SPEECH 430

COMMUNICATION THEORIES

INSTRUCTOR:  JIMMIE MANNING, PHD

NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Course Description (from Course Catalog)

Theories of interpersonal, group, public, and mass communication; historical developments, paradigms, and research that shape communication theory construction. Same as JOU 430 and RTV 430. PREREQ: SPE 101

 

Texts

1.      Griffin, E. (2006). A first look at communication theory (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

2.      Research articles available from Steely Library.

 

Course Goals

  1. To master a basic understanding of some of the most vital theories relevant to the field of communication, as demonstrated through quizzes.
  2. To develop a practical understanding of how communication theory relates to the lives of all people, as demonstrated through personal application papers.
  3. To learn, in-depth, one specific communication theory and how this theory is used in research to develop other theories and understandings, as demonstrated through the journal article critique and presentation.
  4. To harvest public speaking/information presentation skills, as demonstrated through the in-class teaching exercise that accompanies the journal article critique and presentation.
  5. To be able to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how theory is constructed, as demonstrated through in-class discussion and a final examination.

 

Individual assignment details are as follow:

 

QUIZZES (150 points, or 30%)

Each and every day of class will involve the completion of a quiz. These quizzes will typically be administered at the beginning of the class period, but from time to time the instructor will shake things up. Each student is given 20 points to begin her or his quiz grade. As quizzes are completed, you will begin to build up points. Since there are 140 points worth of quizzes that will be administered, students can possible reach up to 160 points for this grade. Keep in mind, however, that only the first 150 points will be applied to the final grade. Keep in mind, too, that you could theoretically miss two quizzes and still get your full quiz grade. It is for this reason that the instructor will not allow students to take quizzes in advance or make them up at a later date – NO EXCEPTIONS. Think of the 20 beginning points as insurance for illness or to maybe have a bad day in terms of the learning process. Don’t think of the 20 beginning points as a free pass for time off.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION PAPERS (150 points total, or 30%)

Throughout the semester, students will be expected to write a personal narrative that demonstrates how a particular theory relates to their lives. That is, students will write about a personal experience where they have lived out a theory OR they will write a narrative that provides a realistic account of how that theory played out for a fictional character. The narrative should be as long as it needs to be to clearly demonstrate both the tenets of the theory and a strong understanding of the realistic situation where the theory is playing out. Think of this as a short story, if you will, although it will be graded more upon a realistic, complex understanding of the theory than it will for creative means. Because this particular exercise will demand a lot of consideration for a strong execution, students will only write about 1/3 of the theories (with students placed into A, B, and C groups as outlined on the schedule of the syllabus). While all students in each letter group will be required to write about their assigned theories, only three papers will be submitted to the instructor each class period, and these papers will be selected through a drawing. If a student’s name is drawn and he or she is not in attendance, then one pass shall be allowed for the first time the student is absent BUT AFTER THIS PASS THE STUDENT WILL RECEIVE A ZERO. If the student is in attendance then she or he must submit a paper or a zero will be administered. Each paper is worth 50 points. Ultimately, each student will have contributed three papers about three different theories for a grand total of 150 points. In order to ensure maximum success in this area, the instructor will allow rewrites for this assignment if the student is not happy with his or her grade; however, each student must contribute a list of changes with each rewrite and no student may not work on multiple rewrites at the same time. Any confusion about this process should be cleared up with the instructor well in advance – the process is much easier than it may initially seem. Finally, all papers submitted may be read aloud to the class for discussion – keep this in mind while writing your narratives.

 

THEORY RESEARCH AND PRESENTATION (100 points total, or 20%)

Students will be assigned to research, in-depth, one communication theory and will then develop a twenty minute (maybe a couple minutes shorter, maybe a couple minutes longer) presentation that presents the theory to the class. In addition to presenting the theory to the class, each student will develop a brief that they will distribute to class members giving an overview of the theory and will create a bibliography for the instructor that contains contemporary applications of the theory. More detail will be provided as the assignment approaches.

 

FINAL EXAMINATION (100 points total, or 20%)

Each student will complete a final examination that comprehensively covers communication theory including metatheoretical considerations, theory validity and applicability, and practical understandings of theory in life. Since this class is one of the last classes that many students in communication may complete, the exam will specifically examine how the student may apply theory to her or his life on a daily basis; and how, if faced with the challenge, the student would engage theory for practical use after graduation. More details will be provided as the exam approaches.