(Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30-10:45am, CHEM 145)

Overview

This is a senior seminar designed primarily for communication majors who have taken COMM 3210 (Human Communication Theory) or a similar course.  It also satisfies the College of Arts and Sciences Core requirement in Critical Thinking. 

The seminar begins with the observation that whenever we communicate, we must also metacommunicate (communicate about our communication) in order to manage the process. Metadiscourse (reflexive talk about talk for practical purposes) is a form of metacommunication that shapes our experience of communication on the basis of assumptions about which we usually have little awareness.  Paying close attention to metadiscourse reveals the commonplace assumptions (think of them as implicit theories of communication) that frame our everyday communicative practices.  Communication theory--a set of carefully designed ways of talking about communication based on explicit assumptions--is also a form of metadiscourse.  Theoretical metadiscourse (communication theory) can be applied to practical problems.  It can be used to reflect critically on our assumptions about communication and to conceptualize alternative ways of framing situations.  Theories provides ways of talking about communication that can potentially be incorporated into everyday metadiscourse for practical purposes.  

Main units of the course will focus on current issues in metadiscourse, two key topics in communication theory (ritual and dialogue), and practical application.  The reading for Unit I will be Deborah Cameron's ethnographic analysis of the communication culture of contemporary society: our society's distinctive emphasis on communication; the abundance of metadiscourse in public as well as private discourse; how everyday ideas about communication implicate concepts of identity, skill, empowerment, therapy, gender, and culture; and how these ideas have influenced the communication cultures of business organizations, call centers, education, and interpersonal relationships. Unit II will focus on Eric Rothenbuhler's theory of ritual communication, the functions of ritual in all forms of communication ranging from mass media to everyday interaction, and Rothenbuhler's claim that ritual is a communication device that is necessary to humane living. In Unit III, we will read about several theories of dialogue, a form of communication that constitutes authentic relationships with others. Unit IV will focus on the application of theory to current issues in metadiscourse. Throughout the course we will use communication theory to explore new ways of understanding communication problems and practices. Learning will be assessed based on class participation, essay exams, several team presentations, and a final application paper. 

Collaborative Learning Goals

A "seminar" (from the Latin, seminarium, a seed plot) is a place for ideas to sprout. A true seminar requires the active participation of every member. Learning occurs through collaborative  research, critical and creative thinking, and discussion. In this process you can deepen your understanding of the field while learning how to construct, understand, and respond to arguments; how to identify and assess tacit assumptions; how to gather and evaluate evidence; and how to communicate effectively in various formats.

Our overarching goal this semester is to collaborate as a true seminar. As such, we will pursue several broad learning goals: 

Textbooks

Online Resources

Three primary websites will be used in this seminar: 

You are expected to attend regularly, complete readings and other assignments on time, and participate constructively in seminar discussions and activities.  The reading assignments will be challenging.  To succeed in this course, you will need to set aside regular, serious amounts of time for reading.  Note key ideas and questions as you read.  Bring your books and notes to class on days when reading assignments are due.  In-class activities (presentations, discussions, etc.) are designed to clarify and reinforce materials you have read, not as substitutes for reading. 

Short quizzes or in-class writing assignments on assigned readings may be given during the semester. These activities will be used to evaluate your preparation for class, as discussion starters, or to assess what was learned in class.

WebCT and the Internet will be used extensively in this course. You are expected to check your CU email account and WebCT at least twice a week, access on-line materials as needed, and post assignments on WebCT as directed. If you need technical assistance with WebCT, please ask. I'll be glad to help!

Teams

Teams of 3-4 students will be organized by the beginning of Week 2.  Each team will be responsible for preparing and leading two or three (depending on class enrollment) seminar discussions on assigned readings.  In addition, a major team project will be the Problem Presentation (see below). Team projects will be evaluated by the instructor, and teams will be asked to evaluate the participation of each member at the end of the semester. 

Team-led Seminar Discussions

Guidelines for leading seminar discussions: The team will be responsible for collaboratively preparing materials, planning, and leading a 20-30 minute presentation and discussion on the assigned readings. Materials can be created as PowerPoint presentations (preferred), web pages, or Microsoft Word documents, and can include multimedia or web links. (A laptop PC, data projector, and wireless network connection will be available every day. You are also welcome to bring your own laptop computer to class.)  All materials will be posted in your Team Project area on WebCT. Files can be uploaded to WebCT before class or brought to class on a floppy disk, CD, or USB drive and uploaded during or after class that day. The presentation should:

In Unit IV, each team will select a practical communication problem or current issue about communication as a focus for application, research the problem/issue, collect and analyze samples of practical metadiscourse, present the results in a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation, and lead a 15-minute class discussion on applications of communication theory to the problem/issue. Further details of this assignment will be provided later in the semester.

Final Application Paper

Each student will research and write a 5-7 page application paper that refines and extends the team issue analysis. The final version of this paper will be due in hard copy and uploaded electronically to WebCT by the time of the scheduled final examination period. Further details of this assignment will be provided later in the semester.

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/resources/  for more information.

Honor Code

Scholarly writing frequently quotes, paraphrases, or otherwise uses materials taken from other 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.

Sexual Harassment

The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty. Any student who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. See http://www.colorado.edu/sexualharassment/ for information about campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed.

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 to the Disability Services Office in Willard 322 (phone 303-492-8671).

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. 

Tentative Schedule