Communication 1100: Introduction to Human Communication
Summer 2013—University of North Georgia
General Information
Professor: Dr. Preston Coleman, Associate Professor of Communication, Journalism & Media Studies
Office: 104, Oconee Campus
Contact: preston.coleman@ung.edu 706-310-6294
Faculty web page: https://web.gsc.edu/fs/pcoleman/homepage.asp
Office Hours: MW 10:00-11:00; TR 2:00-3:00
by appointment as needed
Text and Materials
O'Hair, Dan and Wiemann, Mary (2012). Real Communication: An Introduction, 2nd edition. Boston: Bedford St. Martin's
Course Description
A critical thinking based course designed to introduce students to various communication contexts. Special emphasis is placed on adapting communication style and content to diverse cultural audiences. The course includes practice in Informative Speaking, Critical Listening/Evaluation of Persuasive Messages, Interpersonal Communication, and Group Communication. This class fulfills the oral communication requirement for Area B of the Core Curriculum.
Course Objectives
1. to engage in critical thinking
2. to develop active critical listening skills
3. to understand listener characteristics influences by cultural affiliations as it applies to different types of communication contexts
4. to enhance student’s understanding of their role in the global community by focusing on recent global events
5. to gather and evaluate information
6. to learn how to reduce and manage apprehension about communicating orally
7. to be able to present an oral public presentation extemporaneously
8. to be able to recognize and utilize a variety of speech designs
9. to understand and use critical thinking in a small group context
10. to build ethical character in communication
Course Outcomes
Students will communicate effectively through speaking.
Students will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the value of sources of information.
Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a group to prepare and deliver a speech.
Course Calendar
A detailed course schedule is provided below. Key dates this semester include:
June 6
Summer Session begins
July 1
June Session ends
July 4
Independence Day holiday, no classes
July 29 Summer
Session ends
Course Policies
All students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the following policies; be sure you've read and understood these policies, as there will be no exceptions made.
1. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THIS CLASS.
No late written assignments will be accepted for any reason. Failure to turn in a written assignment in person and in class will result in a 0. No assignments will be accepted via email. Written assignments may be turned in early, no more than two class periods before they're due.
No makeup exams will be offered. Failure to take an exam when scheduled without informing the professor before the scheduled time with a documented excused absence will result in a 0. If you inform the professor before the exam and have documentation of an excused absence, a makeup assignment may be given at the discretion of the professor.
No late speeches will be given for any reason. Failure to deliver a speech on one of the days assigned will result in a 0. If you're called on and aren't prepared to speak or are absent without a documented acceptable excuse, but do speak on another of the days assigned, a deduction of two letter grades will be incurred.
2. In cases of documented excused absences in which the professor is informed before the scheduled time of an exam or speech, appropriate makeup work for full or partial credit will be offered at the discretion of the professor. Acceptable documentation includes doctor’s notes, death notices/obituaries, and court summons.
3. ATTENDANCE POLICY Students who are not in class when the roll is called will be considered absent. Students may be absent from two classes per semester in classes that meet twice a week without penalty. After 2 absences, each subsequent absence will trigger a deduction from the student's final grade as follows: absence #3: -1; absence #4: -2; absence #5: -3; absence #6: -4, and so on. Six total absences will cause the deduction of 10 points from the student's final grade (1+2+3+4); seven absences, 15 points; eight absences, 21 points; nine absences, 27 points; ten absences, 35 points. These deductions are in addition to any missed work. Note that ten absences will make it virtually impossible to pass the class, and that after six total absences, students will lose a full letter grade from their final grade.
4. Reading assignments should be completed prior to the class in which they will be discussed; do not read or do homework for other classes while in this class.
5. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. If you are caught plagiarizing a speech or assignment, or cheating on a test, you will receive a 0 on that speech/assignment/test and will be subject to further disciplinary action, including failing the course. Wholesale plagiarism of a speech will result in an F in the class. There are no exceptions to this policy.
6. Cell phones and pagers must be turned off (or set to vibrate) at all times during class. No digital device may be visible to the student during exams. Laptops are acceptable, but only for taking notes for COMM 1100---don't use class time for checking Facebook or doing homework for other classes. Do not send or receive text messages during class. Students who violate this policy repeatedly will be asked to leave the classroom.
7. Once you’ve spoken, you are required to remain in class to hear other students’ speeches. If you must leave for a valid reason, tell the professor before class begins. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of two letter grades on the speech.
8. Behavior that is disruptive or disrespectful will result in a verbal warning and possible ejection from the classroom. If the behavior continues, the student will be subject to disciplinary procedures as outlined in the Gainesville State College Student Handbook.
9. Due to federal privacy laws, I will not discuss grades via email or telephone without written permission. No exceptions to this policy will be made. For more information regarding the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, see: http://www.gsc.edu/admin/ferpa/ You are responsible for keeping track of your grades and for keeping all of your graded assignments.
10. To discourage plagiarism, all major speeches must include a full and detailed outline of at least 2 pages and a bibliography. Without an outline and bibliography, a speech cannot be presented and the student will receive a 0 on the assignment. Outlines and bibliographies are due before you give a speech; no late work will be accepted.
Grading
Grading will be on a 1000-point scale as follows:
Written Assignment 200
Informative Speech 200
Midterm Exam 200
Group Presentation 200
Final Exam 200
1000
A 900-1000
B 800-899
C 700-799
D 600-699
F 0-599
W Withdrew prior to midpoint of semester
WF Withdrew Failing (withdrew after midpoint of
semester, counts as an F)
MW Military Withdrawal
I Incomplete
A grade of "Incomplete" will be given only in extreme circumstances beyond the student's control.
Evaluation
The criteria used to establish grades on speeches, papers and presentations will be explained in class; detailed evaluation forms will be used to grade speeches. If you have a question or concern about a specific grade, please see the professor for an explanation. If this does not satisfy you, please see the Gainesville College Student Handbook for the proper procedure to contest a grade.
Supplemental Course Information
Students are responsible for the following college-wide policies (also available at https://web.gsc.edu/sci/):
Inclement weather
Please check the following radio and TV stations for announcements of closings: WSB-TV Atlanta, FOX 5-TV Atlanta, WXIA-TV Atlanta, WNEG-TV 32, Toccoa, WSB-Radio Group, Atlanta: B98.5FM, News Radio 680 AM, Jazz Flavors 104.1, 95.5 FM; WGST-Radio Atlanta - 640 AM and 105.7 FM, Radio Center, Gainesville: WDUN-550AM, WGGA 1240 AM, Magic 102.9 FM, Southern Broadcasting, Athens/Gainesville: WLET 106.1 FM, 103.7 FM, 102.1 FM, 1340 AM, 960 AM; WJJC 1270 AM, Commerce, WCON 99.3 FM and 1450 AM, Cornelia. TV and radio stations only announce if the college is closed, not if it is open. Information on closing is also available at 678-717-3639 (Gainesville Campus), 706-310-6201 (Oconee Campus), and http://www.gsc.edu/.
Students with disabilities
Gainesville State College welcomes otherwise qualified students with disabilities. Disability Services attempts to accommodate these students in every reasonable way, by providing academic and support services that ensure equal access to all programs and activities.
Students who need special accommodations and services must register with Disability Services and submit supporting documentation. If it is determined that a student is eligible for special services, Accommodations Memos, provided by Disability Services, must be presented to his/her instructors. It is the student’s choice as to whether he/she uses these accommodations and he/she is responsible for making arrangements with instructors.
To register with Disability Services, please contact the Coordinator of Disability Services at 678-717-3855 (Gainesville Campus) or at 706-310-6204 (Oconee Campus).
Academic dishonesty
The Student Conduct Code in the Gainesville State College Student Handbook states that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Penalties and due process procedures are discussed in this section of the handbook.
Official GSC email policy
As of January 1, 2005, Gainesville State College officially recognized the use of the College assigned e-mail account as a mechanism for official communication within the College. The College has the right to expect that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. Official e-mail communications are intended only to meet the academic and administrative needs of the campus community. As steward of this process, the Office of Information Technology is responsible for directing the use of all students, faculty, and staff official e-mail.
Smoking policy
Gainesville State College does not allow the use of any tobacco products in the buildings or on the grounds of the institution. This policy applies to the Gainesville and Oconee campuses.
Plagiarism
Accidental or intentional--will be dealt with in accordance with the Student Conduct Code in the Gainesville State College Student Handbook. Plagiarism will be grounds for failing the assignment and perhaps the course. The MLA Handbook defines plagiarism as follows.
The most blatant form of plagiarism is to repeat as your own someone else's sentences, more or less verbatim. . . . Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else's particularly apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgment, paraphrasing another person's argument as your own, and presenting another's line of thinking . . . as though it were your own. (sec 1.6)
This course may use plagiarism prevention technology. Students may be given the option of submitting papers online through a plagiarism prevention service or having the papers submitted by the instructor. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Copyright
Both Federal and State laws forbid the unlawful duplication of copyrighted computer software or other reproductions of copyrighted material. In accordance with these policies, Gainesville State College expressly forbids the copying of such materials supplied by or used in the College. Unlawful duplication of copyrighted materials by a user may result in disciplinary action by the College under the Student Conduct Code (Non-Academic Infractions--Prohibitions, Theft), and/or possible criminal action by the owner of the copyright.
Course withdrawal process
It is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from a course. Students who wish to withdraw from a course without academic penalty (to receive a W) must do so prior to the midpoint of the session. Course withdrawals after the midpoint result in a grade of "WF" (withdraw failing) unless otherwise approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. To drop a course or to withdraw from all courses, the student may complete the "Request Withdrawal" form on Banner Web. When Learning Support (LS) students request to withdraw from a LS course using Banner, their request must be approved by the LS department unless the student is completely withdrawing from the College. The student will be notified via email if there is a problem with his or her request. Students may also complete a course withdrawal form or a complete withdrawal form in the Registrar's Office in Dunlap Mathis, Room 106, on the Gainesville campus or in the Main Office, Administration Bldg., on the Oconee campus.
Course Schedules
Summer Semester, July Session, 2013
Week 1 July 3
Course introduction—syllabus, schedule, policies
What is communication? Definitions of communication, types of communication, history of communication, communication in nature
July 4, Independence Day holiday---No classes
Week 2 July 8-11
Tradition of public communication from ancient Greece; definitions of rhetoric, philosophy, sophistry
Discuss Part I, Chapters 1-6, in Real Communication
Written Assignment due Wednesday, July 10
Discuss Part II, Chapters 7 & 8, in Real Communication
Discuss Part III, Chapters 9-11, in Real Communication
Discuss planning and delivering a speech using 3Fs: Focus, Form, Flair
Discuss informative speaking, Chapter 15; view sample informative speeches
Review for Midterm Exam
Week 3 July 15-18
Midterm Exam, July 15
Divide class into groups; independent work in groups
Discuss Part IV, Chapters 12-16 (exclusive of Chapter 15), in Real Communication
Informative Speeches due Thursday, July 18
Week 4 July 22-25
Discuss persuasion; view sample persuasive speeches
View and discuss MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech
Independent work in groups
Week 5 July 29
Catch up and wrap up; review for final
Group Presentations due Monday, July 29
Final Exam, Tuesday, July 30, 10:30-12:30
Summer Semester, Full Session, 2013
Week 1 June 10, 12
Course introduction—syllabus, schedule, policies; definitions of communication; types of communication; history of human communication; communication in nature
Tradition of public speaking from ancient Greece; definitions of rhetoric, philosophy, sophistry
Week 2 June 17, 19
Discuss Part I, Chapters 1-6, in Real Communication
Discuss basic steps in planning and delivering a speech
Written Assignment due, June 19---Communication in nature
Week 3 June 24, 26
Discuss Part II, Chapters 7 & 8, in Real Communication
Discuss Part III, Chapters 9-11, in Real Communication
Discuss planning and delivering a speech using 3 Fs: Focus, Form, and Flair
Divide class into groups for Group Presentation assignment; independent work in groups
Week 4 July 1, 3
Discuss informative speaking, Chapter 15; view sample informative speeches
Review for Midterm Exam
MIDTERM EXAM, July 3
Week 5 July 8, 10
Discuss Part IV, Chapters 12-16 (exclusive of Chapter 15), in Real Communication
Independent work in groups
Informative Speeches due, July 10
Week 6 July 15, 17
Independent work in groups
Discuss persuasion; view sample persuasive speeches
Week 7 July 22, 24
Catch up and wrap up
Week 8 July 29
Group presentations due July 29
Discuss MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech
Review for final
Final Exam, Wednesday, July 31, 1:00-3:00
Summer Semester, June Session, 2013
Week 1 June 10-13
Course introduction—syllabus, schedule, policies
What is communication? Definitions of communication, types of communication, history of communication, communication in nature
Tradition of public communication from ancient Greece; definitions of rhetoric, philosophy, sophistry
Discuss Part I, Chapters 1-6, in Real Communication
Written Assignment due Thursday, June 13
Week 2 June 17-20
Discuss Part II, Chapters 7 & 8, in Real Communication
Discuss Part III, Chapters 9-11, in Real Communication
Discuss planning and delivering a speech using 3Fs: Focus, Form, Flair
Discuss informative speaking, Chapter 15; view sample informative speeches
Divide class into groups; independent work in groups
Review for Midterm Exam
Midterm Exam, Wednesday, June 19
Week 3 June 24-27
Informative Speeches due Monday, June 24
Discuss Part IV, Chapters 12-16, in Real Communication
Independent work in groups
Discuss persuasion; view sample persuasive speeches
Week 4 July 1
Discuss MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech
Group Presentations due Monday, July 1
Catch up and wrap up; review for final
Final Exam, Tuesday, July 2, 7:45-9:45am
Spring Semester 2013
Week
1 January
7-11
Course
introduction—syllabus, schedule, policies; professor bio, define "ethos";
watch samples of public speaking
Reading assignment:
From faculty web page (https://web.gsc.edu/fs/pcoleman/homepage.asp),
read "Defining Communication and Medium of Communication"
Discuss definitions of
"communication," "medium
of communication"
View sample videos
Week 2
January 14-18
Reading assignment:
"Real Communication," Chapter 1---"Communication: Essential Human
Behavior"
Discuss types of communication, model of communication, history of human communication
Discuss tradition of public speaking from ancient Greece; definitions of
"rhetoric," "philosophy," "sophistry"
Written Assignment #1 DUE Jan. 16, 17
500+ word imaginative essay on "An Ethical Dilemma
Involving Communication" (see "Assignments"
for details)
Week 3
January 22-25
Reading assignment: "Real Communication," Chapter 2---"Perceiving the
Self and Others"
Reading assignment: "Real Communication." Chapter 3---"Communication and
Culture"
Discuss identity, identification, self-concept and related terms
Discuss ethics in public speaking
Discuss relationship between communication and culture
Week 4
January 28-February 1
Reading assignment: "Real Communication," Chapter 4---"Language and Communication"
Reading assignment: "Real Communication," Chapter 5---"Nonverbal
Communication"
Discuss development of language, use of language in public speaking
Discuss nonverbal communication, nonverbal delivery in public speaking
View sample historical speeches
demonstrating use of language and nonverbal delivery
Written assignment #2, DUE Jan. 30, 31
750+ word research paper on "An Example of Non-Verbal
Communication"
Week 5
February 4-8
Discuss basic steps in planning and developing a speech; speech development using 3
Fs--Focus, Form, Flair
Discuss form in speeches; intro/body/outro, main point/sub point/supporting
materials, transitions
View sample student speeches
Discuss speech anxiety
Week 6
February 11-15
Speech #1, DUE Feb. 12, 13
3-4 minute speech on "A Great Communicator"
Reading assignment:
"Real Communication," Chapters 6, 7 and 8---"Listening," "Developing and Maintaining
Relationships" and "Managing Conflict in Relationships"
Discuss types of listening
Discuss interpersonal relationships and communication, managing conflict in
interpersonal and group relationships
Week 7 February 18-22
Reading assignment:
"Real Communication," Chapters 9, 10 and 11---"Communicating in Groups,"
"Leadership and Decision Making in Groups" and "Communicating in
Organizations"
Discuss group communication, group dynamics, organizations
Divide into groups for group presentations
Discuss
group assignment
Review for midterm exam
Week 8 February 25-March 1
MIDTERM EXAM, Feb. 25, 26
Reading assignment: "Real Communication," Chapters 12, 13 and 14---"Preparing and Researching Presentations," "Organizing, Outlining and Writing Presentations,"
"Delivering Presentations"
Discuss research, evaluating sources, citing sources, organizing and outlining
speeches
View sample student speeches
Discuss dividing main points
into sub points
Discuss communication in the
natural world, view videos
Week 9 March 4-8
Speech #2, DUE March 4, 5
3-4 minute speech on "Communication in the Natural
(non-human) World"
Discuss form in culture
Week 10 March 11-15
SPRING BREAK--NO CLASSES
Week 11
March 18-22
Reading assignment:
"Real Communication," Chapter 15 (Chapter 14 in 1st edition)---Informative Speaking
Discuss Speech #3--Informative Speech
Discuss informative speaking, view sample speeches
Work in groups on group presentations
Week 12
March 25-29
Speech #3, Informative Speech, 6-8 minutes on a
topic related to communication, DUE March 25, 26
Week 13 April 1-4
Speech #3, Continued
Reading assignment: "Real Communication,"
Chapter 16---Persuasive Speaking
Discuss differences between informative and persuasive speaking
Discuss the psychology of persuasion
Discuss organizational strategies in persuasive speaking
Discuss reasoning,
logical fallacies
View sample persuasive speeches
Week 14 April 8-12
Written Assignment #3, DUE April 8, 9
750+ word essay on "Logical Fallacies"
View and analyze
sample persuasive speeches
Work in
groups
Week 15 April 15-19
Written Assignment #4, DUE April 17,
18
2000+ word analysis of a persuasive speech from americanrhetoric.com
Week 16 April 22-26
Group Presentations DUE April 23, 24
Course wrap-up
Review for final
Week 17/18 April 29-May 6
Group Presentations, cont. (MW class only)
Course wrap-up
Review for final
FINAL EXAMS
Class meets/CRN
Final Exam
TTh 3:30-4:45
Tues., April 30, 3:15-5:15
MW 5:30-6:45
Mon., May 6, 5:30-7:30
TTh 5:30-6:45
Tues., April 30, 5:30-7:30