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Introduction to Communication
COM101 | 3 Credits
Introduction to Communication explores the theories and principles of speech communications, conflict and negotiation, ethical issues in the communication process, and foundational principles. You’ll learn how to apply communication in all contexts — from personal communications to the workplace!
Professor: Jay Becker
About This Course
What You’ll Learn
This course encourages students to consider how engaging in public discourse can serve as a purposeful, action-driven form of communication. In this course, students will gain foundational knowledge of communication, as influenced by constitutive, contextual, and cultural factors, and then apply this knowledge through a series of public speaking projects centered around advocacy and argument.
- Understand what it means to “be an advocate,” and to participate in civic discourse.
- Engage in information discovery, analysis, and application by searching for, and synthesizing, relevant sources for advocacy-driven public speaking projects.
- Apply deep critical thinking skills to guide broad topic exploration and the formation of specific arguments guided by focused thesis statements.
- Critically consider how one’s values, assumptions, actions, and communication affect a desired outcome.
- Deploy rhetorical techniques such as elocution, style, verbal/nonverbal delivery and visual aids, to enhance audience engagement.
- Create effective introductory, informational and persuasive proposition projects with the following considerations: engaging opening, well-articulated thesis, argument structure, substantive conclusion, relevant and integrated source material, effective transitions, and appropriate verbal and nonverbal cues.
- Integrate knowledge of rhetorical strategies when crafting an argument.
- Design multimodal communication presentations that align with project purpose, intended audience, and desired outcome.
- Create coherent preparation and speaking outlines that demonstrate awareness of strong organizational strategies and employ the scaffolding required for successful communication centered around a clear purpose.
- Demonstrate an ability to analyze civic discourse as an audience member.
- Reflect on individual strengths and opportunities for growth, as applicable to communication situations and opportunities.
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WANT US TO CHECK?Course Details
Students will design preparatory, informative, persuasive, research and reflective projects, engaging in civic discourse as a process of advocacy including consideration of the following: organizational structure, context, content, modality, language, aesthetic and rhetorical choices, statements of connectivity, and desired outcomes. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately select, analyze and synthesize credible source material, with the ultimate goal of combining researched evidence with their own unique insights.
ACE-Recommended
ACE Code:
OOSL-0052
Flexible Schedule
29-day Average Course Completion
Transferred 3,100 times
$3,400,000 Saved on Tuition
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take Introduction to Communication.
Course Text
The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost.
- "Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy," by Maggie Mepps, is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 / A derivative from the original work.
Course Checkpoints
Introduction and Getting Started
- Presenting: An Overview of Required Speeches
- Uploading your Presentations
- Public Speaking Competencies
Public Speaking as Advocacy
- What’s Public Speaking?
- Public Speaking as Advocacy
- Communicating Ethically
- Communication is Constitutive, Contextual, and Cultural
- Communication Apprehension
Centering Audiences
- What is an Audience?
- Speaking to an Audience
- Speaking for an Audience
- Listening to the Audience
Selecting and Formulating Arguments
- Context is Key
- Formulating a Specific Purpose Statement
- Formulating a Thesis
- Case Studies in Specific Purposes and Thesis Statements
Researching Arguments
- Why Research?
- Where to Start
- Locating Effective Research
- Evaluating Research
- Avoiding Plagiarism
Crafting Arguments
- An Overview of Arguments
- The Structure: Claim, Evidence, Warrant
- Using Language Effectively
- Attributions
Organizing and Outlining
- Grouping
- Patterns of Organization
- Outlining
- Introductions and Conclusions
- Attributions
Aesthetics and Delivery
- Introducing Aesthetics and Verbal/Nonverbal Delivery
- Applying Aesthetics in Public Speaking
- Language and Aesthetics
- Nonverbal Delivery Essentials
Presentation Aids
- Functions of Presentation Aids
- Avoiding Presentation Aid Pitfalls
- Types of Presentation Aids
- Ways to Display Your Presentation Aid
Rehearsing Your Presentation
- Types of Delivery
- Conducting the Rehearsal and Best Practices
Informative Advocacy
- What is an Informative Speech?
- Speeches that Describe
- Speeches that Define
- Speeches that Demonstrate
- Guidelines for Selecting and Developing Your Informative Speech
Persuasive Advocacy
- Introducing Persuasive Speaking
- Formulating Persuasive Propositions
- Organizing Persuasive Propositions
- Developing the Persuasive Speech: Appealing to an Audience
- Barriers to Effective Persuasive Speaking
- Understanding and Avoiding Fallacies
Online Public Speaking
- What is Online Public Speaking?
- Rehearsing to Speak Online
Assignments & Grading
Your score provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
Assignments for this course include:
- 3 Speeches
- 3 Reading Checks
- 1 Comphrensive Reflection & Analysis
What You’ll Need
- A reliable computer or laptop
- Stable internet connection
- Web browser
- Basic computer skills
- Any required course materials
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Course Professor
Jay Becker
M.S.A
Jay Becker is a student-centered educator with an extensive background in higher education over the span of 15 years. He teaches, guides, and mentors students in Sport Management, Sport Marketing, Sport Leadership, Business, and Communication both at the community college and university levels. Jay is well-versed in course planning, research oversight, course development, and student mentoring.
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Real, human feedback to help you ace your assignments
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Professional development assistance
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Professional development assistance
Faculty Connect portal
Resume-building resources
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Develop Important Skills for Your Social Sciences Career
Communication is the thing that bridges the gap between ideas and making an impact. It’s an important skill to have for careers in social sciences and beyond! Whether you go on to work as a one-on-one therapist or study general trends in the public sector, being a great communicator will help you make your biggest impact.
Why it matters:
- New jobs for mental health counselors are projected to grow 19% between 2023 – 2032, nearly 5× higher than the average.
- Looking for job security? Professions in social sciences tend to earn more and have lower unemployment than average.
In-demand careers in this field include:
Licensed Therapist, Social Worker, Public Health Analyst, Urban Planner, Diversity Officer, Sociologist, Case Manager, Policy Analyst, Research Coordinator
How this course sets you up for success:
Introduction to Communication will strengthen your ability to analyze, make sense of, and get your ideas across. These will prove to be important skills in any social sciences career!
Course included in Semester & Annual Plans
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