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