Dr. Mark A. Van Dyke, Affiliate Associate Professor mark.vandyke@marist.edu
845-410-4018
December 14, 2015
COM102 Introduction to Communication (Winter 2015-16)
Welcome to Marist College’s winter 2015-16 offering of COM 102 Introduction to Communication (December 19,
2015, to January 15, 2016). I will be your instructor for this course, and I plan to open the course iLearn site with the course syllabus and other materials no later than Thursday, December 17. Meanwhile, to reduce uncertainty, I am providing you with this advance information: an overview of the course, required materials, tips on preparing for the course, and some of my background.
Course Description: This course surveys the theories of communication relevant to all contexts – from conversations between friends and family to presidential town halls on the Internet. It introduces students to essential concepts and fundamental theories that describe the process, function, natures, and effects of communication. (Three Credits)
Course Objectives : At the completion of this course, students should be able to:
1.
Demonstrate a sound understanding, through discussions and scholarly papers, of at least three groups of communication theories upon which the communication discipline is based.
2.
Develop an increased awareness of the role that communication plays in our lives, as demonstrated through assessments of work in each unit of this course.
3.
Exhibit through a final paper an in-depth knowledge of at least one specific communication theory that the student finds relevant to his or her personal and professional life.
4.
Improve skills needed to manage trends, changes, and emerging technologies by applying theories of computer-mediated communication to new media in this course.
Time Requirements: This course has been developed from a traditional, 15-week course. To complete the threecredit workload of this course in only four weeks, students must be prepared to invest a significant amount of time each week to complete the course requirements. Plan accordingly.
Required Texts & Readings: Available in Marist Bookstore. You may also rent or purchase a digital copy of some of these texts, so the ISBN may vary.
• Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A., & Sparks, G. (2015). A first look at communication theory (9
McGraw-Hill.
Note 1 th ed.). New York:
•
American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author. (ISBN 9781433805615)
• Multimedia headset (or speakers and microphone) and Webcam to record and playback audio or video, participate in online conference calls, etc. (Example: http://ow.ly/Q9tZF ).
Note 1 I have adopted through the Marist Bookstore the loose-leaf edition of this text (ISBN 978-0077527464), which provides students with a savings of at least $40 compared to the cost of the hardback or paperback versions of the text. If you wish, you may order and use the hardback or paperback versions for this course.
Course Structure and Design: Student-Centered and Team-Oriented
The structure of this course is modeled after a ground-breaking “Identity Quest” approach to online undergraduate classes pioneered by Marist College. Many traditional, teacher-driven activities like lectures, tests, and quizzes require students to simply memorize material, which can constrain creative thinking and long-term learning. This course structure frees students from such constraints by taking a student-centered approach.

Dr. Mark A. Van Dyke, Affiliate Associate Professor mark.vandyke@marist.edu
845-410-4018
December 14, 2015
This approach encourages students in this class to:
• respect the leadership provided by the instructor, but
• take personal responsibility for the direction of their education; and
• consider knowledge conveyed by the instructor or textbook authors, but
• challenge conventional thinking and co-create new knowledge as a student body.
You may welcome the news that there will be no tests or quizzes in this class; however, this does not mean that the workload or academic standards in this class will be lower than those in other classes at Marist. To the contrary, accepting personal responsibility for education means that you must also make a strong commitment to teamwork and learning in this class.
You will be expected to respond in a timely manner to direction and feedback from the instructor, plan work carefully, and invest significant levels of time and effort to complete this four-week course, which was originally designed as a traditional 15-week course. Over the next four weeks, you and your classmates must:
• actively engage in collaboration with fellow students and the instructor,
• exercise critical thinking about readings and discussions,
• create and share individual perspectives about assignments and experiences in this course,
• consider the perspectives of other students, and
• fulfill individual responsibilities to teamwork and contribute equally to completion of team and course objectives.
This course will begin with traditional approaches to teaching and learning: assigned readings and discussions.
After completing readings and gaining an understanding of theories and concepts, you will then look into the world around you and apply what you have learned to actual situations and settings. You will then reenter the classroom, where you will share your observations and analysis of data with classmates and the instructor during discussions; review, analyze, and provide feedback on the information (data) that your classmates report; and apply feedback to a final theory paper.
Hence, students provide knowledge, experience, and materials that then become the focus of our teaching and learning. This approach will enable students to take ownership of their education, develop communication technology skills (online communication platforms, social media applications, etc.), master knowledge of
To cover required material yet keep workload to a reasonable level, students will work in teams to divide readings, conduct peer-evaluations of written work, and share feedback through discussions. You must also treat everyone in this virtual classroom with respect. This includes entering the course prepared to commit to the goals of your team, meet your individual responsibilities, and contribute an equal share of work. Understanding how to work with each other in this class, when we would all rather take time off to enjoy the holiday break, will be a key to our mutual success.
Class Preparation Tips
Complete the Unit “Zero” Pre-Course iLearn Lesson Module (as soon as the iLearn site opens).
Obtain all required course materials listed in the Syllabus.

Dr. Mark A. Van Dyke, Affiliate Associate Professor mark.vandyke@marist.edu
845-410-4018
December 14, 2015
Read
•
Course Welcome (Announcement and Letter)
•
Syllabus
•
Course Schedule
•
Small Groups eBook, Van Dyke (2013)
Review and understand the course structure and iLearn design. This course will be divided into four units, plus a pre-course preparation unit, instead of calendar weeks.
Be prepared to hold a team meeting and begin our first discussion assignment with the first two days of of the course, which starts on Saturday, December 19.
Our first discussion will be held on a third-party platform,
VoiceThread, which is not part of iLearn. Visit http://voicethread.com/ and review its tutorial page to prepare for your initial discussion, which will focus on introductions and a course orientation.
Instructor Background
Dr. Mark A. Van Dyke, Affiliate Associate Professor
I live with my wife, Joan, in Chesapeake Beach, MD. We have four children, Megan, Bobby,
Cristin, and Jon; and two grandchildren, Ellie and Liam.
I love to teach, and I don’t define teaching as lecturing, spoon feeding, or providing answers that you can discover on your own – especially in graduate programs that require you to develop research skills. I am passionate about helping students, especially ones who love to learn. Read more in the syllabus.
Before my full-time teaching career, I served in the U.S. Navy as a surface warfare officer (ships) and a public affairs officer for more than 25 years. I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, earned a master’s degree at Syracuse
University, and a Ph.D. at the University of Maryland. I am also a senior analyst with the global consultancy,
Wikistrat ( http://www.wikistrat.com/) ; and the founder and managing partner of the Van Dyke Group LLC., a strategic communication consulting firm based in Maryland.
I joined the Marist faculty in fall 2004. Since then, I have developed and taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate communication courses. I also led development of Marist’s current public relations concentration for our bachelor’s in communication program. I helped found and served as the faculty adviser to Marist’s chapter of the
Public Relations Student Society of America. I also served as the 2011-2012 Visiting Professor of Strategic
Communication at the U.S. Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership, in Carlisle, PA, during a leave of absence from Marist.
Following my return from the U.S. Army War College assignment, I assumed a new and unique fully-online faculty position with Marist beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year. The nature of my new online duties has allowed me to relocate to Maryland. I no longer have a traditional, physical office on Marist's main campus. Instead, I have a "virtual" office and a "virtual open-door" policy online. I will publish a schedule of office hours in each week's course announcement. You are also welcome to request an appointment to meet with me by telephone.
Again, welcome to the course … I look forward to working with you.
Regards,
Mark