Modesto Junior College
INDIS 100 Course Outline
Effective Date: 05/05/2008
Printed On: 10/17/2007 9:33:51 AM
I. COURSE OVERVIEW
The following information is what will appear in the MJC 2008-2009 Catalog.
INDIS 100 - Introduction to Honors Scholarship
3 Unit(s)
Enrollment limited to students who have been admitted to the honors program.
Interpersonal communication theory and its practical application. Forms of
philosophical inquiry that are applicable to the humanities, social sciences, arts,
and physical sciences as well as their ethical and political applications. Library and
information sources, including development of research strategies, and the
retrieval, evaluation, and use of information.
A-F Only. Applicable to the Associate Degree. Transfer to CSU.
II. LEARNING CONTEXT
Given the following learning context, the student who satisfactorily completes this
course should be able to achieve the goals specified in section III: Desired Learning.
1. COURSE CONTENT
A. REQUIRED
1. Communication Competency
A. Definition of Interpersonal Communication
i.
Quantitative definition
ii.
Qualitative definition
a. Impersonal vs. Interpersonal
B. Communication Theories
i.
Competing paradigms
C. Interpersonal Communication Theories and Models
i.
Development of Self-Concept
a. Reflected Appraisal
1. Confirmation vs. disconfirmation
b. Social Comparison
ii.
Attribution Theory
a. Attributional Biases
iii. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
a. Information seeking
iv.
Components of Listening
a. Hearing
b. Attending
c. Understanding
d. Responding
e. Remembering
v.
Relationship Development Model
a. Stages
b. Behaviors
vi.
Exchange Theory
a. Costs and Rewards
D. Interpersonal Communication Competence
i.
Self-monitoring
ii.
Perception process and perception checking
iii. Listening
a. Types of listening responses
1. Passive vs. active listening
iv.
Ways of initiating and terminating relationships
v.
Examining costs and rewards of relationships
2. Philosophical Inquiry
A. Introduction to Inquiry
i.
Nature of Inquiry
ii.
Nature of Arguments
B. Arguments and their parts
i.
Inductive and Deductive reasoning
ii.
Informal and formal fallacies
C. Inquiry appropriate to the social sciences
D. Inquiry appropriate to the humanities
E. Inquiry appropriate to the arts
F. Inquiry appropriate to the physical sciences
G. Inquiry appropriate to ethics and politics (mc)
3. Research Methodology
A. Information basics
i.
A comprehensive model of information literacy.
ii.
Types of information
a. Formats/mediums
b. popular vs. scholarly
c. primary and secondary sources
B. Analyzing & evaluating information and its sources
i.
authority
ii.
bias (mc)
iii. currency
C. Research statements and questions
i.
Choosing topics suitable to typical college-level research
assignments
ii.
Developing a focused thesis statement and formulating
specific questions to guide research
iii.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Identifying appropriate research terminology
a. controlled vocabularies
b. natural language
Library catalogs
i.
Library of Congress Classification System
ii.
YCCD libraries catalog
a. basic searching
b. advanced search strategies
c. intercampus borrowing
iii. Other Library Catalogs (one or more of the following)
a. CSU, Stanislaus
b. Stanislaus County Free Library
c. Melvyl (University of California)
d. interlibrary borrowing
Use of encyclopedias, indexes and other reference sources (print and
electronic).
Online Databases
i.
Specific tools (including one or more of those listed below)
a. periodical databases
b. research databases
c. statistical databases
ii.
Basic Search techniques
World Wide Web
i.
Evaluation of www documents
ii.
Search tools
a. subject directories
b. search engines
iii. Advanced search techniques
a. domain limitation
b. top-level research
Using information effectively
i.
Organizing information to support research statements and
questions.
ii.
Paraphrasing and summarizing information
iii. Written communication of information
Citing sources
i.
In-text and summative citation of information sources
2. ENROLLMENT RESTRICTIONS
1. Limitation on Enrollment:
Enrollment limited to students who have been admitted to the honors
program..
3. HOURS OF INSTRUCTION PER TERM
Prorated Hours and Units
TYPE of HOURS TERM HOURS UNITS EARNED
Lecture/Discussion
52.5
Total Units Earned:
3
3
4. TYPICAL METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Instructors of this course might conduct the course using the following methods:
Face-to-face education 1.
Lecture
2.
Group discussion
3.
Assigned readings
4.
Videos/ Internet resources
5.
Demonstration
6.
Hands-on application
7.
Supervised research
5. TYPICAL ASSIGNMENTS
A. Quality: Assignments require the appropriate level of critical thinking
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Analyze the strengths and limitations of exchange theory.
Write a perception checking statement, including identification of the
correct terminology for each part of the statement.
Describe an interaction between you and a friend who is telling you
about a personal issue. What listening response would be the most
appropriate and why?
Reading assignments exploring a variety of philosophical modes of
inquiry taken from the humanities, social sciences, arts, and physical
sciences.
Writing assignments emphasizing critical and evaluative support for
various philosophical positions implicit in the humanities, social
sciences, arts, and physical sciences.
Developing a focused research statement and formulating questions to
guide query into topics.
Analyzing appropriateness of various search strategies and search tools
to specific research statements/questions.
Assessing the quantity, quality, and relevance of search results to
determine whether alternative information retrieval systems or
investigative methods should be utilized
Examining and comparing information from various sources in order to
evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of
view or bias.
B. Quantity: Hours spent on assignments in addition to hours of instruction
(lecture hours)
1. Weekly take home assignments
2. Written essays which include the topics of interpersonal
communication theory and philosophical inquiry
3. Per term major research assignment
6. TEXTS AND OTHER READINGS
A.Required Texts: Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate
Conduct, First Edition, P.M. Forni, 2003
The Philosopher's Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and
Methods, First Edition, Julian Baggini and Peter S. Fosl, 2003
Comments: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition, Joseph Gibaldi,
2003
B. Other reading material: Various readings handed out in class
III. DESIRED LEARNING
A. COURSE GOAL
As a result of satisfactory completion of this course, the student should be
prepared to:
better question and analyze concepts, to do more accurate and
indepth research work, and to articulate their ideas.
B. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
Mastery of the following learning goals will enable the student to achieve
the overall course goal.
REQUIRED LEARNING GOALS
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1.
Explain various interpersonal communication theories and apply the
theories to interpersonal interactions they encounter in their daily
lives.
a. Describe the degrees to which communication is qualitatively
impersonal and interpersonal, and describe the consequences of
this combination.
b. Compare and contrast competing communication paradigms.
c. Identify and explain the most important forces that shape selfconcept.
d. Assess the value of attribution theory and identify attributional
biases.
e. Explain uncertainty reduction theory.
f. Use perception checking to clarify one’s understanding of
another’s point of view.
g. Demonstrate types of listening styles to respond effectively to
another person in various interpersonal contexts.
h. Describe the current stage of an interpersonal relationship and
predict whether that relationship might move to a different
stage.
i. Explain the strengths and limitations of exchange theory.
2.
Describe, identify, define, and apply appropriate modes of inquiry to
specific situations drawn from humanities, social sciences, arts and
physical sciences.
a. Summarize and explain different modes of inquiry appropriate
to the humanities.(m.c.).
b. Summarize and explain different modes of inquiry appropriate
to the arts.(m.c.).
c. Summarize and explain different modes of inquiry appropriate
to the social sciences.(m.c.).
d. Summarize and explain different modes of inquiry appropriate
to the physical sciences.
e. Summarize and explain different modes of inquiry appropriate
to the issues of ethics and politics (m.c.).
f. Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the various forms of
arguments presented in the humanities, arts, social sciences,
and physical sciences. (m.c.).
3.
Focus a general research topic into a suitable college-level paper
thesis, then develop and implement search strategies to effectively
locate, retrieve, evaluate, and use information to support their thesis.
a. Identify and explain different types of information
(primary/secondary and scholarly/popular).
b. Formulate research statements and questions appropriate to
college-level research
c. Determine the extent of information needed
d. Use online library catalogs to find and retrieve books and other
library materials supporting research statements/questions
e. Use standard reference books to find and retrieve information
supporting research statements/questions.
f. Use online databases to find and retrieve information
supporting research statements/questions.
g. Use World Wide Web search tools to locate and retrieve
documents relevant to research statements/questions.
h. Analyze and evaluate information and its sources critically
i.
j.
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Prepare a list of information sources using MLA and/or other
appropriate formats.
RECOMMENDED LEARNING GOALS
Upon satisfactory completion of this course (when the related
recommended content is covered), the student will be able to:
IV. METHODS OF MEASURING STUDENT PROGRESS
A. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
1. In-class assignments
2. Student participation in class discussion
3. Exercises that allow students to demonstrate mastery of concepts
recently discussed/practiced in class including problem solving.
4. Objective tests and quizzes
5. Essays and written reports
6. Class presentations and oral reports
B. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
1. Written exam including essay responses
2. Papers that explore interpersonal communication theory and
philosophical inquiry
3. Cumulative research project in which students demonstrate mastery of
course concepts as a whole.