Azerbaijan University

School of Business

SPCH 1000: HUMAN COMMUNICATION

Fall, 2011

Course instructor: Esmira Gahramanova

Office hours: by appointment

AZ 1141, R. Dadashov 84,

Telephone: 070 747 98 71

E: mail:

1.  Course description:

The course is designed to equip undergraduate students with handful communication skills that are crucial in all aspects of human activity. The students will be introduced to concepts that enable them to bitterly understand how communication works in society, and to unique techniques of conducting effective communication in various settings. The course contains materials that could provide immediate help students in the following fields of human communication:

1.  Foundations of human communication.

2.  Interpersonal communication.

3.  Small group and Organizational communication.

4.  Informative and persuasive communication.

5.  Public speaking.

2.  Objectives:

·  To obtain techniques related to the nonverbal communication that involve a) eye gaze, b) facial analysis, c) graphic symbols, d) facial expression;

·  To employ and improve adequate skills of active listening and critically thinking, and to master verbal communication skills;

·  To introduce basic intrapersonal and interpersonal concepts of building societal relationship;

·  To obtain theoretical and practical knowledge of speech communication behavior in one-to-one situations, small group, and to organize and presenting effective group speeches;

·  To empower students with skill set of preparing and delivering formal public speeches.

3.  Credit hours: 3.0 credits

4.  Course Pre-requisites: Elementary communication skills at college level

5.  Required Computer Skills Prerequisites: Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Power Point 2003/2007)

6.  Books:

Required text book: Joseph A. Devito, Human Communication: The Basic Course eleventh edition.

7.  Dates for course:

Month / Date / Course Material / Key deadlines
February / 16 / Part I. Foundation of Human Communication
Unit 1: Preliminaries to Human Communication; / Class starts
9.00
February / 23 / Unit 2: Culture and Communication / Class stars
9.00
March / 2 / Unit 3: The Self and Perception
5 minute informative speeches / Class starts
9.00
March / 9 / Unit 5: Verbal Messages / Class starts
9.00
March / 16 / Unit 6: Nonverbal Messages: / Class starts
9.00
March / 23 / Mid-term*
March / 30 / 10 minute informative speeches
Part II. Interpersonal, Small Group, and Organizational Communication
Unit 7: Interpersonal Communication: Conversation / Class starts
9.00
April / 6 / Unit 8: Interpersonal Relationship Stages and Theories;
Unit 9: Friends, Lovers and Families;
April / 20 / Unit 10: Small Group Communication
April / 27 / Part III. Public Speaking
Unit 14: Public Speaking Topics, Audiences, and Research
Unit 15: Supporting and Organizing your speech / Essay 4 due
May / 4 / Unit 17: The Informative Speech ; / Class starts
9.00
May / 11 / 15 minute informative speeches with visual aids / Class starts
9.00
May / 18 / Unit 18: The Persuasive Speech ; / Class starts
9.00
May / 25 / Final Exam*

Note: * Mid-term and final test date and time will be determined by Dean Office and the provided date will possibly change.

8.  Instruction Evaluation

·  You are required to complete an Instructor Evaluation Form for this course (you may also choose not to complete the evaluation, but you must indicate so.)

·  If you need to discuss grade-related issues after the final exam/test, please contact me only after AU has published your course grades (timing when the evaluation is still in the progress).

9.  Grading Policy and Evaluation

Class participation / 10 points
A 5 minute informative speech / 8 points
A 10 minute informative speech / 12 points
A 15 minute persuasive speech with visual aids / 20 points
Mid-term exam / 20 points
Final exam / 30 points
Course total: / 100 points

10.  Letter Grade Policy

Letter grade / Total points
A+
A / 97-100
93-96.9
A- / 90-92.9
B+ / 87-89.9
B / 83-86.9
B- / 80-82.9
C+ / 77-79.9
C / 73-76.9
C- / 70-72.9
D / 60-69.9
F / Below 60

11.  Exams (mid-term and final):

The tests will be based on the assigned readings as well as the contented presented by me and discussed with students during classes. If need for review sessions before both of exams is identified, I will organize a half class session to review the material involving students. In general, review questions help students to clarify issues that they could not completely clarify during classes or own their own.

12.  Method of Instruction:

Various method of teaching will be employed to encourage proactive involvement of students and make learning process successful. Mostly employed methods and techniques to expect are discussions, lectures and presentations. I also expect students to actively ask questions and discuss the class materials with their other student colleagues.

13.  E-mail:

Students can contact me for arranging meetings and asking urgent questions by e-mail. But I encourage them to contact me in person to discuss substantive matters such as a class absence, exams, or grade assignments.

14.  Office hours:

My office hours are Wednesday at 9:00 A.M– 2:00 P.M (Other times: yes, but by appointment only)

15.  Policy on Class Attendance

a.  Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and take all tests. I will also grade attendance to ensure the discipline in the class.

b.  If the student misses a class, the student is still responsible for catching up on the material covered in the absence of that student before coming to the next class session. Therefore, it is responsibility of the student to arrange with student colleagues to obtain notes if he or she misses a class or classes.

c.  Excessive absence: Four or more classes. Depending on the circumstances, the instructor may initiate some kind of penalty with dean’s office.

16.  Policy on Make-Ups

·  Mid-term and final: do not miss them. There are no exceptions for those.

·  Home-essays and project presentations are due on the dates announced and late submission means no grade for that home-essays and presentations.

·  Requests for make-ups may be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

·  Avoid requests for reasons of personal convenience;

·  Any make-up exams, if granted, must be taken prior to the next meeting of the class.

·  If you miss a test without prior notice or arrangement, no grade (zero grades) is automatically assigned to the missed test.

17.  Class discipline

a.  Please arrive on time to the class. Being late to class without a reason is no respect to the instructor and student colleagues as it interprets the session.

b.  Do not eat food in class: please use lounge or other related areas.

c.  Cell phones, e-mails, and any possible other electronic devices must be turned OFF while in class and during the test.

d.  Students are expected to talk about class topics and no other topics are expected to be discussed.

18.  Academic dishonesty

Azerbaijan University has no tolerance for acts of academic dishonesty. The responsibilities of both students and faculty with regard to academic dishonesty are defined by education policy of Azerbaijan University. By teaching this course, I have agreed to observe the entire faculty responsibilities described in that document. By enrolling in this class, you have agreed to observe all of the student responsibilities described in that document. Academic dishonesty in this course includes copying or collaborating during an exam, discussing or divulging the contents of an exam with another student who will take the test, and use of homework solutions from another students.

19.  Course Outline

Upon the completion of the present course the students should be able to:

Developing interpersonal communication skills through

·  Demonstrating knowledge of selected theories of interpersonal communication;

·  Understanding the fundamental of ethical interpersonal communication;

·  Identifying adequate constructs involving effective interpersonal communication techniques;

·  Demonstrating better understanding of the skill set related to effective and adequate interpersonal communication techniques;

·  Recognize the constraints to and apply the skills of effective listening techniques;

Introducing group communication techniques through

·  Demonstrating perfect knowledge of theories of group communication;

·  Understanding the fundamentals of ethical communication in groups;

·  Identifying relevant and appropriate leadership skills in groups;

·  Participating appropriately as group members;

·  Contributing to clear and deliberative decision-making in groups;

·  Presenting their groups’ decisions in competent group oral briefings.

Employing public communication techniques;

·  Demonstrating knowledge of the relevant theoretical framework for public speech preparation, executing, and evaluation;

·  Understanding the elements of ethical public speeches;

·  Conducting competent research to set platform for informative and persuasive public presentations;

·  Organizing effectively informative and persuasive speeches;

·  Knowing the strategies associated with competent public speech making;

·  Understanding the importance of oral transitions and importance of using quality supportive materials;

·  Recognizing their own and their peers’ public communication strengths and weaknesses having peer evaluations;

·  Understanding and avoid oral plagiarism ;

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