SPEECH 202: SURVEY OF SPEECH COMMUNICATION

SUMMER 2007

Instructor: Katherine E. Oleson

Class Meetings: online

Office Hours: online daily; by appointment in R230U on BCC campus; via telephone

Phone: 425-564-3050 (office)

E-mail: koleson@bcc.ctc.edu

 

Required Textbook: Trendholm, S. Thinking Through Communication, 4th edition, (Pearson, Allyn and Bacon, 2005).

 

Course Description: This course is designed to introduce you to basic concepts and theories in the field of speech communication. As a result of taking this course, you should become more aware of how communication surrounds you and affects your life, better able to identify and analyze communication patterns and their effects, and more aware of your own communication strengths and weaknesses.

 

Class Format: This is an online course. We will be engaged in online discussions designed to aid your understanding of the concepts discussed in your text and activities online. It is essential that you commit to being an active participant in this class; regular meaningful discussion is required online. The reading materials in this class contain complex theory and terminology. I highly recommended that you have a college level reading ability. Please consult your English placement test scores and please contact me with any questions or concerns.

 

Please note that the summer quarter moves along at a quick clip. This class is highly writing-intensive (as you’ll complete online discussion and personal reflection papers/activities). You will work at your own pace; at the same time there will be a few major due dates to help guide you in managing the course. This will also help you to take in the course concepts and apply them to your own interactions in various settings.

 

Course Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Define the process of communication from multiple discipline perspectives.

2. Explain the influence of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers on current rhetorical and communication theory.

3. Describe the unique qualities found in group interaction and organizational communication and the methods of effective teambuilding and decision making.

4. Analyze a public speech and demonstrated an understanding of effective organization, argument construction, and guidelines for speech delivery.

5. Identify the barriers to effective intercultural communication and describe the methods of adapting to new cultures.

6. Apply contemporary communication research methods to human discourse and behavior.

7. Describe the symbolic nature of verbal and nonverbal communication and the role of communication theory in improving message clarity and relational satisfaction.

 

 

 

Methods of Evaluation:

Exams (100 points each) 500 points

Online discussion & participation 200 points

Assignments (20 points each) 100 points

Final Paper 200 points

1000 points total

 

Exams: During the quarter you will be given five exams, and you will take these on the Vista site. Each exam is worth 100 points and will consist of 50 true-false or multiple choice questions. You will have 50 minutes to take each exam. The exams will be available over a 3-day period (Friday at 12:01 a.m. to Sunday at 11:59 p.m. on 5 occasions throughout the quarter.) These questions will test your knowledge, comprehension, and synthesis of course concepts and theories. There will be review sheets posted and a discussion board for exam-related questions.

 

Online discussion & participation: Participation in chapter discussions online is required for completion of the course and is worth 100 points. Students must post 1 answer and 1 response to a classmate’s posting for each chapter being discussed. Postings must address all aspects of the discussion question and consist of a well-developed paragraph. One sentence responses are unacceptable. Emphasis should be placed on discussing the concepts and theories discussed in the text and personal experiences should only be used as examples of course-related material. Your comments should further discussion, add knowledge or ideas, stimulate interest, act as a catalyst, and/or support or challenge other students substantively, not just with a statement of agreement or disagreement. Additionally, the best responses will include references to the text (including page numbers) and/or references to other sources like websites or books that can enrich our understanding. Your comments should also reflect your understanding of the reading and the ideas we are discussing. Give some thought to your comments and if necessary do some editing in a Word document before copying and pasting it into the discussion.

 

Assignments: You will complete 5 assignments designed to assess your daily communication. These assignments will explore a variety of topics and are worth 20 points each, totaling 100 points. Further details/descriptions are provided on the Vista site. You will submit each of these assignments as Microsoft Word files through the Vista site.

 

Final paper: You will write an 8-10 page paper that includes a review of literature and an original study on a topic of your choice. You will be given a list of topics from which to choose your own. If you have an idea of a topic not listed, you should have it approved before you begin writing. After you complete the review of literature, you will generate a hypothesis and test the hypothesis using one of the methods of inquiry discussed in the text. Further detail and an example paper will be provided online. This final paper is worth 200 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPICS WE’LL DISCUSS

The Communication Tradition

Communication models

Perception

Listening

Language (subsystems; language & social identity; choices)

Nonverbal Communication

Interpersonal Communication

Intercultural Communication

Group communication

Organizational communication

Methods of Discovery

Public Communication

Communication and the Mass Media

 

POLICIES

Grading Scale:

940-1000= A               730-759= C

900-939= A-               700-729= C-

860-899= B+               660-699= D+

830-859= B                 600-659= D

800-829= B-               0-599= F

760-799= C+

 

Late Written Assignments/Exams: For purposes of equity and fairness for all students, you will be given a reasonable amount of time to complete all written assignments. Deadlines for all assignments will be announced on the course calendar, written in your course schedule, and posted on the Vista site. An assignment is on time when it is delivered to the teacher on the day it is due. Remember, there are due dates throughout the quarter to allow you the flexibility work at your own pace and help guide you to avoid being overwhelmed at the end of the quarter. In the event that you do not turn in your assignment on the day it is due, you will be assessed the following academic penalty: late written assignments will receive a one point grade reduction for every full day they are late (i.e. B+ to C+). Late exams will not be accepted.

 

Statement on Academic Integrity: You should know that plagiarism is a serious violation of your contract as a student and will be treated severely. It is important for you to understand that plagiarism is any representation of another person’s words or ideas in a manner that makes it seem as if they were your own, in either oral or written form. Obviously, this means that you may not copy another person’s papers or speeches. But it also means that you should not use another person’s unique phrases or organizational schemes without making it clear to your audience where those words or ideas originated. Students caught cheating on an exam or plagiarizing an assignment will not receive any credit for that portion of the class and repeat offenses will be reported to the Dean of Student Programs.

 

Special Needs: Please contact the DSS at 564-2498 or go to the DSS reception area of the Student Services Building if you have special needs. If you have a documented disability and need a type of accommodation, please meet with me.

 

Classroom Conduct: When engaged in your role as a student, please be constructive in your comments. Students are expected to model the behavior discussed in the content of this course. You may certainly disagree and debate online during discussion; in this and at all times, you are required to treat your classmates with respect. Please consult with www.bcc.ctc.edu/artshum/policy.html to review the Arts and Humanities Division statement of Student Procedures and Expectations and/or contact your instructor should you have any questions or concerns.

 

Suggested schedule for pacing for the summer quarter

Remember the summer quarter is 7 weeks, and it flies by! We have a lot to cover, so I thought this would be a helpful guideline for you to keep up with the material and really get a great deal out of it. Please note: The due dates for papers and exam times are included; these are not suggested dates, but actual due dates for these materials.

               

Mon. June 25                        Check out Vista site (read “Getting Started” section)

                                                Buy textbook

Tues. June 26                        Work on Technology Plan assignment

                                                Introduce yourself in online discussion board

The Communication Tradition (Ch. 1; Ch. 2 p. 18-23; “Corax & Tisias” handout)

Wed. June 27                        Communication Models (Ch. 2 p. 23-42)

Thurs. June 28                      Perception (Ch. 3 p. 43-55)

Technology Plan due

Fri. June 29                            Listening (Ch. 3); Work on Assignment 1

 

Mon. July 2                           Listening (Ch. 3)

Tues. July 3                           Assignment 1 “Games People Play” due

Wed. July 4                           Holiday - relax J

Thurs. July 5                         Review for Exam 1

Fri. July 6-Sun. July 8          Exam 1 available

 

Mon. July 9                           Language (Ch. 4 p. 67-85)

Tues. July 10                         Language & social identity (Ch. 4 p. 85-93)

Wed. July 11                         Nonverbal Communication (Ch. 5)

Thurs. July 12                       Assignment 2 “When Rules Collide” due; Review for Exam 2

Fri. July 13-Sun. July 16      Exam 2 available

 

Mon. July 16                         Interpersonal Communication (Ch. 6)

Assignment 3 “Nonverbal observation” due

Tues. July 17                         Interpersonal Communication (Ch. 6) & Intercultural Communication (Ch. 11)

Wed. July 18                         Intercultural Communication (Ch. 11); work on Assignment 4

Thurs. July 19                       Assignment 4 “Culture Shock” due; Review for Exam 3

Fri. July 20-Sun. July 22      Exam 3 available

 

Mon. July 23                         Group communication (Ch. 7)

Tues. July 24                         Group communication (Ch. 7) & Organizational communication (Ch. 8)

Wed. July 25                         Organizational communication (Ch. 8)

Thurs. July 26                       Assignment 5 “Film analysis” due; Review for Exam 4

Fri. July 27-Sun. July 29      Exam 4 available

 

Mon. July 30                         Methods of Discovery (Ch. 12); Think about final paper

Tues. July 31                         Public Communication (Ch. 11)

Wed. Aug 1                          Communication and the Mass Media (Ch. 10)

Thurs. Aug. 2                       Communication and the Mass Media (Ch. 10); Review for exam 5

Fri. Aug 3-Sun. Aug 5         Exam 5 available

 

Mon. Aug. 6                         Final participation evaluation due

Work on final paper (research, conduct study)

Tues. Aug 7                          Work on final paper (research, conduct study, write)

Wed. Aug. 8                         Work on final paper (write, edit)

Thurs. Aug. 9                       Final paper due online by 11:30 a.m.