(Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30-10:45am, MCOL W100)

Overview & Objectives

"There is nothing so practical as a good theory," wrote Kurt Lewin, one of the founders of modern communication studies. In this course we take a close, critical look at current theories of human communication, assessing their potential to address significant problems in society and our everyday lives. In Unit I we explore foundational issues including the ideas of metadiscourse and problem framing, alternatives to the traditional linear model of communication, the difference between "scientific" and "practical" approaches to theory, and seven traditions of communication theory that provide different ways of framing communication problems. Units II and III explore six of the seven theory traditions in greater depth by reading key texts in each tradition and considering how they can be applied to practical problems of shared meaning, unwanted relational patterns, genuine dialogue, mass media effects, and democratic communication.

The overall objective of this course is to develop your awareness, understanding, and appreciation of human communication theory as a field of study; your ability to understand, compare, and critically assess theories; and your ability to use theories creatively as resources for thinking and talking about practical communication problems in alternative, potentially more productive ways. Readings, lectures, discussions (both in class and online), three examinations, and an application paper assignment have been designed to assist you in achieving these goals and to assess your progress in the course.

Grading will be on a point system with the final grade determined by the percentage of total points earned (93%=A, 90%=A-, 87%=B+, etc.). 500 total points will be allocated as follows:

Active participation is the key to learning. Attending lectures and reading are helpful but not enough for most students. To foster an active learning environment in this class, we encourage the following three additional forms of participation:

Although we will not assign a fixed number of participation points, we will keep track of students who participate regularly in one or more of these ways and will assign a reasonable amount of extra credit in cases where it will help the final grade.

There will be two mid-term exams and a final. Exams will include objective questions and some short answer questions. The final exam will cover some material from earlier units. We have scheduled a review day before each exam and will provide sample questions and lists of key concepts for review. A missed exam will result in a failing grade. Make-up exams will not ordinarily be scheduled.

Application Paper

Due: Friday, December 1, 4:00 p.m. The purpose of the application paper is to apply a communication theory to analyze a practical problem or situation. In no more than 10 typewritten pages (double-spaced), an application paper does three things: (1) In no more than 2 pages, explains one of the theories covered in this course, defining and illustrating the main points; (2) applies the theory to a real communication problem or situation, showing how the theory can be used to understand what's going on and/or decide what to do about it; and (3) evaluates the usefulness of the theory (this may include original suggestions for revising or enhancing the theory).

Although this is not primarily a library research paper, you should use at least two published sources (usually a required reading related to the theory you are using plus a second source to provide additional information and a different perspective on the theory). Ideas for additional readings can often be found in the required reading (footnotes or works cited) or by searching academic databases such as ComAbstracts. Also feel free to ask us for suggestions. Materials consulted in writing the paper should be cited in the text and in a reference list in APA style.

You are required to submit your paper electronically by uploading it to WebCT. You may include web links or graphics in the paper (optional).

Sample application papers from previous semesters are available on the meta-discourses website. The students who wrote those papers kindly permitted us to publish them for your use. They are not "perfect" papers, but they are all good papers that illustrate different topics and approaches to the assignment. If you write a really good application paper this semester, we will invite you to publish your paper on the website for use by future students. Of course, it goes without saying that any paper you turn in must represent your own work. For your protection, we keep files of papers from past semesters and make every effort to detect instances of plagiarism. For information on CU's Honor Code, see below under Policies.

Policies

Equipment Check-Out

The Communication Department has equipment that is available for students in Communication courses to check out. Equipment includes laptop computers, digital video cameras, web cameras, wireless Internet cards, transcribers, tape recorders, and more. Please see http://comm.colorado.edu/tac/hub_equip.htm for more information.

Honor Code

Academic writing frequently quotes, paraphrases, or otherwise uses materials taken from various research sources. Writers are ethically required to disclose all assistance received and all sources of information used by following accepted practices of citation, quotation, acknowledgement, etc.  Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty. Other forms of academic dishonesty include cheating, submitting the same work for more than one course without permission, etc. CU-Boulder has established an Honor Code to promote and enforce standards of academic honesty. Please see http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/ for more information.

Classroom Behavior

Students are expected to arrive on time and not leave the room before the end of class unless by prior agreement with the instructor or in case of emergency. Disruptive classroom behavior will not be tolerated. See http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html for information about CU-Boulder's classroom behavior policy.

Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

Any student who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status  should contact the Office of Discrimination and  Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. See http://www.colorado.edu/odh/ for further information. 

Students with Disabilities

If you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability through the Disability Services Office in Willard 322 (phone 303-492-8671; http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices).

Religious Observance

If you anticipate conflicts between religious observance dates and any requirements or activities of this course, please let me know well in advance so we can arrange appropriate  accommodations. 

Class Schedule