Introduction to Communication

Course Content from McGraw Hill

Course Number: COM101

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This Introduction to Communication course introduces students to the theories and principles of speech communication from a wide range of perspectives. The evolution of communication theory is examined and foundational principles, such as the communication process, perception, verbal and nonverbal communication, and listening, are introduced. These principles are then applied to communication in interpersonal, small group, public, and organizational contexts. The dynamics of relationships, intercultural and gender communication issues, and conflict and negotiation are also explored, along with ethical issues inherent in the communication process. Discussions of current viewpoints related to interviewing, mass media, and new technologies present a contemporary view of the communication process.

etextbook included

college credits

Self Paced

Humanities

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Overall Rating
Content Rating

10/22/14 by sarahn888

Fairly easy course. A lot of reading involved, speeches are the hardest part of the class.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

10/22/14 by sarahn888

Fairly easy course. A lot of reading involved, speeches are the hardest part of the class.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

10/21/14 by drywglm

The hardest part for me was getting the videos to upload to youtube.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

10/21/14 by drywglm

The hardest part for me was getting the videos to upload to youtube.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

10/1/14 by joec8828

This course was straightforward but you do need the ebook as the course requires you to do alot of reading. I found the book online for free. The course is easy to pass as long as you study before each test.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

10/1/14 by joec8828

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

9/14/14 by yvonnephipps

This class was very informative and practical. I learned a lot.

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

9/14/14 by yvonnephipps

This class was very informative and practical. I learned a lot.

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

9/3/14 by jcgloveslsu

This was a great course- It was very informative and I learned a lot. You will definitely need to purchase the text in order to do well on the tests.

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

9/3/14 by jcgloveslsu

This was a great course- It was very informative and I learned a lot. You will definitely need to purchase the text in order to do well on the tests.

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

8/24/14 by andrewmays85

Good course. There was a lot of information within the book.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	100 100

8/24/14 by andrewmays85

Good course. There was a lot of information within the book.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	100 100

8/12/14 by fetser18

Easy

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

8/12/14 by fetser18

Easy

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

8/10/14 by domijjo

loved it, very interesting, finished in 3 days

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

8/10/14 by domijjo

loved it, very interesting, finished in 3 days

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

8/8/14 by ekwinbush

this course is straight to the point

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	60 100

8/8/14 by ekwinbush

this course is straight to the point

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	60 100

8/7/14 by bkading45

none

Content Rating	60 100
Overall Rating	60 100

8/7/14 by bkading45

none

Content Rating	60 100
Overall Rating	60 100

7/30/14 by mdntribe

Good information, quick read.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

7/30/14 by mdntribe

Good information, quick read.

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

7/28/14 by piperwest

This was a general course in communications. It was not challenging although preparing the required presentations did take some time.

Content Rating	60 100
Overall Rating	60 100

7/28/14 by piperwest

This was a general course in communications. It was not challenging although preparing the required presentations did take some time.

Content Rating	60 100
Overall Rating	60 100

9/23/13 by dustinturner

Great course, I really learned a lot. Open book tests. Be prepared to do a lot of reading.

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

8/30/13 by derrick.w

Very comprehensive coverage of the different forms of communication. Easy to navigate and simple uploading of required presentations.

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	80 100

7/22/13 by cjanwilliams

It was fine, the only problem that I had was the fact that I felt that some of the test questions where never covered in the material on the assignments and quizzes. It made it hard to get the best score possible when they asked questions that where never discussed.

Content Rating	60 100
Overall Rating	60 100

7/2/13 by wildebunch

good course

Content Rating	80 100
Overall Rating	80 100

4/28/13 by fernando.j.jaramillo

Content Rating	100 100
Overall Rating	100 100

Course Objectives

After completing this Online Introduction to Communication course, you will be able to:

Illustrate the elements and contexts of communication, and the outcomes of effective communication.
Relate perception of self and others to communication, and recommend ways to improve perception and communication.
Analyze words as social and cultural constructs, the effects of words on actions, and recommend ways to improve verbal communication.
Illustrate various types of nonverbal communication and recommend ways to improve nonverbal communication.
Compare and contrast various types of listening, and recommend strategies to improve listening skills.
Apply principles of ethics to lies and misrepresentation, and to justifications for disclosure of confidential information.
Analyze relationships between people and among family members in terms of elements of attraction, characteristics of relationships, and stages of relationships.
Examine interpersonal relationships in terms of roles, role conflicts, self-awareness, intimacy and attachment, affiliation and commitment, and power and dominance.
Explain how cultural differences and errors of perception can distort messages, and the use of effective intercultural communication in community building.
Recommend strategies for interviewers and interviewees to successfully communicate using various types and techniques of interviews.
Analyze the determinants of group performance and recommend strategies for group problem solving and decision making.
Evaluate aspects of effective public communication such as source credibility, audience analysis, modes of delivery, patterns of organization, supporting material, language, and presenting arguments.
Illustrate the functions of downward, upward, and horizontal communication in organization, the role of communication in change management, and the distortion of messages in rumors.

Topic	Topic Title	Subtopics	Objectives
1	Process of Communication	Effective Communication Communication Model Elements of Communication Contexts of Communication	Describe communication and explain the outcomes of effective communication. Explain the communication model. Illustrate elements of communication such as sender, receiver, filter, message, channel, interference, and feedback. Illustrate the contexts of communication.
2	Perception and Communication	Perception of Objects and Persons Perceiving the Self Perceiving Others Perceptual Errors Improving Perception	Analyze the nature of perception, and differentiate perception of objects and persons. Explain and illustrate self-concept, self-esteem, and personality. Evaluate the effect on perception of others of perceived traits, physical attractiveness, expressiveness, charisma, and so on. Correlate personal generalizations, stereotypes, and roles to distortions in perception. Illustrate ways to improve perception of others and communication effectiveness.
3	Verbal Communication	Words and Meaning Encoding Language and Thought Power of Words	Analyze denotations and connotations of words, and explain how the same word can mean different things. Explain theories of message encoding skills. Examine the relationship between language and thought, including the effect of culture. Apply an understanding of how words affect behavior and actions to improve communication.
4	Nonverbal Communication	Types of Communication Space, Time, and Objects Face and Body Vocal Cues Deception	Distinguish between verbal and nonverbal, and vocal and nonvocal messages, and the information conveyed by each. Illustrate how space, time, and physical objects communicate messages. Illustrate how facial expressions, body language, and touch communicate messages. Differentiate vocal cues and illustrate the information they convey. Analyze the role of deception in communication.
5	Listening	What Is Listening? Types of Listening Improving Listening	Define listening, and explain the listening process. Compare and contrast pleasurable, discriminative, critical, and emphatic listening. Recommend a type of listening for specific situations. Illustrate ways to improve listening, such as anticipatory set and spare time.
6	Dynamics of Relationships	Development Characteristics Stages Family	Explain how proximity, similarity, and situation influence the development of relationships. Illustrate the characteristics of relationships, such as time, trust, information sharing, affection, and control. Analyze the stages of relationships described by Knapp and Duck. Describe relationships and communication in families and the stages in family development.
7	Interpersonal Communication	Theoretical Approach Self-Disclosure Intimacy Power Relations	Explain norms, roles, role conflict, and dialectics in human communication. Explain the use of the Johari window in self-awareness, and examine reasons for and against self-disclosure. Analyze intimacy and attachment in romantic and sibling relationships. Analyze affiliation and commitment in romantic relationships, the triangular theory of love, and love styles. Illustrate dominance, status, and power in interpersonal relationships, and assertive, nonassertive, and aggressive behaviors.
8	Intercultural Communication	Comparing Cultures Culture and Communication Culture and Perception Community Building	Explain factors used in comparing cultures, such as individualist versus collectivist and high- versus low-context cultures. Relate communication principles to intercultural communication. Describe how verbal and nonverbal messages, roles and norms, and beliefs and values can interfere with intercultural communication. Explain how ethnocentrism, stereotyping, and group polarization affect communication and conflict. Apply personal, political, social, and cultural effects of intercultural communication to community building.
9	Interviews	Interview Questions Interview Techniques Interview Strategies	Differentiate types of interview questions, and identify improper questions. Explain and illustrate inadequate responses in an interview. Explain funnel sequence and the nondirective interview technique. Recommend strategies for interviewers and interviewees for selection, appraisal, and counseling interviews.
10	Conflict Resolution	Conflict Conflict Resolution Process of Negotiations Negotiation Strategies	Explain the levels and stages of conflict. Analyze the Kilmann-Thomas conflict resolution model and other approaches to conflict resolution. Sequence the steps of the process of negotiation. Evaluate assumptions of successful negotiations and techniques of principled negotiation.
11	Organizational Communication	Functions Downward Communication Upward and Horizontal Communication Rumor	Illustrate the functions of organizational communication and relate it to organizational culture. Describe the uses of downward communication, and apply the law of diminishing returns to downward communication. Explain the functions of upward communication and ways to use it to bring about change, and analyze the problem of differentiation-integration in horizontal communication. Analyze the role of communication in managing organizational change, and analyze how messages are distorted in rumors.
12	Small-Group Communication	Phases of Development Group Members Characteristics Problem Solving and Decision Making	Analyze how individuals function as members of a group. Explain the relationship of group size, communication networks, and leadership to group performance. Analyze difficulties in group problem solving (groupthink) and decision making (consensus). Recommend solutions for effective group performance such as standard agenda, brainstorming, nominal group technique, constructive conflict, and testing. Describe phases of development of a group.
13	Public Communication	Source Credibility Audience and Delivery Organization and Support Effectiveness	Distinguish public communication from interpersonal communication, and explain extrinsic and intrinsic source credibility. Illustrate demographic and purpose-oriented audience analysis, and analyze factors in persuading an audience. Compare and contrast elements and modes of delivery. Compare and contrast patterns of message organization, and evaluate the effectiveness of examples, statistics, quotations, and analogies as supporting materials. Analyze factors in effectiveness of public communication, such as visual aids, language, humor and satire, appeals to fear, proposing change, taking a stand, order of arguments, and stating conclusions.
14	Review Topic	Review	Review

There are no prerequisites to take Introduction to Communications.

The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost. More information on StraighterLine eTextbooks

Prefer the hard copy? Simply purchase from your favorite textbook retailer; you will still get the eTextbook for free.

The fourth edition of Human Communication is an engaging reflection of the contemporary field of communication studies. The authors' writing mantra ("Make It Smart; Keep It Real") leads to a text that strikes a practical balance of definitive content and everyday application. To "make it smart," the authors read hundreds of articles from mainstream communication journals. To "keep it real," the authors synthesized their findings so that they resonate with the challenges and goals of today's typical basic course. Always the goal is to highlight the relevancy of communication to college students by engaging the readers. Every chapter features skill-building, critical thinking, innovative pedagogy, 21st century examples, and lively writing that is respectful of the student reader.

Pearson, Judy, Paul Nelson, Scott Titsworth, and Lynn Harter. Human Communication, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN: 9780073406800

StraighterLine provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
If you have chosen a Partner College to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit. There are a total of 1000 points in the course:

Topic	Assessment	Points Available
2	Self-Introduction Video	50
4	Graded Exam #1	100
7	Graded Exam #2	100
7	Cumulative Graded Midterm Exam	100
11	Graded Exam #3	100
12	Informative Presentation Video	75
14	Graded Exam #4	100
14	Presuasive Presentation Video	75
14	Cumulative Graded Final Exam	300
Total		1000

Final Proctored Exam

The final exam is developed to assess the knowledge you learned taking this course. All students are required to take an online proctored final exam in order complete the course and be eligible for transfer credit.

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Create your own custom Introduction to Communication ! Select up to courses from the list below.

Online Course*: Introduction to Communication +$84.00
Tutoring (included)*: Tutoring +$0.00
Proctoring*: Proctoring +$0.00
Etextbook*: COM101 eTextbook (a $88.55 value) +$0.00

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