Unit reading assignment responses should be completed (400 word minimum) and ready at the beginning of class. In-class exercises will be held periodically. In-class exercises count towards participation. Failure to complete in-class exercises will result in "0" credit.

Mid-term essay and the Final essay are by midnight US EST/EDT on the date schedule below via Pirate's Vista. They are submitted via the Assignments link as attachments (Microsoft Word, or Rich Text Format) on the course menu.

Unit Quizzes are due on the date scheduled below, US EST/EDT via Pirate's Vista. You will have a 24 hour window to access the Quizzes, starting at midnight the day before the quiz is due. Quizzes are timed (1 hour). Access Quizzes via the Assessment link in WebVista.

Unit 1 (Week of 01/09)

Chapter 1: Introduction(s)

Students familiarize themselves with course web site, textbooks and requirements. Introduction to communication and history. A look into human communication, definitions, models (particularly the "transactional model"), and career opportunities.

Assignments:

Using each of the models discussed in Chapter 1, describe in writing "communication." What does each model from the chapter highlight and obscure? Which model best describes and explains communication in your class? Due in class Wednesday.

Read Chapter 2.

Unit 2: (Week of 01/16 - NO Class Monday, MLK Day)

Chapter 2: Careers, Foundations, History

Assignments:

Discuss in writing Ch. 2, For Further Reflection and Discussion (p. 43), question #2, due in class on Wednesday.

Read Chapter 3

Unit 3: (Week of 01/23)

Chapter 3: Perceiving and Understanding

Discuss perception: selecting, organizing, and interpreting experiences. What we selectively notice affects how we organize and interpret the phenomenon and what we notice in the world around us. Skillful perceiving enhances communication. Four guidelines for enhancing your skills in perceiving: avoid mind reading, check perceptions, distinguish facts from inferences, monitor self-serving bias.

Assignments:

Discuss in writing Ch. 3, For Further Reflection and Discussion, question #2, due in class on Monday.

Read Chapter 4

The power of verbal communication. Verbal symbols: arbitrary, ambiguous, and abstract—words do not have objective concrete meanings. To create meaning, we follow rules of communication. Punctuate beginnings and endings of interactions. By defining, evaluating and classifying phenomena, language allows us to order our experiences and feelings, to think hypothetically, self-reflect, and define relationships and interactions. We increase the effectiveness of our verbal communication when we strive for accuracy and clarity in language, own our thoughts and feelings, and qualify language appropriately.

Assignments:

To appreciate the importance of symbolic capacities, imagine the following: living only in the present without memories or hopes and plans; thinking only in terms of literal reality, not what might be; and having no broad classifications to organize experience. Answer/discuss in writing how your life would be different without the symbolic abilities discussed in Chapter 4. Due in class on Monday.

Read Chapter 5

Unit 5: (Week of 02/06)

Chapter 5 : Engaging in Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is symbolic and functions to supplement or replace verbal messages, regulate interaction, reflect and establish relationship-level meaning, and express cultural membership. Types of nonverbal communication reflects cultural rules and expresses our personal identities and feelings toward others. Effectiveness requires that we learn to monitor our nonverbal communication and to exercise caution in interpreting that of others.

Assignments:

Describe the spatial arrangement in the home of your family of origin. Was there a room in which family members interacted a good deal? How was furniture arranged in that room? Who had separate space and personal chairs in your family? What do the nonverbal patterns reflect about your family's communication style?Answer/discuss in writing. Due in class on Monday.

Read Chapter 6

Quiz 1: Chapter 1-4 (due by Sunday, 02/12, 11:59 pm)

The demanding and complex process of listening. Hearing: a straight-forward physiological process that doesn't take effort on our part. Listening, in contrast, is a complicated process involving being mindful, hearing, selecting and organizing, interpreting, responding, and remembering. Message overload, complexity of material, and external noise are external obstacles to listening. Also, our pre-occupation and prejudgments, lack of effort, and not recognizing differences in listening styles can hamper listening. What are the purposes for listening. What are the skills and attitudes that advance each purpose.

Assignments:

Discuss in writing Ch. 6, For Further Reflection and Discussion, #2, email to tonyraymorris@gmail.com

Read Chapter 7

A basic requirement for healthy communication climate is confirmation. Each of us wants to feel valued. Communication that fosters supportive climates also helps us manage conflict constructively. Lose-lose, win-lose, win-win approaches to conflict. People respond by exiting, neglecting, being loyal, or giving voice to tensions. Voice is the preferred response: allows people to deal with conflict actively and constructively. Five guidelines for building healthy communication climates.

Assignments:

Discuss in writing Ch. 7, For Further Reflection and Discussion, #4, due in class on Monday.

Read Chapter 8

Communication exists within and is influenced by multiple contexts, like social communities and cultures. Five principles summarize the relationships between culture and communication: learning culture; primary indicator that culture exists (multiple social communities may co-exist within a single culture, and people may belong to multiple cultures and social communities); communication both reflects and sustains cultures; communication is a potent force for changing cultural life. Four guidelines for communicating effectively in a socially diverse world.

Assignments

• Discuss the tension between recognizing individuality and noting patterns common in specific social groups. Is it possible to recognize both that people have standpoints in social groups and that members of any group vary? You might recall the concept of totalizing from Chapter 4 to assist your consideration of this issue. Answer/discuss in writing. Due in class on Monday.
• Read Chapter 9

Unit 9: (Week of 03/05)

Self as a process that evolves over the course of our lives. Reflected appraisals, direct definitions, and social comparisons further shape how we see ourselves and how we change over time. The basic communication processes foster a healthy society and personal growth. Communication for fostering personal growth.

Assignments:

• Discuss society's views (the generalized other) of women and men. What are current social expectations for each sex? What behaviors, appearances, and attitudes violate social prescriptions for gender. Do you agree or disagree with these social expectations. Answer/discuss in writing. Due in class on Monday.
• Read Chapter 10
• Quiz 2, Chapters 5, 6, 7 & 8 (due by Sunday, 03/11, 11:59 pm)

Unit 10; (03/19)

Chapter 10: Interaction With Friends and Romantic Partners

Communications in personal relationships are defined by commitment, uniqueness, relationship dialectics, relationship rules, and interaction with surrounding contexts. Communication is a primary dynamic in intimacy, influencing how we meet and get to know others. Four important challenges that friends and romantic partners face today.

           Assignments:

Discuss in writing Ch. 10, For Further Reflection and Discussion, question #3, due in class on Monday.

Read and be ready to discuss in class and online Chapter 11

Unit 11: (Week of 03/26)

Chapter 11: Communicating on Groups and Teams

Small groups defined. Group members must recognize and manage the potential weaknesses of group discussion, notably conformity pressures and time, to realize the important advantages of group decision making. Task teams produce creative, high-quality decisions and securing members' commitment. Factors that influence communication in task groups and teams include: cohesion, size, power, norms, and interaction patterns.

Assignments

• Discuss in writing Ch. 11, For Further Reflection and Discussion, question #2, due in class on Monday.
• Read and be ready to discuss Chapter 12

Unit 12: (Week of 04/02)

Chapter 12: Communication in Organizations

Importance of daily performances in upholding an organization's identity and a shared set of meanings for members of the organization. Organizations, like other contexts of communication, involve a number of challenges: to develop a large repertoire of communication skills so that you can adapt effectively to diverse people, situations, and needs in the workplace; become effective in teamwork; manage personal relationships in the workplace.

Assignments:

Think about a group to which you belong. It may be a work group or a social group such as a fraternity or interest club. Describe some common rites and rituals in your group. What do these rites and rituals communicate about the group's culture? Answer/discuss in writing, due in class on Monday .

Unit 13: ( Week of 04/09)

Chapter 13 (online): Public Communication

To what extent do ordinary people engage in public speaking? How do speakers earn credibility? How do credible speakers organize and support their ideas? How many people experience speaking anxiety? How can you listen more critically to public communication?

Discuss in writing Ch. 14, Further Reflection and Discussion, question #3, due in class on Monday.

Read and be ready to discuss Chapter 14

Unit 14: (Week of 04/16)

Chapter 14 (online): Mass Communication

Media epochs. Five views of the functions and effects of mass communication. Media literacy. Active voice responding to mass communication. Speaking out to make a difference. Power relationships and social perspectives are always open to change and negotiations between voices that offer rival views of reality. Without our consent and support, mass communication cannot exist

• Discuss in writing Ch. 14, For Further Reflection and Discussion, question #1, due in class on Monday.
• Read and be ready to discuss Chapter 15
• Quiz 3 - Chapters 9, 10, 11 & 12 (Sunday, 04/22, 11:59 pm)

Unit 15: (Week of 04/23)

Chapter 15 (online): Communication Technologies

Evolution of communication technologies. Communication technologies' effect on how we think, build and participate in communities, and define and express our identities, and their effect on our efficiency and productivity. Three key challenges for living with communication technologies. Learning to control and manage the steady stream of information that flows in daily is a priority for people today. Regulating communication in cyberspace.

Assignments:

Discuss in writing Ch. 15, For Further Reflection and Discussion, question #2, due in class on Monday.

Work on Final Essay

Unit 16: (Week of 04/30)

Assignments:

Quiz 4, Chapters 13 - 15 (due Sunday, 04/29, 11:59 p.m.)

Final Project, due in on Monday by midnight. Email to tonyraymorris@gmail.com.