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Syllabus

This course focuses on fundamental concepts of interpersonal communication. It meets on Tuesdays from 7:30-10:00am, 10:30-13:00pm, and 14:00-16:30pm. The textbook is The Interpersonal Communication Book by DeVito. The course aims to teach communication skills valuable for personal and professional relationships. Students will learn concepts and processes of interpersonal communication through lectures and activities. Assessment includes quizzes, papers, and exams. Two papers require applying course concepts - a self-reflection paper and a media analysis paper analyzing a scene from a provided film or show. Papers must be 4-6 pages using APA style citations and incorporating definitions from class materials.

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Agathos Kurapaq
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87 views

Syllabus

This course focuses on fundamental concepts of interpersonal communication. It meets on Tuesdays from 7:30-10:00am, 10:30-13:00pm, and 14:00-16:30pm. The textbook is The Interpersonal Communication Book by DeVito. The course aims to teach communication skills valuable for personal and professional relationships. Students will learn concepts and processes of interpersonal communication through lectures and activities. Assessment includes quizzes, papers, and exams. Two papers require applying course concepts - a self-reflection paper and a media analysis paper analyzing a scene from a provided film or show. Papers must be 4-6 pages using APA style citations and incorporating definitions from class materials.

Uploaded by

Agathos Kurapaq
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Interpersonal Communication

Tuesdays – 07:30-10:00 a.m.,


10:30-13:00 p.m.,
14:00-16:30 p.m.
Textbook: DeVito, J.A. (2009). The Interpersonal Communication Book, (12th ed.). Pearson
International Edition

Course Description
This course is designed to teach you fundamental concepts related to interpersonal
communication across a variety of interactions, such as those with friends, coworkers, family
members, and romantic partners. Being an effective communicator helps people develop and
maintain healthy relationships. Effective communicators are also perceived as more credible and
competent in the workplace. Thus, being a skilled communicator is valuable in one’s personal
and professional life. This course focuses on learning concepts, processes, and challenges
involved in interpersonal communication, as well as learning skills that will make you a better
communicator. Therefore, class time will involve lectures that contain knowledge stemming
from research on interpersonal communication, as well as activities that allow you to transform
that knowledge into skill.

Course Objectives

• To introduce you to the essential concepts necessary to understand and examine


interpersonal communication events
• To help you evaluate your own interpersonal communication skills
• To provide you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate competency in
interpersonal communication

GRADE BREAKDOWN

4 Quizzes @ 5% each 20%


Middle Test 20%
Final Test 30%
Self-Reflection Paper 15%
Media Analysis Paper 15%
Total 100%
Guidelines for Papers

• You will write two formal papers during the course of the semester—a Self-Reflection
Paper and a Media Analysis Paper.

• For the Self-Reflection Paper, you can choose to write either about a time something
happened that changed your self-concept, a time when you found out your perceptions of
someone (or someone’s perceptions of you) were inaccurate, or a time when a significant
misunderstanding occurred between you and another person due to communication
difficulties. As you develop the paper, focus on your own communication, making
numerous references to concepts, terms, and ideas discussed in the textbook and
class as you explain the causes and effects of communication as related to your selfconcept
or perceptions. As you introduce terms, you must cite them in APA style
and also provide definitions. Use the concepts not only to explain what happened,
but why the situation unfolded the way it did.

• For the Media Analysis Paper, you can choose from the following list of movies and T.V.
shows: Friends, That 70s Show, Sex & the City, The Hills, The City, How to Lose a Guy
in 10 Days, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, There’s Something About Mary, 50 First Dates,
Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, Save the Last Dance, Hitch, Slumdog Millionaire,
or Crash. Choose a scene (or 2 scenes) from the movie or T.V. show that you believe are
particularly significant to the plot or outcome. Discuss interpersonal communication
concepts from the textbook that help explain why the communication in the scene(s)
was particularly effective or ineffective, as well as why the communication in the
scene(s) affected the storyline or outcome. As you introduce terms, you must cite
them in the style you learned in English IV and also provide definitions. Use the concepts
not only to explain what happened, but why the situation unfolded the way it did.

• Both papers are designed to test how well you have mastered the material covered in the
text and lecture. Always back up your statements. I will evaluate these papers in terms
of your ability to apply course concepts to your own behavior or observed behavior.
Failure to incorporate course concepts will result in a failing grade on the assignment. I
expect detailed descriptions of the behavior/scene in question. Also, be specific as to
how the communication described relates the course concepts under discussion. Papers
must be 4 -6 pages long (double spaced with standard margins and 12 point font). Each
paper is graded both on content (for example, accuracy of definitions and quality of your
ideas) and writing (spelling, grammar, clarity, and punctuation). Please make sure that
the papers are no fewer than 4 and no more than 6 pages of text.
• Suggested Paper Setup:

o Introduction: Paragraph #1 is an introduction that includes a thesis statement that


describes the specific issue that you have chosen to discuss. Define the general
construct(s) your paper deals with clearly. Make reference to your book when
defining these concepts and cite. Finally, preview how the rest of the paper will be structured
(i.e., what will your main points be)? Make sure these are in the same order in which
you address them in your paper.

o Description: The second two or three paragraphs should feature a description of


the people involved, the location, and the nature of the interpersonal transaction.
You will need to be brief but also specific about what happened. Cut out extra
wording and avoid repetition. You’ll need to provide enough detail here to allow
you to explain why the concept applies in part three. Here, you’ll need to provide
direct quotes from the conversation or observed interaction.
o Analysis: The remainder of the paper (usually several paragraphs) utilizes the
concepts, terms, and ideas that you defined in paragraph one to explain and
analyze the behavior described in the second part of the paper. It is likely that you
will get into more detail regarding concepts and issues in this section of the paper.
For example, if your topic deals with attraction, you should have defined the term
attraction in your introductory paragraph. In this section, you might talk more
specifically about principles and processes related to different types of attraction.
In the second section of the paper, you described when, where, and what
happened, but these paragraphs explain why and how it happened. What works?
What doesn’t? Why? For the Self-Perception Paper, if you could revise this
interaction what would you do differently? What would you leave the same? For
the Analysis Paper, what would you suggest that the character(s) in the movie or
t.v. show should have you done the same and differently? It is a good idea to refer
back to lecture, the book, and your outside sources to help you analyze the
situation…hint, hint 

o Conclusion: Finally, end with a brief concluding paragraph that revisits your
main points (quickly) and describes what you learned from the experience.

Finally, the standards listed below should give you an idea of how I differentiate between
various papers in terms of grades.

An “A” paper demonstrates an outstanding grasp of the literature relevant to the issue, presents
an excellent analysis, and is written in a clear and engaging manner with only very minor (if any)
typos and grammatical errors.

A “B” paper demonstrates a very good grasp of the literature relevant to the issue, presents a
good analysis, and is generally well written with only a few typos and/or grammatical errors.

A “C” paper demonstrates a satisfactory grasp of the literature relevant to the issue, presents an
acceptable analysis, and is written without many typos and/or major grammatical errors.

A “D” paper is unsatisfactory in terms of the literature incorporated into the paper, the analysis,
and/or the clarity of the writing. Often there are major grammatical errors, many typos, and/or
the topic is only addressed in a very superficial manner.

An “E” paper does not meet the minimum requirements of the assignment, usually because the
paper does not fit the assignment as outlined in the syllabus and class, does not incorporate
enough relevant literature from the textbook or outside sources, fails to provide much analysis,
and/or is written in an incoherent manner.

Week Date Topic Assignments and Readings


Due
1 Foundations of Interpersonal Communication Chapter 1
2 Culture and Interpersonal Communication Chapter 2
3 Quiz 1 Chapter 3
Perception and the Self in Interpersonal
Communication
4 Listening in Interpersonal Communication Chapter 4
5 Quiz 2 Chapter 5
Verbal Communication
6 Nonverbal Communication Chapter 6
Self-Reflection Paper due
7 Middle Test
8 Emotional Messages Chapter 7
9 Interpersonal Relationship: Stages and Chapter 9
Deterioration
10 Quiz 3 Chapter 10
Interpersonal Relationship: Development and
Deterioration
11 Interpersonal Relationship Types: Friendship, Chapter 11
Love, Family and Workplace
12 Quiz 4 Chapter 12
Interpersonal Conflict and Conflict
Management
13 Interpersonal Power and Influence Chapter 13
Media Analysis Paper Due
14 Final Test

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