Introduction to Communications
|
Communication 101 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. 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. Finally, students will engage in ethical and effective research techniques, using the Modern Language Association’s (MLA-Version 8 or 9) formatting recommendations.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
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.
