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HONORS COMM 200: Communication Foundations
Spring 2016 SYLLABUS
Blair Thompson, Ph.D.
T-Th: 12:45-2:05
FAC 227
OFFICE:
E-MAIL:
Fine Arts147
blair.thompson@wku.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
T/Th 9:00-11:00am; 3:45-4:15pm
My Core beliefs about teaching and learning:
Welcome to the Honors COMM 200: Communication Foundations, a course you will hopefully
enjoy and which helps you become more aware of the ways communication constitutes our
relationships and identity, even reality itself. In this course, you will be introduced to
communication theories, various communication contexts, and learn about the process of
communication and some of the complexities this entails. When we can, small groups will be
used to help you learn from one another. I believe the principles learned in this course can be
applied across communicative contexts helping to prepare you for whatever you do after this
course. I realize you have been communicating throughout your lives and bring with you implicit
theories about how communication functions in life and society at large. We will utilize this
knowledge and expand it by learning from communication scholars who have devoted their lives
to understanding communication and its importance in our relationships, institutions, and
cultures.
I believe student feedback should be a continual process rather than something only done at the
end of the semester. The more I know about your learning experience in this course, the
more I can help you. In order to help me help you, I will ask you to complete in class reflections
on your learning in various formats to give me feedback on what has been helpful to your
learning during the course as well as what you have struggled with or has confused you.
Office Hours
I will be available briefly before and after class, and by appointment. I will hold formal office
hour from on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00am-11:00am; 3:45pm-4:15pm. I invite you to
attend office hours for assistance whether it be coming up with topics, assistance with research,
or to help you better understand the concepts and theories in the course. The BEST way to reach
me is by email (I strive for same day turn around).
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Required Text:
Thompson, B., Payne, H. J., Jerome, A., Mize-Smith, J., Ishii, K., & Chai, S. (2013).
Communication Theory App. Copyright Western Kentucky University. (purchase code
at bookstore)
Course Description:
This course serves as a survey of the communication discipline. It allows students to understand
the breadth and depth of discipline as well as the theoretical frameworks that guide
communication research in a variety of areas. It also serves to teach students how to use their
knowledge of communication theory to analyze and interpret a variety of communication
phenomena. Further, it teaches students how to read academic scholarship and write for the
discipline.
Course Goals:
Student will:
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Gain a clear understanding of the communication discipline, including its various
definitions and paradigms.
Understand the history and development of communication theory.
Be able to discuss the main components of communication theories.
Familiarize themselves with some of the most practical communication theories.
Be able to apply theoretical principles to “real world” situations, interactions, and
messages.
Understand the communication process and human relational interaction in
increasingly complex and diverse environments.
Understand multiple theoretical and philosophical perspectives of communication as
reflected in its history.
Understand the role of ethics in communication.
Demonstrate competency in analyzing and interpreting mediated communication
(i.e., CMC, organizations, mass media, politics etc.).
Demonstrate competency in analyzing the role of communication within
organizations.
Demonstrate competency in adapting communication across contexts and diverse
communities
Use library databases to collect academic scholarship.
Be able to understand, analyze, and summarize the contents of academic scholarship
in the communication discipline.
Write and edit an academic literature review in a format consistent with the
communication discipline.
Learn proper APA source citation techniques and paper formatting.
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Colonnade Objectives:
1. Write clear and effective prose in several forms, using conventions appropriate to audience
(including academic audiences), purpose, and genre.
2. Find, analyze, evaluate, and cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, including academic
databases, to prepare written texts.
3. Identify, analyze, and evaluate statements, assumptions, and conclusions representing diverse
points of view, and construct informed, sustained, and ethical arguments in response.
4. Plan, organize, revise, practice, edit, and proofread to improve the development and clarity of
ideas.
5. Distinguish among various kinds of evidence by identifying reliable sources and valid
arguments.
Note: Comm 200 counts as a “Writing in the Disciplines” course in the FOUNDATIONS
CATEGORY of the Colonnade.
Attendance Policy:
Regular attendance in this class is necessary for students to become knowledgeable about the
communication process, communication research, and communication theory. Further,
excessive absences will affect your participation grade in this class. Please be on time. Failure to
do so may result in loss of participation points. You are always responsible for all material
distributed in your absence. In the event of extra-ordinary circumstances necessitating your
absence, please speak to the instructor IN ADVANCE and be prepared to provide documentation
of your excuse.
All presentations, assignments, and exams must be completed on the date assigned. If you
are unprepared or do not come to class on an exam day, you will receive a ZERO for that
assignment unless an alternate due date has been previously approved or documentation has
been provided for extreme circumstances. If a problem arises contact the instructor prior to class.
Additionally, you must be in class on the day where assignments are due (journals, papers etc) to
receive credit for the assignment (i.e., you cannot turn in a paper electronically, not attend
class, and expect to receive credit).
Participation:
Class members are expected to contribute to the class by asking questions, participating in
discussions and taking part in class activities. Please take an active, interested, and respectful
role in the class in order to assist your own learning in addition to your classmates.
Academic Dishonesty:
I expect that all of the individual assignments you complete for COMM 200 (and in all of your
other courses) are always your own work. Please read the information on plagiarism and
cheating from your student handbook for your own clarification on what constitutes these
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offenses. Aside from copying work, plagiarism includes incorrectly citing sources or
presenting someone’s information as your own, without crediting the source. To avoid this,
you should carefully make notes to keep track of where your information came from. In written
form, you must use quotation marks when referring to another’s work.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for telling your audience or reader whether you are:
1. directly quoting from a source
2. paraphrasing closely from a source, which means using significant portions of another
source’s sentences or language
3. using the ideas advanced by a different source
Plagiarism Detection: In this course, your instructor will use an electronic plagiarism detection tool,
SafeAssign (available via Blackboard), to confirm that you have used sources accurately in your
assignments. All assignments are subject to submission for text similarity review. Assignments
submitted to SafeAssign will be included as source documents in SafeAssign’s restricted access database
solely for detecting plagiarism in such documents. I will provide specific instructions in class on how to
submit your assignments for electronic plagiarism review.
Western Kentucky University and the Department of Communication are committed to the
highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of
plagiarism, fabrication, using the same paper in more than one class, cheating on an exam,
or purchasing papers, speeches, or other assignments will immediately receive a failing
grade on the assignment and in the course, and will be reported for disciplinary action.
Falsified medical excuses and presenting another student’s work as your own fall within the
guidelines of this academic integrity policy.
IF YOU NEED HELP
If you have questions or concerns or find certain materials or assignments difficult please contact
me by e-mail or come by during my office hours. If you are unable to come during my
scheduled times, call me to arrange an appointment. If you have a special need that may require
assistance or accommodation, please see me at the beginning of the semester. You need to
provide documentation; then, we’ll work to make reasonable accommodation. Students with
Disabilities who require accommodations must contact the Office for Student Disability
Services, Room 101, Garrett Conference Center. The OFSDS phone number is (270) 745-5004
V/TDD.
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Grading Policy:
Activities/Minor Assignments
Option 1
Option 2
100 Points
Intentionality Paper
50 Points
Exams (2)
200 Points
Comprehensive Writing Project
150 Points
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Abbreviated Literature Review (50 points)
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Final Literature Review (100 points)
Lit Review Presentation
25 Points
Integrated Application Paper
100 Points
Integrated Application Paper Presentation
25 Points
Research Study
250 Points
Research study presentation
50 Points
Synthesis paper
100 points
Total possible 550 to 650 points
Grading Scale:
A = 585-650
B = 584-520
C = 519- 455
D = 454-390
F = Below 390
ASSIGNMENTS
“Intentionality” Paper
For this paper focusing on the intentionality debate in chapter 1, please
provide a thoughtful, typed,
double-spaced, 2-3 page paper addressing the following elements:
1. Be sure to make clear which perspective you agree with (Motley, Clevenger, or Anderson) and why.
Be sure to offer at least one original example of what you consider to be communication (or
consider not to be communication). You can use examples from the App as well (sneeze, cough etc.),
but I want you to come up with one original example of what you think would be (or not be)
communication.
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2. Connect your perspective to your selected definition of communication. This can be one of the three
definitions of communication in the APP or a modified version.
Potential additional elements you can address in application paper 1 (not required, but can enhance
your paper): source vs receiver perspective; attributed meaning; Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson
argument; the strongest postulate (in your opinion) Motley uses to argue it is possible to not
communicate; why the intentionality debate is important (50 points)
Comprehensive Writing Project: Each student will select a communication context, concept, or theory
that they are interested in studying further throughout the course of the semester. The topic must be preapproved by your professor prior to completing your research report. No more than two persons
may write about the same topic unless approved by your professor; therefore topic selection will happen
on a first come, first served basis. A list of potential topics will be provided on blackboard. There are
THREE parts to this project:
Abbreviated Literature Review (50 points, 2-3 pages):
Using your knowledge of literature review writing learned in class, you will begin your final project by
explaining why your topic represents an important area of study or is important to the understanding of
the communication discipline (cite at least one academic source to back up your claim). Then, you will be
summarizing the major/most interesting findings/criticisms on your topic that you uncovered from at least
TWO ACADEMIC SOURCES in a literature review format, using APA formatting and source citation
(complete with title and reference pages). One of your sources MUST be a primary research study.
*For the purposes of this course, ACADEMIC SOURCES refers to essays in peer-reviewed, scholarly
communication journals or academic books. There may be instances where valuable information lies in
the content of peer-reviewed scholarly journals or academic books of fields related to communication
(e.g., public relations, leadership, sociology, psychology). Those are fine to use so long as the concepts
discussed in them are clearly communication-related.
***Papers which are turned in without the proper number/type of sources, in-text citations, a
reference page, and/or without a primary research study cited within the paper may start with a
70%! Papers whose sources haven’t been sent electronically by the due date may receive a 0.
Final Literature Review (100 points):
Your final literature review will be an expansion of your abbreviated literature review, consisting of at
least six total sources (the two from your abbreviated literature review may be used in this count unless
instructed otherwise by your professor) and must be 5-6 pages in length. First, fix any mistakes noted by
your professor on your abbreviated literature review. Then, expand it by integrating at least four
additional sources. Three of the new sources must be from ACADEMIC SOURCES. One source may be
from a credible popular press source (e.g., Advertising Age, Communication World, Broadcasting and
Cable, PR WEEK). Your textbook does NOT count as one of the six required sources. A grading rubric
for the paper will be posted on Blackboard later in the semester.
Note: If you are instructed by the professors to change one or more of the sources used in your
abbreviated literature review or if you choose to change one or more of the sources you used in the
abbreviated literature review for some reason, please make sure your final literature review still
contains 6 total sources, at least 5 from ACADEMIC SOURCES (at least one of which is a primary
research study)..
***Papers which are turned in without the proper number/type of sources, in-text citations, a
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reference page, and/or without a primary research study cited within the paper may start with a
70%!
Papers not turned in to Safe Assign or whose sources haven’t been sent electronically by the due
date may receive a 0.
Integrated Application Paper
Purpose
For the three major content areas (Interpersonal, Organizational, Intercultural), select the area
you are most interested in and write an integrated application paper. In conjunction with the
theory you select from the chapter included in the App, interview one friend or family member
with relevant experience in this area. This project gives you the chance to learn more about this
theory in an applied setting and give you a chance to explain their experience with your own in
relation to the theory. With the knowledge gleaned from your interview, you will also apply your
research to gain further understanding of the Interpersonal, Organizational, or Intercultural you
select.
Instructions:
Stage 1: The Research
Focusing on your selected theory, analyze three research studies which apply your theory to a
research population (preferably that will connect to the person you will interview). After briefly
explaining the key tenets of your theory (be brief because we will be covering your theory in
class as well…you may use the App to assist in explaining the theory). Briefly explain and
analyze each of your three research articles (App chapter does not count as one of your three
sources). Include the methods (this can be very basic…survey, interview etc), article purpose,
selected research questions, key findings, and analysis/implications. (2-3 pages, including
introduction to paper)
Stage 2: Planning and conducting the Interview
You will develop your interview questions prior to your interviews (let the three research articles
inform your interview protocol). You will create a set of questions and possible probing
questions to encourage your respondents to provide as much detail as possible about their
experience related to your selected theory. You will seek to create questions that enable your
interviewees to tell detailed stories about their experience. We will have an in-class workshop on
effective interviewing practices.
Stage 3: The Application
Apply the three research articles you selected for the research section to your interview (2-3
pages). This section should involve applying the tenets of your theory to your interview (and
your own experience if there is enough space), applying at least 1 finding from each study to
your interview (compare/contract), and providing solutions/enhanced understanding/implications
from your application. Try to illustrate how your theory would explain your own experience and
the experience of your interviewee
In total, this paper should be 5-6 pages. (100 points)
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Presentations
*We will use a one-on-one format for presentations.
Presentation of Literature Review (25 points):
Brief description of your favorite article covered in the paper (purpose, research question(s), key
findings, implications)
Why did you choose this article?
Strengths of this area of research
Weaknesses of this area of research
Future research study you would conduct (research question, method, participants).
List a discussion question that you could pose to the listener(s).
Presentation of Integrated Application Paper (3-4 minutes) (25 points):
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Brief description of your favorite article covered in the paper (purpose, research
question(s), key findings, implications)
Why did you choose this article?
Application of research findings to your interviewee.
List a discussion question that you could pose to the listener(s)
Research Project Presentations (50 points)
-20-25 minutes
-4-5 minute question/answer section
*Prepare a PowerPoint for your presentation
Focus areas:
Establish clear rationale: significance, purpose, RQ’s
Overview of methods: participants, coding details
Findings (bulk of time here): main findings, surprises, most important thing(s) learned,
striking quotations
Discussion: answers to RQ’s, support/extend existing research
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Research Study Option (250 points)
If you chose, you can do a complete study. You would develop a rationale/lit review, methods
section, plus carry out the actual study and report the results/conclusions, and implications of the
research. The paper should include a rationale, methods section, results, and discussion. I suggest
doing an outline for each section of the paper. A draft of the rationale and methods sections (1015 pages) are due no later than March 17th (this date it tentative, but in order to collect data and
write up your final report you need to have the front sections of the paper in order done ahead of
time) For the final paper, you will add the results and findings sections. In the results,
summarize your findings. Use quotations, statistical analysis, develop tables etc. In the
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discussion, evaluate and discuss your results. Include issues such as what did you learn from
answering the research questions, explain and make sense of the results, compare your results to
existing results etc. Also, address the strengths and limitations of your study, as well as suggest
future directions for research. Your paper should not exceed 25 pages (not counting the
references, interview protocol, master code list, and axial coding) and should include at least 15
sources. This paper would be due May 11.
*If you chose to do a full study, you do not need to do the comprehensive writing project,
integrated application paper, or the two tests. To replace the tests, you will write a synthesis
paper at the end of the semester tying the different contexts of communication we will study
together (8-10 pages).
**If you choose this option, I will assign a research assistant (master’s student to assist you with
your project who will help you set up your project and assist with analysis)
**If you do the research study you will also have to complete online training for the human
subjects review board. The research assistant for your group will assist with this. I may let you
have one of our class periods to go to a computer lab with your research assistant to complete the
online training during class time.
Activities/small assignments
There will be a series of in class activities and small assignments that will be completed
individually or in small groups. These assignments/activities will focus on specific
communication theories and concepts. (100 points)
Note: I will send out e-mails on Blackboard between classes with specific instructions to focus on
in the reading. These elements need to be completed to receive participation points in class. We
will also do Fish Bowl presentations from time to time (details forthcoming).
Exams
There will be two exams. The exams will assess your understanding of communication concepts
and theories, as well as your application and integration abilities. The exams will be take-home
essay style. (200 points total)
Synthesis Paper Guidelines
The synthesis paper entails writing a 8-10 page paper synthesizing and analyzing the most
important theories from each unit we have covered (interpersonal, organizational, and
intercultural). The goal is not to cover every concept, rather to connect the different areas we
have studied, provide analysis and original examples, as well as draw implications. While you do
not have to cover every theory and every concept we have covered, for each theory you address
you should explain its key assumptions or suppositions and evaluate the theory (please make sure
you evaluate both a positivist and interpretive theory). Selecting which theories are the most
important is part of the challenge to writing the paper (don’t just select the easiest, select the
most important…typically these are the aspects we devoted the most time to in class). The key is
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to clearly illustrate that you understand the key parts of the theory, can evaluate the theory, and
can provide original example to illustrate your understanding. Comparing some of the elements
across the theories to demonstrate their value can also raise your score. In addition, I would like
to see you define and defend communication. In your definition please be sure to address
intentionality as well as whether or not your definition represent a constitutive approach to
communication.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES
Week 1:
January 26 Course Introduction: What is Communication Studies?
Communication as a Field of Study; Models of Communication
Defining and conceptualizing communication, Constitutive Approach
January 28 Communication, Symbolism, and Intentionality
Reading due:
Chapter 1: What is Communication?
Week 2:
February 2 Intentionality Debate
February 4 Silent Brainstorming
Intentionality paper due
Week 3:
February 9 Defining theory
Understanding and testing theory
Reading due:
Chapter 2: What is Theory
February 11 Communication Research Methods
Paradigms
Reading due:
Chapter 3: Communication Research
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Week 4:
February 16 Reading, interpreting, and analyzing Communication research
Read Thompson “Grounded Theory” and “Scale Development” articles
February 18 Using the library system; writing a research paper; APA Format
Go over topics for theory/context papers
Week 5:
February 23 Interpersonal Communication and Theories
IRB training for research group(s)
February 25 Interpersonal Communication and Theories continued
Reading due:
Chapter 7: Relational Dialectics
Week 6:
March 1 Interpersonal Communication and Theories continued
Reading due:
Chapter 6: Communication Privacy Management (Fishbowl)
March 3 Interpersonal Communication and Theories continued
Reading due:
Chapter 15: Social Information Processing Theory
Abbreviated Literature Review Due
Week 7: March 7-11 Spring Break
Week 8:
March 15 Review Day; introduction to Organizational Communication and Theory
Work day for research group
March 17 Test # 1 (Take-home exam)
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Week 9:
March 22 Organizational Communication and Theory continued
Reading due:
Chapter 8: Organizational Identification
Rationale for Research Study due (Irb application due)
March 24 Organizational Communication and Theory continued
Reading due:
Chapter 9: Organizational Culture (Fishbowl)
Week 10
March 29 Organizational Communication and Theory continued
Organizational Communication and Theory continued
Reading due:
Chapter 10: Critical Theory of Organizations
March 31: Intercultural Communication and Theory
Reading due:
Chapter 11: Uncertainty Reduction/Management
Week 11:
April 5 Intercultural Communication and Theory
Reading due:
Chapter 12: Face Negotiation
April 7 Intercultural Communication and Theory
Reading due:
Chapter 13: Communication Accommodation Theory (Fishbowl)
Week 12:
April 11-15
No Class: Work on Integrated Application Paper
Literature Review Due April 11 at noon
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Synthesis Paper Due April 15 for those in research groups
Week 13:
April 19 Literature Review Presentations
April 21 Review for Test #2; Go over Interviewing Process
Week 14:
April 26 Test # 2 (take-home)
Data Analysis overview (research groups)
April 28
Overview of writing finding sections (research groups)
Week 15:
May 3
Writing discussion sections and in-class analysis day (research groups)
May 5
Presentations of Integrated Application Paper
Integrated Application Paper Due
Finals Week: May 9-13
Research Project Presentations
Research Projects due May 11
*Schedule subject to change based on Instructor’s discretion