Interpersonal Communication Skills Fall 2011 -­‐ Section 0998 SDS 4410 Thursday Periods 1-­‐3 Room 260 Norman Hall Instructor: Pei-­‐Chun (Olivia) Chen Office: 1313C Norman Hall Office Hours: Thursday 10am-­‐1pm and by appointment E-­‐mail address: cpeichun@ufl.edu Required Textbook: DeVito, J. A. (2009). Interpersonal Communications: My Communication Lab. (12 Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Course Description and Goals: Due to the nature of this course and the assumption that we “cannot not communicate”, we will spend a lot time during every class period communicating in a large group, learning to communicate more effectively through awareness-­‐raising and skill enhancement. We will also survey the fundamentals of interpersonal communication and explore our personal application to the communication and the relationships. The assignments are designed for you to explore, examine, and relate their daily experiences in communication with others and yourselves. Consequently, participation is of the utmost importance. You will learn from these experiences about the dynamics and strengths to be gained in positively interacting with one another. Course Objectives: The overall objective in this course is for everyone in class, including myself, to enhance our awareness of the many ways in which we can improve our communication. Throughout the semester we will all learn how to better listen to another, empathize, and connect with the people that are important (and not so important) in our lives. Course Components: Please evaluate the following implications as you make the decision whether or not to attend class. Attendance, assignments, tests, and small group project and in class participation will combine to determine your participation points and will have a significant impact on your overall grade. Class Participation & Attendance (150 points) The effort that each of us puts into our education, awareness, and personal growth is a choice we each must make. Every moment in this class (as in life) is a learning opportunity, and the process of purposefully experiencing this course will teach you the content. You will be rewarded for sharing thoughts, opinions, and stories that are relevant to the day’s topic. Attendance is necessary to complete this course, over 25% of final grade will be awarded only if you come to class every week and participate. An attendance grade will be given daily. Each day is worth ten points. If you are absent for three classes, you will not get this percentage of the class points. If you are absent for three classes, you should drop the class. Please be on time! Journals (120 points) You will be expected to write 6 journals. You are invited to use your creativity in deciding what you will write about providing you relate it to the pertinent interpersonal communication chapter that will be discussed in class, reactions to class activities or discussion in the previous class. The journals are to be typed, double-­‐spaced, 12-­‐point font and Times New Roman. Journals are due in Paper form on appropriate days. No emailed or late assignment will be accepted. Please be aware of the due date because I am not going to remind you to hand in every time. I realized that your journals entries will be based on your self-­‐disclosure and personal perspective, so I will be the only person reading them. For grading requirements, please refer to the section in your syllabus entitled Journal Evaluation Form. Small Group Project (110 points): A workshop on how to improve on or the usefulness of … You will choose one of twelve chapters. Chapters will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Each group will do a 45-­‐minute presentation and facilitate 45-­‐minute activities on the chapter chosen. The presentation part should cover your chapter. You can choose various ways to illustrate the topics of the chapter. Creativity is strongly encouraged. Then you design accompanying activities to put the topic of the chapter into practice. They must involve the entire class and be explained to the students before the activities. Each group is asked to meet with the TA to go over ideas that will be covered during the presentation. Please note that you MUST be present for your small group project. Failure to attend will result in a grade of zero for this component in the course. For grading information, please refer to the section in your syllabus entitled Group Presentation Evaluation. Tests (120 points) You will have three announced quizzes throughout the semester. Each quiz will cover the lectures preceding. Each quiz will be worth 40 points. The quizzes will include different types of questions format, i.e., multiple choice, short answer, and true/false, etch. If you know you will be absent for a quiz day, please make arrangements to take the quiz prior to the day. If no arrangements were made prior, the quiz cannot be made up. Course Point Breakdown Classroom Participation and Attendance 150 Journals (6X20) 120 Tests (40X3) 120 Small Group Project 110 Total 500 Grading Scale A 448-­‐500 B+ 423-­‐447 B 398-­‐422 C+ 373-­‐397 C 348-­‐372 D+ 323-­‐347 D 298-­‐321 F below 298 Class Policies Interaction with others: Respect for diverse opinions and responsible communication and behaviors are expected in this class. Phone and Pagers: Phone and pagers are to be quieted during class time. Students serving on emergency call are to notify the instructor. NO TEXTING during class. Punctuality and Participation: Being on time to class and actively participating in discussion enhances the learning environment for everyone. Class participation will be considered a component of graded evaluations. Late Assignment: NO late assignment will be accepted. Planned Absence: Students anticipating a planned absence, whether University or non-­‐university related, must notify the instructor in writing at least three days prior to the absence. In case of emergencies (health/family), please provide documentation when possible. Email Policy: No emailed assignment will be accepted due to the sensitive nature of email and possibility of tampering with electronic forms of communication. Emails to the instructor will be responded within a 72 hour period. Please be advised: The course instructor reserves the right to change, modify, add or delete any class assignment, reading, or activity at any time. Academic Honesty and Integrity: Upon officially registering for this course, you indicated intention to comply with the University of Florida Honor Code. Cheating, Misrepresentation, or Plagiarism will be handled swiftly and according to the University guidelines. In case of student found incompliant with these codes, the student will receive a zero for the assignment. If a student is found with a second infraction of these codes, he or she will fail this course. University Honor Code: Plagiarism or cheating in any form is a sign of disrespect to yourself, your classmates, and this university and will not be tolerated. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is implied: On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment. Student Responsibility for syllabus: Upon officially registering for the course, the student assumes responsibility for understanding and complying with the entire contents of the course syllabus. Special Accommodation: If you have a disability or disabilities that require(s) some form of accommodation(s) in order for you to learn effectively, participate fully in this course, and/or satisfy course assignments and/or requirements efficiently and effectively, you must contact me to discuss appropriate accommodation(s) for you by no later than the beginning of the third class meeting. Please be sure to bring a copy of your letter from the Office of Students with Disabilities http://www.dso.efl.edu/drp/) that attests to your disability for my records when we meet to discuss the appropriate accommodation(s) for you. Gordon Rule: This class is not applicable towards credit for the Gordon Rule. Office Hours: Please feel free to stop by my office during office hours, or to set up an appointment with me or email me with any questions. Confidentiality: Due to the nature of this course and the group activities, you are expected to keep what is talked about to yourself. If you must share something that went on in class, please limit it to share about your experience. Please note that in any group activity, absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, please share only what you feel comfortable. Course Schedule 8/25 Introductions 9/01 Chapter 1: Foundation of Interpersonal Communication 9/08 Chapter 2: Culture & Interpersonal Communication 9/15 Chapter 3: Perception & the Self in Interpersonal Communication Due: Journal 1 9/22 Chapter 4: Listening in Interpersonal Communication Test One 9/29 Chapter 5: Verbal Messages Due: Journal 2 10/06 Chapter 6: Nonverbal Messages 10/13 Chapter 7: Emotional Messages Due: Journal 3 10/20 Chapter 8: Conversational Messages 10/27 Test Two 11/03 Chapter 9: Interpersonal Relationship: Stages & Theories Chapter 10: Interpersonal Relationships: Development & Deterioration Due: Journal 4 11/10 Chapter 11: Interpersonal Relationship types: Friendship, Love, Family, and Workplace 11/17 Chapter 12: Interpersonal Conflict & Conflict Management Chapter 13: Interpersonal Power & Influence Due: Journal 5 11/24 NO Class 12/01 Last Class Final Test Due: Journal 6 -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ Journal Evaluation Form Format ___/2 Appropriate length/margins Double spaced, 12pt. Font Grammar, spelling, sentence construction Clarity __/4 Logical expression of thoughts and ideas Flow and ease to read Clear and concise writing Discernable focus/understandings purpose of the assignment & responds to questions posed Depth, Awareness & Critical thinking __/6 Attempting to view situations from different perspectives Valuable insights/ self-­‐perceptions Writing about topic on more than a surface level Exploring connections, themes, & patterns relevant to interpersonal communication Openness, Honesty & Risk-­‐taking __/8 Balanced discussion of both positive & negative insights Focus on self vs. others Taking genuine risks to talk about reactions/emotional responses Total __/20 -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ Group Project Evaluation Name: ______________________ A. Group member evaluation Below you will find the average scores from your group members’ feedback for the following sections: Participation in group meetings and discussions ___/10 Contributed ideas to the project ___/10 Completed assigned tasks ___/10 Demonstrated an openness to others’ ideas ___/10 Total: _____/40 B. Instructor panel evaluation Below you will find the average scores from your instructor’s feedback for the following sections: Demonstrated creativity ___/4 Involved the class ___/4 Presenters were knowledgeable ___/4 Well-­‐organized ___/4 Articulated information well ___/4 Included multicultural issues ___/10 Presentation was of appropriate length ___/4 Demonstrated sensitivity to diversity ___/10 Illustrated the topic well ___/4 Demonstrated adequate preparation ___/4 Used examples where appropriate ___/4 Dressed in an professional fashion ___/4 Activity ___/10 Total ___/70 Grand Total ___/110