A more detailed version of this syllabus is available online at http://davis.foulger.net/brooklyn/fall2008/interpersonal/syllabus.htm .
We live in our communication, and no form of communication occupies more hours our days than our interpersonal interaction with others in dyads (pairs, couples, twos, etc) and informal small groups. It is in our interpersonal communication, more than anything else, that defines who we are and the nature of our relationships with others. Interpersonal communication is not just something we do, it is something we live. It is the dominant form of communication in most of our lives, whether we are talking to parents, friends, significant others, spouses, salespeople, coworkers, bosses, employees, etc. Even if we make a career in the mass media as journalists or broadcasters, it is our interaction with others (interpersonal interviews and interactions with colleagues) that will shape our careers and career opportunities. Interpersonal Communication is particularly important in the Health Professions, as effective Interpersonal Communication can have dramatic effects on treatment outcomes.
This course will explore face-to-face communication, one of the oldest forms of human communication, and its variants, including the many technological mediated interpersonal communication systems that you use every day (telephones, cell phones, texting, instant messaging, computer conferencing, etc. The course will mix theory with research and daily practice as we look for ways to improve our friendships, relationships, and our social and business interaction with others.
Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J. and Redmond, M.V. (2007). Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others. Allyn & Bacon, Inc. ISBN: 020548879X.
Students should understand a variety of interpersonal communication theories well enough to usefully apply them to improving their own communication and understanding the communication successes and failures of others.
Your understanding of interpersonal communication theories and research will be assessed through two exams (36% of your grade), a research paper (24% of your grade), an interpersonal resume (8% of your grade), a reflective paper on how you can improve your impersonal communication at work (8% of your grade) and several different kinds of participation, including participation in discussions (8% of your grade), submission of questions (8% of your grade), and submission of "think" assignments (8% of your grade).
You should aim to write research paper that is at least nine pages long (not including the cover page or references), that explores an topic in interpersonal communication in more detail.. You will be expected to BOTH find, read, and make use of at additional original references and to apply the theory to your own life and work. We'll discuss detailed expectations as you start work on the papers, but the maximum grade for five pages is a C and the maximum grade for seven pages is a B. While many assignments will be submitted online, papers MUST be printed out and submitted as hard copy.
The two exams will take the form of classic question and answer testing. Essay questions will require you to compare different theories of interpersonal communication we have studied during the semester. Other questions will probe your specific knowledge of the readings and class discussions. The second exam will be comprehensive, covering all of the material in the course.
My usual practice is to make my lecture/discussion notes directly available to the class via the Internet. I will frequently display those notes during class. You can print them out later. You may be able to print them out before class, but I don't guarantee that you will. I frequently change my discussion notes right up to the beginning of class (and sometimes during class). The version posted at the end of class can generally be considered to be reliable, but I occasionally modify them after class based on class discussions.
Interpersonal Communication occurs in many technologically mediated settings . A portion of this class will explore such settings. The most important will be an online class discussion/learning space called a "Moodle" located at http://messageecologies.com/ed. There will be required discussions and assignment submissions there. You can also use this group to exchange of any class-related information or questions. Only class members (and perhaps one or two selected others) can post to or read messages in this discussion space. You will be registering into this Moodle after the first day of class. You'll have assignments to complete there for the second day of class and most subsequent days. There is a possibility we will also make use of Blackboard or other online discussion environments. I will inform you of any such change in advance.
Attendance is required for all classes, including the final exam period. Punctuality is much desired.
The reading and writing load for this course is shouldn't be particularly challenging. Readings will average around 30 pages a week. There are two major writing assignments, but they are linked and will be set up by other assignments. There are, however, lots of little assignments along the way. If you can't keep up with the readings, papers, or other assignments, you may want to drop the course early on.
Sessions | Date | Subject | Reading (complete before class) and Assignments |
1 | Aug 28 | Course Introduction | None |
2 - 3 | Sep 2 & 4 | Introduction to Interpersonal Communication | Models of the Communication Process; Chapter 1 |
4 - 5 | Sep 9 & 11 | How Communication shapes us | Chapter 2 |
6 - 7 | Sep 16 & 18 | How perception shapes what we hear | Chapter 3 |
8 - 9 | Sep 23 & 25 | Cultural and Diversity: Adapting to Others | Chapter 4 |
Sep 30 | No Class | ||
10 - 11 | Oct 2 & 7 | How to be a better listener | Chapter 5 |
Oct 9 & 14 | No Class | ||
12 - 13 | Oct 16 & 21 | Using and Interpreting Language in Interpersonal Settings | Chapter 6 |
14 - 15 | Oct 23 & 28 | Using and Interpreting Non-Verbal Language; Mid-Term Review; Discuss Reflective Paper | Chapter 7 |
16 | Oct 30 | Mid-Term | Good Luck |
17 - 18 | Nov 4 & 6 | Dealing with Conflict | Chapter 8 |
19 - 20 | Nov 11 & 13 | The Power of Interpersonal Relationships; Discuss Term Paper | Chapter 9; Reflective Paper Due |
21 - 22 | Nov 18 & 20 | Building Interpersonal Relationships | Chapter 10 |
23 | Nov 25 | Term Paper Development Day | Annotated Bibliography Due by end of day |
Nov 27 | Thanksgiving Break | ||
24 - 25 | Nov 2 & 4 | The Challenge of Maintaining Relationships | Chapter 11; Term Paper Outline Due Dec 2 |
26 - 27 | Dec 9 & 11 | A Diversity of Relationship Ecologies | Chapter 12; Term Paper Due Dec 9 |
28 | Dec 16 | The Never Ending Study of Your Interaction with Others; Final Exam Review | TBD; Interpersonal Resume Due |
29 | TBD | Final Exam |