By the End

By the end of my Interpersonal Communication course (COM110) a student should be interpersonally compotent. Duh. 

Clearly, survival in a social world depends greatly upon the extent of interpersonal competence, and its requisite communication skills, that a person can demonstrate across a wide variety of situations and episodes. Interpersonal competence is when a student knows and demonstrates the appropriate and effective management of interaction among people (NCA Interpersonal Outcomes). For a student to be appropriate they must be able to demonstrate standards of propriety and legitimacy in certain contexts such as 1) friendships, 2) romantic relationship, 3) family, 4) work and 5) organizational.  For a student to be effective is for them to show they can obtain valued outcomes relative to the constraints of the context they are in. They should be able to assess themselves (their self) and other interpersonal skills in the context of conversation. Their skills should be demonstrated with verbal and nonverbal behaviors (and their content) in those various contexts. Those skills and abilities should fit four skill clusters: attentiveness, composure, expressiveness, and coordination. First, attentiveness, previously referred to as altercentrism, is the tendency to be concerned with, interested in, and attentive to, a conversational partner. The second skill cluster is composure, or the avoidance of anxiety cues, and an assertive or confident manner of speaking. Next is expressiveness. This includes gestural and facial animation, topical verbosity, spacial awareness, animation and vocal variety. The last cluster is coordination, which experts previously often referred to as interaction management. Students demonstrate the fourth cluster through coordinated entrance and exit from conversations, nondisruptive flow of conversational turns, topical innovation, and conflict management. 

With these clusters in mind, along with the MCCCD course competencies, I should be able to redesign Interpersonal Communication. I can take these outcome boxes and assemble them with the clusters. To do so, I will add a foundations cluster which meets all 4 clusters.

Describe the process of Interpersonal Communication (IC) in terms of models and principles. (I) [coordination]

Explain how perception affects communication and interaction. (II) [altercentrism/attentiveness]

Trace the development of self-concept and its influences on communication. (II) [altercentrism/attentiveness]

Demonstrate the ability to observe and express emotions effectively and responsibly in a variety of communication situations. (II) [expressiveness]

Identify and describe the influences of attitudes, beliefs, and values on communication. (II) [altercentrism/attentiveness]

Identify and describe the purposes, elements, risks, and impact of self-disclosure. (III) [coordination] [altercentrism/attentiveness]

Describe the relationship between language and communication. (III) [expressiveness]

Utilize effective listening and response skills in interpersonal communication settings. (III) [coordination] {This outcome is also one that is ubiquitious in all communication, but is significantly different from IC. Listening deserves a separate focuse and is incomplete with the clusters I suggested. Rather than force it into this coordination, I will explore it with "listening competence" (Speaking_and_Listening_Competencies).}

Identify and explain the elements and characteristics of nonverbal communication. (III) [expressiveness]

Contrast (in)effective types of conflict management and problem solving strategies. (IV) [composure]

Demonstrate effective conflict management and problem solving strategies. (IV) [composure]

Describe elements involved in relationship development, maintenance, and repair. (IV) [composure]

Compare and contrast passive, assertive, and aggressive response styles. (IV) [composure]

Use assertive (non)verbal behaviors in a variety of interpersonal situations. (IV) [composure]

Explain the impact of cultural and gender variables on interpersonal interactions. (IV) [altercentrism/attentiveness]

Examine the impact of IC in the workplace and in the family unit. (IV) [coordination][composure]

Describe the role of ethics and civility in interpersonal communication. (III, IV) [altercentrism/attentiveness]

Explain the impact of technology on interpersonal communication. (IV) [coordination]

One other organizational structural design could be around five contexts: self (intrapersonal), friends, romance, family, and workplace, with f2f and CMC (computer mediated comm) as subsets within each context. Three weeks for each context at 15 weeks with songs as titles. 

Who Am I Anyway? (You Gotta Be)
Why Can't We Be Friends?
I Knew You Were Trouble (Shall we Netflix and Chill?
We Are Family, aren't we?
How we can- Work Hard, Play Hard?

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