INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COMMUNICATION 20 (Online) - Zoom Speech Options (6/27, 7/11, 7/20)

Merritt College – Summer, 2020 - Class Code: 30700

Instructor: Hilary Altman, Ph.D. Summer Office Hours: Wed 12-1pm (Zoom link on CANVAS)
Phone/Email: (510) 436-2510 / hilaryaltmanphd@gmail.com

I will make every effort to be accessible to you for questions & discussions. Please email me with questions or to make an
appointments. Please give me 48-hours to respond to your email. . **Notice: All Quizzes & Discussions and Exam #1 are
due on Sundays by 11:59pm. **Exam #2 – Due THURSDAY, 7/22 by 11pm.**

Week TOPIC READINGS Exercises/ Assignments DUE

06/15 Introductions: Pick up book Orientation; Goals & Optional Live Zoom Orientation (Mon.
Expectations 6/15) at 12pm –- Schedule your
Individual Speech
Rules & Basic Vocabulary Chapter 1 (up to p. 25) Assignments DUE: Sunday, June 21st
Quiz #1: Due:Sunday at 11pm
Self-Concept & Self Esteem Chap. 3 (15th ed.); Chap. 2 (13th, Discussion #1: Due Sunday at 11pm
14th ed);
06/22 Language & “I” Statements Chapter 6 (15th ed.); Chap. 5
(13th, 14th ed.) – Prepare (type)
Speech Outline
Zoom Speeches Round 1 – Sat. 6/27 - Round 1 Speech – +20 Points EC (completed & typed speech outline
required). Students who do not have a printed outline in correct format will NOT be allowed to speak.
Non-Verbals – Paralanguage, Chapter 6 – “Secrets of Body Assignments DUE: Sun, 6/28, 11pm:
Gestures, Facial Expressions Language” Video Quiz #2: Due Sunday at 11pm
Discussion #2: Due Sunday at 11pm
06/29 FIRST EXAM – Practice Take First Exam- Due Sunday EXAM #1: OPEN Thursday 7/2, Due:
exam available 6/29 for review 7/5 at 11pm Sunday 7/5 at 11pm
Perception & Stereotypes Chap 4 (15th ed.); pp.78-95(13th, Assignments DUE: Sun., 7/12 at 11pm
14th ed.) Discussion #3: Due Sunday at 11pm
You are Half-Way through Summer Semester, 2020!
07/06 Self-Disclosure pp. 85-99 (15th ed.) Assignments DUE: Sun., 7/19 at 11pm:
Marriage & Partnership Quiz #3: Due Sunday at 11pm
Optional Reading – “Gottman” Discussion #4: Due Sunday at 11pm
Zoom Speeches Round 2 – Sat. 7/11 - Round 2 Speech – +10 Points EC (completed & typed speech outline
required). Students who do not have a printed outline in correct format will NOT be allowed to speak.
07/13 Conflict & Resolution Ch. 12 (15th ed.); Chapter 9 No Quiz – No Discussion this week –
th th
(13 , 14 ed.; Practice Exam #2 will be posted 7/20 for
th th th review
Listening Ch. 8 (15 ed.); Ch. 7(13 , 14 )
7/20 FINAL ROUND Zoom Speeches – Mon. 7/20 – FINAL ROUND – (completed & typed speech outline
required). Students who do not have a printed outline in correct format will NOT be allowed to speak.
EXAM #2 Practice Exam available 7/20; Assignments DUE: Exam #2 Opens
EXAM #2 due 7/24 by 11pm 7/22; Due Thursday 7/24 at 11pm
***You MUST deliver the Speech in one of the face-to-face Monday night sessions to pass the class***
Final Grades will be posted to your transcript by 7/30/18 - Enjoy the remainder of your summer!

***When checking grades on CANVAS, pay attention ONLY to the total points. Your final grade is calculated on
the number of total points you have. Do not worry about anything else. See final grade calculations on final page
of this syllabus.***
Student Learning Objectives:
1. Analyze barriers to effective interpersonal communication and choose appropriate strategies to resolve these issues.
2. Use active listening to recall information stated by another.
3. Identify conflict and use tools and strategies to negotiate a compromise.
4. Research, create an outline, and deliver a speech in-person to a live audience, using appropriate verbal and
nonverbal communication skills and at least one audio or visual aid.

Teaching Methods: The class structure will be based on lecture, readings, videos, and any other material included in your
CANVAS modules. Your participation and insights are instrumental to broadening and fueling discussions. Each student
is expected to play a role in the learning process, by participating in (a) Assigned presentations; (b) Constructive feedback;
and (c) Respectfully contributing to class discussion with insightful comments, appropriate personal experiences, and
questions.

READINGS:
You are responsible for getting access to the textbook: Looking Out Looking In, 13th, 14th or 15th edition by Adler and
Towne. (Available at the campus store, online bookstores, and on reserve in the library). Additional Optional Reading:
Gottman, J. (2015 or earlier editions) – “The seven principles for making marriage work: A practical guide…” and Chapman,
G. (2015 or earlier editions) – “The 5 love languages: The secret to love that lasts.”

CLASS NOTES: Students will receive note-taking sheets from the instructor. These note-taking aids are to be used as a
guide by students when listening to lecture and reading the text. However, students are responsible for any information
covered in class (lecture or exercises) or assigned in the readings, regardless of whether these terms are listed on the class
notes. In other words, the instructor reserves the right to include questions on the exams that are not necessarily included on
the note-taking sheets. Pay special attention to any videos shown on CANVAS or in class and the speech outline.

DISABILITY ISSUES: I am a disability advocate. Students with official SAS paperwork are required to receive these
accommodations by law. You must hand in your SAS paperwork in order to receive accommodations. Please inform me of
any accommodations that will help to ensure you reach your greatest potential in this class. If you have not done so already,
please contact the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for more information about your rights and options: (510) 436-2642.

LATE POLICY: Exams, Discussions and speeches, are expected to be turned in on time. As a rule, late assignments are
not accepted. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration. Student speeches & Exams may not be
rescheduled, unless you contact me in advance. If you are a SAS student with extended time assigned, you must submit the
appropriate paperwork from the SAS office within the first two-weeks of the semester.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: I am a firm believer in academic integrity. In other words, cheating, plagiarizing, or copying
another individual’s work will not be tolerated. If you use someone else’s words in your paper, you must cite the source.
The first instance of academic dishonesty will earn an “F” and will be documented by the instructor. A second instance will
be reported to the college administration.

CANVAS: Merritt College uses CANVAS as our online platform. You can access CANVAS by going to the “Peralta
Portal” - http://web.peralta.edu/portal/ then clicking on STUDENT, logging in, and clicking on CANVAS. If you have
any trouble logging in, seeing or downloading material, please go to the Learning Center on campus (“L” building) or
email online@peralta.edu for support.

LEARNING CENTER: The Learning Center will continue to provide ONLINE tutoring and other important tools for
academic support. Please go to the LC Website: https://www.merritt.edu/wp/learningcenter/ for a link that will link
you with an appropriate tutor.
EVALUATION:
1. GENERAL PARTICIPATION: 100 points (Includes providing constructive feedback & discussions)
A. Providing constructive feedback to at least 3 classmates: 20 points – We will do this on a Google Doc

B. Discussion: 80 points (20-points each; Due dates/times on Discussions are real. No late Discussions graded)
There are a total of 4 graded Discussions for this class. If you complete 4 of these correctly, you will earn the full
80 points. For each Discussion, you can earn up to 10-points total. Discussions must be submitted on time to
earn any points. Discussions submitted after the deadline will earn zero points. See the grading rubric below for
guidelines on how your posts will be evaluated. Occasionally there is Extra Credit built into a Discussion (pay
attention). There is also an optional extra credit discussion at the end of the semester.:

DISCUSSION Grading RUBRIC

CRITERIA Full credit No credit
Thoroughness and Complete sentences and ideas. Statements such as “I agree” or “good
thoughtfulness Supporting evidence from the class job” or nothing at all. Late.
material. On time.
Grammar, Spelling, No mistakes in grammar, spelling or Texting, i.e.: “just 4 u;” 3 or more
and writing writing. On time. errors in spelling grammar or writing.
Late.
Relevance The post answers the question posed There is little or no relationship
by the Discussion or relates directly between the post and the Discussion
to the discussion. On time. subject. Late.
Added Value Builds on what has already been Restates what has already been stated
discussed or adds a relevant and in another post or does not have up-
valuable resource, such as a website. to-date information. Late.
On time.

1. QUIZZES: 30 points - There are 3 quizzes worth 10-points each. Do not rush through the quizzes. Although you
may take a quiz more than once, you will lose points on answers you mark incorrectly the first time. Extra Credit –
There are occasionally extra credit questions on the quizzes.

3. EXAMS: 200 points

There are two exams worth 100-points each. Both exams are available on CANVAS. Extra Credit – There are extra
credit questions included on each exam.

4. STUDENT SPEECH: 100-points (Required to pass this course – No live speech, no outline – “F” in Comm 20)
(1) Speech Outline (60 points) – Quality, organization, and content of the speech, student preparedness.
(2) Speech (40 points) - Quality, organization, use of visual, and delivery of the speech. See the full grading rubric
on the speech assignment sheet. Speeches are 3-4 minutes.
(3) Extra Credit: Students who deliver their speech in Round 1 or 2 will receive extra credit. Any student who
includes one relevant/recent trustworthy source orally, and cites that source correctly (in APA format) in the
hand-in typed outline as well as in their oral speech will receive 10 points extra credit
(4) This class is counted as an oral communication transfer credit. Students who do not deliver an
individual speech in class to a live audience will NOT pass the course.

****Students must hand-in a TYPED speech outline before they deliver their speech. Anything that is NOT in
outline format with labels will receive ZERO points (this is 60% of your speech grade).***

Your FINAL NUMERICAL GRADE will be converted to a letter grade using the following scale:
A = 387-430 B = 344-386 C = 301-343 D = 279-300 F = ANYTHING BELOW 279

***When checking grades on CANVAS, pay attention ONLY to the total points. Your final grade is calculated
using total points, not the percentage. See final grade calculations above***