Fundamentals of Communication

Syllabus

About the Course

COMM 115 is an overview of the process of communication focusing on how it works and providing perspective on everyday life. The course considers communication in a variety of contexts, including in relationships, at work and through the media. Students will both work on developing skills and also in using new theoretical perspectives to examine their own behavior and that of other people.

Learning Material

All the learning material you need in this course is contained in the learning units of this Web-site. You will not need any textbook.

Grading Elements

1st Quiz 25%

2nd Quiz 25%

Final Exam 40%

Participation 10%

Examinations

There will be two quizzes and a final exam, which includes the contents of the whole course. The quizzes will cover material from every week’s learning modules indicated in this syllabus.
The instructor will post every Monday the corresponding evaluation. The final exam will be cumulative, i. e. it will cover the content of the whole course.

Participation

Each Student is expected to participate in the online discussion forums that will appear every week in the course’s home page. The participation grade will be based on the regularity of your participation and the quantity and quality of your entries.

Missed Assignments

The instructor will post them in the Examinations’ Folder at the course’s main menu. If by any reason you cannot make it the date scheduled for the exam, immediately contact the instructor. Late assignments (except for properly documented medical emergencies) will be graded so you receive feedback, but will be worth only half credit (100 pt. paper receives 50 points). This is a severe penalty; it is not fair to others who met the deadlines if we accept yours late. The instructor will not accept any assignment more than one week late. The instructor suggests knowing all the online tools well enough and allowing ample time in case of problems.

General Considerations

The instructor reserves the ultimate right to modify the schedule of contents, assignments and tests for the class as it deems necessary. In addition, the professor reserves his rights to assess the overall ability of the students to meet the expectations of the course and will exercise his right to pass or fail the student accordingly.

Incompletes

The University’s policy on the awarding of incompletes is discussed in the catalog and will be followed in this class.

Academic Dishonesty

CCSU has a zero tolerance policy on academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating on homework or exams, and also plagiarism. Plagiarism is basically taking someone else’s work and presenting it as your own. Plagiarism can include copying someone else’s work (quoting someone else’s writing without giving them credit, or buying or downloading someone else’s paper from the Internet). The unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence can also be regarded as academic misconduct (for instance, the use of AI tools – ChatGPT, or similar – to answer multiple choice, true/false or short essay questions). In written assignments, submission of AI generated text as the own work is considered plagiarism. Demonstrated cases of academic dishonesty can result in severe penalties including receiving an “F” in the class and being expelled from the University.

Tentative Course Outline

1st Week: August 5 – 9

Learning Unit 1: Introduction to the Course

  • Introduction to the Course
  • Communication Defined
  • Communication Models

Learning Unit 2: Communication Conditions

  • Listening
  • Perception
  • Self-Perception.
Discussion Forum: Human versus Animal Communication
1st Quiz (August 9)

2nd Week August 12 – 16

Learning Unit 3: Verbal Communication

  • The Nature of Language
  • Meaning
  • Factors That Influence the Use of Language
  • Troublesome Language

Learning Unit 4: Non-Verbal Communication

  • Non-Verbal Communication Defined.
  • Types of Non-Verbal Communication.

Learning Unit 5: Interpersonal Communication

  • Interpersonal Communication Defined
  • Self-Disclosure
  • Roles and Conflicts
  • Relationships’ development
Discussion Forums: Self-Disclosure and Rhetorical Sensitivity
2nd Quiz (August 16)

3rd Week August 18 – 23

Learning Unit 6: Small Group Communication

  • Small Group Communication Defined
  • Types of Groups
  • Roles Inside the Group

Learning Unit 7: Intercultural Communication

  • Intercultural Communication Defined
  • Stereotypes

Learning Unit 8: Mass Communication

  • Mass Communciation Defined
  • Mass Media Effects
  • Message Flow
  • Visual Communication
  • The New Communication Paradigm
  • Age of Surveillance
Discussion Forums: Stereotyping
Final Exam (August 23)
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