Introduction to
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
COMM 2003 Fall 2012
Professor Gary Gillespie
425 889 5257 Office Fee 19
Required Texts and Resources:
In the Company of Others: an Introduction to Communication, third or fourth edition,
by J. Dan Rothwell, 2010, 2013. The student must obtain a copy of the text. Chapter worksheets and exams require a
thorough understanding of the readings.
See Text Companion webpage: http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195336306/student/?view=usa
Discovery Interactive web page https://discovery.northwestu.edu/login/index.php
COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES
Introducing students to the field of communication studies, this course focuses on helping you become a more effective
communicator in your personal and professional life. We will study principles for relating to people in small and larger
groups and to seek to understand others from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Achieving communication competence is essential for leaders in a variety of organizations and careers.
As Christians we are called to communicate the gospel – the ultimate message – to the world. So the study of
communication is a practical quest that improves the quality of our lives, work and ministry.
Three course objectives:
1. To provide a broad knowledge of the field of communication studies. Students will gain a working vocabulary
of theories and principles used to explain levels of human communication – intrapersonal, interpersonal, small
group, public, web and mass.
2. To help students improve practical communication skills. Students will be able to apply principles for effective
communication in relating to others interpersonally, in small and larger groups and organizations.
3. To develop an understanding of personal and career goals and means to achieve them.
Assignments for Achieving Objectives
A. Overview:
Much of the class will be devoted to improving our people skills through small group discussion activities. These
activities require attendance to maximize the experience for everyone. Some learning activities will be in pairs and
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may require completing brief assignments the day before class.
Understanding material in the text is crucial. To prepare for exams, students will read an average of about one
chapter per week and complete the “Quizzes without Consequences” on text Companion Web page
http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195336306/student/?view=usa to insure thorough
understanding (but do not turn in your answers to the “Quizzes without Consequence”).
I will be calling on students at random to answer study questions posted about each chapter. See “In Class
Discussion Questions” posted on Discovery to prepare. You may use notes.
Teamwork for Communication Controversy Debate
Students will work with their debate team partner in constructing arguments for assigned positions on the final debate.
Students will meet at least once with panel outside of class to plan their debate case and prepare.
Professional Portfolio Blog
Each student will set up a Blogger.com https://www.blogger.com/start blog page to post career and application
assignments. The Blog is worth 300 points and is 30 percent of your semester grade. Most assignments are worth 25
points, one is 100 points. There will be about one blog post assignment for each week. Students may add more posts
for extra credit to improve their semester grade if approved. I will be making comments on your posts from time to
time. At the end of the semester I will evaluate your blog on thoroughness to assign full or partial credit. You need
to impress me to get full credit.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Post Answers to Past, Passions, Purpose questions
Goals and Mission statement
Communication Strategies
List of 15 Good Experiences and Three Good Experiences stories with detail – (worth 100 points)
Transferable skills (based on Three Good Exercises)
Answers to three job interview questions
Evaluating how you did on the mock job interview
Choosing My Major analysis
All Blog Post assignments are listed in detail on Discovery page for the class.
Extra credit to increase your lowest grade (other than an F) one half a grade (for whole course) when an extra
credit activity is completed. Check with me for permission, then choose any of the following:
*Any Film School Case Study assignment from text,
* Posting a well-crafted resume.
*Notes from observing a debate at the Eagle Debate Tournaments Sept. 14- 15 and 28 and 29.
* Complete and briefly report on any of the Internet Exercises from Text Companion Web Page
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http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195336306/student/chapter6/exercise/?view=usa
* Report on an informational interview with a professional in a field that you are interested in.
* Posting comments on three course forums.
Three Cooperative Exams
You will take three exams in groups of four or six members. You will be given study sheets for all exams at least
one week in advance. The procedure for taking the exams is as follows:
A.
Cooperative exam 1 -- this exam will cover mostly material Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6 (first half on Informational
listening only) and web pages on Myers Briggs. 20 percent of semester grade or 200 points. See study sheet
posted on the Discovery and take the Quizzes without Consequences posted online.
The format is multiple-choice and true/false with some short answer. Multiple-choice questions will have four
possible answers, any or all of which may be correct. All group members will receive a copy of the group exam.
One copy will be chosen as the answer sheet. All group members will sign their names on the answer sheet.
The group will then proceed to discuss and choose answers to the questions.
The grade earned on the group exam will be the grade each member receives unless members score below an
80% on the accountability test that follows immediately after the group exam has been completed. The
individual accountability test is a much shorter exam on the same material and uses the same format (but not
the same questions) as the group test. Failure to earn 80% or higher on the individual test will result in a
deduction of an individual’s test score as follows:
70-79=deduct 7 points from group score
60-69=deduct 14 points
50-59=deduct 23 points
Below 50=deduct 32 points
Consequently, if the group earns 85 on the group exam but a member earns a 66 on the individual exam, that member’s
final score is 71 (85 minus the 14 point deduction of group score).
Letter Grade Scale:
96 – 100 = A = 4.0
90 – 95 = A- = 3.7
87 – 89 = B+ = 3.5
84 – 86 = B = 3.0
80 – 83 = B- = 2.7
77 – 79 = C+ = 2.5
73 – 76 = C = 2.0
69 – 72 = C- = 1.7
3
65 – 68 = D+ = 1.5
60 – 64 = D = 1.0
56 – 59 = D- = 0.7
0 – 55 = F
= 0
B.
Cooperative exam 2 -- Rothwell chapters 4, 5, 6 (pages 166 to end) and interviewing appendix and
lectures to date. The procedure used for exam 1 will be used for this exam. 20 percent of your semester grade or
200 points.
C.
Cooperative exam 3 -- Rothwell 12, 13, 15 and Interviewing Appendix. The procedure used for exam 1
will be used for this exam. 20 percent of semester grade or 200 points.
Communication Controversy Debates
To develop critical thinking, teamwork and public communication skills, student will take part in an end of semester
debate. 10 percent of your semester grade or 100 points includes both your outline and original bibliography and your
deliver and collaboration with groups. You will be paired with a partner. (If you have someone in your group that you
would like to debate with, let me know. Otherwise I will assign you a partner.) Two teams will be the “Government” and
support the resolution. The other two teams will be the “Opposition”, against the resolution. The resolution (topic) will
be based on one of the textbook’s “Focus on Controversies” (any chapter) or related communication issue.
For example:
Reject social networking websites.
Concern about America’s mistreatment of minorities is overblown.
Mass media demeans American women.
Ban hunting and fishing as forms of cruelty.
We should fear the emergence of artificial intelligence in robots.
For the final debate, EACH student will turn in a one and a half to three page outline of his or her debate constructive
speech. Students may submit a draft of the outline to get help perfecting it. The outline must follow standard outline
format. It will have a brief introduction, body listing main arguments, sub points, transitions between points, and may
include supporting evidence. Each outline will end with a brief conclusion summarizing the points and urging
acceptance.
The debate speech outline will have an original research bibliography of 6 to 10 sources. See chapter 12 on how to
research. The outline is due the class hour that you speak.
Student will then use the outline as a general guide for a speech of 4 to 5 minutes as part of a debate. Samples of the
outlines and more detailed explanations of the assignment will be given.
Students will turn in simple notes of debates observed to maintain their debate assignment grade. Not being present as
an audience member during the debates will result in a lower grade for this assignment.
Debates speeches must be given on the date assigned and cannot be made up.
D.
Plan ahead to be ready to take the exams on the assigned dates so that you can take advantage of help
on the group section. If you miss the exam, you must complete the entire exam on your own. Students late for an exam
for more than a few minutes also must complete the whole exam..
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Semester Grade Breakdown
Class Portfolio Blog
30% (300 points)
Cooperative Group Exam 1
20% (200 points)
Cooperative Group Exam 2
20% (200 points)
Cooperative Group Exam 3
20% (200 points)
Communication Controversy debate outline and
bibliography
10% (100 points)
Total
100% (1000 points)
Creating a community of Learning:
Supportive and professional interaction in class, such as: showing up on time, not talking during lectures, attentiveness
and showing a willingness to learn.
What individual students do in class affects the learning environment for others. Therefore, not attending class, walking
in late or showing a lack of attentiveness will affect your grade.
Professional Standards for Attendance and Attentiveness:
Most class hours will include discussion and assignments designed to build teamwork skills -- therefore
attendance is essential. Semester grades are impacted by attendance and contribution of students to the class
as judged by me at the end of the semester.
In order to help prepare students for a career in the work place, we will follow professional standards for
attendance and punctuality.
Coming on time is a nonverbal message that you are fully committed to the learning process.
We are part of a community. So when one member comes late or doesn’t show up, it reduces the learning
experience for everyone.
A willingness to participate and attentiveness in class is crucial to get the most out of the course and help create
a supportive learning experience for others. Students who I perceive are unsupportive, unmotivated or seem
unconcerned about the material will receive a lower grade.
Bottom line: If you know you will be missing class often, you may want to take this class another semester.
Generally, students who miss class often, or who have trouble coming on time, will receive lower grades
regardless of their other scores.
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Any more than three absences will impact your grade. I rarely give above a D to any student who missed more
than five sessions. Eight or more missed sessions is an F.
NOTE: Perfect or near perfect attendance guarantees a higher grade regardless of other scores.
Lap top Free environment
In order to create a high quality learning environment for everyone, students are expected to concentrate and be active
listeners during class. To prevent surfing which will distract others, computer or cell phone use during class is restricted.
Professionalism commitment statement:
“To the best of my abilities, I promise to be in class about two minutes before 9 AM (8:58 AM) each class. I will not come
late or leave early. If I do need to miss a class, or come late more than twice, I understand that my semester grade will
be reduced. Knowing that listening is hard work, I will strive to attentive to lectures and fully take part in activities. I will
not work on other material, surf the internet or check text messages during class.
_______________________________________
Name Date (sign on your own, do not turn in)
Academic Honesty
Students who present another person's work as their own have committed an act of academic dishonesty commonly
known as plagiarism.
Examples of plagiarism are copying another student's answers, failing to properly cite research sources, and using as
one's own a paper or speech written by someone else. It is dishonest to copy any part of a magazine article, book or
Internet web page without giving credit to the gleaned source.
Knowing that the vast majority of students can be trusted to do their own work, we realize that anyone can be tempted
to do wrong. Copying and pasting from an Internet source -- as if you wrote the material – is a serious violation. Some
NU students have been denied a diploma because of repeated pluralism and cheating. If I catch a student plagiarizing,
the paper will receive an F and I am also required to report the violation to the Provost.
“I promise that I will not cheat on the exams or use any portion of another person’s writing in my paper or speech
without giving the other person credit.”
_______________________________________
Name Date (sign on your own, do not turn in)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Associate Professor Gary Gillespie is Chair of the Communication Department. He has 30 years teaching experience in
communication and speech. Since 1980 as an instructor and speech coach, he has critiqued more than 5,500 student
speakers. He has the second longest tenure among all debate coaches in the five state Northwest region. Gillespie
designed the Communication Studies major for Northwest University, now the largest major in the College of Arts and
Sciences.
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COMM 2003 Human Communication
Tentative Course Calendar Fall 2012
DAT
Aug
27
29
DA
M
W
F
31
Lectures and Activities
Course Overview
What is Communication?
Blocks to Communication
Levels of Human Communication,
Communication models
Readings and Assignments
Important: make sure you open Companion website today
http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195336306/
student/?view=usa
*Blog post 1: Past, Purpose, Passions
Read Rothwell Chapter 1: Communication Competence
* To prepare for exam, take “quiz without consequences” for
chapter 1 before class meets.
Do not turn answers in. Some exam questions will be taken from
this quiz.
* Take the MBPI communication styles test online – see
instructions on Discovery.
Sept
3
5
7
M
Holiday
W
F
More on Communication models
Active Listening
10
M
12
W
14
F
Dreams, Goals and Objectives
Mission statements
Chain of Being
Humans are Proactive: Symbolic
Interactionism of Kenneth Burke
Understanding your
communication style
17
M
More on Communication Styles
Read Overview of Myers -- Briggs before class. Be able to state
your four-letter code for today and explain it based on the
article.
19
W
Communication Styles
*Blog Post 3: Myers Briggs Web page questions and
Communication Strategies
21
F
Perception and the self
Read Rothwell Chapter 2 “Perception of Self and Others.”
* To prepare for exam, take “quiz without consequences” for
chapter 2 before class meets. Do not turn answers in.
24
26
M
W
More on Perception and the self
More on Perception and the self
28
F
Influence of Culture
Oct.
1
M
Co-op Exam 1 (Chapters 1, 2, 3
and chapter 6 pages on
Informational listening only and
7
Read Rothwell Chapter 6 Listening to Others – first section, on
Informational listening only before class. Pages 157 – 166 3rd
edition, pages 157 – 170 4th edition.
*Open book quiz on chapter 6 readings today.
* Read articles on goals and missions posted on the Discovery
page
* Blog post 2: Goal and mission due. Be sure to have a specific
date for your deadline. Post on your web page. And bring it to
class to share.
*Answer your assigned “In Class Discussion” question on chapter
2 when called on in class – see Discovery.
Chapter 3: Culture and Gender
* To prepare for exam, take “quiz without consequences” for
chapter 3 before class meets. Do not turn answers in.
See study sheet on Discovery
Overview of Myers -- Briggs
3
W
Humans as Story Tellers:
Good Experiences Assignment
Communication for animals and
humans
Reading Day
Non-verbal Communication
5
F
8
10
M
W
12
F
More on Non-verbal
communication
15
M
17
W
Media through the Ages and
future of Artificial Intelligence
How human will robots become?
Listening for Empathy
19
F
Active listening to personal
narratives
22
M
24
W
Active listening to personal
narratives.
Finish narratives, begin Career
Search Communication
26
F
29
M
Language and Meaning
W
Language and Meaning
31
Nov 4
5
F
M
7
W
9
F
Superior Knowledge Contest
* Second co-op exam: Rothwell
chapters 4, 5, 6 (second begin at
“Competent Empathetic
Listening” to end to end only) and
lectures to date
Effective communication for job
Interviews.
What is your ideal job?
More on interviewing
12
14
M
W
16
F
8
Veterans Day
Practice interviews
Be ready to use narratives from
best experiences
Nature of Debate
* First Good Experience story posted today.
Work on two more good experiences posting
Chapter 5: Non Verbal Communication
* Answer your question on chapter 5 when called on in class. See
Discovery.
Chapter 6 (second half begin at “Competent Empatheric
Listening” to end-- 166 to end 3rd edition, 179 to end for 4th ed)
* Blog post 4 (worth 100 points): Three Good Experiences
assignment due today. Also, bring a hard copy of your three
Experiences to class today.
https://discovery.northwestu.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=2
4104
* Blog Post 5: Transferable skills worksheet due
* take “quiz w/o consequences” for this chapter. Do not turn
answers in.
*Blog Post 6:
Chapter 4: Language
Read and study Rothwell’s Interviewing Appendix
Blog Post 7: Answers to three job interview questions, see
Discovery for the assignment.
Come dressed for your interview today. You will have your photo
taken to be posted on your blog.
Blog post 8: Evaluating your mock interview Chapter 15:
Persuasive Speaking
19
M
21
W
23
F
26
M
28
30
W
F
Dec
3
5
M
7
F
10
M
Debate groups one and two
*Debate speech outlines and bibliography due for students who
speak today. Credit for audience observation.
14
F
8:30
AM
Debate groups three and four
*Debate speech outlines and bibliography due for students who
speak today. Credit for audience observation.
9
W
Argument brainstorming
Reasoning and evidence for
persuasion
Character Debates
You will choose a pop culture
character and will debate for two
minutes as if you are that
character.
Thanksgiving
Chapter 12: Preparing Speeches
Tests of Evidence. Fallacies:
spotting tricky arguments
More fallacies
* 3 Co-op Exam (Rothwell 12, 13,
15, and interviewing appendix.).
Some material from first two
exams
Sample Debate
Chapter 13: Presenting Speeches
Choosing major tips
Debate case preparation
Fulfilling Debate Roles and tips for
delivery
See study sheet on Discovery
Blog post 9: Choosing My Major Analysis