Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | COM-1020-VG01 - Interpersonal & Small Group Communication

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Naomi Bindman
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Collin Lee

General Education Requirements

CCV Communication

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

Theories of effective communication will be examined and practically applied. Emphasis will be placed on active listening, observation, reflective responses, and the use of clear language in interpersonal and small group situations.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify barriers to effective communications and apply strategies for overcoming them.
2. Evaluate communication styles and their relative appropriateness in different situations.
3. Describe and apply, in a variety of situations, reflective listening, assertiveness, and negotiation skills.
4. Describe common roles for participants in small group situations.
5. Identify, describe, and evaluate different forms of decision-making in small groups.
6. Prepare a formal presentation that demonstrates proficiency using the CCV Oral Communication Rubric.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Spring 2024 textbook/book details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

COM-1020-VG01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

UPDATE: The two texts listed on the CCV online bookstore site are now CORRECT!

(Of course, if you prefer, you may still order the Nonviolent Communiction text directly from the publisher at: https://puddledancer.bookstore.ipgbook.com/nonviolent-communication--a-language-of-life-products-9781892005281.php)

Welcome to Interpersonal & Small Group Communication!

My goal in this class is for us to explore methods of communication and to develop our own communication skills in ways that are meaningful to you. Out of class assignments will include readings and weekly Communication Journals. In class, we will discuss the homework readings, and will utilize hands-on class activities to actively build and practice communication skills. Developing, practicing and presenting two oral presentations comprise the third component of this class.

I hope that together we will gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world in which we live, through respectful exchange of ideas. I also hope that you will leave this class with the ability to express yourselves clearly and effectively, as well as having developed listening skills and the appreciation of different perspectives.

In order to keep this class flexible and responsive to your needs, the schedule and all readings are subject to change.

Evaluation Criteria

This class will have three main components: Assignments (35%), Participation (35%), and an Oral Presentation (30%).

Assignments (35%) Weekly readings, homework, and in-class written assignments. Homework is due at the beginning of every class. The homework is designed to prepare you to come to class ready to engage in discussion, therefore if you come to class without completed homework, it will not only affect your homework grade, it will also impair your ability to participate fully in class that day, so incomplete homework will also hurt your participation grade. Please make sure you give yourself plenty of time to do the readings and written responses before each class.

Participation (35%) Class time will consist of group discussions about the issues raised by the week’s reading, hands-on activities to build communication skills, as well as role-plays and occasional videos. I recognize that people are differently comfortable sharing their ideas in classroom discourse and some may feel intimidated about speaking up in a group. My job is to make sure our classroom is a safe place for the give-and-take of diverse views. We will talk more about these expectations and set ground-rules on Day One. As I get to know you, I will be able to tailor my expectations to support each of you in your unique learning style.

Oral Presentations (30%) You will give two presentations--a short one mid-semester, and a longer final in-class presentation toward the semester’s end. You will work on your presentation mostly outside of class, but we will also devote some class time supporting your progress. Presentations will be evaluated using the CCV Oral Communication Rubric. (A grade of 70% or above on the final presentation is a requirement for graduation.)

Oral Comm Rubric: 100-point
Criteria	Ratings	Pts
Clarity of Purpose	20.0 pts Excellent The purpose (or point) of the presentation is clear and the speaker is compelling and/or convincing. ‘Roadmap’/broad overview of main points clearly stated in intro. 17.0 pts Good The purpose (or point) of the presentation is clear, and the presentation is appropriate and relevant to the rhetorical situation, e.g. argumentative, celebratory, or explanatory. 14.0 pts Fair The purpose (or point) of the presentation is ambiguous, or the speaker is occasionally unmindful of the rhetorical situation. 10.0 pts Poor The purpose (or point) of the presentation is never made clear or the speaker is oblivious to the rhetorical situation.	20.0 pts
Organization (including transitions)	20.0 pts Excellent Topic is explained in logical, sequential order; transitions are clear and flow easily. Structure reflects overview articulated in opening. 17.0 pts Good Displays organization; transitions are present but may be awkward. Structure of presentation may not completely follow overview, or points may be unbalanced, but main elements are present. 14.0 pts Fair Less effective organization; transitions may be poor or lacking; occasional irrelevant digressions. Structure of presentation may be asynchronous to overview, or some main elements may be missing, or speaker may forget an element, then return to it: “Oh, I forgot to mention…” 10.0 pts Poor Haphazard or no organization; transitions and continuity absent; flow disjointed. Little logical structure is shown. Progression of main elements is missing.	20.0 pts
Supporting Evidence	20.0 pts Excellent Supporting evidence is accurate, relevant, compelling and/or convincing. All sources properly acknowledged in required format. 17.0 pts Good Supporting evidence is accurate, relevant and sufficient. However, there may be some extraneous irrelevant information. Proper acknowledgment of sources with minor inaccuracies. 14.0 pts Fair Supporting evidence has some relevance but is insufficient and/or inaccurate. An insufficient or inappropriate attempt is made to give credit for supporting information. 10.0 pts Poor Opinion without supporting evidence, undermining the credibility of the argument. There is no attempt to give credit for supporting information (plagiarism).	20.0 pts
Language and Syntax	20.0 pts Excellent Demonstrates mastery of the professional language that effectively establishes the speaker’s authority on the topic, supports the aims of the presentation, and engages the audience. 17.0 pts Good Uses language of the discipline and uses it correctly most of the time. 14.0 pts Fair Uses language of the discipline but does not use it correctly. 10.0 pts Poor Frequently uses words without understanding their meaning and/or does not use language appropriate to the discipline.	20.0 pts
Audience Engagement	10.0 pts Excellent Consistent eye contact with entire audience. Clear, articulate voice. Easy to hear and understand. Confident appearance: physically engages audience with appropriate tone, movements and gestures; demonstrates positive facial expressions and enthusiasm. Engages and holds audience interest throughout presentation. 8.5 pts Good Adequate eye contact with many members of audience. Speaks in understandable voice and tone. There may be occasional flaws in delivery, but not distracting. Acceptable presence; few gestures, but maintains an interested expression and posture. Engages and holds audience interest for most of presentation. 7.0 pts Fair Occasional eye contact, usually with a single audience member or section of the audience. Speech is sometimes mumbled or rushed; otherwise understandable. Uneven presence; may slump occasionally, lose the thread of the talk, but still makes an effort to engage. 5.0 pts Poor Little or no eye contact; looks down or into space or at screen entire time. Unclear speech due to rushing, mumbling, or dysfluent stalling (“Um,” “you know,” etc.) No demonstrated effort or interest in the material. Slack facial expression. Static limbs.	10.0 pts
Use of Supportive Materials and Technology (if used)	10.0 pts Excellent Enhances effectiveness of presentation. Visual free of GUM errors. Refers to and thoroughly explains visual in context of speech. Background or visual enhances text/images. Amount of text on visual appropriate and extremely relevant for its purpose. 8.5 pts Good Contributes to effectiveness of presentation. Only a few, minor GUM errors on visual. Incorporates visual into speech, but not thoroughly. Background of visual contributes to overall effect of message. Appropriate amount of text on slide/visual. 7.0 pts Fair Overuse of technology; creates redundancy and neither enhances nor detracts. Visual contains GUM errors that distract from overall message. Occasionally refers to visual in speech. Background of visual does not interfere with message but does not enhance either. Text on slide/visual not overwhelming but still too much for audience to take in. 5.0 pts Poor Detracts from presentation. Visual contains numerous GUM errors. Images not coordinated with speech. Background of visual detracts from its image/message. Too much text on slide/visual.	10.0 pts
Total Points: 100.0

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Full participation requires active and thoughtful engagement in class each week. The following habits and skills are important. You'll have the opportunity to self-assess and receive feedback from me on each of these areas, at the mid-point and the end of the semester.

• Attend all classes, on-time and for the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes
• Complete all of the week's readings and assignments before the start of class
• Listen to others attentively and with an open mind
• Positively contribute to class discussions and activities
• Ask questions and seek help when you need it
• Challenge yourself to do your best work

Missing & Late Work Policy

A late assignment will lose 5 points for each day late. After a week, the most credit it can receive is 50%. (This is still better than zero.) I understand that occasionally extenuating circumstances happen. If a serious medical problem or other emergent personal issue arises that will cause you to miss a weekly discussion/assignment, please contact me before the class you miss to make arrangements to complete your assignment and email it to me as soon as possible. You are responsible for checking Canvas and getting any notes, materials, and assignments if you are absent from a class. Please reach out to me and ask questions if anything is unclear. If you repeatedly (i.e., more than once) have reasons why you must be absent, I will expect to have a conversation with you to figure out what's going on and whether you are able to keep up with the demands of this class at this time.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity