonprofit organizations who are applying for grant money. The results of your interviews will actually be submitted as recommendations for grant funding to the students of the Introduction to Community Engagement course, who will make the final decisions. As a group, you will examine the funding criteria from the RFP (Request for Proposals) that the Bonner Leaders Program developed in Jan Term 08. Your group will then develop an interview process that is congruent with the RFP criteria. Your interviews will serve as a guideline for determining which prospective nonprofits will best meet the foundation’s objective in serving the West Central neighborhood of Spokane. After compiling the results from your interviews, your group will write formal recommendations based on the data. Additional details regarding this assignment will be provided in class.

In today?s society, it is necessary for educated people to be able to present and discuss information with individuals and groups of people. According to a survey conducted in 2006 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, communication skills, both written and verbal, ranked as the most important personal quality that employers seek in an employee. The ability to logically and clearly present one?s ideas is integral to success in almost any area of life.

Effective Oral Communication is a course designed to round out the triad of Critical Thinking and Effective Writing. The purpose of the Effective Oral Communication component of the Core curriculum at King?s College is to hone the speaking and presentational skills of each student. By the end of the course, students should be capable of delivering an effective speech relating to a specific topic, issue, or question from an academic discipline including subjects related to the Core curriculum and the student?s major field of study.

Well rounded students are both academically knowledgeable and aware of the community that surrounds them. As such, tenets of service learning have been added to the class as a means of fostering practical, real world experience in speaking to persons from different walks of life. The hours spent at the student?s site will be used as the background to bi-weekly extemporaneous speaking opportunities, a group presentation, and a persuasive speech.

Course Objectives:

This course will focus on the basic and necessary skills fundamental to oral communication. To complete such an end, this class is designed as a dialogue and lecture laboratory. From the first day of the class, students are expected to begin their journey into better communication skills in an effort to reach the following goals.

Student will be able to:

• State clearly and effectively the thesis of a presentation.
• Clearly and logically present their ideas.
• Accurately show knowledge of content.
• Display awareness of implications drawn fom the information presented.
• Be proficient in concluding the presentation in an appropriate manner.
• Present oneself in a poised manner that displays credibility and professionalism.
• Listen and evaluate the content and delivery of speeches with perception and composure.

Course Assignments:

The course assignments are listed below.

• Extemporaneous Speeches:
1. Speeches to Introduce
2. Literary Excepts
3. Ceremonial Speech
4. Service Site Experiences
5. Speeches to Entertain
6. Speech to Demonstrate
7. Speech to Inform
8. Speeches to Persuade
• Outlines of Demonstrative, Informative, and two Persuasive speeches
• Reflection Paper
• Reading of assigned text
• Peer evaluation of speeches
• Journaling exercises about service-learning experience

Course Expectations:

1. Attendance: Attendance is required. Due to the nature of this class, attendance is of the utmost importance. In order to successfully deliver a speech, there must be both a speaker and a listener. Your presence in class will assist you and your classmates to develop and improve listening skills through audience feedback. Therefore, it is imperative that students are vigilant about attending class. This being said, absences can happen for unavoidable reasons. Therefore, a total of three ?free? exceptions will be made. Beyond the aforementioned three absences, a total of four points for each absence will be deducted from your total score. In cases of absence, the absent student will be solely responsible for missed information and assignments. Coming to class late or leaving early will be counted as an absence for the entire class period, unless previously discussed with the instructor.
2. Service Component: All students will be required to complete 12 hours of community service as part of a service-learning component to this class. The service site must be visited a minimum of four times throughout the course of the semester. Experience at the student?s service site will be incorporated into a group PowerPoint presentation, a mini-persuasive speech, a personal journal, bi-weekly extemporaneous speaking opportunities, and a 3-4 page reflection paper. Sites will be chosen by the student, with the instructor?s approval. Sites must be determined, placed in writing, and accepted by the instructor no later than Friday, January 25, 2008. Reflection papers are due no later than the Monday of finals week.
3. Required Text: ?A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking,? D. O?Hair, H. Rubstein and R. Stewart; Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin?s 2004.
4. Classroom Participation: Students are expected to come to classes prepared by having read the assigned text and being able to answer questions and discuss the material contained in the assigned readings. Each student is required to give an evaluation of each speech given, noting strengths and weaknesses of each presentation. Participation includes, but is not limited to, paying attention to both the instructor and fellow classmates, coming to class on time, and voluntarily answering questions. It is expected that all students will refrain from disruptive behavior during other students? presentations and from talking to fellow classmates during class. Active participation is extremely important and each student?s grade is heavily influenced by his/her participation or lack thereof.
5. Appearance: Presentable dress and attire are necessary for making a good first impression. This principle also applies to public speaking. Clean, neat attire is required for all public speaking opportunities. Two points will be deducted for each of the following items: hoody sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, t-shirts, or shorts. Jeans, without rips, are allowed for first nine speeches. However, points will be deducted for jeans worn during the final exam (persuasive speech). Professional dress is expected for the final (i.e. – khakis, dress shirt, black pants, etc.).
6. 6. Students with documented disabilities who may need academic accommodations should discuss these with the instructor during the first two weeks of the semester. Students will need to provide documentation of their disability to the Director of the Academic Skills Center, who in turn will provide faculty with the necessary Classroom Accommodation Form(s). Students will not be accommodated for testing or services if they have not made the necessary contacts within this two week time frame. Only extenuating circumstances as determined by the Director of the Academic Skills Center will be accommodated. The Director of the Academic Skills Center is Mrs. Jacinatha Burke, who can be contacted at (570) 208-5800 or jaburke {at} kings(.)edu.

Course Evaluation:

Tentative Course Outline

Week 1 and 2 (January 14- January 25): Introduction

• Introductions
  • To instructor
  • To Service-Learning
  • Syllabus review
• Homework assignment
  What is the correlation between public speaking and volunteer service?
  • Typed, double-spaced
  • Bullet points or paragraphs
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    COMM 370: Advanced Video Production

    Professor: Tim Scully
    Office: 305B Loras Hall
    Phone: 651-962 5824 (office)
    Email: TLSCULLY (tlscully {at} stthomas(.)edu)
    Office hrs.: 10:30-11:30 MW or by appointment

    TEXTBOOK
    

    Douglass, John S. and Hamden, Glenn P.. The Guide to Film and Video Production. Allyn and Bacon: Needham Heights, Mass., 1996.

    The text is required for the course and is available at the UST Bookstore. Readings are listed on your calendar. Finish reading assigned chapters before class on the day listed in the calendar and be prepared to discuss them. Some revisions in the calendar are to be expected. It will be updated as necessary during class.

    ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
    As the final step in the video production sequence, this course builds on the skills and knowledge you have acquired in COMM 160: Electronic Media Production, and COMM 270: TV Field Production. These prerequisites, or significant relevant experience and instructor approval, are necessary for enrollment.

    Students in this course also must be registered concurrently for JPST 489: A Vision of Civil Rights. Your participation in both courses is necessary for successful completion of this course and your knowledge of the civil rights issues and course dynamics explored in JPST 489 is essential to the documentary and other assignments required in this course.

    Please note that enrollment in these courses implies that you are committed to full participation in the spring break trip to Selma, Alabama. The trip is a requirement for both courses. You will be performing a service for the local community and shooting for the documentary during the trip.

    Also understand that because our major project for the course is a documentary, you will be asked to work on aspects of it for a considerable amount of time outside of class throughout the semester. Although I will try to divide the work fairly, sometimes you may have to do more or different work than you were expecting. This is a team effort. If we all pull together to get it done, the work will not overwhelm anyone.

    COURSE DESCRIPTION
    With the primary goal of producing a documentary, the course will focus on how the techniques of production are employed to effectively communicate via the medium of television. In the course assignments, you will communicate carefully crafted messages to well defined audiences. You will improve your skills with the camcorders, lighting equipment, sound equipment, and the digital editing systems. You will learn how to raise your standards of technical and aesthetic quality in your productions. You also will learn the specifics of how to plan and manage a large scale production. With this knowledge and these skills, you will be better able to produce effective, high quality programs for diverse audiences.

    Discussions, demonstrations, and the viewing of examples will take up some of our time. During many class periods, students will discuss their work and help others find solutions to production problems. In class discussion of readings will play an integral part in the course. In class critiques of works in progress and finished pieces will enhance the quality of your productions and increase your ability to constructively criticize the work of others. Guest speakers from the industry will contribute production and employment tips.

    During the semester you will learn to relate production techniques to the ways in which audiences form meaning. Emphasis in the course will be on four major areas essential to successful video productions:

    1. The production process.
    By the end of the course, you will have increased your knowledge of how programs are produced by studying, planning, executing, and evaluating video productions.

    2. The aesthetics of production design.
    You will learn how to plan and execute effective, aesthetically pleasing productions that engage, inform, and entertain specific audiences.

    3. The production techniques.
    You will increase your understanding and ability to use the camera, lighting, sound, and editing equipment to execute technically sound and effective video pieces.

    4. The message.
    The process, aesthetics, and techniques all contribute to the message you intend to convey to a target audience. Various elements such as dialogue, voice over, sound effects, music, lighting, and editing must focus audience attention for maximum intended affect. Much of your time will be spent defining the message and how best to convey it to a specific audience. Writing effectively for the medium of television requires knowledge of how to engage, inform, entertain, excite, and move a chosen audience in complex ways that result in the knowledge, emotions, or actions you desire from them.

    An important dimension of the course is the Avid Xpress digital editing system. All of your editing for course exercises and projects will be accomplished with this system. This is an opportunity to learn about the concepts involved in digital nonlinear editing as you learn to operate the hardware and software used in increasing numbers of production facilities around the world. The skill you develop on this equipment also may increase your marketability in the electronic media industry. You all have had experience with the Avid system during a course or in Campus Scope. In this course you will expand your knowledge of the system, especially as it applies to the documentary process.

    In a broad sense, this course will sharpen your communication skills and ability to cope with complex communication environments. You also will gain a better understanding of the ethical considerations and responsibilities involved in the production process.

    REQUIREMENTS/GRADING

    Production Exercises
    Exercises will not be graded per se, but your participation is required. Late, incomplete, or poor quality work on these exercises will affect the participation component of your grade for the course. These exercises will be outlined in class.

    Production Assignments

    Documentary:
    The primary objective of the course is to produce a documentary centered on your experiences in JPST 489: A Vision of Civil Rights. Your resources will include the readings, discussions, guest speakers, films, projects and trip to Selma, Alabama. A major objective will be to connect the personal experiences of the students in the course to social justice issues in the United States and in our community. Interviews with fellow students, Mike Klein, archival materials (film, texts, photos,) websites, interviews and cover on the trip to Selma as well as cover and interviews in the Twin Cities area will provide the raw materials for the documentary. By developing an historical perspective, augmenting it with personal accounts and connecting these elements to contemporary national and local perspectives, you will produce an informative, engaging video documentary.

    As is typical with the documentary form, we will set out to discover what is happening in this large arena, then focus on illuminating what we believe are the significant issues. Because there is no such thing as an "objective" documentary (that would eliminate being selective in what we choose to shoot or edit altogether), we will research, plan, schedule, shoot and select in editing the most significant events to inform our audience of what we sincerely believe is happening. That means we educate ourselves and try to leave our biases behind.

    If this seems like a big job, it is. We will scale the project to the context of the course, our time constraints, and our budget. Because documentary is a process of discovery, our roles and tasks may take unexpected turns, eliminating some material here, refocusing the piece there, and going in new directions when appropriate. This is the excitement of the documentary process. Enjoy the ride!

    Interview:
    Each student will conduct and edit an interview with a classmate from JPST 489. This "practice" interview will prepare you for the many interviews required for the documentary you will produce. Depending on the quality of your work, this piece, or a revised version of it, may become a part of the finished documentary. The technical and aesthetic values, as well as information content of your interview, will be critiqued.

    Lighting:
    Each student will design and shoot a large scale lighting setup. The setup should be related to the content of the interview you have conducted. This assignment will test your knowledge of the instruments, the techniques you have learned from your text and in class demonstrations, and it will prepare you for the field work you may encounter during your trip.

    Camera:
    Each student will shoot cover of a classmate to illustrate the interview assignment. The raw tape of the cover shots will be evaluated on their technical and aesthetic quality, their variety, their relevance to the interview material, and on their adaptability in editing sequences of shots.

    Writing/scripting:
    each student will write and voice effective copy for the student interview. The work will be evaluated according to the quality of the writing and the delivery of the voice over. A script also will be required to analyze the voice over within the context of a documentary.

    Editing:
    Each student will digitize and edit a piece combining the elements in the three preceding assignments. The style should incorporate design elements that you feel would be effective for the documentary project.

    Each student will be graded individually for his/her work on each assignment. A part of your grade for each project will be based on your assistance on another student's project. The assignments will be graded according to the criteria described on the individual assignment sheets. Turning in required paperwork on time and within guidelines is an essential part of each project. Meeting all deadlines is required, as is a high standard of quality in your work. Late work will be assigned a lower grade (diminishing with each late day), and work that does not conform to guidelines will not be accepted or may have to be revised. A professional attitude toward your classmates, your instructor, the ISS staff and members of the community on and off campus is important to your success in this course.

    Probes
    These are brief, typed answers to questions about the readings or viewings. They must be handed in at the beginning of the class period in which they are due. Make a copy for me so you have one to refer to during class discussions. Probes will be assigned in class and due at the next class meeting. If you miss a class period, it is your responsibility to check with a classmate to see if a probe is due for the next class.

    Exams
    There will be no formal exams in the course. Probes, required paperwork and other artifacts of the production processes will be used to assess your progress.

    Attendance/Participation
    An additional part of your grade is based on class attendance and participation. Tardiness beyond five minutes after the start of class will be viewed as a lack of participation. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to catch up with notes from a class member, assignments, and any announcements. In addition I will keep track of your participation in exercises and discussions. Missed or incomplete exercises or failure to participate substantially in discussions will lower your grade an additional amount. Because this course will be conducted as a seminar, it requires your active and regular participation. Be prepared to discuss your projects in their various stages of development. Your cooperation and a professional attitude throughout the production process is expected. Plan on spending a substantial amount of time on readings and your productions outside of regular class times. Demonstrations of equipment cannot be repeated without scheduling an equivalent amount of time, facilities, and equipment. Discussions cannot be recreated. Likewise, in class critiques of work in progress cannot be repeated nor can guest speakers be asked to come back if you miss class. Therefore, prompt, regular attendance is expected. Meetings scheduled with clients, class members, or others must be adequately prepared for and attended. If you cannot attend class or another meeting, I expect you to inform me and others involved at the earliest possible time. Failure to meet these expectations will result in a lower grade for this portion of the course and may affect your grade for an assignment as well.

    Grade Percentages
    Interview 10%
    Camera 10%
    Lighting 10%
    Writing/Scripting 10%
    Editing 10%
    Documentary 30%
    Probes 10%
    Attendance/Participation 10%

    I expect you to:

    • arrive on time for class and attend entire class sessions;
    • read assigned text pages prior to class discussions of the material;
    • actively contribute to in class discussions;
    • answer assigned questions with care;
    • take careful notes during class sessions and meetings;
    • make sure that you understand what is expected of you;
    • prepare for class activities with high quality work;
    • make yourself available to participate in relevant activities;
    • arrive on time and be prepared for meetings and productions;
    • meet deadlines with high quality work;
    • discuss problems with me before they get out of hand;
    • inform me and appropriate class members when you are unable, for good reason, to fulfill your obligations,
    • then complete the work at the earliest possible time;
    • follow required procedures for equipment care and usage;
    • follow guidelines for equipment checkout and return;
    • follow guidelines for edit system management and usage;
    • be flexible when circumstances require a change of plans;
    • be prepared to defend your decisions concerning your work;
    • be prepared to rewrite, re-shoot, reedit, or revise your work when necessary;
    • be considerate with your classmates, contacts, professor, and other UST faculty, staff and administrators;
    • maintain a good sense of humor.

    You can expect me to:

    • be knowledgeable about the material;
    • be clear in my explanations of the material;
    • challenge you to raise your standards of quality in video production;
    • help you to learn difficult concepts;
    • meet with you as necessary to discuss your work or concerns;
    • be concerned about your general wellbeing;
    • be fair in assigning your work;
    • be fair in grading your work;
    • be understanding when your sincere efforts have been overcome by circumstances beyond your control;
    • resolve disputes in favor of the welfare of the majority the class.

    Supplies

    Videotape – You will need two sixty minute MiniDV digital videocassettes for field shoots and output of finished sequences to videotape. I will provide the field tapes for the documentary. You also may want to buy a couple of VHS tapes for convenient viewing of projects and rough cuts on consumer video decks.

    Zip Disk – Please purchase one Mac formatted 100 Mb Zip disk for storing project information. You must have this disk before you can begin editing on the Avid system. These are available in the UST Bookstore.

    Course Calendar

    T 1/29 introduction, equipment training shoot JPST 489 class as determined

    R 1/31 documentary structure, research doc. proposal, interview prep.
    T 2/5 doc proposal, interviewing interview prep.
    R 2fl doc proposal, production schedule due shoot "Reflection" interviews
    T 2/12 locating resources, shooting cover shoot interviews, cover
    R 2/14 Avid editing, project management shoot/edit interviews, cover
    T 2/19 edited interviews due, local research location scouting, research
    R 2/21 archival resources, writing gathering resources, write
    T 2/26 documentary music edit interviews, cover into package
    R 2/28 graphics edit interviews, cover into package
    T 3/5 "Reflection," mid course interview prep. interview prep., location scouting
    R 3/7 "Reflection" interview package due interview prep., location scouting
    T 3/12 trip prep. shoot interviews
    R 3/14 trip prep. shoot interviews
    T 3/19 trip prep. edit interviews/plan trip
    R 3/21 trip prep., edited interviews due edit interviews/plan trip

    F 3/22 3/30 Selma shoot shoot, shoot, shoot

    T 4/2 process trip, plan edit edit trip video
    R 4/4 no Tim, meet to process and edit edit trip video
    T 4/9 structure: trip "Integration" interviews plan final interviews
    R 4/11 define needs: video, audio, business plan interviews, other resource acquisition
    T 4/16 filling the holes: specifics shoot interviews, cover
    R 4/18 editing the rough cut shoot interviews, cover, edit rough cut
    T 4/23 finishing the rough cut edit rough cut
    R 4/25 rough cut due, master sequence editing re edit rough cut
    T 4/30 finishing re edit rough cut
    R 5/2 master sequence additions edit master sequence
    T 5/7 master sequence due, changes, additions re edit master sequence
    R 5/9 final master due, duplication/distribution duplicate, distribute

    T 5/14 1:00 3:00 final exam period

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/advanced-video-production/4051/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/childrens-communication-development/4052/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/childrens-communication-development/4052/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4052 Communication 422 – Children's Communication Development

    Dr. Armeda C. Reitzel
    Professor, Communication
    National Service-Learning Peer Mentor
    Office: Telonicher House (#54), Room 110, acrl {at} humboldt(.)edu

    Course Description:
    This 4 semester unit course covers the language and communication behavior of children from birth through early adolescence. Strategies for facilitating language development in children and improving communication with children are emphasized.

    A service-learning experience with children is a critical component of this course.

    Course Objectives:

    1. You will define and explain the concepts of communication, language, competence, performance, acquisition, learning, communication climate, multiculturalism, and multilingualism.

    2. You will articulate, analyze and evaluate the major theories of language and communication development.

    3. You will explain how cognitive, moral, social, and physical development influence children's communication behavior.

    4. You will describe the role of language, communication, culture, and identity in children's thinking, attitudes, and actions.

    5. You will describe children's development in terms of verbal and nonverbal communication.

    6. You will apply the principles of communication to explain children's behavior in a variety of contexts.

    7. You will identify and use appropriate strategies of communication for interacting with children in a variety of contexts.

    8. You will explain the philosophy and pedagogy of Service-learning.

    9. You will explain how the core values of Cesar Chavez constitute the foundation for the Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning.

    10. You will apply the principles and strategies of communication to your service-learning experiences.

    Textbooks:

    Atkin, S. Beth. Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company. 1993.

    Haggerty, Patricia M. Oral History: Let Their Voices Be Heard. Clemson, SC: National Dropout Prevention Center. 2000.

    Klopp, Carole, Pamela Toole, and James Toole. Pondering Learning: Connecting Multiple Intelligences and Service Learning. Clemson, SC: National Dropout Prevention Center. 2001.

    Smith, Patricia G. Ed. Talking Classrooms: Shaping Children's Learning Through Oral Language Instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. 2001.

    Graded Activities:

    4 exams: 65%
    Exam #1: Feb. 12
    Exam #2: March 14
    Exam #3: April 25
    Exam #4: May 28

    Service-learning projects and assignments: 35%
    You are to engage in a minimum of 15 hours of service in the community in which you work directly with children or in an organization that serves children.
    

    The goals of this project include:

    a. providing authentic service to meet a community need
    b. applying the principles of communication to your interactions with children
    c. reflecting on your knowledge of and skills in working with children
    d. articulating the benefits and challenges of Service-learning and civic engagement

    There will be a series of structured reflections throughout the semester that you will put into a Service-learning scrapbook. Some of the reflections will take place during class time. The finalized scrapbook is due at the beginning of class on May 2.

    The scrapbook, at a minimum, needs to include:

    1) A cover that visually represents your service learning experiences, followed by a verbal description of the meaning/symbolism of the visual cover.

    2) A log that clearly delineates where, when, and what you did for each of the 14 hours. You must include the site supervisor's name and phone number for each activity on the log.

    3) A copy of the service learning agreement for each project signed by all partners.

    4) All of the structured reflections assigned throughout the semester.

    5) A final, formal reflection of up to 4 single spaced, typed pages (size 12 font, in times or times new roman) in which you select, report and reflect on three specific incidents that occurred during your service learning experiences that were significant to you in terms of material we have covered about children's communication development during the course of our semester. I will be looking for the direct application of course content in your paper. It is vital that you make specific references to class lectures/discussions and/or our textbooks in your paper. I will also be looking for proper bibliographic referencing.

    YOU MUST GET YOUR SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT(S) APPROVED BY ME BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
    I need to have your completed service learning agreements (signed by you and your site supervisor) before you can begin counting hours. You also need to sign a document stating that you are not getting paid for the hours you are counting for Service-learning in this class.

    Weekly Activities

    Week 1 (Jan. 22 & 24): Introduction to children's language and communication development

    Week 2 (Jan. 29 & 31): Language, communication, speaker intuitions, competence & performance

    Week 3 (Feb. 5 & 7): Service-learning, service-learning, service-learning! Read Pondering Learning: Connecting Multiple
    Intelligences and Service Learning and chapter 3 in Talking Classrooms. NCES SUMMIT AT HSU ON FEB. 8 9.

    Week 4 (Feb. 12 & 14): Exam #1 on Feb. 12; Cesar Chavez and the new Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning; Oral histories; Read Oral History: Let Their Voices Be Heard and pp. 5 25 in Voices from the Fields ("Foreword," "Introduction," "La Fresa," and "Hogar.").

    Week 5 (Feb. 19 & 21): Finding their voices: Children's speaking, listening, reading and writing; Issues of literacy; Issues of culture; Read chapters 1, 2, 5 and 6 in Talking Classrooms. HSU SERVICE-LEARNING CONFERENCE ON FEB. 22 23.

    Week 6 (Feb. 26 & 28): Early language and communication development: phonology & morphology.

    Week 7 (March 5 & 7): Early language and communication development: syntax & semantics; interviewing children.
    HISTORY DAY JUDGING ON MARCH 9.

    Week 8 (March 12 & 14): MARCH 12: CARE FAIR FOR CHILDREN (to be held at Eureka High School); Exam #2 on March 14.

    ****SPRING BREAK!****

    Week 9 (March 26 & 28): Cognitive and moral development of children MARCH 28: THE CESAR CHAVEZ DAY OF SERVICE AND LEARNING "TEACH IN"

    Week 10 (April 2 & 4): Social development; children's friendships; physical development; children under stress; communication apprehension.

    Week 11 (April. 9 & 11): Issues of cultural diversity and gender related to children's communication and development

    Week 12 (April 16 & 18): Issues cultural and linguistic diversity, including teaching the "English language learners" in schools and the community; Dr. Reitzel will report on her experiences at the TESOL conference in Salt Lake City; Read chapter 4 in Talking Classrooms.

    Week 13 (April 23 & 25): Communicating with children with disabilities; Exam #3 on April 25.

    Week 14 (April 30 & May 2): Classroom communication; Service learning scrapbook due on May 2; Read chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 in Talking Classrooms.

    Week 15 (May 7 and 9): Theoretical perspectives on children's communication development; Some final thoughts.

    Final exam period: Exam #4

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/childrens-communication-development/4052/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/communication-consulting-training-and-outreach/4053/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/communication-consulting-training-and-outreach/4053/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4053 COMMUNICATION CONSULTING, TRAINING AND OUTREACH
    

    Instructor: Dr. Tasha J. Souza Office: House 54 Rm. 103
    Office Hrs: M/F 10:00-11:00, W 5:00-6:00 & by appt. Semester: Fall 2002
    Class Times: W 6:00-8:50 E mail: tjs16 {at} humboldt(.)edu
    Phone: 826-3462

    Required Reading

    The Consultant's Craft: Improving Organizational Communication, by Sue DeWine (2001)

    Comm 480 Reading Packet

    Course Description
    Communication 480 is designed to provide you with a grounding in the theoretical and practical approaches to communication consulting as well as experience in the design, presentation and evaluation of a communication training session. You will utilize your skill and knowledge in communication to train others from local nonprofit organizations. The general goal of the course is to develop your competence in teaching communication to others in a training capacity. With achievement of this goal comes the accomplishment of the companion service goal: to improve and enhance client/community partner knowledge of and skill in communication.

    Issues in the course will include ethical considerations for communication training, needs assessment and evaluation methods, training design and implementation, and communication variables involved in the client/consultant relationship. Emphasis will be on understanding communication consulting from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The class will consist of meetings devoted to the use of exercises, critical thinking, group facilitation, and personal reflection to understand effective communication training.

    Course Objectives
    By the end of the semester you should be able to:

    • understand the theoretical frameworks related to communication training and consulting
    • identify how communication is both the content and process of training and development
    • experience a consultant/client relationship in a service capacity and use the experience as a learning tool
    • identify the communication needs of your client/community partner and respond appropriately to those needs – experience the process of designing, conducting, evaluating, & reflecting on a training session w/ a team
    • explore current topics related to training and consulting
    • reflect upon and examine your own proficiency as a communication trainer and consultant

    Course Requirements

    • Class Involvement – Class discussion, group activity, role playing, home learning, teamwork, etc. – 60 points
    • Quizzes 11 (out of 12) weekly quizzes @ 10 points each – 110 points
    • Training Contract – 1-2 pages per team – 10 points
    • Paper 1 – Training Proposal (8-10 pages) per team – 80 points
    • Paper 2 – Evaluation of Training (6-8 pages) per team – 60 points
    • Training Team Evaluations – Evaluation of Team Partners – 12 points
    • In-Class Team Training – Facilitate in-class Exercise w/ Team – 40 points
    • Self Evaluation – Evaluation of In-Class Training – 14 points
    • Peer Evaluation – Evaluate another team on facilitation – 14 points

      TOTAL = 400 points

    Explanation of Course Requirements:

    Service Learning Assignment/External Team Training
    The service learning assignment is designed to provide you with an educational opportunity that meets identified community needs and encourages reflection upon the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of the course content and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. This assignment is based on the assumption that there is value in prospective trainers preparing for, designing, implementing, and evaluating a training session for a local non profit organization. In addition, this assignment assumes that practical training experience is a useful learning tool.

    Service Learning Assignment Objectives
    As a result of satisfactorily completing the service learning assignment, a training team will be able to:
    (1) contact a client (from the community partner list provided) and coordinate a needs assessment and a training session;
    (2) design a one to two hour (at least) training session with an active learning component (e.g., game, simulation, exercise, small groups, role play, discussion,) based on the needs assessment data;
    (3) present an effective training session, and
    (4) evaluate and reflect on the training session, team work, client relations and the degree to which you were able to meet client needs.

    Service Learning Assignment Tasks
    (1) Contact client and secure a training site.
    (2) Create a contract and give to client.
    (3) Coordinate and conduct a needs assessment (which includes creating the needs assessment instrument).
    (4) Analyze needs assessment data and, as a result of analysis, consult your text, the internet, the library, class readings, notes, and handouts as sources in order to choose appropriate topics and activities in order to make your training creative, effective, and appropriate for your clients.
    (5) Create training proposal for class (to turn in as paper 1) and client.
    (6) Design and facilitate a 1-2 hour training as a team for external training during appropriate stage of semester (note timeline handout).
    (7) Design, prepare, and copy appropriate materials. At least one handout must be distributed during the training session.
    (8) Make appropriate use of visual aids: posters, overhead, PowerPoint, video, etc.
    (9) Design and distribute an evaluation instrument.
    (10) Analyze evaluation feedback and reflect on learnings (to turn in as paper 2).

    Professionalism, Scheduling, & Accountability
    Your service learning training project will necessitate the utmost professionalism on your part as you will be a representative of HSU and the Department of Communication while working in the community. You are expected to coordinate with a client, prepare and copy your own materials, make travel arrangements, and deliver a professional training to a community or professional group. You will need to take accountability for contacting a client, scheduling appointments, and a conducting the training with your client. You must be willing to rearrange your schedule in order to conduct a pre assessment and an outside training that take place at an appropriate time for the client and the course calendar. If you do not think your schedule will be flexible enough, it would be in your best interest to drop the course.

    Involvement
    An absence in the first week may result in your being dropped from the class. If you know that you will have to miss a class during the first week of class, let me know right away. Please call me or e mail when you are absent. If you might have difficulty attending class on a regular basis, it would be in your best interest to drop. Extended absences for medical reasons will be excused with a doctor's note. More than 1 unexcused absence will result in a lower involvement grade. If you might have difficulty getting to class on time, reorganize your schedule so that you can be prompt.

    Your attendance and active involvement are essential to the success of this class. Most of our class meetings involve discussions, speaking activities or assignments on which you will be graded. Therefore, absences and frequent tardiness will result in a lower involvement grade. Whenever you are absent, arrive late, or leave early, you are inconveniencing your peers and the instructor at best, and you are jeopardizing your grade at worst. Your consistent participation in exercises and class discussion is encouraged and rewarded.

    Involvement includes (but is not limited to) your regular and on time class attendance, how well/completely you read for the day and incorporate text concepts into the discussion/activities, how "present" you are in-class, how readily you volunteer for in class activities, how well you generally project respectful involvement in terms of supportive listening, nonverbal feedback, and thoughtful verbal contributions which allow space for your own and others' thoughts as well (i.e., being an active part of, but not monopolizing, the discussion), your completion of the assignments, and the quality and relevance of your participation in-class discussion. Your contributions should contribute to the learning of other students in-class.

    Quizzes
    The quizzes will cover class readings and class learning (both students' and teacher's contributions). The quizzes will test your understanding of the course material and ability to synthesize, evaluate, and apply the course content. Although the focus of each quiz will be on one set of readings, expect questions that link concepts to previous readings.

    Papers
    The papers need to use correct bibliographic format (APA) and require library and field research. The papers will be graded on both content and style and must be typed, double spaced. It is my expectation that the writing is clear, specific, solid in substance, coherent, and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Please proof all written work before turning in. Details for each paper will be distributed in-class.

    In-Class Team Training & Self Evaluation
    For this assignment, your team will have the opportunity to prepare for and lead an exercise in-class. This assignment is based on the assumption that there is value in prospective trainers designing a training exercise, presenting information, and receiving feedback in-class before presenting in front of clients. In addition, this assignment assumes that observing, evaluating, and providing written and oral feedback for a variety of training styles is useful. Teams will sign up for leading an exercise during one class session. Guidelines for leading an exercise will be discussed in-class. Each team member will need to complete a self evaluation of the training. The self evaluation forms will be distributed in-class.

    Peer Evaluations of In-class Training
    Peer evaluations must be completed of class members from another team. The peer evaluation forms will be distributed in-class.

    Course Policies and Expectations

    Risk Taking
    I believe that in order to learn, people need to take some necessary and appropriate risks. For example: learning to ride a bicycle. You cannot learn how to ride a bike simply by observation. You have to take the risk of falling and hurting yourself. You will not fall nor hurt yourself in this class, but will be expected to stretch your comfort. zone and take risks in your communicative behavior.

    Community Orientation
    This class is a community because you are learning and engaging with other people who are striving for the same goals as you are, in a situation that involves challenge and choice making. Because you will be working with this same community for the entire semester, it is important that we not only build community, but also learn about the community we will be working with. The class sessions are set up to help people learn from each other (through discussions, activities). Everyone has useful and insightful information to offer to the class.

    Course Schedule

    Week One
    W 8/29 Introduction to Course and T & D
    Work on Teams and Topics

    Week Two
    W 9/5 Overview Training and Consulting SDW Ch. 1, 2, 3 & readings
    Quiz 1 Schoenberger & Arnold Ch.
    Choose Teams and Practice Client Contact

    Week Three
    W 9/12 Theoretical Frameworks, Learning, and Design readings (4) by Zemke, Broadwell, Nyquist, Kibler,
    Quiz 2
    Secure Training Site

    Week Four
    W 9/19 Needs Assessment and Data Analysis SDW Ch. 4,5
    Quiz 3
    Contracts Due, Work on Needs Assessment

    Week Five
    W 9/26 Training Techniques & Team Building SDW Ch. 6,12 & readings (4) by Standke, Cornwell
    Quiz 4
    Bring in 4 copies of Needs Assessment Form Covert (handout)

    Week Six
    W 10/3 Evaluating Training Sessions SDW Ch. 17
    Quiz 5
    Work on Evaluation Form & Conduct Needs Assessment wl Client

    Week Seven
    W 10/10 Communication Skills and Technology SDW Ch. 7, 9, 11
    Quiz 6
    In-Class Team Training Sessions (2)
    Paper 1 Due

    Week Eight
    W 10/17 Comm. Managers & Management Consulting SDW Ch. 8
    Quiz 7
    In-Class Team Training Sessions (2)
    Work on Training Design, Research Training Topics

    Week Nine
    W 10/24 Change Processes and Meetings SDW Ch. 15, 10
    Quiz 8
    Conduct Training (at the earliest!)

    Week Ten
    W 10/31 No Class/Conference
    Conduct Training

    Week Eleven
    T 11/7 Feedback and Difficult Clients SDW Ch. 13 & 14
    Quiz 9
    Conduct Training

    Week Twelve
    W 11/14 Globalization and International Consulting SDW Ch. 16
    Conduct Training
    Quiz 10

    Week Thirteen
    W 11/21 Holiday/No Class
    Conduct Training

    Week Fourteen
    W 11/28 Consulting Evaluation & Working Relationships SDW Ch. 18, 19
    Quiz 11
    Conduct Training (at the very latest!)

    Week Fifteen
    W 12/5 The Business of Consulting SDW Ch. 20
    Quiz 12
    Work on Paper 2

    Week Sixteen
    W 12/12 Closure and Celebration!!!
    Paper 2 Due

    Week Seventeen
    W 12/19 Final Meet to discuss final paper Time: 5:00 6:50

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/communication-consulting-training-and-outreach/4053/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/communication-and-learning/4054/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/communication-and-learning/4054/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4054 Speech 114:
    COMMUNICATION AND LEARNING

    Instructor: Dr. Sally Tannenbaum
    Phone: Office: 278-5404
    Home: 439-7939
    Office: Speech Arts 36
    Office Hours: MWF 9-10 A.M. MW 11-Noon
    Email: sallyt {at} csufresno(.)edu
    Fax: 278-4113

    Textbook: Communication for the Classroom Teacher by Pamela J. Cooper and Cheri Simonds

    Course Overview and Objectives:

    In this class, we will examine the nature of communication; its relationship to learning and instruction; and the importance of effective communication strategies in the education setting. By the end of the semester you will hopefully be adept at incorporating the knowledge you acquire into your own classroom experience.

    You will participate in a number of activities both inside and outside the classroom designed to help you better understand and master the material discussed in the book and discussed in class lectures. Local educational leaders will share their expertise with the class and you will be exposed to various teaching techniques through a variety of modalities. You will have the opportunity to participate in service learning and integrate the information you are learning in the classroom with the service you are performing.

    The goal of this course is to teach you the effective communication skills a successful teacher needs in the classroom. Hopefully, by the end of the semester you will 1) have a working knowledge of the many instructional modalities available to teachers; 2) understand the advantages and disadvantages of each modality; 3) be keenly aware of the diverse nature of student populations; 4) appreciate the importance enthusiasm, honesty, and empathy play in developing strong teacher student relationships; 5) understand, value, and utilize strong oral and effective non verbal communication skills, and 6) design and teach an effective lesson.

    This classroom will be a laboratory a dynamic, interactive laboratory. We will learn by reading, speaking, writing, observing, listening, sharing, and doing.

    CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

    Three Oral Presentations on an Educational Moment (5%):

    • Each student will write down and relate orally in 2-3 minutes an incident from their own background. What was the setting? What happened? What did you learn?

    Lecture Presentation (20%):

    • Each student will give a timed 7-8 minute presentation informing the class on a subject relevant to class content. A detailed speech outline with complete bibliography that includes at least three sources should be handed in prior to your presentation. Information from the textbook must be included and cited. Relevant examples from your service-learning experience should also be incorporated into the speech. Half of the grade will be based on research and speech organization and half on delivery.

    Teaching Unit (20%):

    • This assignment asks each student to give a 10-12 minute experiential learning mini-lesson. All students in the class must be actively engaged. Audio visual materials may be incorporated. A detailed lesson plan describing the lesson and intended audience, as well as a paragraph justifying the teaching strategy used, should be handed in prior to the presentation.

    6 Tests (25%):

    • Seven short tests will be given covering the material in the textbook. Tests will include both objective and subjective questions. (Each test will be worth 5% of the total test grade. The lowest test score will be dropped.)

    Service Learning:

    • Each student will complete a minimum of 15 hours of service learning.
      The purpose of this assignment is to enhance your understanding of course material, integrate the concepts we will explore in this course, and provide you with a better understanding of the educational community in which our teachers work. You are expected to attend as assigned, be punctual, and call your supervisor if for any reason you cannot attend at a scheduled time. Several assignments will be based on your service learning experience.

    • Pre- post-service Surveys and Service Learning Community Partner Questionnaire (5%)
      Attached you will find an introduction letter (to be given to your community partner supervisor) and two forms which you will complete at the onset of your service. The Pre-post service Surveys ask you to indicate your agreement or disagreement with a number of statements concerning your service-learning. The Service Learning Community Partner Questionnaire will be filled out the first week of your service learning and asks you to identify the mission statement of your community partner, describe your own expectations of the service learning experience, describe the site orientation process, and describe the specific tasks in which you will be involved.

    • Reflection paper (15%)
      This 5-6 page paper will be written after you complete your service learning. In this paper you will describe your service learning assignment, describe your observations and feelings about the experience, and relate what you have experienced to at least four concepts learned in the course. Concepts from the book should be cited.

    • Site supervisor's feedback (5%)
      The site supervisor will complete two evaluations of your service learning. The evaluations will be filled out once halfway through your service learning work and again after you have completed your service.

    • Thank you (5%)
      Once you have completed your service, you will write a thank you to your site supervisor, make a photocopy for your instructor, and attach a stamped, addressed envelope to the supervisor. (See attached example.)
    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/communication-and-learning/4054/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/foundations-of-human-communication/4055/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/foundations-of-human-communication/4055/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4055 FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION

    Instructor's Name: Dr. Norman Clark
    Office: 134 Walker
    Office Phone: 262-6531
    Office Hours: MWF 10-12, TH 12-2; others by appointment
    Email: clarkn {at} appstate(.)edu
    Department Office: 141 Walker Hall
    Department Phone Number: 262-2221

    Course Introduction

    This course has three main objectives:
    1) to introduce students to communication theories and practices;
    2) to help students determine whether or not they wish to pursue studies in communication; and
    3) to begin the lifelong process of becoming literate, critical consumers and producers of messages. In case you couldn't guess, it's that last goal that will drive this
    entire course. The assignments are designed to increase your skills at listening to messages, analyzing them internally, and making the private knowledge you gained public through various means of communication.

    Throughout this course, the focus will be on the following 4 basic concepts:

    Message
    Audience
    Medium
    Cultural Context

    Communication is importantly a liberal art. As such, studying communication liberates by providing the tools necessary for critically thinking through issues. We will engage a number of issues not to promote cynicism or conformity, but to increase our abilities, and to understand how language shapes our interactions with others. One of the most important issues we will address in this course is the role of communication in the community. To explore this issue, this course will include a service-learning project, with the assistance of ASU's ACT Community Outreach Center. More information about the service learning component of the course can be found on the assignment page.

    Grade Components

    • 30%: Service-learning Project, broken down as follows:
    • 5% Respond to Readings and Classmates
    • 15% Journaling
    • 10% 10 15 Service Hours
    • 10%: Quizzes
    • 30%: Tests (2, one midterm and one final, both worth 15%)
    • 12%: Critical Editorial Analysis
    • 12%: Issue Track
    • 6%: Self Analysis

    Assignments

    Quizzes
    To ensure that you are keeping up with the readings, you will need to complete 5 biweekly online quizzes. These quizzes operate on a mastery basis, which means that you retake the quiz until you get 90%. However, since the quiz questions are pulled from a database at random, you will not get the same questions every time you take the quiz. You won't be able to move on to the next quiz until you get all of the questions on a quiz correct. The quizzes are open book, open note, but they are also timed. This means that if you haven't done the readings in advance, it will be extremely difficult to finish the quiz within the time limit. Your quiz grade is an "all or nothing" grade, which means that if you complete all 5 quizzes, you receive all of the points for this portion of your overall grade (10%). If you do not complete all 5 quizzes, you receive no points (which effectively will drop your grade one letter grade). Each quiz should be completed by the week listed on the course schedule. However, it will remain on past that point, so you can continue to take it until you have gotten a 90%. You are strongly encouraged to keep up with the quizzes, since it is highly doubtful that you would be able to complete them all if you wait until late in the semester to start, and they will help prepare you for the tests.

    Tests
    Twice during the semester you will be tested on your knowledge of the course material. Each instructor for every section of this course will create their own test. Check with your instructor for details on what the test will cover.

    Critical Editorial Analysis
    Be sure to answer all of the questions completely! Choose one of the three editorials I will provide and apply Toulmin's Model to it.

    • What parts of the model (claim, grounds, data, warrant, backing, rebuttal) are clearly stated in the editorial?
    • What parts of the model are missing from the editorial?
    • What type of logic/reasoning (e.g. inductive, deductive, etc.) is being used to warrant acceptance of the claim?
    • Are any fallacies committed? If so, which ones and how (point out where it occurs, and tell me why it is fallacious)?
    • Do you have any reservations unanswered by the author(s) after reading the editorial? For example, did they leave out important information? Does the information provided stand up to the tests of evidence? Overall, is the argument presented in the editorial weak or strong? Why?

    Note that an argument can be strong or weak regardless of whether or not you agree with it!
    Here you yourself should make an argument for or against the editorial, using reasons developed in the previous sections of this paper.

    The basic point of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your ability to think critically. Try to put aside your personal feelings about the issue, and analyze the argument on its own merits. As is the case with all writing for this course, be sure to write your best. Proofread all of your work carefully, and seek help at the writing lab in Sanford Hall if necessary.

    Issue Track
    Track a current issue through the mass media. Each "mass" communication medium has distinctive attributes, syntaxes, consumer expectations, and owner imperatives, which all influence the way that "news" is reported in that medium. In this assignment, select a current issue being tracked by the mass media. Find a story about this issue in each of the following media: newspaper, magazine, radio, television and internet (make this a NON reprint, NON rebroadcast source, such as a web log or another non traditional news source). Do NOT use internet versions of television, radio, newspaper, or magazines for those media. You must watch a television, listen to a radio, and pick up and read a print newspaper and magazine.

    Your paper should address two questions:

    1. Compare and contrast the various media. What are the similarities and differences between the coverage of this issue by each medium source? Note that the best way to organize this section is NOT by going through one medium at a time, but instead first listing what things were the same in various media, and then what things were different. Do not simply list the characteristics of the media, but put them side by side that's what it means to compare and contrast!

    2. Analyze the impact of the medium. How do you think coverage of this issue was influenced by the particular communication medium producing the story? Here address the physical attributes of the medium, and how they changed the form or content of the story. Thoughtful students will also address how their experiences with the various media were different. Reading a paper is not the same as listening to the radio, after all. This is why you need to actually pick up a print newspaper, and watch a television show, and not just get them all online.

    Completely and accurately cite the five specific media sources used.

    Self-Analysis
    Part of the purpose of this course is to introduce students to portfolio development. Beginning with students graduating in the spring of 2003, all Communication majors will be required to submit a portfolio. Each concentration area has a different course in which the portfolio will be assessed and each area also has different requirements for content:

    In addition to these area specific requirements, all majors are required to include a resume and self assessment paper. In this course, everyone (majors and non majors alike) is required to write an initial self assessment paper. This paper gives you a chance to both reflect on your skills and weaknesses, as well as sell yourself to future employers.

    This is a paper that optimally you should write twice. You will be required to turn one version of it in for this course, which most people take in the freshman or sophomore years. When you are a senior and preparing your portfolio for the job market, you should revise this essay and re write it, so that it accurately reflects the growth in your communication skills during your college years.

    Your self assessment essay for this course should meet the following criteria:

    • Demonstrate thoughtful self reflection
    • Exemplify your writing abilities (well organized, no grammatical errors or typos)
    • Address strengths and weaknesses, using specific terms and examples of each (show your reader, don't just tell, and for goodness sake don't say "I'm a people person"!), in such categories as: speaking skills, writing skills, teamwork/group skills, leadershi,p listening, problem solving skills

    While there is no page length requirement, employers rarely want to read a lengthy essay. Therefore, a well crafted self assessment ought to accurately and adequately state your communication skills in approximately 2-3 pages. This should be your best writing: carefully proof read, with no grammatical or spelling errors. After all, your reader isn't going to pay any attention at all to your claim that you are an excellent writer if you can't spell or tell the difference between there, they're, and their.

    Service-learning Project
    In this course, we are emphasizing how communication impacts our world. One way to see this impact is by actually getting out into the community and interacting with its members. By speaking and working with people who live in this community, you will have a chance to make the concepts from class come alive, to learn more about yourself, and to provide a much needed service.

    This project is called a "service-learning" one because it combines service to the community with learning about course content. For more details about what service-learning means, check out what ACT (Appalachian and the Community Together) has to say about it. Essentially, service-learning is about integrating course content with social issues through active learning.

    In this case, the "service" component will involve helping some of the elderly citizens of this community. Depending on which service option you choose, you will be working in groups of 2 or 3 to complete chores and other household tasks for people living in their own homes, or visiting residents of retirement homes. Sign up sheets for the projects will be available in the Communication Department office, 141 Walker Hall, shortly after the in class presentations by ACT. You are required to complete at least 10 hours with at least 4 separate visits which must be recorded on a time log which you can download and print out; however, you are certainly encouraged to do more.

    However, this is not just a community service project you will be using this service as a chance to learn about communication, community, and aging in America (CCAA). While some people often say that you learn from experience, this is actually not true. We learn from thinking about our experiences. Therefore, in this project you will alternate between experience and thinking about that experience. In practical terms, this will require 4 steps: reading, reflecting, interacting, and reflecting.

    Stage 1: Reading about CCAA
    Before you actually go out and serve in the community, it's important to prepare yourself. Part of this preparation comes from the textbook chapters, where you are learning basic concepts of communication. But it's also important to learn about the other letters in the acronym: community and aging in America. The following articles/chapters are on reserve at the library, which you should read by the deadline on the course schedule.

    Stage 2: Reflecting about the Readings
    Now that you've been exposed to what others have to say about CCAA, you need to decide what you think about it. For this stage of the assignment, you need to post a message responding to the readings to the discussion board online. Your response should demonstrate that you read thoughtfully and carefully, and should go beyond a simple summary. A response could be a criticism of the readings, a question about them, an application of them to your own life, or a synthesis of what you read with other things you have read.

    In addition to posting your own message, you also need to post 2 replies to the responses of your classmates. These replies should not be "I agree," but should demonstrate your critical thinking abilities. If you agree or disagree, give specific reasons why. If you think of an extension to that person's comment, make sure it a) fits what the other person was saying, and b) offers a substantive contribution to the discussion.

    Stage 3: Interacting
    With the preparation from the course readings, you should now be prepared to engage in the service component. You will spend at least 10 hours (remember to fill out the time log!) with a member of the community, and during this time you should both perform the service as well as listen and learn about the intersection between communication, community, and again in America. To do so, you'll need to interact with the person(s) you are serving. You should not do this as a formal interview, but instead as a conversational one. You'll find that if you demonstrate a willingness to listen, it should be easy to talk while you serve.

    During this time, you should pay attention to the following:

    Communication Concepts from Class Brought to Life
    Listening, Verbal Meaning (any problems here?), Nonverbal Issues, Self Concept (both yours and theirs), Small Group, (working with a classmate or two) and many more!

    Community
    What can this person tell you about this community that you didn't already know?
    What changes have they seen?
    What can you learn about your place in this community?
    What can this person tell you about the role of communication in building communities?
    What community issues is this person aware of, and bow did they become aware/involved?
    And many more!

    Aging
    What social issues are brought to life for you by this person?
    How do they deal with economic and political issues differently than you might?
    How do they keep open lines of communication with their families?
    And many more!

    During the weeks that you are serving, we will be discussing communication in its various cultural contexts in class. You should be ready to contribute to class discussions, connecting

    Course Schedule

    Jan 13 Intro
    Jan 15 Components of Communication Perspective, Chpt 1 Models
    Jan 17 Signs/Symbols/Meanings Chpt 2
    Jan 22 Signs/Symbols/Meanings Look over WebCT site (I will check to see if you have read the syllabus pages)
    Jan 24 Verbal Communication Chpt 3
    Jan 27 Nonverbal Communication Quiz 1
    Jan 29 Critical Thinking/Listening Critical Thinking & Listening
    Jan 31 Critical Thinking/Listening Chpt 4
    Feb 3 Critical Thinking/Listening
    Feb 5 Self Concept Chpt 5
    Feb 7 Interpersonal Chpt 6
    Feb 10 Service-learning Reserve Readings
    Feb 12 Interpersonal Quiz 2
    Feb 14 Small Group Chpt 7; Critical Editorial Analysis
    Feb 17 Organizational Communication
    Feb 19 Interviewing Chpt 8
    Feb 21 Interviewing Reading Responses should be completed
    Feb 24 Audience Adaptation Quiz 3
    Feb 26 Media Chpt 9; Understanding Media
    Feb 28 Media
    Mar 3 Midterm Exam
    Mar 5 Media Literacy Chpt 10
    Mar 7 Media Literacy
    Mar 17 Internet, Current Media Trends Chpt 11
    Mar 19 Internet, Current Media Trends Quiz 4
    Mar 21 Communication & Community
    Mar 24 Communication & Community
    Mar 26 Communication & Community
    Mar 28 Communication & Politics Issue Track Due
    Mar 31 Communication & Politics
    Apr 2 Communication & Politics
    Apr 4 Communication & Culture Reflection
    Apr 7 Communication & Culture
    Apr 9 Communication & Culture
    Apr 11 Violence and Video Games Teen Car Thief Blames – discuss the connections between 'Video Games' violence and culture
    Apr 14 Communication & Careers Read Pathways to Careers in Communication
    Apr 16 Communication & Careers
    Apr 18 Communication & Careers Check out CDC website – Presentation by Brett Woodard, Career & Development Center
    Apr 23 Service Projects Discussion Reflection
    Apr 25 The Communication Discipline Self Analysis Due
    Apr 28 The Future of Communication Study Reserve Reading, Communication: Views from the Helm
    Apr 30 Closing Thoughts, Review, Course Evaluation Reflection; Quiz 5
    May 5, 11:55pm ~ Final Exam; Final Deadline for all materials (reflections, quizzes)

    Sample Service Learning Projects for Spring 2003

    WeCAN Watauga Crisis Assistance Network (Poverty)
    Program Description: The mission of this organization is to help our neighbors in crisis in a respectful and compassionate manner through the coordination of resources from the faith community and other service agencies.
    Website: No website available yet
    Service Activities: Design and develop a logo and brochure (and possibly a web page) for this newly formed organization. "Persuade" local churches to participate in this coalition by following up with those who have received notification. This will be done by calling and visiting local churches and service agencies. Also, "persuade" landlords and the electric company to return deposits that have been paid by WeCAN.

    Legal Aid of North Carolina, Boone Office (Legal Services for Low Income Population)
    Program Description: Provides legal advice and full representation in litigated cases and on appeal for low-income persons or groups.
    Website: www.lecialaidnc.org
    Service Activities: Use your "persuasive" skills to develop an information brochure for people who may need legal representation due to being illegally fired by their employer, because they are being forced to work under unsafe/inhumane conditions, etc. Contact the Employment Security Commission, the Department of Social Services, and other agencies in the 7 surrounding counties via phone calls and personal visits to "persuade" them to place this brochure in their client waiting areas.

    High Country Conservancy (Environmental Preservation)
    Program Description: To protect the natural resources of Appalachia by conserving land with significant ecological, cultural, recreational, or scenic value in the North Carolina High Country.
    Website: www.highcountryconservancy.org
    Service Activities: "Persuade" local hotels/resorts to add a $2 voluntary charge to each guest's bill in order to help preserve the beauty of this area. This money will go directly to the High Country Conservancy to promote their mission of preserving the natural resources in the area. A few hotels in the area are already "on board" with this project, but they need help with getting the word out to others. Develop and deliver a professional "persuasive" presentation to gain the interest of local hotel managers. Then, follow up with each hotel manager via phone calls, letters, and personal meetings to confirm their participation in this project. Other regions in the US that have used this type of fundraiser have raised up to $150,000 in one year!

    OASIS (Domestic Violence)
    Program Description: Provides a shelter, assistance, and counseling for battered and abused people.
    Website: www.oasis.org
    Service Activities: Research statistics/information about the relationship between alcohol use and sexual abuse/date rape and use "persuasive" language to create a handout/brochure about this issue. Design and develop display boards and staff contact tables in the Student Union to spread awareness about this issue to students. Also, work with the Greek Leadership Coordinator in CSIL to contact fraternities/sororities and "persuade" them to have someone from the ASU Sexual Assault Task Force come and speak with their
    respective groups.

    Shelter Rock Appalachian Relief (Severe Poverty)
    Program Description: This unique organization was created to search remote mountainous areas and vast wilderness acreage for victims of crushing poverty. It is an inter denominational, Christian organization, dedicated to locating poor Appalachian families and providing them with immediate needs of food and clothing. Relief teams literally drive into remote areas to search for and find these forgotten people
    Website: www.shelterrock.org
    Service Activities: Develop the framework for an annual "Backpack & School Supplies Drive" for homeless and impoverished children. Use your "persuasive" skills to design and develop flyers, place articles in local papers, etc. that will encourage the general public, ASU depts., ASU clubs and organizations, etc. to participate in this program. Also, "persuade" local retailers to set up donation boxes for school supplies during the "Back to School" season in the fall.

    Hospitality House (Poverty/Homelessness)
    Program Description: Provides a daily community meal, short term homeless shelter, sleeping place, winter shelter, and adult education assistance (GED, job skills).
    Website: www.hoshouseboone.org
    Service Activities: "Persuade" persons in Watauga County to reduce incidences of hunger in the county through an awareness/ fundraising campaign in conjunction with the Feinstein Challenge. The Challenge is issued yearly by the Feinstein Foundation and $1 million is divided among participating campaigns by ratio. Challenge month are March & April. Use your "persuasive" skills to develop flyers, write personal letters, design radio advertisements, get local papers to write articles about the campaign, etc. All documentation must be mailed during early May (see additional sheet for more info). Information about the challenge, press materials, and a mailing list are available from the Hospitality House.
    

    Internet Communication Websites Developed For Local Agencies in 2002
    High Country Amigos: www.highcountryamigos.org
    Legal Services of North Carolina, Boone Office: www.legalaidnc.org
    Watauga County Parks & Recreation Dept: www.wataugacounty.org/parks
    New Life Mobility Assistance Dogs: www.wilkescountync.com/newlifemobilityassistancedogs/
    Watauga County Arts Council: www.watauga arts.org
    

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/foundations-of-human-communication/4055/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/persuasion/4056/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/persuasion/4056/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4056 Persuasion

    Dr. Norman Clark, Dept. of Communication
    * 134 Walker Hall
    * Office: 262-6531
    * Home: 963-8130
    * Office Hours: MR 11-1, TR 9:30-12:30
    * Email: clarkn {at} appstate(.)edu

    Goals
    This course has four main objectives:
    1) to introduce students to persuasion theories and analytical tools;
    2) to make students more aware of the persuasive messages around them;
    3) to begin the lifelong process of becoming ethical and critical persuaders; and
    4) to integrate this learning into service for the community. The readings and assignments are designed to increase your knowledge and skills.

    The fourth goal is crucial, since this is a service learning course. In service learning, you apply classroom knowledge to real world problems. In this case, you will be divided up into groups, and each group will work with a local community agency on some persuasive project. We will be assisted in this by ASU's ACT Community Outreach Center. More information about the service learning component of the course can be found on the assignment page.

    Communication is importantly a liberal art. As such, studying communication liberates by providing the tools necessary for critically thinking through issues. We will engage a number of issues not to promote cynicism or conformity, but to increase our abilities, and to understand how language shapes our interactions with others. Since this course has both a W and an S designator, it is a performative course. What this means is that you will perform (first communication lesson: perform = euphemism for work your butt off) continuously both in spoken and written words for an audience.

    Materials
    Most of the readings will come from the textbook that is at the bookstore. However, sometimes you may need to read material that will be on reserve at the ASU main library under my name. This is the bibliographic information for our text:

    Gass, R., & Seiter, J. (1999). Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Performance
    Your grade will be based on several factors.

    1. Service Learning Project 60% [broken down as follows]
       Organization Report 5%
       Audience Analysis 5%
       Agency Contacts 5%
       Project Presentation 5%
       Portfolio 15%
       WebCT Discussion Board Reports/Reflections 10%
       Final Report 5%
       Peer and Self Evaluations 5%
       Organization Evaluation 5%
    2. Online Quizzes 25%
    3. In-class activities 5%
    4. Participation 10%

    Perception Skills
    o Take others into account when responding
    o Express understanding of others
    o Non judgmental of experiences
    o Generalize by bringing together ideas and input from others

    Expression Skills
    o Discuss and relate ideas
    o Clarify ideas by seeking opinions
    o Extend and build on others' ideas
    o Stay on topic
    o Ask questions
    o Understandable by others

    Attitude
    o Ethical
    o Accept responsibility for behavior
    o Avoid interrupting, blaming, passivity
    o Timely
    o Prepared (reading, analysis of problems)
    o Involved in topics, activities
    o Evidence of increased competence in listening and responding
    o Participation in collaborative efforts

    Your grade is accessible on WebCT throughout the semester (after the first assignment is graded). If you ever have any questions, please raise them immediately. Do not wait until the end of the semester this is good advice for any problem, in any class.

    Responsibilities

    Participation
    This is a lecture/discussion course, with an emphasis on in class activities and exercises. This means you need to contribute appropriately to the class on a daily basis. By "appropriate" contributions, I mean that you help extend the discussion. Disruptive behaviors in class are NOT appropriate, since they hinder the ability of your fellow students to learn. I expect everyone in this class to treat each other with respect, and if you fail to demonstrate that respect you will be warned, followed by disciplinary actions if you continue to be disruptive.

    Group Work
    A major component of this course is a group project. You are expected to be an active member of your group. As is usually the case, your group will need to spend time outside of class meeting to work on your project. I will provide some in class time throughout the semester, but it will not be enough to complete the project. See the WebCT Guidelines page for suggestions on how to use your time most effectively.

    Since these group projects are for real agencies in the "real world," your group will act as a real work group in this important way: non performing group members can be fired from the group. If a majority of the members of the group decide someone in the group is not doing a fair share of the work, they can vote to fire that person. Once that decision has been made, the group should meet with me to go over the decision. If you are fired from a group, it is your responsibility to try to get hired by another group. Obviously, not many groups will be willing to hire a person who has already demonstrated a low level of group performance. If you cannot get hired by another group, you will have to forego that portion of the grade (which in practical terms means you will probably fail the course).

    Attendance
    It's your choice as adults to attend or not. But I can assure you that it will be impossible to pass this course without attending, since several assignments will be conducted in class, half of the quiz questions will come from lectures, and your participation grade will start to go down (since you can't participate if you aren't in class). Missing 10 classes for any reason is an automatic F for the course. Note: you are absent from class when you are not present, regardless of the reason. I will not keep track of excused verses unexcused absences; an absence is an absence. This means you should plan ahead if you know you will need to miss some days.

    Expectations for the Instructor
    I always thought it was unfair when syllabi only focused on what was required of the student, so here is what I think you ought to require from me. My goal is to challenge you in this course to excel. I plan to do this in the most enjoyable, supportive and cooperative way I can. This course will only succeed if together we create an atmosphere of trust and tolerance, where no communication is cut off out of fear. My commitment is to provide you with detailed instructions and expectations for your work, fairly evaluate you according to those expectations, and return your work to you in a timely fashion. Since I am requiring you to spend time on this class, it is only fair that I spend even more time on this class. Therefore, to a large degree my time is yours. This means I strongly encourage you to drop by during my office hours, or set up some other time to meet with me, to discuss anything at all assignments, problems in the class or outside of class, hiking, tennis, whatever.

    Course Schedule

    This schedule is subject to change as circumstances and wild ideas dictate.

    Jan 14 Introduction/Getting to Know You yeah, right
    Jan 16 Persuasion in Society Chpt 1
    Jan 21 Service Learning Forms
    Jan 23 Modeling Persuasion Chpt 2; Contract Negotiation, 7-8:30, Multicultural Center
    Jan 28 More Models, Learning WebCT, Group Work
    Jan 30 Symbols for the Symbol Minded Chpt 8
    Feb 4 More on Symbols
    Feb 6 Attitudes Chpt 3; Quiz 1
    Feb 11 Audience Analysis Chpt 6
    Feb 13 Motivation Chpt 14; Organization Report
    Feb 18 Consistency & Credibility Chpt 4 & 5
    Feb 20 Verbal Persuasion
    Feb 25 Non Verbal Persuasion Chpt 9; Quiz 2
    Feb 27 Structures & Sequences Chpt 10 & 12; Midterm Feedback
    Mar 4 "Resistance is Futile" Chpt 11; Audience Analysis
    Mar 6 Cultural Persuasion Chpt 15
    Mar 18 Deception Chpt 13
    Mar 20 Ethics and Persuasion Chpt 16; Quiz 3
    Mar 25 Powerpoint
    Mar 27 Powerpoint Exercise
    Apr 1 Campaigns
    Apr 3 Progress Report/Group Work Day
    Apr 8 Media and Persuasion Initial Product Testing
    Apr 10 Ad Campaigns, Portfolios Quiz 4
    Apr 15 More on Ads, Group Work
    Apr 17 Political Campaigns & Speechwriting handout
    Apr 24 Social Movements Chpt 7; Final Report
    Apr 29 Extremism, Concluding Thoughts Project Portfolio; Quiz 5

    Final Presentations: Location TBD

    Assignments

    Readings
    I used to assume that students naturally did the readings that were assigned, so I never bothered putting anything on this assignment page. Of course, we all know what happens when we assume… so here goes. You are expected to do the assigned readings before coming to class. The material that we cover in class builds on and extends what is in the book. Rarely do I cover the basic material in the text (notice that I said rarely, not never). Instead, I assume (oops) that you all can read, and that you have read the text, and understood it. It is your responsibility to read the book, and learn from it. If you do not understand something in the readings, ask me a question about it in class, or in an email. Otherwise, I assume (there it is again) that you are getting the material. You will be tested on your comprehension of the readings on the online tests. So obviously, it is in your best interests to read before class and ask me any questions about what you read, rather than waiting until the test is due to read the chapters.

    Quizzes
    Five times this semester a new quiz will be available on WebCT. The quiz will be available from the afternoon of the class period before it is due, until the evening (11:55 pm) of the due date. After that time, you will not be able to access the quiz. Each will cover the material from the due date of the previous quiz, up to and including the material from the class period before the due date. So for example, if the first quiz is on Feb 1st, and the due date of the second quiz is on Feb 22nd, and the last class period before that is Feb 20tb, then the second quiz covers material from Feb 1 through Feb 20. The quizzes are open book/notes, so feel free to use them. Since they are open book/notes, you should expect them to be challenging!

    Usually half of the questions come from the book, and half from lecture. Many of the lecture questions are based on examples that I discuss in class, so it might not be a bad idea to jot down a note or two about those to remind yourself Since this is an open book quiz, the questions from the book tend to be what are called "discriminating" questions. This means they check to see how carefully you are reading. A less charitable name for these questions might be "trick" questions, but they are not intended to fool you. Read the question and answers carefully, as well as the book (and ask me questions about the readings, remember?).

    These quizzes should be the result of your individual effort, and you will be asked to check a box on the last question that states that you are abiding by the Academic Integrity code of this institution. Questions will be randomly pulled from a pool of questions, so your quiz may not be identical to those of others in the class. You only have one chance to do the quiz, so you can't go back and re do it after you submit it. Also, you'll only have I hour to complete the quiz, which should be more than enough time if you've taken good notes and read the chapters before going in to take it. If you try to take it without reading ahead of time, you might not finish and you will almost certainly not do as well. After the time is up, you will still be able to submit the quiz, but WebCT will notify me that you took longer than one hour to complete it. You will not get the results back until the deadline has passed.

    Finally, I understand that sometimes you bomb a quiz. For this reason, I drop your lowest quiz score at the end of the semester.

    Discussion Boards
    Throughout the semester, your groups will be using WebCT discussion boards to prepare for, execute, and reflect on your Service Learning Project. Your participation on these boards counts for 10% of your project grade, so do not forget to use them! You should use these boards for 3 purposes:

    1. To keep track of the group, to ask questions of each other, to schedule meetings in other words, to communicate. One of the things we know from research into online communication is that tools such as email and bulletin boards can help groups work more efficiently and effectively. Check out the WebCT Guidelines page for suggestions on how to use the discussion board to maximize your group work.

    2. To document what your group is doing, and to prove to me that you are applying course content to your project. In other words, use this board to record what decisions your group made and what actions you took, and more importantly, why you made them. Show me that you are being strategic in the choices that you make, that you understand the concepts from class, and that you are applying them to your project. Basically, anytime you do something in your group, record it here, making sure that you explain why (using terms/concepts from class) you did it in that way. Since I can't be with your group all of the time, I use your contribution to the boards to see what you're learning. If you don't post anything, I have to assume you aren't learning, and you don't want me to assume that…

    3. To respond to reflection prompts. Periodically, I will also post a note to which you
    will need to respond. These notes will ask you to think critically about your project, and to reflect on what you are learning about persuasion, community, and social change. All reflection responses should follow the ORID model (for details, scroll down on ACT's page to the heading "Moving Students From Reporting To Critical Analysis: The ORID Model," or check your notes/ask me). Use the four words of the ORID model as headings for your reflections.

    [A note of warning: do not try to do all of your contributions to the board in the last couple of weeks. Every message is dated, so I will know when you sent them, and I need to be able to see that you worked on this project throughout the semester.]

    Contract Negotiation
    All groups will meet with their agency contact and myself in one of the large rooms at the Student Union. On this day each group will meet with their agency contact to discuss what their final project will entail. When the details have been worked out, I will talk with the group and the agency contact to make sure the project fits the requirements of the course. After this, each group will fill out a contract that details what your project will be and what content will be included in the project portfolio (what products you will produce and be graded on). Each group will also fill out a communication assessment/contact form that will include phone numbers & email addresses, as well as information about how and when it is best to reach you.

    Organization Report
    In preparation for your project, you will need to learn about the organization you will be working with. Before you initially visit the organization, you will need to discover as much as you can about it so you can ask intelligent questions. ACT had many resources to help you learn about the organization. What you can read about the organization is obviously no substitute for what you can learn about it by visiting and speaking with the people who run it. Note that you should NOT just give this list of questions to the agency representative and expect them to write the report for you. You should pull this information together from a variety of sources (the agency's pamphlets, talking with the agency, your own observations of the agency, etc.), and be sure to cite sources that you use. After you meet with the organization, your group needs to submit to the assignment drop box in WebCT a report (one per group, but each member needs to submit it) that addresses the following:

    • Goals/mission of the organization
      
    • History of the organization
      
    • Size of the organization
      
    • Atmosphere/environment of the organization (formal, informal; well funded or struggling, etc.)
      
    • Typical clients served by the organization
      
    • How organization perceives power and change within the community (do they think change is possible, how do they see it happening, what power struggles do they perceive, where do they place themselves in the hierarchy of power in the community, any other power/change issues)
      
    • Unexpected things learned
      
    • Stereotypes possessed by members of the group that were revealed and/or dispelled

    Audience Analysis/Strategies
    As we have discussed in class, a critical component to persuasion is knowing your audience. Any persuasive effort will fail if it doesn't speak to the intended audience. To ensure this, you need to write up a report analyzing your audience(s) and strategizing how you will address it/them. Much of this information your organization might already have, so be sure to make use of their research. But you will also need to find data about your audience, so you can have evidence to back up your claims that they fit into a particular category. A critical aspect of this report is to make sure your analysis is based on verifiable information, and not just on your opinions/guesses. The agency may have some of this data, or you might find it on the U.S. Census Bureau site, or in ACT's Social Issues Database. Be sure to cite any sources that you use! Once you have gathered information, you group needs to submit to the assignment drop box in WebCT a report with the following:

    • Audience Demographics: age, sex, ethnic groups, income level, education level, political leaning, social class, location of the people you need to reach
    • VALS category(ies): place your audience into one or more of these categories, and offer reasons for why you would put them into that group
    • Latitude/Ego Involvement/Monitoring/Cognition: for each of the following, answer the question and provide reasons for your answer.
      -Do you think your audience will accept or reject your position, or be non committed?
      -How strongly do they feel about it/how much are they involved in the topic?
      -What is their level of self monitoring?
      -What is their level of cognitive complexity?
      -HOW this will impact your message: what your overall goal will be, which processing route you will use, what types of content/evidence you will use, and
      -WHY
    • Motivation: you won't be persuasive unless you convince your audience that this is important to them. Which of Packard's needs (or other needs) will you be targeting in your audience, and how will you appeal to that need? Which emotion(s) will you try to pull out of your audience, and how?
    • Key Symbol: based on everything you have learned about your audience, what is the one key symbol (image, word, or phrase) that you will attempt to drive home in your persuasive message(s)? How will you use it?

    Midterm Feedback

    Half way through the semester, you will email to me an evaluation of each member of your group. In other words, if there are 3 other people in your group, you should send me 3 separate emails. For the subject line, please enter "Midterm Eval of [member name]" (putting the person's name in there). For the content of the evaluation, paste in the following questions and then answer them:

    1) What is this person doing well?
    2) What does this person need to improve?
    3) On a scale of 1-5 (1 = poor, 5 = excellent), rate this person's overall performance:

    I will then pass these emails on to the members of the group. The score you receive on these evaluations will not count toward your course grade. Instead, this is an opportunity for you to provide the other members of your group with feedback on their performance so far, and for you to receive similar feedback. This way we should be able to catch problems early enough that they can be fixed, and not jeopardize the group's project.

    Also, I would genuinely appreciate it if you would take a moment in the middle of the semester to fill out the online midterm assessment of the class. A link to this assessment tool will show up on the WebCT page for this course when it's time to complete it. Please fill out this assessment only once, and please do take it seriously. I use this information to improve the course, so this is your chance to shape your own education. And don't worry: the online assessment tool is completely anonymous.

    Agency Contact

    Throughout the semester, you need to get in touch with the agency frequently and regularly. At a minimum, you should have at least one email exchange per week. You need to provide evidence of this by forwarding to me each week where "Agency Contact" is listed on the course schedule one email your group sent to the agency rep, and the response you received. I only need one exchange per week if you contacted the agency more than once, just forward one of those exchanges. Be sure to clearly identify this email in the subject line: call it something like "Weekly Contact, Group Name" (obviously putting in the name of your group). If you use the phone, you need to email me the time and date you spoke with the agency representative. I will verify with the agency rep that this phone conversation took place. This may seem a bit Nazi ish : ), but based on previous experiences I know how necessary it is. Important note: these contacts count for 5% of your overall grade, so don't neglect them!

    Initial Product Testing
    Form is available online. By this point in the semester, your group needs to have brought in to the class drafts of any persuasive products that you are producing for your project. For example, if you are producing a radio ad for your organization, you need to bring the ad in and play if for the class and myself so we can give you our impressions of the commercial. If you are going around soliciting funds or donations, you need to role play the strategies you plan to use. This "focus group testing" is critical to any persuasive project, and is required for all groups. The deadline listed on the course schedule is the absolute latest your should do this in class. You would be much better off beating the deadline for this assignment, since you may need to test your product more than once. You can bring your product in to any class period(s) before this, and I will set aside time at the end of the period to let you show it to the class and get feedback. All persuasive products that you plan to create for your organization need to receive feedback from the class and myself first! If you do not test the product, and fill out the required form, you will not get credit for it. I will provide each group with Product Test forms that you will use to record the date of testing, what was tested, what feedback you received, and how you are responding to the feedback.

    After you have tested the product in class and gotten feedback, you also need to present it to the agency and get their feedback as well. This is crucial to the success of your project: if you just "give" the agency something without giving them a chance to have input into the creation of it, chances are good that they will not be completely satisfied with your work. Remember, you are essentially being employed by the agency for this semester, and you need to work with them. Collaboration and communication are the keys to success!

    Final Reflection Report

    One of the important components of service learning is reflection. After you have completed a project like this, you need to take time to look back on your experience to examine yourself and what you learned. In your individually prepared report, which you will submit online to the assignment drop box of WebCT, address the following questions:

    1. What did you learn about persuasion? In this section, discuss specific concepts and principles from class that were made real for you during your project.

    2. What did you learn about the community? Here, talk about what new things you discovered about Boone/Watauga County, about the issues that face us, and the ways we try to create positive change in this region.

    3. What did you learn about yourself? What aspects of yourself did you discover that you hadn't know before? What did you learn about your sense of place within this community? What strengths and weaknesses did you discover? What did you discover about yourself as a learner?

    4. Finally, the most important question: Now What? Has this experience changed you? Don't try to b.s. me, be honest here. Discuss how you see this project impacting your life in the weeks, months, or even years to come.

    Project Presentations

    All groups will present their projects at our end of the semester celebration, which will take place at the Student Union. All of the agency representatives will be invited to this event. You will need to do a PowerPoint presentation on your project. In this presentation, be sure to include the following:

    1. Introduction and Preview: set up your talk by leading us into the topic with an attention getting introduction, and the preview your main points on a slide.

    2. What You Did: show us the actual product(s) that you produced. If your primary product was a series of presentations to businesses, role play these presentations. Role play a couple of examples: one that worked well, and one that failed. If your product was a flyer or other paper product, be sure to create a version of it that everyone in the audience can see (scan it in and show it in PowerPoint, or some other solution). Do NOT pass around examples, since this will take attention away from your presentation.

    3. What Problems?: Discuss obstacles that you encountered, and how you overcame (or why you were unable to overcome) them. Remember that a representative from your agency may be present, so do some careful consideration of your audience here.

    4. What You Learned: Tell us a few key concepts from class that were made real for you during this project.

    5. Conclusion: Wrap up what you presented, and tell us what happens next with this project, and a final thought to tie it all together.

    6. Transitions between points are critical! Do not assume that just because the next slide has a title that you don't have to do anything to connect one slide to the next. Review, preview, and connect each slide.

    7. Time limit: 15 minutes

    Portfolios
    At the end of the semester, you will need to turn in a portfolio that displays the work your group did for this project. As you work throughout the semester, hold onto any "stuff' that you do. Your portfolio should at a minimum meet the following requirements:

    • Well organized
    • Professional in appearance
    • Include copies of the following materials: drafts of products, copies of final versions of your persuasive products (obviously, the agency should have the originals already), and product testing forms reports audience analysis data commentaries on the included content: this is probably the most crucial part of any portfolio. At the beginning of each section, you should have a written summary of what is in the section, and what is so special about it. In other words, the commentary is where you focus the reader's (in this case, also the grader's) attention on the positive aspects of your work. These commentaries are your chance to prove to me that you have learned and applied persuasive theories to your practices. They are also a chance to be persuasive. Include any other material you think necessary: pictures, perhaps? Note however that I do not want printouts of your WebCT postings.

    Please be sure to mark any materials that you include in your portfolio but did not actually produce. Mark them by putting "NOP" (not out product) in some obvious place. Also, please be sure to include only copies of your products obviously, the originals should already have been turned in to the agency.

    Tips for Service Learning Projects
    Below you'll find some words of wisdom (or at least words … ) that come from past classes. Heed these bits of advice, because they will make your task much easier. Also, check back here periodically. As the semester goes along, I'll probably add more tips here.

    • Communication with your agency contact WILL be difficult. This can't be stressed enough, or said too often. You're busy, they're busy, everyone's busy. You will have to try several times to get through to your contact, just as they will have to try several times to reach you. Expect this; don't complain about it! It's a fact of life, and is unavoidable.
    • Because communication is difficult, you must have one key quality: perseverance. Don't call the agency one time. Call, call again, e mail them, leave messages, keep trying until you are certain the message has been received.
    • Another implication of the first tip is that you cannot procrastinate. You need to get started on the project immediately, because everything, and I do mean everything, will take longer than you expect.
    • Contact the agency consistently and frequently. Get in touch with them often to let them know what you're doing, what you're planning to do next, etc.
    • Don't expect to be able to get a hold of agency reps at hours convenient to you. In other words, at lunch time they're likely to be at lunch, and after 4:00 they're likely to have gone home. You need to call them during normal business hours.
    • Remember that even though these are non profit organizations, they are still organizations. They are working hard, and expect results. Do not have the attitude of, "I'm helping these people, as a volunteer, so they should be grateful for whatever time/effort I can spare." This is NOT the way to approach service-learning. You are not "helping" them, you are working for/collaborating with them. So treat this as a job, and a job that rewards you with something much more valuable than money: the unbeatable joy of knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of people who need help.
    • With your different schedules, it will probably be pretty difficult to get everyone in the group together at the same time. So be creative: divide up tasks, make use of e mail for quick decisions/announcements, have food at the group meetings (that will get people to come!), break the group into two smaller groups for some tasks, or whatever you can think of to work around your schedules.
    • A general tip that you should remember when you get out into the "real world," too: do not leave the agency hanging. If they ask you to come by to meet with them on Tuesday, don't say, "Well, I might be able to make it, I'm just not sure. I'll try to be there." As a wise man once said, "There is no try, only do." You'll either be there, or you won't. So let your yes be yes, and your no be no. If you can't say yes or no for certain at that time, say "I'll have to check, but I will get back to you tomorrow to tell you for sure whether or not I can make it." Then, be sure to get back with. them by the time you said you would. And if you say you are going to be there, BE THERE. If you don't show up, for whatever reason, it will make you, your group, and the entire university look very, very unprofessional.
      
    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/persuasion/4056/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/scientific-and-technical-writing/4057/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/scientific-and-technical-writing/4057/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4057 Scientific & Technical Writing (E.S. 3210 & PTC 3216)

    Dr. Bill Macgregor, Instructor

    1) PRIMARY COURSE GOAL: to help upper level students develop comprehensive communication skills needed in their technical professions; achieving this
    overall goal requires students to master three broad communication categories.

    1.1 Task Responsiveness. Students will learn to recognize and respond appropriately to specific communication tasks in different contexts;

    1.2 Information Handling. Students will learn how to search for, assemble, record, analyze, evaluate/validate, and present information needed to accomplish a given task;

    1.3 Quality Assurance (revising & editing). Students will learn to revise and edit documents to meet the standards expected of professionals in the field.

    2) COURSE DESIGN RATIONALE

    2.1 Communication tasks which students perform as a team occur in a real world context of a term long client based open ended investigative project;

    2.2 The emphasis on meeting the client's needs (by performing well on the project) requires creative and critical task responsiveness and information handling, as well as systematic communication quality assurance practices;

    2.3 Students' participation in course based projects that help solve community problems reconnects students' academic lives with their communities;

    2.4 Complex, client based project work requires that multidisciplinary teams assigned to technical tasks learn effective small group communication techniques;

    2.5 Project work requiring both individual and collaborative documents ensures that students get practice developing interpersonal communication skills as well as cooperative writing skills;

    2.6 Required reviews of documents in various stages of the project replicates the widespread processes of project work in organizational contexts, and thus familiarizes students with both the genres and the sequences of both specialized and routine communications associated with such work (the "paper trail");

    2.7 Requiring students to assemble work into a professional portfolio, and weighting the portfolio grade appropriately boosts students' job search efforts; reinforces individual course objectives; and emphasizes students' outcomes at the end of the course's learning cycle (rather than averaging multiple performances along the learning curve.)

    3) STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS designed to achieve the course's objectives

    3.1 Reading and discussion of Franklin Covey Style Guide (FC); practice using it as a reference resource to solve communication problems, and to correct errors in grammar, usage, mechanics, and style;

    3.2 Course based revising & editing exercises and quizzes using samples of student writing to help students recognize common error patterns and develop revising and editing tactics to correct those errors;

    3.3 Case based revision exercises for short professional and technical documents to give students practice revising entire short messages;

    3.4 Application practice of rhetorical modes & genres to communication needs of the term project, including (but not limited to)

    3.4.1 explaining technical terms and concepts,
    3.4.2 presenting technical processes,
    3.4.3 describing field (first hand) observations;

    3.5 Documenting the various phases of routine work associated with the project, including

    3.5.1 records of team meetings,
    3.5.2 records of meetings with clients,
    3.5.3 contacts with project related resources (email, phone, fax, snail mail, etc.),
    3.5.4 full and detailed records for materials and sources used in research,
    3.5.5 progress reports, and
    3.5.6 various other documents in the "paper trail";

    3.6 Preparing the specialized documents required to build towards the project's final solution to the client's problem; these include

    3.6.1 a plan of work (that responds to the client's request),
    3.6.2 an internal work contract among team members,
    3.6.3 technical "area reports" written by each team member,
    3.6.4 a final report and oral/technical presentation, and
    3.6.5 a project performance appraisal document;

    3.7 Reviewing & reflecting objectively about each assignment once it has been completed.

    3.8 Preparing a professional quality career portfolio that includes not only all work from this class, but also relevant exhibits from the student's primary fields of study, along with commentary and resume.

    ---

    Reflecting and Acting Rhetorically

    The Irrelevant Required Course
    Most campuses have them the upper level writing course required of students in pre professional, science, and engineering fields. For 20 years I've watched students come through these courses, most of them dreading the ordeal they expect to face. Ironically, they tend to be among the most motivated and goal oriented students a faculty member is likely to encounter and, often, among the "smartest" in various non academic ways as well. But they face the required course with either resignation or resistance. Whatever rationale may have governed the placement of such a course in the curriculum, it is to them an obstacle, a distraction, an unnecessary hurdle placed between them and their career plans.

    As a faculty member of a professional and technical communication program at Montana Tech, a small engineering school in the Northern Rocky Mountains, it's been my job to fulfill both the letter and the spirit of this writing requirement, and to do so in ways that acknowledge and honor the professional culture into which these students are being inducted. Their aversion to writing has tended to fill classes with large numbers of highly experienced graduating seniors who have already completed most of the courses in their respective engineering and related technical majors even though the course is supposed to be taken in their junior year. Moreover, the engineering fields of specialty at this school don't attract students with inborn interests in the pursuit of social justice, in engagement in social causes, or in exploring the thoughts of John Dewey or Ernest Boyer about the role of higher education in society. These students expect to be hired by mining and petroleum companies, by government regulatory agencies, by resource exploration and exploitation consulting firms, and such. That's why most of them are getting a higher education degree: because they believe it guarantees them a lucrative and stable career.

    The college itself sits atop a kill overlooking a mining town that has seen better days: the mines are all closed, much of the population has moved away, and the largest industry in the region for the past 20 years has been the federally mandated cleanup of toxic wastes produced by 120 years of mining and related industrial activity. The students live on campus or in town, but, except for those raised in the town, the students tend not to be connected to the community. And even for those raised here, the career trajectory is clearly written on the horizon: this is not the home they expect to live and work in (much as some of them might wish to).

    Faced with students disengaged from the curricular as well as the community context, this required writing course was well on the way to becoming a mere afterthought in the curriculum, and not something that merited the status of being a core requirement for all students. Faced with students focused on external rewards, and unquestioningly valorizing personal and social behaviors that they believe characterize a successful career, the course could get by merely by providing students with communication techniques to make them better competitors in their quest for career success. Faced with a traditional campus (and academic system) culture that aims at turning out a "competent workforce," few opportunities present themselves to challenge students' notions of the "responsibilities appertaining thereto" that the school's commencement ceremony invokes the new graduates to be mindful of.

    A Program of Re-engagement
    Beginning in 1995, modeling some features on the highly respected EPICS program at the Colorado School of Mines, I adopted what I later learned was called a "Service-learning" approach to the two courses of this type that I taught each year: Scientific and Technical Writing (required of engineering and science students) and Business and Professional Writing (required of all other students). Several theoretical problems associated with the course subject and the pedagogy employed were instantly addressed by this development.

    The instructor of professional writing teaches that the audience's needs come first, whether the rhetorical purpose is expository, argumentative, persuasive, or didactic. In the summer of 1995, and ever since, students in these classes don't have to write for the teacher. They write to meet the needs of a client in the community a real person, usually a representative of an agency coping with any of the myriad and very real technical problems facing the community. Thus students in this setting learn the most important lessons built into the course syllabus not from lecture, and not from my commentary on their drafts, but from their real audience. They also learn about negotiated meanings and about a constructivist view of knowledge a lesson they will learn more about during their professional careers, but which their academic preparation tends to ignore or suppress.

    The syllabus accompanying this document details both the rationale and the workflow of the course. Addressed to students, it provides them with most of what they need to know before "signing on" to the rigors of the term's work. What it doesn't say is that the marriage of a service learning pedagogy with the objectives of this course turns it into much more than it could ever have been otherwise, without adding much, if any extra work either for me or for the students. Students learn the required writing techniques the genres, the processes, the disciplines, the specialized styles expected of them but they learn them as part of a real time workflow that grows out of the process of addressing a problem brought to the class by a member of the external community. But more than that, they learn something no other course I've been a part of teaches: they learn about ethos the hard way. First the project team adopts an ethos and a team voice in addressing the problem brought to them; but at the culmination of their work, if not earlier in their investigations, they learn to hear their own individual voices speaking with the power and authority they've earned through their engagement with the client's concerns.

    For a class in rhetoric, this is a major achievement. Sometimes the power thus expressed reflects the culture that's trained students throughout their academic careers: the voice is that of the expert telling the uninformed community audience the "correct answer". But other times, some very special and very unpredictable occasions give rise to students presenting the results of their work with a voice that reflects a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation and doing so (usually) quite spontaneously. For example:
    

    A team of students agreed to investigate the issues associated with the abandoned paupers' cemetery on the east edge of town. It was being vandalized; it was an eyesore and possibly a health hazard; developers wanted the land for condos; and so on. The team tackled it in typical engineering fashion, acquiring the facts, measuring the meters and bounds, and uncovering reams of historical data. Then something happened as they neared the time when they would present their results in a report before the Council of Commissioners. They got mad. They decided that community values were at stake: victims of poverty, disease, and social neglect were buried there, in unmarked graves hundreds, if not thousands of them. The presentation they made to the Council that night was impassioned and genuine, and cut through political posturing to achieve results: the first steps in protecting the cemetery were ordered at the end of their presentation without a dissenting vote. The prime voice was that of a petroleum engineer, a welder, a craftsman who somehow found eloquence amid the technical details of his presentation that demonstrated more skill in scientific and technical communication than I could have taught him.

    Of the thousands of miles of mine shafts, tunnels, and other workings under the city only a few remain open today; most access points are sealed. One student team responded to a somewhat whimsical request from the extension agent of the state bureau of mines and geology to explore the feasibility of developing one of the open tunnels as an Underground miner training center. His idea hit home with a number of the students whose families had worked for several generations in the underground; with the mines closed and the average age of the existing domestic underground mine worker hovering just below 50 years of age, the need for such a facility made sense. Unaware that this was "just a class project" or that they were "just students" they prepared a proposal that was handed off to an aide to one of the state's U.S. Senators, and ultimately was included as a multimillion dollar portion of an appropriation bill to establish suck a center. The sense of empowerment that these students showed as this process unfolded (it was well underway before the end of their term in the course) was more than mere pride in a job well done. The tangible results yielded by their collaborative effort to transform a complex of community needs into an
    opportunity left them connected to the community, the school, and their disciplines in ways unimaginable outside of the service learning environment. The Underground Miner Training Center, by the way, expects to hold its first classes this year.

    Impacts, Outcomes, Excursions

    Since 1995 in merely the two courses mentioned here, 123 projects have engaged 422 students in tasks that challenged their technical skills, that forced them to hone existing, and learn new communication skills, and that, at their best, transformed them in ways that no previous pedagogy I've tried has accomplished. But these numbers speak only of students and projects; and for each of those projects, community partnerships were deepened and strengthened; for each of those students, the faculty in their major fields began hearing about these opportunities, and the benefits of this approach; for the town gown relationship, the tangible benefits in sharing opportunities and resources in the curricular context has led to the drafting of a memorandum of understanding with the local government that will help subsidize future students' work, and a similar agreement is being worked out with at least one federal agency that has benefited from such curricular 6ased student work.
    

    Again, in 1998, during my faculty fellowship, I attended both a regional Campus Compact meeting, and the meeting of a group I'd never heard of, The Invisible College both held at Portland State University. While I've found much of value over the years in the work of Campus Compact, my experience of the Invisible College's National Gathering was an epiphany. It modeled the best learning practices in the form it chose for its meeting sustained discussions of issues that mattered to the participants. At that first Gathering, I was asked to lead one of the two day learning circles, and I was hooked. At the end of the Gathering, when the invitation went out for new members, I joined the steering committee. I began assuming more and more responsibilities, including coordinating the organization's listserve, and ultimately being elected to serve as an officer in the organization. I now am serving my year as national chair of the organization that is now known as Educators for Community Engagement, or E4CE. Last year, while serving as Chair elect, I also served as program chair for the Eighth National Gathering, which was held for the first time at Salisk Kootenai Tribal College in northern Montana, and engaged a hundred faculty, students, staff, and community partners in 22 days of intensive learning circle based dialogue.

    At the first annual service learning research conference hosted by LIC Berkeley in fail of 2001, I rediscovered what I had really known all along: that my notion of scholarship is not the scholarship of control groups and statistical validation. It's not that I don't accept the relevance of that sort of research to answer certain questions; it's just that those aren't the questions that interest me. My questions are most often local and topical, and they remain for the most part contextualized within the framework of my identity as a faculty member. They often have a theoretical, ethical, or philosophical bent, even though they may arise out of mind numbingly boring practical course design and course implementation details: under what conditions (if any) can service-learning legitimately partner with for profit entities? Are the notions of distance learning and community engagement through service-learning mutually incompatible? If the service learning movement is successful on a grand scale, how will our notions of political economy be transformed?

    My scholarly goals remain grounded in the task of applying what I've learned about service-learning to new problems and new situations, both in my community and farther afield. The more I learn about the causes of intractable strife in perennially troubled areas of the world, the more I am interested in testing the potential for service learning to transform a society. To that end, I have requested a sabbatical leave for next year and have begun seeking sources of support through which I might implement elements of service-learning pedagogy in the university system in the Republic of Yemen, one of the poorest of the Middle Eastern Arab states, and, based on recent research conducted by the World Bank, a nation that is actively reevaluating the relevance of its system of higher education. Much like my home in Montana, Yemen's current poverty, its political and economic history, and the richness of its culture and its natural and human resources represent a new challenge that could test the limits of service-learning pedagogy. That's a test I'd like to take on.
    

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/scientific-and-technical-writing/4057/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/business-writing/4071/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/business-writing/4071/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4071

    English 330: Business Writing
    Honors Section 01: MW 9:00 10:40 in 037 Millett
    Winter 2003

    Lecturer: Cathy Sayer Office: 483 Millett
    Mailbox: 469 Millett Office Hours: MW 11:00 1:00
    Phone: 775 2471 TTH 1:00 2:30
    Email: cathy.sayer {at} wright(.)edu and by appointment

    Texts and Materials

    For this course, you will need:
    Business and Administrative Communication, 6th Edition, by Kitty 0.
    A Writer's Reference, 4th Edition, by Diana Hacker (recommended)
    Access to a computer with Microsoft Word software (Windows 98 or above)
    Several preformatted IBM disks

    Course Goals

    The general goals of this course are to prepare you for the types of writing you will encounter in the workplace and for the citizenship role of a business professional. The specific goals are to assist you in developing strategies for: writing with specific audiences and purposes in mind writing collaboratively developing a sense of ethics in business communication planning, drafting, and revising your writing designing your documents visually

    Course Description

    To achieve the course goals, you will write a variety of texts: emails, memos, letters, proposals, reports, handbooks, manuals, etc. Some will be exercises from our text, but most of your writing in your major project will be real workplace writing in the form of a service learning team project.

    Service learning projects represent mutually beneficial partnerships between academic courses and nonprofit organizations. The nonprofit groups will provide you with real workplace contexts for practicing the skills taught in the class, and you will provide valuable services for the organizations services for which they could not afford to pay and which might otherwise go undone. All parties have an equal stake in the success of these projects.

    For your service learning project in this course, you and 1-2 other classmates will form a team to provide writing services for a non profit organization in our area. Your team will choose a project from a list of organizations that have made requests for our services. And the whole class will work as an extended creative team, supporting each other and acting as a consulting group as we contract out our services to meet needs in our community. By the end of the course, you should have a collection of writings from which to compile a portfolio to take to job interviews.

    Course Requirements

    Your final course grade will consist of the following:

    • Collaborative Team Project Portfolio 50%
    • Project Evaluation 15%
    • Participation 20%
    • Team Player Grade 15%

    All assignments must be completed and turned in to receive a passing grade in the course. All formal team portfolio pieces must have received feedback from your classmates and me in order to be submitted for a grade.

    Collaborative Team Project Portfolio

    Your team's project portfolio is due, Wednesday, March 12, at the celebration we will host to honor our community partners and present them with the completed projects. The portfolio will consist of drafts and revisions of the following documents.

    • a portfolio transmittal
    • an email that introduces you to your community partners
    • a project proposal
    • a progress report
    • a negative or persuasive message (most likely email)
    • the final project

    Class discussion, readings and activities will provide guidance on the proper format for these pieces. And you will receive feedback on each from your classmates and me to help you revise. You will have one mandatory conference with me on a semifinal draft of your project. However, before you submit your first drafts to your community partners for review, you should consult with me to make certain your work reflects the principles being learned in the course.

    Project Evaluation

    Your project evaluation will be due during finals week and will be discussed in more detail before you begin work on it. Basically, though, you will be asked to demonstrate your overall learning about business writing during this term by evaluating

    • The effectiveness of your team's collaborative process
    • The amount and quality of each team member's contributions (team player grade)
    • The quality of writing in your team project. Your own progress in internalizing business writing principles and skills, using examples from pieces you wrote during the project
    • How your choices, behaviors, and activities as a business professional and a citizen might differ as a result of your work in the nonprofit sector

    Participation

    Your participation grade will be based on a reading log and presentations of your team's document drafts to the class. Your grade will be calculated on the percentage of credits you earn out of the total possible during the term (90%=A, 80%=B, etc.).

    Reading Log

    Every day that you have a reading assignment, you should come to class with a reading log. The purpose of the logs is to help you digest your readings and be prepared to apply the information to your project work during class time. In the log, you should take notes on the most important points and concepts in the chapter and list any questions you want to ask in class. So that you can use your log efficiently in class, you also may want to note page numbers where each piece of info is located. Each log should be labeled with the date, the chapter number, and the title and may be typed (single or double spaced) or handwritten. Logs will receive full or half credit. To earn full credit, you must

    • Be present for the entire class
    • Thoroughly complete the log for the correct reading
    • Present the log to me at the beginning of class on the assigned day Logs that are deficient in one or more of these areas will receive half credit. However, you may make up as many as 3 logs with no penalty, as long as the late work is presented at the beginning of the next class meeting.

    Draft Presentations

    During the term, each team will draft and revise 7 different documents. On the day a draft is due, one member of your team will present the draft to the class on the big screen and explain why you made the choices you did. The class will then discuss strengths of the draft and improvements that can be made. Each team member must do his/her fair share of the presentations (2/3 for a 3 person team, 3 for a 2 person team). Presentations will receive full or half credit. For full credit, you must

    • Present a draft that shows a good attempt to apply principles in the reading and class discussion.
    • Explain the team's choices clearly and thoroughly.
    • Presentations that are deficient in one of these areas will receive half credit.
    • There will be no make ups for draft presentations.

    Team Player Grade

    At the end of the term, your team members (in their project evaluation) and I will evaluate your contributions as a team player. Each of us will assign you a team player grade, which I will then average to arrive at your team player grade. I assume that your classmates and I will be looking for similar characteristics in terms of your performance in the class and on your team, but I can tell you the qualities I look for.

    • Prompt and faithful attendance
    • Efficient and effective use of class time, evidenced by the quality and amount of your in class work (Team members may also value the way you use out of class meeting time.)
    • Flexible and cooperative attitude (Team members might especially value these qualities when setting up meeting times or needing help in emergencies.)
    • Good work ethic (history of meeting deadlines and carrying your fair share of the load)
    • Willingness to take risks and shoulder some kind of leadership (making phone calls, scheduling or running meetings, soothing hurt feelings, providing needed materials or skills)

    Tips for Success

    The policies and procedures in this course will follow, as closely as possible, those in the work world. Therefore, in determining what might be proper behavior in a given situation, you should continually ask yourself, "What would I do if this happened on my job? How would this action reflect on me as an employee? How would it reflect on my company?" Making things run smoothly will require common sense, respect for others, and effective and timely communication, both with me and with your classmates.

    Partial Course Schedule

    M 2/17 – Present project. Bring all negative or persuasive message drafts and project materials to class.

    W 2/19 – Draft project report.

    M 2/24 – Draft of project due.

    W 2/26 – Checking Progress of Teams. Bring a copy of the Service Learning project draft for the 1-2 hour Projects conference

    W 3/5 – Preparing Portfolio. Final project editing. Discuss project.

    Week 10 – Work on projects or speak informally about project evaluations and your learning in the class.

    W 3/12 – Attend Celebration Thanking Community Partners

    Finals Week – Evaluating Project. Evaluation due.

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/business-writing/4071/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/art/visual-rhetoric/4079/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/art/visual-rhetoric/4079/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4079 Visual Rhetoric

    Professor: Dr. Brooke Hessler
    Email: bhessler {at} okcu(.)edu
    Box: Walker Center (WC) 248
    Office: WC 214
    Office Hours: MWF 10-11 AM and by appt.
    Office Phone: 405-521-5330

    Course Purpose & Scope
    Our course is an enriched version of Composition II designed to challenge you to communicate visually as well as textually. Through a series of individual and collaborative research and writing projects, you will:

    • Extend the academic research and writing knowledge you learned in Composition I (including the development and analysis of summaries, reports, and arguments);
    • Employ a range of rhetorical strategies to analyze and create visual texts;
    • Identify and interpret the rhetorical strategies inherent in everyday images, places, and things;
    • Become familiar with many of the ways visual literacy is employed in academic disciplines and in professional communication.

    To deepen and apply this knowledge, you will participate in a very special community service learning project: helping the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center build its online "virtual archive" of artifacts that have been collected at the site to communicate the personal and societal impact of terrorism. Your role as a Virtual Archivist will involve selecting, interpreting, photographing, and writing about those objects in order to help school children and other visitors acquire a deeper understanding of the Memorial and its significance to people in and far beyond our city.

    Credit hours earned for the course: 3.0. Prerequisite: ENGL 1113.

    Required Texts
    Seeing and Writing by Donald McQuade & Christina McQuade
    The Bedford Handbook by Diana Hacker (or a similar handbook)

    Required Materials & Resources
    -An active email account from Jan 15 to May 10.
    -Knowledge of your OCU student username and password.
    -Two diskettes (to back up your document files).
    -An ample supply of paper and pens. (We will write during every class)
    -Transportation to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center (downtown), and the ability to visit that site approximately 4 times for 3 4 hours per visit.

    Assignments & Grading
    -Web Board Postings Ongoing 15%
    -Multiple Perspectives Presentation, Jan 22 (W) or Jan 24 (F) = 10%
    -Virtual Archive Project (Team)*, Multiple deadlines = 30%
    -Visual Report on the Archive Project (Individual or Team)**, TBD = 20%
    -Research Paper Incorporating Visual Rhetoric, May 7 (W) = 25%

    *The Virtual Archive Project will include at least two draft review cycles with peer review boards in class and with OKC Memorial Center curators before the final due date.

    **The Visual Report will be completed as an entity in the Honors Research Poster Contest. You are welcome to compose your research poster individually or as part of a team.

    Assessing Your Growth as a Visual and Verbal Rhetorician
    As you can see from the assignment listing above, each project asks you to demonstrate your ability to compose information both verbally and visually within a different genre (including web texts, an oral presentation, a poster, and an academic research paper). I will evaluate your work according to the three main categories of rhetorical development: ethos, pathos, and logos. (These terms will become very familiar by the end of the semester!) You will also evaluate your work and assess your progress: through reflective writing, peer reviews, and in class surveys. I will periodically use your evaluations to tailor our class activities to your learning goals.

    ---

    Oklahoma City National Memorial Service Learning Projects

    Teaching Trunks
    This team will help children learn about the Oklahoma City bombing and the National Memorial from multiple perspectives. Using images and words, you will tell one or more of the following stories: the role of search and rescue dogs, the significance of the Survivor Tree, the symbolism underlying the thousands of origami cranes given to the Memorial Center. Your tasks will include selecting photographs and writing text to accompany each photograph: creating a narrative that will capture the attention of the children and educate them. Your project will be included with other artifacts and teaching materials in special trunks that are being transported to schools in Oklahoma and throughout the U.S.

    Symbolic Quilt
    This team will tell the story of a remarkable quilt created by people around the United States who contributed individual pieces to represent their personal response to the Oklahoma City bombing, and their messages of hope to the survivors and their families. To share this quilt with the world, you will photograph it (in its entirety, with close ups of especially interesting or important squares), read the letters of the individual artists who contributed each square, and compose text to accompany the photographs in the Memorial's virtual archive. This project will involve a little detective work: you will need to use the information contained in the letters to match the quilt squares with their stories and symbols.

    Jim Lange Cartoons
    This team will interview Daily Oklahoman cartoonist Jim Lange about the cartoons he created to communicate about the Oklahoma City bombing and its affect on our community. Your project will include developing, conducting, and possibly videotaping the interview, photographing a collection of his cartoons, and composing a short Lange biography and other text to accompany the cartoons. The project will be published in the Virtual Archives.

    Treasured Objects
    This team will research and write about some of the special objects that belonged to the victims and survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing. You will photograph each object, research the significance of the object, and compose text to accompany it. The images and stories will be displayed in the Virtual Archives.

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/art/visual-rhetoric/4079/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/mediation-and-conflict-resolution/4088/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/mediation-and-conflict-resolution/4088/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4088 Mediation & Conflict Resolution
    (Community Building, Peace, Conflict & Alternative Dispute Resolution)
    

    Robert N. Hansen, Ph.D.
    #5 Westminster Hall

    Home Phone: 573-491-3344
    Cell: 573-645-3344
    Office: x5362 or 5361
    Email: hansenr {at} oaynet.wcmo(.)edu
    Fax: 573 592 5180
    Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 11:00 12:00 Noon

    Course Description & Objectives:

    This course provides an introduction into the concepts, theory and practice of community building, peacemaking, and conflict resolution. Topics will include: a) community development theory; b) conflict theory; c) peacemaking; d) principles of five types of ADR strategies (negotiation, arbitration, adjudication, conciliation, and mediation); d) the application of these concepts, theories and strategies to historical and current situations; and e) the development of mediation skills and a personal style of conflict resolution.

    As a result of taking this course, students will: a) be knowledgeable about the concepts and theories of community building and conflict resolution; b) have a greater understanding and appreciation for the ways conflicts have been managed or mis managed in history; c) experience a greater awareness of current international, national, state, local and campus conflicts; and d) be more competent leaders as a result of developing greater skills in conflict resolution.

    Instructional Materials:

    Fisher, R., Ury, W. & Patton, B. (199 1). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Penguin: New York.

    This has become the classic book on negotiation. Fisher, Ury and Patton have taught negotiation theory and skills at Harvard Law School and throughout the world via the Harvard Negotiation Project. This popular press book is used in most undergraduate, graduate and law school courses that focus on the art and science of negotiation.

    Beer, J.E. & Stief, E. (1997). The Mediator's Handbook. New Society: Gabriola Island, British Columbia: Canada.

    Developed by the Friends Conflict Resolution Program, this handbook comes from one of the oldest mediation programs in the United States. It was originally developed to promote creative and peaceful processes for resolving conflicts in Quaker and other communities. Today, it is used in community and academic settings to teach basic mediation skills.

    Classroom Activities:

    This class will function as an "active seminar". Although there will be some formal presentations by the instructor, much of our time will be devoted to discussion and application of the material. Special "lab sessions" will be scheduled which focus on the development of basic mediation skills. Guest speakers, videos, outside readings, field trips, and small group activities will be additional means of working with this material.

    Learning Through Service & "Mediation Skills Lab":

    We will work collaboratively with the young women of the Rosa Parks Center, a Division of Youth Services' residential facility for "troubled" teenagers. These young women will give us a tour of their facility, explain their treatment program and assist in the making of communication skills and mediation videotapes. They will also teach us the conflict resolution techniques that they are learning in their treatment program. To reciprocate, we will teach them some formal mediation skills and give them an "introductory college experience" by giving them a tour of campus and letting them sit in on some classes. Both in class and through reaction papers, we will individually and collectively reflect on our experience with these young women. Our challenge is to better understand conflict through their eyes and to look at the bigger picture of why these young women, and thousands like them, are in treatment programs. What is it about them, adolescence, public policy, or our culture in general that produces so many "troubled" teens? Each student, with the help of these young women, will make at least two video segments one demonstrating active listening skills and one demonstrating mediation skills. These videos will only be seen by you, the instructor and one other student in the course who will critique your tape. You will need one VHS videotape for use in these "lab" activities. If you can't afford a videotape, I have some previously used tapes that you can use.

    Learning Styles:

    Each of us has a personalized learning style. Please let me know if you have a particular style or challenge (e.g., severe test anxiety, slow reading speed or comprehension, vision or hearing impairment, or another learning disability) that could benefit from special accommodations. Anyone who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At this time we can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs and explore potential accommodations.

    Grading: 1,000 points possible

    Reaction Papers (4 total) 75 pts each = 300
    Lab Projects

    Active Listening Critique (self) 50 pts = 250
    Critique of Partner

    Final Mediation Video Project
    Skill = 50 pts
    Self Critique = 50 pts
    Critique Other = 50 pts

    Quizzes (3): (50pts each) = 150
    Attendance At 4 Campus Events With Discussion Group Comments = 80
    Hosting Visiting Presenter (includes reaction comment) = 20
    Participation/Engagement = 200

    Class Schedule:

    Phase 1: Introductions & Making Our Class A "Community"
    Key Concepts of Community Building & Development
    The Paradox of Conflict: Change Theory & Systems Theory
    Current Global Conflicts & Negotiations: Iraq and North Korea

    Phase 2: Principled Negotiating: Theory & Practice
    Mega Listening: The First Step of Successful Negotiators
    Building Consensus
    Quiz over Phases 1 & 2

    Phase 3: What is "Peace"? What is "War"?
    International, national, regional, local and campus conflicts
    Northern Ireland Catholics, Protestants & British "Occupation"
    Israel Palestine
    Civil Rights Struggles
    Marriage and Family
    Campus Conflicts: Past & Present
    Is it possible to create "intentional" peaceful communities?
    Quiz over Phase 3

    Phase 4: Alternative Dispute Resolution Strategies
    The Continuum of ADR Options
    Theory and Practice of Mediation
    Learning Mediation Skills
    Quiz over Phase 4

    Phase 5: Community Building & Development (Revisited)
    Other Possible Topics: Hostage Negotiation
    Marriage/Couples Therapy
    Labor Unions vs. Management
    Animal Rights Movement
    Cloning & Other Medical Ethics Issues
    Criminals & Restorative Justice

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/mediation-and-conflict-resolution/4088/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/eap-1500-speech-v/4020/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/eap-1500-speech-v/4020/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2004 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4020 Phone: (305) 237-0927
    Email: mbret {at} mdc(.)edu

    Textbook: Clear Speech by Judy B. Gilbert, 2nd edition

    Course Description: Students develop communication, organization, and pronunciation skills necessary for effective academic presentation and discussion with an introduction to lecture note taking. Dictations and tapes will be used for practice and testing. Group discussions and presentations are an integral part of the course.
    Prerequisites: EAP 1401 or equivalent proficiency
    Co-requisites: EAP 1501L

    Course Objectives
    
    • The student will: use grammatical structures consistent with levels 1-5.

    • speak with sufficient accuracy and fluency to ensure comprehension in many social, professional and academic situations.

    • speak with intelligible pronunciation, stress and intonation.

    • demonstrate the ability to deliver presentations and explain and
    support opinions.

    • speak extemporaneously on diverse topics.

    • Paraphrase basic information or opinion from original sources and credit the source.

    • take notes during oral presentations and summarize the content.

    • edit and correct his/her own and other speakers' mistakes.

    • adjust his/her listening strategies to the task at hand.

    • demonstrate analytical listening skills:

    a. Distinguish fact from opinions.
    b. Make inferences.
    c. Identify speaker's purpose, point of view and one.
    d. Comprehend use of figurative language.

    Requirements: You will be required to participate for 5 hours in the conversation roundtable in room M221, open from 9-5 p.m. as well as view and report on material outside of class. In addition, 16 hours of Service-Learning is required. The experience from Service-Learning will serve as a basis for the final exam presentation.
    
    Attendance: Mandatory. Excessive tardiness will affect your final grade. After 4 unexcused absences you may be asked to drop the course. If you are asked to drop the course and you do not, you will be given a failing grade (F). In case of prolonged illness (3 or more consecutive classes): Send an e-mail or voice mail message to your instructor – bring a note from your doctor upon your return to class

    Work: No make-up test, homework, or assignment will be allowed.
    Upon your return to class after an absence, you will be expected to be prepared for that day's work even if it is a test. Please get the phone numbers and e-mails of 2 of your fellow students to contact in case of absence. Tutoring available in the lab in room 6237 for students who have a paid registration to use the lab.

    Course Policies:
    If you are late, please enter quietly and join in the class activities.
    Please turn off all cell phones and beepers before class.

    Course Drop:
    It is your responsibility to drop this class within the time available.
    The College academic calendar is available at
    http://www3.mdcc.edu/academic calendar/calendar.12d

    Grading:
    The final grade for this course will be based on the following:

    Quizzes 40%
    Attendance and participation 10%
    Presentations (grammar, fluency, pronunciation, organization) 30%
    Final Exam 20%

    Scale:
    A 90-100%
    B 80-89%
    C 70-79%
    F Below 70%

    Tentative Class Schedule:
    
    

    Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16

    Jan. 5-9 Jan. 12-16 Jan. 20-23 Jan. 26-30 Feb. 2-6 Feb. 9-13 Feb, 16-20 Feb. 23-27 March 1-5 March 8-12 March 15-19 March 22-25 March 29- April 2 April 5-9 April 12-16 April 19-23

    Introduction, Unit 1 QUIZ #1, Unit 2 Group presentations #1 Group presentations #1 QUIZ #2, Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7 QUIZ #3, Group presentations #2 Unit 8, Group presentations #2 Unit 9, QUIZ #4 Unit 10, QUIZ #5 Unit 11, 12, Reflections on Service-learning QUIZ 46, Unit 13 QUIZ #7, Debate QUIZ #8, Debate Service-learning presentations

    FINAL EXAM week, April 26-30, Service-learning presentations

    VESL E GRAMMAR

    NAME _______________

    DATE __________________

    In order to apply the grammar you have learned in this class to your communications project, please answer the following questions using the grammatical structure indicated in the heading. You may include as many of your answers in your presentations as you find helpful in whatever order fits your presentation best.

    1. Description (present and past tenses, comparisons)

    a. Describe the experience using at least one adjective and one adverb. Explain.

    b. Describe a person you met while doing your project who was from a
    different country, or ethnic, age or economic group from you.

    c. Have you ever done anything like this experience before? Explain.

    d. How was the experience different from/the same as what you expected?

    e. How was the experience different from/the same as what happens in your country?

    f. What was the worst or most difficult thing that happened?

    g. What was the best thing that happened?

    h. How did the experience relate to the course?

    2. Models
    
    a. Describe a problem you had, state what you did, and give advice about what someone
    should do to solve the problem.

    b. What can you do now that you couldn't do before?

    c. How can you use your experience to get a job?

    d. What could you do with your experience in the future?

    e. Why should anyone volunteer?

    f. Why should the U.S. need a volunteer system?

    3. Future / Gerund / Infinitive
    
    a. Do you intend to do any more volunteer work in the future? Explain.

    b. How will you use the experience you have gained?

    c. Will there be more or less need for volunteers in the future? Explain.

    Any other comments?

    VESOL C
    Writing/Conversation
    Service Learning Reflections
    
    As you prepare the presentation of your experience for the class, first tell the class:

    • Where you did your Service Learning

    • What your duties were

    Then, include your comments on the questions below.

    • What were you expecting from the Service Learning experience before you started?

    • Why were you expecting this?

    • Did what happened during Service Learning reflect your expectations, or was it totally different? Why?

    • Were there any interesting or special people that you met? What made them so?

    • Was there any special event, or did something unusual or interesting happen?

    • Did you learn anything about a different group in society (i.e. different age, profession, ethnic, racial or socioeconomic group)? What?

    • What comparison can you make between your Service Learning experience in the U.S. and what happens in your country?

    • Do you think community service is necessary or desirable in the U.S.? Why?

    • Did your experience help you learn English? How?

    • What would you recommend to another student to help him/her in his/her Service Learning experience?

    • What could the place where you did your Service Learning do to help make your experience the best possible one?

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/eap-1500-speech-v/4020/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/small-group-communication/4017/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/small-group-communication/4017/#comments Wed, 04 Jun 2003 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4017 Spring 2003, Sections 1541 & 1553, TTh 11:30-12:45 a.m.
    Office Hours: MTWThF 9-10 a.m.
    MON241, (623)935-8454 (Office)
    roselyn.turner {at} emcmail.maricopa(.)edu

    Course Description
    Principles and processes of small groups and development of skills for participation and leadership in small group settings. Practice in problem solving, decision-making, and information sharing.

    Course Competencies
    1. Identify and describe the basic theories of small group communications.
    2. Identify and describe the purposes and functions of small groups.
    3. Identify and describe the characteristics of a variety of small groups structures.
    4. Organize and conduct small group meetings using a variety of formats.
    5. Identify the major factors of small group dynamics.
    6. Identify and describe the roles involved within groups.
    7. Apply verbal land nonverbal communication techniques in the small group process.
    8. Describe how differences in the background and experiences of group members impact the small group process.
    9. Identify and demonstrate strategies for developing a supportive climate in a small group.
    10. Identify and use effective conflict management strategies in a small group.
    11. Demonstrate intercultural sensitivity within the group process.
    12. Identify and use team-building techniques.
    13. Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills in small group settings.
    14. Use meeting management techniques to organize, plan, and conduct a small group meeting.
    15. Identify information required in the research of a topic.
    16. Describe the techniques of information management.
    17. Identify and describe theories and styles of leadership.
    18. Identify, describe, and demonstrate key leadership functions within small groups.
    19. Use appropriate problem solving techniques to identify, analyze and resolve a problem in a small group setting.
    20. Utilize Internet technology for communication.
    21. Utilize multimedia support to enhance presentations.

    Course Evaluation
    
    Grading Criteria:
    90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, <60% = F

    In-class Activities (10 points each)
    Homework Exercises (10 points each)
    Group Projects (50-500 points each)

    Required Materials
    Text: Packet of readings from Communicating in Groups and Teams, Lumsden and Lumsden, 3rd Edition, Wadsworth: Belmont, California. 2000.
    One notebook for keeping notes, handouts, and research materials.
    Two 3.5 DSHD floppy disks (double-sided high density) or One Zip 100 disk
    Poster boards, or overhead projector transparencies, or other materials as needed for visual aids or props

    Homework Policies
    The design of this course includes a commitment to perform a minimum of 20 hours of Service Learning. Service performed outside of class will be considered homework, and no additional homework assignments will be required during that time. The course may also require time outside of class for group meetings (in person or on the internet) that will also count as homework time.

    Course assignments are due on the day scheduled within the first 10 minutes of the start of class. If you arrive in class more than 20 minutes late on a due date, your assignment will be penalized 10%. Assignments more than one class session late will not be accepted, and a score of 0 points will be recorded for that assignment.

    You will receive two grades for group projects and presentations an individual score and a group score. Each group project or presentation will have built-in individual accountability and positive interdependence. In addition, you will engage in self-evaluations and group processing that will also determine your grades.

    In-class group work cannot be made up unless the student communicates with the instructor and the group members about a necessary absence PRIOR to the absence. Violating the attendance policy may lower grade.

    Extra credit may be afforded students who, are, at the time, passing the course and who have not violated the attendance policy. Extra credit opportunities may included participation in, and support of, service and communications events on or off campus.

    Attendance and Tardy Policies
    Because of the very nature of this class (i.e., GROUP), it is imperative that students attend all classes. Your established group will be dependent upon you to fulfill your role and tasks in class. Students may be dropped from the class after three absences.

    Occasional tardiness is understandable, but if it becomes continual, a private conference will be held between student and instructor. Class will always begin on time, and being tardy means missing important instruction, learning, and performance.

    Other Policies
    A grade of Incomplete will be given at the discretion of the instructor, and only if a student, at the time of the request for an Incomplete has performed up to that point at a 70%, or higher, level. The grade of Incomplete is not available to students who are performing at less than a 70% (D or F) level.

    Policies regarding plagiarism, grade appeals, student grievance, special services, and other concerns are included in the Estrella Mountain Community College 2002-2003 Student Handbook.

    Common courtesy to classmates and instructor dictates that all cell phones and pagers should be turned off or put on vibrate mode during class time.

    Disclaimer Statement
    Instructor reserves the right to alter course assignments and due dates to meet the needs of the class.

    Instructor Availability
    This instructor firmly believes in the philosophy that YOUR success is MY success. My job is to teach you and provide the conditions, to the best of my ability, to help you achieve the course competencies. I, therefore, make myself available to you for conferences during my office hours and/or by appointment. Please communicate with me and your assigned group members if you have advance notice of a necessary absence so that arrangements can be made for make-up.

    We can all be great, because we can all serve.
    –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    COM230 Small Group Communication
    Course Assignments and Due Dates

    T,1/21 I d really rather work alone Your Groups and Teams
    Introduction to course
    I m not a leader I m a follower! Your Teamwork Responsibility
    Homework: Read pp. 12-24 – Your Groups and Teams and do ex. #2, p. 24
    Read pp. 28-31- What Leadership Means and do ex. #1, p. 50

    Th,1/23 I can t do it all myself! Helping Leaders Help the Team
    Roster, Truth/Truth/Lie, Scavenger hunt
    Homework: Survey of problems, and read assigned article

    T,1/28 Make a team outta this group? The work in teamwork.
    Group processes, shared image activity
    We ll solve the world s problems! Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Service Learning (SL)
    Jigsaw/presentation assignment
    Homework: Individual assignments
    Read pp. 356-365, Common Preparation Steps

    Th,1/30 Now that we know it all, how do we tell the world?
    Groups prepare PBL and SL PowerPoint presentation.
    T,2/4 Now we see the whole picture! PBL and SL Presentations.
    PBL/SL Assignment
    Homework: Conduct research regarding volunteer/problem-solving opportunities on and/or off campus.

    Th,2/6 Hey! I need a group! Group Formation for PBL/SL Project
    Sharing of information opportunities, problems, schedules
    Group formation, group identity activity
    PBL process Problem statement, what you know, what you need to know, hypotheses, research
    Homework: Read pp. 262-274, Approaches to Leading and do ex. 1 p. 273
    And ex. 3, p. 274
    Individual research assignment

    T,2/11 Who is the new leader? Visionary, Transformative, Inclusive, and Servant Leadership.
    Ex. 1 and 2, p. 275
    I need a plan, man. Planning the SL project
    Sharing of research findings, begin group workbooks
    Homework: Individual assignments
    Ex. 3, p. 303

    Th,2/13 Why can t I just go along with the group?? Groupthink.
    Read assigned section from pp. 288-292 and handout. Do ex. 4, p. 303
    Progress reports regarding SL projects

    T,2/18 Whaddya mean I can t give a thumbs-up ? Nonverbal Communication
    Reform groups, Group research assignment nonverbal communication
    Research and DiscussionBoard training
    Homework: Individual assignments

    Th,2/20 Group Research at EMC commons
    Homework: Individual assignments

    T,2/25 So, how are we gonna present? Public Meeting Formats
    Forum, Symposium, Lecture, Panel, Colloquy, Debate, Performance, Buzz Group, Role Playing, Workshop, Seminar, pp. 336-347
    Research/presentation preparation
    Homework: Individual assignments

    Th,2/27 Group Presentations on Nonverbal Communication
    Group, Self, and Peer evaluations
    Progress reports and discussions regarding SL projects
    Homework: Read pp. 240-247 Approaches to Listening and Questioning

    T,3/4 What s that you said? Active Listening
    Homework: Ineffective Listening observations
    Read pp. 296-302 Conflict

    Th,3/6 Let s just duke it out! Conflict Management
    Exercise #1, p. 303 Conflict Assessment Form (due M,3/10 noon)
    Homework: Individual assignments, and prepare or purchase food for potluck
    

    T,3/11 So, how are we doin ? Conflict Management Assessments
    Potluck
    Homework: Research assignment: Intercultural Group Communication
    Read pp. 315-317 Members Who are New or Different
    

    Th,3/13 BlackBoard Assignment Discussion Board: Share a time when working in a group you have observed or experienced miscommunication because of the diversity of the group members. Describe the situation, the membership, and the result of the miscommunication. How could the communication have been improved? React to each other s experiences and provide your insights and suggestions.

    T,3/18 – Th,3/20 No Class (Spring Break)

    T,3/25 What s in a label? That which they label a rose is still as sweet
    From Stereotypes to People
    Them. They. Those People. Intercultural Competency
    Decision-making/labeling group activity and processing
    Homework: Your Intercultural Competency

    Th,3/27 The games people play and I don t mean Monopoly! Game Playing
    Gamebook assignment
    Homework: Individual assignments

    T,4/1 Preparation of Gamebook
    Homework: Individual assignments

    Th,4/3 Group presentations of Gamebook
    Homework: Read pp. 200-202 Decision Modes

    T,4/8 Decisions, decisions! Achieving Consensus
    Consensus activity
    Homework: Brainstorm rules for ethical group communication

    Th,4/10 Is it right or wrong? Ethical Group Communication
    Code of Ethics group brainstorming and consensus activity
    Homework: Individual assignments

    T,4/15 Preparation of Code of Ethics
    Homework: Individual assignments

    Th,4/17 Presentation of Code of Ethics
    Service Learning web page assignment
    Homework: Complete Service Learning journals

    T,4/22 Sharing and analysis of Service Learning journal entries
    Web page planning
    Homework: Individual assignments

    Th,4/23 Web page planning
    Homework: Individual assignments

    T,4/28 – Th,5/1 Web page production
    Homework: Individual assignments

    T,5/6 Web page production
    Disks due end of class time
    Homework: Make or purchase food for potluck

    Th,5/8 Final Exam Service Learning Web Pages Showcase
    Potluck

    We came we formed we normed we stormed we PERFORMED!!

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/small-group-communication/4017/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/narrative-community-and-communication/4012/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/narrative-community-and-communication/4012/#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2003 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=4012 Honors 403.01
    Office Southern Hall 118
    Fall, 2000
    Office hours: TT 2:00-4:00 and MWF 10-12
    Richard.Conville {at} usm(.)edu

    I will be in the office many more hours than this, so feel free to come by. If we fail to make contact, please leave a message with the secretary or a note in my box so we can make an appointment, or email me.

    What's Gonna Happen and How Much It Counts
    
    1. Most of us learn by doing. It sounds trite, but it seems true. That's why musicians and athletes practice, physicians do residences, and you and I do better on our third job interview than our first one. Service-learning has us taking course concepts into the field to try them out AND bringing that real world experience back into the classroom to critique the course concepts. The "field" is the community service site. We might as well be helping out the communities around us while we are "learning by doing."So, we will get ourselves involved in community service. Examples include, after school tutoring and recreation at Pine Haven or the Boys and Girls Club, helping an adult learn to read and write, and volunteering at a soup kitchen. The idea is to place oneself in a setting of genuine need, with people you probably would not be around normally, and contribute what you can, while trying out the ideas encountered in the course.

    2. Keep a journal of your community service experience. Periodically I will ask you to capture the experience in writing (see no. 6, 7, and 8 below; 5, 2 page papers). Several times during the term, I will ask you to turn in your journals for feedback. After a while, our journal should focus on a primary relationship that you are developing as you work in your service site.

    3. We will devise a way to share the narratives you write with each other and discuss them.

    4. Parallel to this experience-and-writing, we will be doing two kinds of reading, FIRST, looking at models of documentary writing, James Agee s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, William Carlos Williams Doctor Stories, and Tillie Olsen's Tell Me A Riddle; and SECOND, examining some recent work by writers in the field of interpersonal communication who propose various ways of understanding relationships and the interpersonal communication that constitutes them.

    5. The readings for a particular time period are to be incorporated into the writing we do at that time, and that will be central to my assessment of your papers.

    6. a. At midterm, I will want you to practice writing a short version your final paper (albeit, for a grade). Your object will be to integrate the four strands of the course at that time, your service learning experience, the theoretical perspectives on interpersonal communication we will have read, the models of documentary writing we will have read, and your periodic writing you will have done along the way. [max 5 pp, dbl sp, APA, etc.]

    6. b. your service learning experience includes your personal, subjective responses to what you see and do. To the extent that the service learning experience touches your inner life, this is your chance to dialogue with yourself (and perhaps with me and with the class) about those concerns, dilemmas, perplexities, frustrations, etc.

    7. For the final, I will want you to produce a lengthy narrative of your community service experience in which you demonstrate your ability to integrate the four (4) strands of the course enumerated in no. 6 above; AND MORE, (5) enunciate your insights into the relationship your have been focusing on in the service learning project and (6) spell out your insights into the service learning experience itself. [12 pp. max etc.]

    8. The core of the course will comprise 5 two-week segments. A typical two week segment will look like this:

    A — TUESDAY – introduce the theory piece & model piece
    B — THURSDAY – discuss and elaborate on same; # #
    C — TUESDAY – meet in a different place for scintillating conversation on S-L
    D — THURSDAY – writing assm* due; 5 will read

    *four of these papers will be combined into one grade worth 30 % of the course; midterm paper = 30 %; final paper = 40 %.
    ## I may make some seminar report assignments at these points.

    9. I will reserve the right to schedule tutorial sessions after midterm to help you prepare for your final paper.

    COURSE FRAMEWORK THIS TERM

    Introduction, Aug 22, 24, 29, 31, and Sep 5 (SL article the 24th, Putnam on the 29th, Agency visitors on the 31st, Coles on Sep 5; I will be out of town on Sep 7).

    THEORY — Sep 12, Hopper. Sep 26, WBJ. Oct 10, Rogers. Oct 24, Wood. Nov 7 & 9, NCA Annual Meetings, Seattle, WA. Nov 14, Baxter & Montgomery. Nov 30, Reflection, Coles*.

    MODEL — Sep 14, Agee. Sep 28, Olsen. Oct 12, Williams. Oct 26, Agee. Nov 16, Olsen & Williams. Dec 5, Reflection, Stewart**.

    S-L DISC — Sep 19, Agee film. Oct 3, Coles. Oct 17, open. Oct 31, open. Nov 21, open. Dec 7, Gathering.

    WRITING — Sep 21, Paper 1 (J). Oct 5, Paper 2. Oct 19, Midterm Paper 3 (J). Nov 2, Paper 4. Nov 23, Thanksgiving. Nov 28, Paper 5 (J). Dec 14, Final Paper.

    *Coles, R. (1989). Stories and theories. In The call of stories (pp. 1-30). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
    **Stewart, J. (1994). Structural implications of the symbol model for communication theory: Language as constitutive articulate contact. In R. L. Conville (Ed.), Uses of structure in communication studies (pp. 125-153). Westport, CT: Praeger.

    CORE READINGS

    Baxter, L. A. & Montgomery, B. M. (1996). Dialectical voices: Ours and others. In Relating, dialogues and dialectics (pp. 18-47). New York: The Guilford Press.
    Hopper, R. (1981). The taken-for-granted. Human Communication Research, 7, 195-211.
    Rogers, L. E. (1998). The meaning of relationship in relational communication. In R. L. Conville & L. E. Rogers (Eds.), The meaning of 'relationship' in interpersonal communication (pp. 69-82). Westport, CT: Praeger.
    Watzlawick, P., Bavelas, J. B. & Jackson, D. D. (1967). Some tentative axioms of communication. In Pragmatics of human communication (pp. 48-71). New York: Norton.
    Wood, J. T. (1992). Telling our stories: Narratives as a basis for theorizing sexual harassment. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 20, 349-362.

    A Rationale for the Course

    One way of making education more holistic is to get outside the classroom and off the campus. It interrupts the programming twelve years of classroom conditioning automatically call up; the change in environment changes everything. The class becomes a social unit; students become more fully rounded human beings not just people who either know the answer or don t know it. Inside the classroom, it s one kind of student that dominates; outside, it s another. Qualities besides critical thinking can come to light: generosity, steadfastness, determination, practical competence, humor, ingenuity, imagination. Tying course content to the world outside offers a real-world site for asking theoretical questions; it answers students need to feel that their education is good for something other than a grade point average. . . . [Jane Tompkins, Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/6/96, p. B 11; via Maureen Ryan, thanks]

    NOTE: If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office of Support Services for Students with Disabilities (OSS) for information on appropriate policies and procedures; Box 8586; Tel: 266-5024; TTY: 266-6837; Fax: 266-6035.

    ]]> http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/narrative-community-and-communication/4012/feed/ 0 http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/social-impact-of-the-mass-media/3998/ http://www.compact.org/syllabi/communications/social-impact-of-the-mass-media/3998/#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2002 00:00:00 +0000 tdomf_26a6d http://compact.localhost.com/?p=3998 HCOM 307 SL
    Spring 2000
    
    Course Description:
    How many times were you exposed to mass media today? You probably have heard the statistics: except for the ones who are still bunkered up, waiting for the Y2K fallout, Americans are exposed to hundreds of mass media messages every day. It is now a widely accepted fact that we spend more time consuming mass media than doing anything else, including sleeping, eating, working, or talking to our children (Massey 1999).
    
    It used to be that only a few of us actually worried about the effects of that massive exposure. Some very violent events in the past couple of years (Littleton, e.g.) are fast changing that situation. These days, it seems that no matter where we turn to, someone is blaming the media for society's violence, especially when children and teenagers are responsible for it.
    
    Are you easily impressed by what you watch on television? Are you one of those people who think TV affects their neighbors but not themselves? What do you think about the claim that children grow up to be violent adults if they watch too much TV? Do you think we become "de-sensitized" to violence by watching too much violent programming?
    
    These are just some of the pressing questions we will be examining in this class. While our discussions will include many different forms of mass media, television is the medium we will be talking about the most.
    
    Service Learning
    
    This is a service learning class. Besides reading about and discussing the social impact of the mass media "theoretically," we will also engage in direct service in the surrounding community. Our service learning community partners are Usar Chavez Elementary School and the Media Literacy Alliance, Central Coast. Ten class sessions will be conducted at our service learning site, Usar Chavez Elementary School, in Salinas. Those Friday sessions will replace our scheduled Thursday meetings for those weeks.
    
    During those service learning sessions, we will be leading a media literacy workshop that has been specifically designed to raise awareness among grade school children. The workshop will be an after-class activity for children 9 to 12 years old, who have been selected and invited to participate by their teachers and administrators.
    
    You and your classmates will be the ones leading the workshop sessions and facilitating the discussions and other activities involving the children. Attendance to those service learning sessions is mandatory and non-negotiable. (Remember that on those weeks we will be meeting on Fridays, and not Thursdays).
    
    In the weeks preceding the service learning sessions, we will be meeting on campus to discuss and plan the media literacy curriculum we will be using. The Tuesday sessions during the service learning weeks will be dedicated to reflection, planning, and curriculum enhancement. In the weeks following the service learning sessions, we will be meeting on campus to share and reflect on the whole experience. Throughout the semester, we will be also discussing the theoretical aspects related to media consumption, television viewing, and the general content of the course.
    
    Our on-campus meetings will follow the "seminar" style. In other words, don't expect me to lecture all the time all class members will share responsibilities for a productive learning experience. Make sure you do the assigned readings, and be prepared to engage in lively discussion and sharing of ideas.
    
    Each one of you (with the -help of a classmate) will be responsible for conducting at least one class session, in which the two of you will be expected to be the "experts" on the topic assigned to you. Be knowledgeable, creative and engaging — your classmates and myself will appreciate your effort. (If you need help or suggestions on how to facilitate the discussion, I'll be happy to talk to you about it).
    
    Possible Outcomes:
    This course might be used to fulfill one of the following requirements:
    
    HCOM MLO 5 Critical Cultural Analysis; or
    One-third of the Journalism and Media Studies depth concentration.
    This class also meets the Culture & Equity ULR requirement for transfer students.
    If you're an HCOM major, the class automatically fulfills your upper division service learning requirement. If you're not an HCOM major, ask your advisor about the SL requirements for you r major.
    For non-HCOM majors, the class can be used for upper division credits.
    
    Outcome-based education:
    Some of the goals of this course include:
    
    ?Investigating and explaining relationships among cultural ideologies and sociohistorical experiences, interests, identities, and actions of specific cultural groups.
    ?Analyzing different mass communication media (including new media technologies) and their cultural impact on society.
    Analyzing diverse theories that have been formulated to explain mass media's social impact.
    ?Studying and interpreting various mass media products to better understand how those cultural products influence audiences.
    ?Comparing how different cultural, ethnic and social groups have been portrayed by the mass media.
    
    Textbooks
    Required readings:
    
    ?Impact of Mass Media: Current Issues, by Ray Eldon Hiebert (ed.).
    ?Media /Society: industries, Images, and Audiences, by David Croteau &Williarn Hoynes.
    
    Recommended readings:
    ?Television: The Critical View by Horace Newcomb (ed.).
    Facing Difference: Race, Gender, and Mass Media, by Biagi and Kern-Foxworth (eds.).
    
    Assignments:
    No tests or exams are planned for this class. Instead, you will be required to complete the projects described below. Each student should organize a class portfolio, where the assignments (as well as your class notes, observations from the readings, and personal journal) should be kept.
    
    A. Class presentation of assigned topic : You and a classmate will be responsible for leading the discussion of your assigned topic. Each topic will include at least one required reading assigned by the instructor. If you want to assign any additional readings for your session, make sure you do that in a timely manner. Be creative and engaging in your presentation. This assignment was designed to assess outcomes # 3, 4 and 5. Due date: Throughout the semester.
    
    B. Personal Journal: You will keep a journal where you will record your service learning experience, as well as your general feelings about the- class, the readings, the discussions, our service learning "clients," and anything else relevant to the learning experience. Make sure to keep detailed records of each service learning session, including your very first impressions of the site and the children. Be sincere and creative -the journal is meant to help you reflect on the whole learning experience. Be sure to record your accomplishments, realizations and breakthroughs, as well as your frustrations and difficulties. You will turn in your journals to me at least three times during the semester. Assignment will assess outcomes # 1 and 5. Due date: Feb. 29, Mar. 28, and Apr. 25.
    
    C. Reflective Essay: At the end of the semester, you will write a reflective essay in which you will describe and analyze your class experience. The essay will be at least five pages long, and it should contain an honest assessment of your service learning experience, as well as an appraisal of what you learned throughout the semester. The personal journal should help you to write a thorough and thoughtful reflective essay. Assignment will assess outcomes # 1, 2 and 3. Due date: May 11.
    
    Grade Distribution:
    Attendance /Participation 10%
    Class Presentation 30%
    Personal Journal 30%
    Reflective Essay 30%
    
    NOTE: Attendance to both class and service learning sessions is mandatory. Each absence to an on-campus session will be deducted from your class participation grade. Unjustified absences to one service learning session or four or more on-campus class sessions will result in a failing grade.
    
    
    Anticipated Schedule:
    
    Week Date Time Activity Place
    1 Jan. 27 4 PM Introduction to Class CSUMB
    Syllabus and Schedule Review
    Group and presentation assignments
    2.Feb. 1 4 PM Media and the Social World CSUMB
    (Croteau & Hoynes, Ch. 1)
    How to enter/exit communities sensitively
    Feb. 3 4 PM Introduction to "Beyond Blame" CSUMB
    Movie: "The Truman Show"
    3. Feb. 8 4 PM Economics of the Media Industry CSUMB
    (Croteau & Hoynes, Ch.2) and "The Empire Strikes," by Ben Bagdikian
    Feb. 10 4 PM Planning Lessons 1, 2 and 3 CSUMB
    
    Feb. 12 8:30 AM Parent Orientation/ Parent Hour CCES
    9:30 AM Orientation to CCES for CSUMB students
    4.Feb. 15 4 PM Social Inequality and Media Representation CSUMB
    (Croteau & Hoynes, Ch. 5) and "Is It Just Me,
    Or Do All These Women Look Like Barbie?," by Sheila Gibbons
    Talk about your Media journal I
    Feb. 17 4 PM Planning Lessons 4, 5 and 6 CSUMB
    5.Feb. 22 4 PM Media and Ideology CSUMB
    (Croteau & Hoynes, Ch. 6); and "Prime TimeIdeology," by Todd Gitlin
    Feb. 24 No on-campus meeting
    Feb. 26 3 PM SL Session # 1 CCES
    6.Feb. 29 4 PM Active Audiences and Construction of CSUMB
    Meaning (Croteau & Hoynes, Ch. 8) and"Understanding Television Audiencehood,"by Len Ang
    Talk about your Media journal II
    First journal submission due
    Mar. 2 – No on-campus meeting
    Mar. 3 3 PM SL Session # 2 CCES
    7.Mar. 7 4 PM Media in a Changing Global Culture CSUMB
    (Croteau & Hoynes, Ch. 10) and "The Growing Power of Mass Media," by RayEldon Hiebert
    Mar. 9 No on-campus meeting
    Mar. 10 3 PM SL Session # 3 CCES
    8.Mar. 14 4 PM "Television as a Cultural Forum," CSUMB by Horace Newcomb & Paul Hirsch; and "Television Viewing as a Cultural Practice," by Michael Saenz
    Mar. 16 No on-campus meeting
    Mar. 17 3 PM SL Session # 4 CCES
    9.Mar.22-24;No class SPRING BREAK!!!
    Mar. 25 No SL No SL session (Our Break)
    10. Mar. 28 4 PM "Conceptualizing Culture as Commodity," by Eileen Meehan
    Second journal Submission
    Mar. 30 4 PM No on-campus meeting CSUMB
    Mar. 31 No SL SL session # 5
    11. Apr. 4 4 PM Conceptualizing Television Violence: CSUMB
    George Gerbner and Cultivation Theory (Handouts)
    Apr. 6 No on-campus meeting
    Apr. 7–3 PM SL Session # 6 CCES
    12. – April 11–4 PM Planning sessions 7 and 8 and Reflection CSUMB
    No on-campus meeting
    April 14.—3 PM SL Session # 7 CCES
    Apr. 18 -4 PM Conceptualizing Television Violence: CSUMB
    Third Person Effect and "Magic bullet" theories (Handouts)
    Apr. 20 -4 PM "The Beauty Machine," by Jeff Yang and Angelo Ragaza; and "Don't Blink: Hispanics in Television Entertainment," by The National Council of La Raza
    April 24- ——No SL Session (CCES Spring Break)
    April 25–4 PM "Lesbian and Gay Press," by Rodger Streitmatter; "Gay Economy Lures Dollars of Major Advertisers," by Brett Chase; and
    "Stonewalled: Advertisers Are Ignoring the Homosexual Community," by Tom Weisend
    Last journal submission due
    Apr. 27— No on-campus meeting
    Apr. 28 4p.m. SL Session # 8 and Graduation Closing Ceremony
    May 2 -4 PM "Roseanne: Unruly Woman as Domestic Goddess," by Kathleen Rowe; and"Television and Gender," by David Morley
    May 4- 4 PM "Only in Glimpses: Portrayal of America's Largest Minority Groups, by Carolyn Martindale; and "Racial Stereotyping and the
    Media," by M.L. Stein
    May 9 -4 PM "Television, Black Americans, and the American Dream," by Herman Gray; and "A TV Generation is Seeing Beyond Color," byNancy Hass
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