Comm 454

Communication Inquiry

Instructor:                        Stephen D. Bruning, Ph. D.,  sbruning@capital.edu
                                        Phone 236-6323 (w), 338-1715 (h)               Office:  Yochum Hall 204

Office Hours:                   3:30 – 4:30 M; 11 – 12:00 W; 8 – 9:00 TH

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS STATEMENTS

 

University Mission:   Transforming lives through higher education

 

University Learning Goals:

Thinking critically, reasoning logically, and communicating clearly

 

College of Arts and Sciences Philosophy: Ability to communicate effectively through reading, writing, speaking and listening

 

Department of Communication Learning Goals: to develop an appreciation for and understanding of (1) the historical development and relationship of public communication and human interaction, (2) communication media as social forces through which an individual interprets, modifies, controls, and adjusts to the social environment, and (3) the aesthetically satisfying elements and successful performative characteristics of effective communication arts.

 

STATEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL POLICY:

 

University policies governing drop dates, penalties, plagiarism, and academic integrity, as detailed in the university bulletin, student handbook(s), and/or undergraduate time schedule, will be observed.

I. COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is based upon three overriding principles:

  • We live and function in a society based on communication.
  • Study of communication provides an individual with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete successfully within ever-changing social, technological, and professional environments.
  • There exist many techniques for investigating the phenomena of communication, and the development of a rudimentary understanding of these techniques can help an individual interpret, modify, control, and adjust to the environment.

Following the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe qualitative research processes.
  • Describe quantitative research processes.
  • Develop theoretical explanations, grounded in qualitative and/or quantitative research, that further understanding of the phenomena of communication.
  • Appreciate the formal study of the role of communication within a complex society.
  • Discuss, debate, and criticize the ways in which communication influences ethics, morals, and values in our society.
  • Understand the various perspectives that researchers may take when examining the phenomena of communication.
  • Develop critical thinking skills, and appreciate how critical thinking skills can aid in your growth as a scholar, professional, and individual.

II. REQUIREMENTS

  • Read your text conscientiously so that you may gain insight into the phenomena of communication research.
  • Do all assignments at the time scheduled. DO NOT miss assignments. Late assignments will be accepted, but your grade will be lowered two letter grades.
  • Read newspapers and magazines. Listen to the radio and television programs dealing with current problems. Then start thinking how communication could be studied in the stories we hear every day.
  • Attend class regularly.
  • All work submitted must be the student's own. Cheating in any form (see below for definitions and examples) will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action.

Academic Integrity (Capital University Student Handbook)

"Academic Integrity" is the expectation that all Capital students are to be honest in their academic endeavors, and that the work one submits for academic evaluation must be his/her own, unless an instructor expressly permits certain types of collaboration. Instructors are expected to make this Academic Integrity Policy known, in writing, at the beginning of a course.

A non-exhaustive list of behaviors which constitute academic misconduct and subject one to sanction(s) includes:

Cheating -- deceiving/misrepresenting information submitted on a paper/test/project

e.g. -- using materials/notes not permitted by the instructor during an examination

-- collaborating on a test/project when not authorized to do so by the instructor

-- receiving, giving or stealing parts of, or an entire test which has not yet been administered

-- substitution of one student for another during an examination

Plagiarism -- submitting work that is not expressly one's own as one's own

e.g. -- quoting verbatim or paraphrasing excessively another person's words (published or unpublished) without acknowledgment of the source

-- including facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials that are not common knowledge without acknowledgment of the source

-- submitting another's term paper, essay test answer, computer program, or project as one's own

Fabrication -- using "invented" information or falsifying research, data, or other findings with the intent to deceive

e.g. -- citing information not taken from the source indicated; failure to document a secondary source material

-- listing sources in a bibliography not directly used in the academic exercise

-- submitting lab reports or clinical data which contain fictitious/falsified information; concealing/distorting the true nature, origin, or function of such data

Academic Support Services in the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching:

 

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching’s tutoring, academic coaching, and other academic support services can be a valuable resource for you as you study and work to complete assignments in this course.  The CELT Peer Tutors are experienced students who are trained to help you develop appropriate strategies and gain the knowledge you need to succeed academically.  Regularly scheduled math and writing tutoring begins the third week of fall semester and the second week of spring semester.  Drop-in math and writing tutoring is also available during regularly scheduled hours, but it is best to schedule an appointment ahead of time by calling the Center at 236-6327, emailing celt@capital.edu, or stopping by Learning Center 100.  Independently arranged one-on-one tutorials are also available in a wide range of subjects, including business, economics, communication, health and sport sciences, mathematics, modern languages, nursing, political science, psychology, behavioral sciences, religion, history, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and selected University Core courses.  The Tutor Yellow Pages, a complete listing of all the CELT Peer Tutors, their contact information and the courses they are qualified to tutor, will be available in the Center (LC 100) starting the third week of fall semester and the second week of spring semester.  Contact Academic Services Coordinator Bruce Epps at 236-6461 or tutor@capital.edu for additional information.

 

Disability Services in the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching:

 

Students with disabilities who need accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at the beginning of the semester.  The ODS offers a range of accommodations and support services to ensure equal educational opportunities for eligible students with disabilities.  Students may request accommodations by providing documentation of their disability to the Disability Services Coordinator.  Faculty, students, and the ODS work as a team to facilitate appropriate services for students with disabilities.  The ODS is located in the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in LC 100.  Contact Disability Services Coordinator Jennifer Speakman at 236-6327 or disabilityservices@capital.edu for additional information.

 

 

Capital University Class Absence Policy (adopted by UGF on 09/17/07)

Capital University expects students to attend all classes. However, we recognize that there will be times when students do miss class.  Capital University recognizes three types of missed classes: Approved Absences, Excused Absences, and Unexcused Absences.  The policies and procedures for each of these types are described below:
 
1.  Approved Absences
If a student misses a class due to a scheduled, university-approved event, such an absence is considered approved. Permissible events include musical or theater performances, academic conferences, and athletic competitions, but do not include practices, rehearsals, or attendance a university-approved events in which the student is not a participant.
 
The sponsoring faculty adviser or coach should notify the faculty of the anticipated dates of the event in a timely fashion, preferably before the beginning of the semester. Such notification will include the list of all participants who will be missing class, although the names can be supplied later if not known before the start of the semester.  In cases where travel is required, students must attend all classes that do not conflict with the latest possible departure time.
 
Students must also inform the faculty member in advance of the planned absence, preferably early in the semester. Generally, students should be permitted to make up any scheduled assignments, quizzes, or exams. However, when students miss unique in-class learning experiences, faculty may require appropriate substitute assignments. If a student fails to provide adequate notice to the instructor in advance of an approved absence, the instructor may consider the absence unexcused. Students bear the ultimate responsibility for all missed class material.
 
Faculty can invoke limited exceptions to the approved absence policy under the following circumstances: if no substitute assignment is appropriate for a unique in-class learning experience; if the number of approved absences appears excessive; or if a student is on academic probation. Any such exceptions must be clearly explained in the course syllabus.
 
2.  Excused Absences
Certain unexpected events that cause a student to miss class should be considered excused.  Examples of such events include class field trips, class-required attendance at special campus events, significant illness or injury, death in the immediate family, doctor’s appointments, and severe weather conditions.  For such absences, individual instructors can determine whether make up work or substitute work is appropriate.
 
3.  Unexcused Absences
Any absences that are not “approved” or “excused” are considered unexcused. Faculty are under no obligation to allow students to complete work missed from unexcused absences.  Faculty may have attendance policies that result in penalties that harm course grades.
 
Resolution of conflicts
In cases that cannot be resolved by these guidelines, students or faculty may appeal to the appropriate dean (for issues concerning a single school) or the provost (for issues where the conflict extends beyond a single school).  
 
Abuse of the absences policy
Students who abuse the approved and excused absences policy will be considered to have committed academic misconduct. Examples of abuse include falsifying an illness or family emergency, falsely claiming that attendance at the event is required, falsely claiming to have attended an event, or falsely claiming that an absence is College or School approved. If an instructor determines that a student is guilty of an abuse, the instructor should treat it as they would any other instance of academic misconduct.
 

III. EVALUATION OF STUDENT PROGRESS

  • Four papers are graded.
  • Assigned activities are graded based upon your ability to demonstrate a thorough comprehension of communication theory building and research.

The value of each assignment is as follows:
 

Materials, articles, etc. for the literature review

  10

Rough Draft Literature Review

  50

Final Draft Literature Review

125

Methods and Results Section

100

Discussion Section

125

Attendance

  75

Participation

100

Findings presentation

  40

                                                                                                                     Total:

 625 Points

(a) the articles for the literature review – you must turn in 20 – 25 articles from refereed journals or approved chapters in books.

(b) the rough draft of the literature review – you must turn in a rough draft on the day that it was due.  Rough drafts that are turned in more than two weeks late will not be accepted unless approved in advance by the instructor.  If you do not turn in a rough draft of the literature review, you cannot pass the course.  All papers MUST be submitted in hard copy.  If the instructor is not present when you turn your paper in, please ask one of the support staff members to date, time, and initial your paper. 

(c) the final draft of the literature review.  Likewise, you must turn in a final draft of the literature review.  Final drafts that are turned in more than two weeks late will not be accepted unless approved in advance by the instructor.  Failure to turn in a final draft of the literature review will result in a 0/125 on this assignment.  All papers MUST be submitted in hard copy.  If the instructor is not present when you turn your paper in, please ask one of the support staff members to date, time, and initial your paper.

(d) the methods and results section.  Again, you must turn in a methods and results section.  Methods and results sections that are turned in more than two weeks late will not be accepted unless approved in advance by the instructor.  Failure to turn in a methods and results section will result in a 0/100 on this assignment.  All papers MUST be submitted in hard copy.  If the instructor is not present when you turn your paper in, please ask one of the support staff members to date, time, and initial your paper.

(e) the discussion section.  You must turn in a discussion section no later than the time specified at the bottom of the syllabus.  Incompletes will not be assigned unless extenuating circumstances exist. All papers MUST be submitted in hard copy.  If the instructor is not present when you turn your paper in, please ask one of the support staff members to date, time, and initial your paper.

(f)  the attendance grade.  Attendance is taken every day.  If you are not in attendance, you will lose five points for each day you are absent.

(g)  the participation grade.  Periodically, you will be asked to submit materials either in hard copy or electronically (typically 12 – 15 assignments).  This component is graded on a pass/fail basis – that is, if you submit the materials on time, you will pass.  If you do not submit the materials on time, you will fail.

(h)  the findings presentation.  Toward the end of the semester, each student will be asked to prepare and deliver an 8 – 12-minute presentation that details the findings from his/her investigation. 

Grades designations use the following scale:

 

575 - 625 -- A

563 - 574 -- A-

550 - 562 -- B+

513 - 549 -- B 

500 - 512 -- B-

488 - 499 -- C+

450 - 487 -- C

438 - 449 -- C-

425 - 437 -- D+

388 - 424 -- D

375 - 387 -- D-

000 - 374 -- F 

 

 

IV. SCHEDULE OF WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS

The following pages contain the tentative semester schedule. There will be ample time for class discussion of communication principles. You are urged to follow the syllabus regularly and to note the specific dates upon which activities and reports are due.
 

Date

Topic 

Chapter

1-7

Introduction and overview to the course

 

1-9

Studying communication 

  • Overview to the communication discipline
  • Ways of knowing
  • The research process
  • Recognizing good research

 

1-11

Studying communication 

  • The three-stage model of communication research
  • Assumptions of researchers

 

1-16

Conducting research using secondary sources 

  • Selecting, narrowing, and adjusting a topic 
  • Developing search strategies

 

1-18

Conducting research using secondary sources 

  • Reasons for reviewing previous research
  • The search for research
  • Reading scholarly journal articles



1-21

Developing research questions and hypotheses

  • Describing communication behavior.
  • Relating communication behavior to other variables.

 

1-23

Observing and measuring communication variables

  • Conceptual vs. operational definitions.
  • Measurement theory.

 

1-25

Writing a literature review

  • Collecting information.
  • Writing style.
  • Questions to answer.
  • Articles, Materials, etc. for the Literature Review Due

 

1-28

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class

 

1-30

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class

 

2-1

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class

 

2-4

Writing a literature review

  • Collecting information.
  • Writing style.
    Questions to answer.

 

2-6

Writing a literature review

  • Collecting information.
  • Writing style.
    Questions to answer.

 

2-8

Conducting research using secondary sources 

  • Basics of APA

 

2-11

Research ethics and politics

 

2-13

Research ethics and politics

 

2-15

Revising the Literature Review Based upon Feedback

 

2-18

Designing valid communication research

  • Threats to internal validity.
  • External validity.

 

2-20

Preparing research projects 

  • Research review. 

 

2-22

Rough Draft of Literature Review Due

 

3-3

Textual analysis

  • Rhetorical criticism.
  • Interaction analysis.
  • Performance studies.

 

3-5

Writing the Methods Section

  • Questions to answer.
  • Information to provide.
  • Developing a thorough methods section. 

 

3-7

Writing the Methods Section

  • Questions to answer.
  • Information to provide.
  • Developing a thorough methods section. 

 

3-10

Writing the Methods Section

  • Questions to answer.
  • Information to provide.
  • Developing a thorough methods section. 

 

3-12

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class 

 

3-14

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class 
Final Draft of Literature Review Due

 

3-17

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class

 

3-19

Writing the results section

  • Reporting important findings.
  • Reporting all results.
  • Quantifying results when possible. 

 

3-26

Describing quantitative data

  • Making sense of numbers.
  • Describing data through summary statistics.
  • Describing data in standard scores.

 

3-28

Describing quantitative data

  • Making sense of numbers.
  • Describing data through summary statistics.
  • Describing data in standard scores.

 

3-31

Theory development

  • Basic tenets of theory
  • Purpose of theory

 

4-2

Final Draft of Methods and Results Section

 

4-4

Developing theory 

  • Stop sign activity

 

4-7

Writing the discussion section

  • Presenting findings.
  • Developing theory.
  • Defending conclusions.
  • Suggestions for future research.

 

4-9

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class.

 

4-11

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class.

 

4-14

Individual Workshops -- sign up in class.

 

4-16

Findings presentations

 

4-18

Findings presentations

 

4-21

Findings presentations

 

4-23

Findings presentations

 

4-25

Review and prepare for final paper

 

Final Paper -- ALL SECTIONS are Due No Later than 10:00 April 30, 2008.

Graduating Seniors:  ALL SECTIONS are Due No Later than 10:00 April 29, 2008.