Course Packet for Interpersonal Communication

Transcription

1 Course Packet for Interpersonal Communication (with Pablo Martin) This packet contains all of the assignment descriptions and rubrics that you will need for our course this semester. All assignments are listed in chronological order. For individual assignment point values, please see the syllabus. If you lose this packet, please download a replacement from the Course Resources Page. Extra Credit For nearly every chapter, students have two extra credit options (worth 5 points each): 1. complete the Miscellaneous Reading Activity (found online on the CRP) 2. research any of the chapter s concepts further on their own, sharing the source citation and a brief discussion of their findings with the class Note: students cannot exceed the maximum number of extra credit points allowed for the course. Interpersonal Communication: Contain Your Enthusiasm The Contain Your Enthusiasm assignment is intended to be a creative and fun exercise. Not only will we all get to know each other better, we ll also begin to explore a major theme of the course: the power of perception in how we know the world. Basically, I wish to demonstrate that we see the world as our filters allow us to see it, not as it really is. The assignment involves two parts: a presentation that involves your sharing a series of objects that you ve gathered together in order to teach us more about you; a paper discussing what you learned about your colleagues presentations and about perception in general. Contain Your Enthusiasm Presentation You will need to think of a container that you believe represents how OTHERS see you (NOT how you see yourself; several students have made this mistake in the past). You might need to start by asking your friends and acquaintances how they see you. You might choose to focus on a first impression or on the impressions you ve given these people over time. Then, you need to identify three objects that you will put inside the container, items that represent three of your true or inner qualities. These qualities should be things your friends or family know about you know, but that others wouldn t know or suspect just by looking at or speaking with you briefly. You will then gather all four of these items, hiding the three objects that symbolize your true self inside the container that represents how others see you. Please avoid being obvious or literal in choosing your three objects. For example, don t include a CD to show you like music, or a pen to show you like to write. The more metaphorical the item, i.e. the more symbolic it is, the more you will have to say to explain how it represents you and thus, the more we ll learn about you. We don t just want to hear, Here s a CD. I like music. Stories and examples from your life are great ways to talk about yourself. Allow yourself to find creative ways to represent the characteristics that make you who you are the more creative, the more insight we will gain into who you are. If you are having difficulty finding objects, write down several of your qualities and brainstorm a list of possible objects representing each of them. Then, go back to your lists a day or two later and brainstorm some more this should help you think outside of the box as well as focus on the qualities that really matter to you. Lastly, you definitely don t want to forget about this assignment backpacks, pencils, and other everyday objects are will earn only half-credit, unless cleared with me beforehand. Each student will have a window of time to share their items with the class roughly 3-10 minutes. Your presentation will be graded on: 1) How well the object/container represents your sense of identity or how others perceive you, either on their own or with your discussion. 2) The thoughtfulness and/or creativity that went into the object/container. 3) How thoroughly and clearly you discuss what each object/container represents (do we get a clear idea of who you are or are perceived to be?). 4) The overall understanding we have of your personality or identity. Let s look at an example. A person whose identity is tied to the ocean and her free spirit might put a feather in her bag rather than a bar of surf wax. In explaining why she chose that object, she might share how lighthearted a person she is, a free spirit who blows where the wind takes her. She might also tell a brief story to illustrate her 1

2 point. But if she only used a bar of wax, she might be tempted to simply say, I love the ocean and I m a surfer so I use surf wax. That won t really help us get to know her any better, and getting to know each other is a critical component of this activity. Each category will be evaluated on the following criteria: Contain Your Enthusiasm Presentation Rubric 1. How well the object/container represents your sense of identity or how others perceive you, either on their own or with your discussion. (Unless you contact me well before class, using backpacks, pencils, and other everyday objects in your presentation will only be worth half credit.) 2. How thoroughly and clearly you discuss what each object/container represents (do we get a clear idea of who you are or are perceived to be?). 3. The thoughtfulness and/or creativity that went into the object/container. The Container: 4 points Object 1: 4 points Object 2: 4 points Object 3: 4 points Holistic Presentation (the overall understanding we have of your personality or identity): 4 points Overall Score (20 points possible): Contain Your Enthusiasm Paper As each student presents their objects, the rest of you will need to take notes on three areas: 1) what their four items are, 2) what you learn about each student as he shares, and 3) your mental reactions to his presentation. Strive to be both honest and open-minded as you listen and take notes, allow yourself to experience your own preconceived notions of each student and write down your reactions. Don t be hard on yourself or worry if you re relying on stereotypes, it is normal and natural to have these. In fact, exploring stereotypes is one of the reasons we do this assignment! As you jot these reactions down, note how your stereotypes conflict with what you learned about the speaker in their presentation. Afterwards, you will use these notes to help you produce a confidential, 2-3 page paper in which you discuss your reactions to three of your colleagues presentations. (Tip: this works best when you write about people who surprised you.) In your paper, you must discuss: 1) the presenter and her container, 2) the perception/stereotype you had of her prior to the exercise, 3) at least one of the presenter s three objects and what it taught you about her, and 4) discusses your current perception of the presenter and/or how it s changed. For each of the people you write about, be sure to reflect on the differences between the containers people chose and the objects they placed within them. In other words, focus on the difference between each person s objects and his or her container, not the differences between the three people you are discussing. Be sure to provide depth and detail in your discussions. In the introduction and/or conclusion, you might also write about why people are often so different from the impressions give. Make sure to proof read your paper so that it is both clear and free of errors. Below is the layout you should follow in your paper (if you re a strong writer, your paper might look different). 1. Introduction: preparing your reader with a preview of what they can expect to read about (I suggest you write this last). This paragraph should be roughly three to five sentences long. 2. Colleague #1: 1) identify the presenter and his container, 2) describe the perceptions/stereotypes you had of him prior to the exercise, 3) discuss at least one of the presenter s three objects and what it taught you about him, and 4) your current perception of the presenter after what you ve learned 3. Colleague #2: same as for Colleague 1 4. Colleague #3: same as for Colleague 1 5. Conclusion: a summary of what you wrote about, closing with a general statement that shares your final 2

3 thoughts regarding the experiences you wrote about in this paper. This paragraph should be roughly three to five sentences long. Contain Your Enthusiasm Paper Rubric Items in bold are more important than items in standard font and are thus worth more points. Flow of the Paper: 5 points 1. Includes an effective introduction 2. Includes an effective conclusion 3. The paper is well organized 4. The paper flows well, both within and between paragraphs Colleague #1: 10 points 1. Identifies the presenter and their container 2. Describes your perception/stereotype of her/him prior to the exercise 3. Discusses at least one of the presenter s three objects and what you it taught you about the presenter 4. Discusses your current perception of the presenter and/or how it s changed Colleague #2 (same as for Colleague #1): 10 points Colleague #3 (same as for Colleague #1): 10 points Formatting: Deduction of up to 5 points Your paper should be formatted as described here and in the syllabus, be 2-3 pages in length, identify and follow a particular style format (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.), and be free of organizational, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Overall Score (35 points possible): Interpersonal Communication: Critical Exercises Research shows that one of the best ways to master a new concept is by performing it. Even more success can be had by reflecting on the experience afterwards. These are the functions of the Critical Exercises. Each report asks you to engage in a particular interpersonal communication event in your life, reflect on your actions, and think critically about their results. The best conversations for the Critical Exercises tend to be those that are emotionally intense or impactful to your life in some way and even conversations that go badly. As you produce each critical exercise, your ability to observe, analyze, reflect, and critique communication behavior will improve. Ideally, you will become a more sensitive, sophisticated, and effective communicator. Each Critical Exercise (CE) is comprised of two sections: 1) Observation and 2) Analysis & Reflection. The observation section is like a field report: you will be asked to describe the events that took place in detail, not to judge them. The analysis & reflection section is where you describe your personal reactions as well as your reflections on the events by answering the questions provided. In both sections, be sure to use relevant communication terminology. Please separate and label each section (as well as the numbers within sections) in your paper so that it is easier for me to grade (and thus for you to earn credit!). A detailed Observation might read, Steven looked down and shrugged his shoulders. He played with the buttons on his collar, and then he looked up. He looked over my shoulder and did not make eye contact with me for several seconds, then he glanced at me for a moment. A vague Observation might read Steven didn t say anything when I was done talking. A judgmental or evaluative Observation would read, Steven became shy all of the sudden. He didn t want to look at me anymore. Notice how the detailed Observation focuses on specific, observable events. In the vague Observation, the writer provides very little detail and in the evaluative Observation, she gives meaning to Steven s actions rather than describing them. It can be very difficult to separate our opinions from our observations, but learning to do so will sharpen your ability to think more clearly 3

4 and critically about the interaction. The Observation section should be as detailed as possible I encourage you to write notes immediately after the target interaction occurs. In the Analysis & Reflection section, you are asked to evaluate or interpret the meaning of the details you described in the Observation. An effective Analysis& Reflection might read, At the time, I attributed Steven s fidgeting and how he averted his eyes to his being very shy, or worse that he didn t like me. Looking at his fidgety behavior during our interaction and noticing when it started, I realize that telling him about my exboyfriend might have made him uncomfortable. An ineffective and vague Analysis & Reflection might read, I thought Steven didn t like me. Your papers will also be assessed for writing and formatting. This means that they should be formatted as described here and in the syllabus, be 3-5 pages in length, identify and follow a particular style format (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.), and be free of organizational, spelling, and punctuation errors. Up to ten points will be deducted for errors in these areas. Each Critical Exercise has a due date stated provided the syllabus. Sample CEs will be made available online for your reference. You may revise and rewrite one CE for a better grade making improvements on the paper you already submitted (and only those elements of the original paper that you attempted can be revised). I will accept these throughout the semester, but no later than when we meet for the final exam. All Critical Exercises will be kept confidential. Note: You may revise and resubmit one of the three Critical Exercises you complete for re-evaluation, minus any original deductions for lateness/incompleteness. These can be submitted at any time during the semester, but no later than time of the final. Observation: (102 points) Critical Exercise 1: The Communication Model For this critical exercise, you are being asked to observe and evaluate a very brief snapshot of a communication event that you participated in recently. Based on that interaction, identify and describe the elements from the communication model by making a numbered list (that corresponds to the items below) and filling it in. You might only need to write a few words or a whole paragraph to describe each element from the model, just be sure to be complete in your responses. Again, be sure that you focus on only one message and response from this event this will likely include only one small part of a conversation, so it s best to analyze an interaction between you and someone you know well. Be sure to follow the instructions discussed in class and/or online, where sample papers are also available. Elements of the Communication Model: (6 pts each) 1. A brief summary of the interaction from beginning to end, including the channel(s) used (face-to-face, visual chat/skype, telephone, cellular phone, etc.; this is so I can better understand your paper as I read through it. Try to focus on what happened, not the communicators interpretations of what happened.) 2. A brief description of the overall situation or emotional climate in the days or weeks prior to the interaction between the two parties (you ve been fighting a lot, you ve just gotten back from a wonderful vacation, you ve been avoiding the other person, etc.) 3. Communicator A s name (this is either you or the other person) 4. Communicator A s field of experience and how it might have affected the exchange (in particular, their background as it pertains to the conversation at hand, including their gender, culture(s), upbringing, significant life experiences, filters for perceiving/understanding reality, etc.) 5. Communicator B s name (this is either you or the other person) 6. Communicator B s field of experience and how it might have affected the exchange (see above for more information) 7. Context, both recent and immediate, for communicator A (how was their day? what recent experiences or emotions may be influencing the way she/he experienced the event, and what happened immediately before the interaction that may have colored her/his state of mind, such as did he/she have a bad day, just get promoted, etc. You may not discover this until after the conversation takes place, so think about it.) 4

5 8. Context, both recent and immediate, for communicator B (see above for more information) 9. Situational context and external noise during the exchange (where are you talking? what s happening around you?) 10. Focusing on just one of the exchanges in the conversation, provide the words and nonverbal cues used by A to communicate his/her message (include the actual phrase, the tone, their facial affect, etc.) 11. The intended message from A (not the actual words they used, but what they wanted to communicate; you may have to guess what their intent was or you may have learned it later in the conversation) 12. How B interpreted A s message (word for word, write out the message that B decoded in his/her head) 13. Focusing on the exchange from 10 above, provide the words and nonverbal cues used by B to respond to A s message B s response to the original message (include the actual phrase, the tone, their facial affect, etc.) 14. How A interpreted B s message (word for word, write out the message that A decoded in his/her head) 15. Internal noise for communicator A (their actual thoughts; if this is not you, you may have to guess what perceptions or distractions were in his/her head; share why you think that) 16. Internal noise for communicator B (their actual thoughts; if this is not you, see above for tips) 17. Final shared meaning arrived at from the exchange (in regards to the primary message; if there wasn t a shared meaning, describe the meaning that each of the different communicators arrived at) Analysis & Reflection: (100 points) Using complete sentences, answer each of the following questions thoroughly and in detail. Be sure to go beyond just the what, share the why as well. Your responses should be roughly words each. (20 pts each) 1. Ignore the interaction for a moment and describe what are/were your preconceived notions of the other person before entering this interaction. In other words, describe the filters that were in place as you listened to him/her. (For example, you might have the filter that my brother is a lazy, selfish idiot. ) How did you translate their words and nonverbals when you listened from this filter? Start by writing out what this filter or preconceived notion was, then describe specifically how it affected your understanding or interpretation of what was said. 2. Now consider how your interaction and your understanding would have changed if your preconceived notions or filters were the exact opposite of what they were (while being realistic). For example, rather than thinking my brother is a lazy, selfish idiot, what would you have heard and experienced if you thought my brother is a hard-worker in some ways, he probably cares a lot about certain people, and he s actually really smart at some things. Start by writing out what this new filter or preconceived notion might have been, then describe specifically how it might have changed your understanding or interpretation of what was said. (This may be a tough one for you to do, but answering it well could have a powerful impact in your perspective of and relationship with the other person.) 3. What was the relational information in the interaction? Remember, relational information, or how we feel about one another, is communicated mostly nonverbally, so look at the WAY that each of you interacted with one another more than what was actually said. How did the way that you each communicated to each other reflect your feelings for one another at that time and in overall? 4. In your opinion, which elements of the transactional communication model have the biggest impact on the communication process? Why? 5. Which elements of the transactional communication model had the biggest impact on this interaction? Why? (Did the nature of the relationship allow you to communicate without words? Did the immediate context cause difficulties for either party? Etc.) Writing and Formatting: Deduction of up to 10 points Your critical exercise should be formatted as described here and in the syllabus, be 4-6 pages in length, identify and follow a particular style format (MLA, APA, etc.), and be free of organizational, grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. 5

6 Media Example This exercise is designed to help you and your peers better comprehend the various interpersonal communication concepts that we will be discussing this semester, and have some fun doing it. The goals of this assignment are: To help you become an expert in an interpersonal communication concept To let you learn how you learn best and share your unique approach with us To help you study for the exams (strong test questions are likely to be used on the exams) To allow you to engage in scholarly discussion with you colleagues To show you that your voice and unique insights are valuable to the community Once during the semester, each of you will be asked to teach a section from the textbook to the class. Within this section, you will need to choose one concept to teach in greater detail using a media artifact to illustrate your point. A media artifact is a song, film clip, advertisement, work of art, or anything that has been captured to a medium to be shared with others. You can create your own artifact if you like, or use an artifact to teach the opposite of the concept you re focusing on just be sure to explain that in your presentation! Your presentation should last roughly minutes, give or take, so please avoid summarizing everything discussed in your section. Instead, highlight and focus on the most important information for us. You can present your information in any manner you choose. Past students have used PowerPoint and included their media artifact within it, while others have taken us to a website to show us the artifact or used the DVD player to show a film clip. Whichever approach you use, make sure that your materials are loaded on the computer, if necessary, and ready to go before class starts. In addition to teaching us about your section and showing us an artifact to illustrate it, you will also need to write a test question and share it with all of us. It s easiest to do this electronically (either with PowerPoint or a document that you project in the front of the room). Excellent questions will likely be used on course exams. You will present your Media Example at the beginning of the class meeting when your section comes up in the reading (chapter due dates are listed on the syllabus). To help you with your presentation, I recommend that you print up your notes (or your slides) so that you can rely on them, rather than on the projection or computer screen. Delivery accounts for a small part of your score. To pick a section to focus on, I suggest that you start by identifying some media artifacts that appeal to you for one reason or another, and then determine if there s any interpersonal communication (IC) going on within them. Because IC is everywhere, if you keep an open mind, I am sure you ll find something interesting to work with. Once you do, you can reserve that particular section to teach the week that we are reading about it. You will need to reserve your section by editing the sign-up sheet in Blackboard (the sign-up sheet is an editable wiki) by the date state on the syllabus. Requirements of the Media Example Presentation A. An Explanation of the Chapter Section 1. Identify the section 2. Thoroughly explain your section and use your own words as much as possible (if you are using PowerPoint, don t put too much text on each slide 6 lines should be the maximum) 3. Provide your own examples to help explain the section and/or do a little extra research (basically, your explanation needs to go beyond restating what s in the textbook) B. A Media Artifact or Text (I suggest you do this in the following order) 4. Introduce the media artifact itself and briefly explain how it demonstrates at least one concept from your section 5. Share the media artifact. If you wish to use a song, it s helpful if you include the lyrics as well as playing the song. 6. Provide a slide (if using PowerPoint) to help you explain, in detail, how the media artifact speaks to or demonstrates the concept(s) by referring to specific instances in the artifact itself (exact moments/lyrics/parts of the artifact). 6

7 The media example should clearly and effectively illustrate the concept don t assume we see the connections, make them for us. Many students overlook this! C. A Multiple-Choice Test Question 7. Provide a test question that is both challenging and well planned out. 8. Provide five answer choices, A-E 9. Provide the correct answer 10. Explain why this answer is correct or better than the others D. Delivery 11. Your delivery is effective and engaging don t worry, this is a minor part of your overall grade E. Optional: Post Media Example Document/File to Blackboard (5 points XC) Attach your document/file as an attachment to a new thread in Blackboard in Media Example Forum. The title of your thread should include your chapter first, then the name of the section you are covering. NOTE: Some of this presentation may seem redundant to you or that you are restating the obvious. While sometimes this may be the case, it is better to err on the side of being clear and giving us too much information than not enough. When it comes to explaining your media artifact, you should briefly tell your audience about what we are going to see or hear, share the artifact with us, and then explain it to us clearly, using references to the concept and the artifact itself. It may sound ridiculous to do this, but it works. With time, you ll get to where you can do this in a way that does not feel so obvious or repetitive. 7

8 Important Notes and Tips: Students who produced a Media Example before Chapter 9 may also produce and present a second Media Example in Round 2. Round 2 is for those who either wish to produce a second media example to replace their original scores OR for those who earned a 90 or higher in Round 1, they can earn up to 25 points extra credit. Be sure to make a note of what section and what chapter you are going to be covering so you have your work completed by the due date. If you miss your presentation, you may not be able to do a make-up (and if you are, your score will be penalized by 50%). Before selecting the one section you will produce a Media Example presentation for, begin by identifying a few concepts that appeal to you and skim the title of each section of the textbook. Once you ve identified a section you wish to focus on, please log into Blackboard and write your name next to the section that you will be covering. In your presentation, remember that you do not need to go into detail about every aspect discussed in your section, but you should demonstrate a clear understanding of the most important elements of your section. A student describes it this way: The point of the media example is to choose a song or clip from a movie/show/commercial etc., that shows an example of what it is you are teaching the class about. For example, if your section talks about the different kinds of listening styles, a good media example is in a scene where three people are having a conversation and one of them is thinking about something else and only tuning in when they hear their name. It shows that they are being a selective listener and a psuedo-listener. That shows the class the types of listening styles in an acted out clip. Instead of the students trying to visualize what you are saying, they can actually see it happening in your example. It s like having to write a song or act out a movie using what you learned in your section, although you can use what someone else created instead. Past students have committed these two common mistakes, so watch out for them: o o They don't provide a detailed breakdown of how the media artifact they chose speaks to the concept OR they don't introduce it so that we know what to look for. Make sure that you do both of these things (as in writing, tell us what you're going to tell us, tell us/show us, then tell us what you told us). They don't label the new thread as the name of the section they are covering. This is important so that if you want to review a section or have a question about one from a particular chapter, it's much easier to find. Media Example Concepts Please sign up for the concept of your choice using the wiki on Blackboard. Round 1 Chapter 4: Experiencing and Expressing Emotions 1. The Nature of Emotion: 2. Forces Shaping Emotion: 3. Managing Your Emotional Experience and Expression: 4. Emotional Challenges: Chapter 5: Listening Actively 1. Listening: A Five Step Process: 2. The Five Functions of Listening: 3. Understanding Listening Styles: 4. Preventing Ineffective Listening: Chapter 6: Communicating Verbally 8

9 1. Characteristics of Verbal Communication: 2. Functions of Verbal Communication: 3. Cooperative Verbal Communication: 4. Barriers to Cooperative Verbal Communication: Chapter 7: Communicating Nonverbally 1. Principles of Nonverbal Communication: 2. Nonverbal Communication Codes, Part 1 (Body Movements, Voice, Touch, and Personal Space): 3. Nonverbal Communication Codes, Part 2 (Time, Physical Appearance, Objects, the Environment): 4. Functions of Nonverbal Communication: Chapter 8: Developing Interpersonal Competence 1. What is Interpersonal Communication Competence?: 2. Improving Interpersonal Competence: 3. Improving Your Competence Online: 4. Improving Your Intercultural Competence: 5. Preventing Interpersonal Incompetence: Chapter 9: Managing Conflict and Power 1. Conflict and Interpersonal Communication: 2. Power and Conflict: 3. Handling Conflict: 4. Conflict Resolutions and Outcomes: Chapter 10: Relationships with Romantic Partners 1. Defining Romantic Relationships: 2. Romantic Attraction: 3. Relationship Development and Deterioration: 4. Maintaining Romantic Relationships: 5. The Dark Side of Romantic Relationships: Round 2 (Round 2 is for those who wish to produce a second media example to replace their original scores OR for those who earned a 90 or higher in Round 1, who wish to earn up to 25 points extra credit.) Chapter 11: Relationships with Family and Friends 1. Defining Family: 2. Maintaining Family Relationships: 3. Defining Friendship: 4. Maintaining Friendship Relationships: Chapter 12: Relationships in the Workplace 1. Defining Workplace Relationships: 9