Textbook/Lecture Quizzes:
6 quizzes 13 points each (78 points total)
There are 6 quizzes regarding our class discussions, and reading from the textbooks. These quizzes are meant to provide the scholarly foundation of the material. These quizzes must be completed through Canvas no later than the date stated. By paying attention in class, and doing assigned reading you should be able to do well on these quizzes
Class Assignments:
Up to 35 in-class assignments x 15 points each (525 points max)
There are in class assignments that will be done each day there is a class. These assignments will not be added to Canvas all at once, because frankly it depends on how instruction is going and the direction of where the class goes. Failure to attend class, may result in failure to complete this assignment. Showing up to class, participating and doing the in-class assignments will result in 100%. Each in class assignment will be worth 15 points. Depending on how many there are this could be up to 65% of your final grade. You will not pass this class if you never show up. When you do miss class, you may still turn in the in-class assignment outside of class through canvas (adhering the previously stated late-work policy).
Unit Assessments:
6 Unit Assessments each 50 points (300 points max) (rubrics in Canvas):
Unit Assessment #1 – Human Interaction Observation and write up
This assignment involves some analysis of communication interactions.
Step 1 – Pick an observation spot where you can listen, see, or participate in a human interaction between two people (one of these people can be yourself). Observe an in-person interaction whether in the hallway at school, in your dorms/home, out with friends one night, or even in the library.
Step 2 -- Pay attention to the sender, the receiver, the response, and so forth. Was the interaction linear or transactional? What was the overall tone of the interaction? How would you describe nonverbal communication between the two? Analyze how this interaction takes place and what communication principles from the textbook readings and class discussions are present. You may have to take notes to remember, and may need your notes from class and the interactions to be in place.
Step 3- Write about your experience in a 2-page, double spaced, write-up regarding the what you learned in watching this human interaction with the lens gained from the discussions and readings. Try to stick to APA 7 guidelines as best you can, (although you can use first person here as you are describing your experience) especially if you cite the textbooks when referencing them. In all academic writing you should cite your material. I would expect at least one citation from this.
Format: 1-2 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt. font, 1-inch margins. This paper should follow APA 7th edition standards, first person writing is acceptable here. (In order to be considered a full page writing must include at least ¾ of the length of the page)
Unit Assessment #2 – Identity Paper
There's three parts to this assignment. The first is worth 15 points and is an analysis of your personality based on the discussion and class assignment in class using The Color Code. The second part is worth 15 points and is an analysis of your personality based on the findings of a different personality quiz of your choosing. The 3rd part (final part) is worth 20 points and is an analysis that compares and contrasts the findings of each test. Answer the questions and provide examples to demonstrate you understand concepts and findings.
Part 1: Explain your score/results of The Color Code personality test taken in class. Describe what the results mean based on the materials from the Color Code. What is your strongest color? What aspects of that color resonate with your self-concept? What is your secondary color? What aspects of that color resonate with your self-concept's secondary traits? What does the combination mean? How do you feel about these findings? What do you disagree with? What surprised you? How will this understanding of your personality be useful in interpersonal communication? How will these results be useful to you in your education and/or career objectives?
Part 2: Explain the personality test that you chose. What is the objective of the test? What aspects of your personality is it supposed to identify? Describe your quiz results. Explain how the scoring works and what your results mean. What aspects of the findings resonated with you? What aspects did you disagree with? What surprised you? How will this understanding of your personality be useful in interpersonal communication? How will these results be useful to you in your education and/or career objectives?
Part 3: Compare and contrast the findings of the two personality tests. How did or didn't the quizzes work together? What were some of the findings that you found beneficial? How will you incorporate the findings to improve your life? How will this impact your interpersonal relationship? What did you find useful about this assignment?
Format: 2-3 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt. font, 1-inch margins. This paper should follow APA 7th edition standards. (In order to be considered a full page writing must include at least ¾ of the length of the page)
Some of the personality tests available that are appropriate for this assignment: Google's myColor, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Understand Myself (Jordan Peterson), Big Five Aspects, Hexaco, 16 Personalities -- these are just a few. There are many out there that you can use. Do some research and find a test that you feel would produce useful and interesting results.
Unit Assessment #3 – Human Interaction Presentation
This assessment is meant to take the skills that you have been working on and identify someone in your life or in the media that exemplifies those skills. Let’s say throughout our class discussions you have really appreciated the art of listening, or have really enjoyed seeing how nonverbal cues create communications of meaningful human interactions. This assessment is meant for you to identify one of those characteristics and then find someone in your life who embodies that and analyze how exactly they embody that. The individual chosen can be a political leader, a sports coach, an athlete, a musician, a professor, a boss, a coworker, some other prominent leader or even a friend. It needs to be someone that you can have an amplitude of examples that showcase a particular behavior or human interaction. Then present your findings creatively.
Identify 2-3 specific examples that this person does that exemplifies a particular skill that others can learn from when observing them interact with other people. Upon successful identification and analysis of this skill present in either a video, a presentation, a 1-page paper or some other illustration that highlights a specific skill and how this person exemplifies that skill.
For example: if I were to do this assignment and I wanted to talk about the specific skill of making each person feel important in a room, I would talk about President Mindy Benson. I would start by highlight her attention to each and every person in the room, how she calls everyone by name and spends even just 15 seconds with them. I would then talk about how she locks eyes with those in the room and asks a meaningful question beyond “How are you today?” Then I would talk about how she thanks everyone she works with for their hard work and makes sure she thanks each person before moving on to the next person. I could do this in a 1-page paper, a video, or a presentation.
**due to the complicated intricacies of this assignment, if someone chooses to undertake a video extra points would be given.
Unit Assessment #4 – Relationship Journal
As we have talked about the different types of relationships in your life, and how your communication changes depending on the nature of those relationships, students are tasked with Identifying 3 relationships in their life and writing a brief journal entry regarding how their communication with those individuals has impacted their relationship. Consider the following questions when writing this journal:
- How often do I communicate with this person?
- How well would I say I know this person?
- How do I describe this person to someone who may not know them?
- What is one thing I wish I knew more about them?
- How do I feel when I’m communicating with them?
Each of these journal entries should include a different type of relationship as identified through Unit 4.
Format: Each journal entry must be at least 150 words. I’m not worried about formatting with these entries you can just have “Journal Entry 1 – My Communication with my Dad then write 150 words about how you communicate with your dad.”
Unit Assessment #5 – Informational Interview
Students are to identify someone in their life whom they admire, look up to, or would potentially want to work for. After identifying this person, students must contact this person and set up an informational interview as discussed in the class discussion. Practice using the professional communications skills identified through Unit 5. Students should document the initial interaction asking for an informational interview (usually in an email), then document questions they want to pose and any notes they learn from conducting the interview.
Write up a 1-page paper on what you learned from this informational interview and how things worked for you.
Format: 1-2 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt. font, 1-inch margins. This paper should follow APA 7th edition standards, first person writing is acceptable here. (In order to be considered a full-page writing must include at least ¾ of the length of the page)
Course Final (100 points):
The final for this course is a 2-3 page reflection paper on what you have learned. This should be completed using APA 7 guidelines with a title page and proper reference page (title page and reference page not included in total count). There is an expectation that you identify key components from the course and cover each of the following topics:
1. Relevant quotes and/or key takeaways from the textbook readings (proper APA 7 citations expected with associated references page) (20 points)
2. Key exercises from unit assessments that helped understand the material (20 points)
3. Key moments in class discussions, or moments that helped you see communication from a newer perspective by your participation (20 points)
4. Application and how you will implement at least one thing walking away from this class (20 points)
The final 20 points will come from spelling and grammar check, and careful following of APA 7th edition guidelines