COM 103 Final Project

Over the past few decades, our world, including our interpersonal interactions, has moved increasingly online.
The purpose of this project is to investigate how interpersonal communication is presented in electronic
communication during a 5-7 minute recorded presentation. In other words, you will explore some aspect of the
digitally-connected world and how it affects us interpersonally.

1) First, choose a topic. Examples provided below. If you would like to pick a topic not on this list, feel free to
reach out and run your idea by me.

Topic ideas:
Internet addiction
Online gambling or online gaming
Fake identities, or catfishing
Phishing
Cyberbullying
Trolling
Gas-lighting
Social media and beauty image
Hiring in the age of social media
Online dating
Telecommuting/working remotely
Telehealth, teletherapy, or online
support groups
Online life coaches or fitness trainers
Role of social media in
democracy/campaigning
Social media and anxiety
Others….

2) After choosing your topic, you will select at least two communication concepts from the course to
connect to your topic. For example, you can select cyberbullying and discuss impression management and self-
concept. You can select online dating and discuss self-disclosure and nonverbal communication. Perhaps you
are interested in online dating and so you choose relational dialectics and social penetration theory. Maybe you
telecommute and you want to explore workplace relationships and power. You can focus on telehealth and
nonverbal communication and intercultural communication. As you can see, there are many ways to relate
course concepts to your topics; these are just a few examples to get you thinking about your options. I weave
more examples throughout the rest of these instructions.

3) You will need to cite a minimum of three credible sources during the presentation. You can count any of the
required or recommended readings or videos as one of the three sources. While you do not need to cite
scholarly research (e.g., from CSP’s library databases or Google Scholar), your sources should be credible.
Your instructor would be happy to evaluate the credibility of a source at any time. For more information about
finding and using different types of credible sources, see the “Types of Sources” video linked in this week’s
module in Blackboard.

Your 5–7-minute presentation includes:

I. A background of your topic. This can cover information such as what it is, how many people it
affects/impacts, the type of people, etc. This is a great place to include credible citations.
 II. A thesis statement that previews the course connections. (e.g., Today I’m going to discuss social
penetration theory and social exchange theory and online dating. Or Today I’m going to discuss
telehealth and power distance and nonverbal communication. Or Today I’m going to discuss self-
concept and self-esteem and trolling.)

You can choose to open with the background or open with your thesis.

III. Next, you will explain the first course concept in detail, providing examples of that concept within
your topic. For example, what is nonverbal communication and why is it important in telehealth?
What is impression management and how does it work with online dating? What is referent and
coercive power and how do they connect to online gaming? Then you will continue with your
second course concept, and so on. Be specific in your explanations and examples.

IV. After explaining your course concepts, be sure to end with a short conclusion.

The presentation must also include:

I. A visual presentation (e.g., PowerPoint or Google Slides). Your slides need to be formatted
consistently, should release information one bullet point at a time (to ensure your audience stays
with you and does not read ahead), and should have graphics or images, such as screenshots of what
the topic looks like. Your slides should have a dark background with a high contrast color for the
text, e.g., black background with yellow or white for the text.

II. Your last slide will include your alphabetized references in APA 7th edition format.

III. A minimum of three different oral citations, i.e., you must cite your source out loud. Remember the
course readings can count as one or more sources. The sources must be credible.

Examples of oral citations include:

According to a 2021 article posted in Facebook’s Newsroom,
In 2020, Jones from ABC News noted that…
A 2021 Business Insider article by Cole Smith suggested that online gaming…

Here are some examples of how to cite some of our readings orally:
According to Communication in the Real World…
As discussed in Effective Business Communication…
As argued in Communication in the Real world…

IV. In addition to oral citations of three different sources, you must include a written citation on the
specific slide (i.e., do not only provide references on the last slide of the presentation; you need to
include it on the appropriate slide within the presentation).

Your written citation is a shortened version of what is required for your references page and should
include the author/source and year. Use n.d. which means “no date” if your source does not include a
date. For help citing different types of resources and formatting your references, use the CSP
Library's APA guide.

Examples:
(Facebook’s Newsroom, 2022)
(Jones, 2023, ABC News)
(Smith, 2021, Business Insider)
(About Reddit, n.d.)
 V. Clear transitions throughout. Here are some examples:
My first example of perspective-taking is…
Now that I discussed impression management, I will discuss self-esteem.
Another, Also, In addition, However, etc.
In conclusion,

Other notes:
● You should assume your audience is educated and intelligent but is not familiar with your topic and has
never taken a communication course. I suggest you practice your presentation with someone who fits
that description. Make sure they understand both the topic, the interpersonal communication concepts,
and how they intersect.
● You will be graded on your ability to explain the topic and course concepts clearly. You will also be
graded on your organizational structure, use of oral and written citations, presentational speaking skills,
as well as your ability to follow the requirements of the entire project.
● Start with two course concepts, defining and explaining both in detail, providing illustrative examples
for each. After that, if you find yourself falling short of the minimum time requirement, you can add a
third course concept. It is better to have 2-3 thoroughly explained connections than too many course
connections with only superficial explanations.
● Tips for recording and uploading your presentation will be posted on Blackboard under the assignment.