Using Students' Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory

Courses: Introduction to Human Communication, Communication Theory, Relational Communication, Interpersonal Communication

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the premises of social penetration theory based on prior knowledge as a starting point     

Choose Your Own Adventure: Examining Social Exchange Theory and Relational Choices

Objectives: To teach students the difference between direct and indirect communication and introduce them to units on face management and perception

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Communication Theory, Introduction to Communication     

How it's Done: Using Hitch as a Guide to Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Courses: Communication Theory, Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Human Communication

Objective: Students will apply Uncertainty Reduction Theory to initial relationship development in the film Hitch     

Calling-in the family: Dialogic performances of family conflict

ABSTRACT

Courses: Introduction to Communication, Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, Family Communication, Small Group Communication, Communication and Listening

Objectives: By this end of this activity, students will be able to identify and practice supportive and defensive communication; understand a dialogic approach to conflict; and reflexively imagine and perform dialogic interpersonal conflict communication as constitutive and transformative.     

Proverb Activity: Understanding How Perception and Gender Stereotypes are Formed

Objectives: Students will understand perception and apply step-by-step skills in a personally relevant way by rethinking taken-for-granted proverbs related to gender stereotypes

Courses: Gender and Communication, Intercultural Communication, Interpersonal Communication     

Disability as a Form of Diversity: Lessons from Murderball

Objective: To improve students’ perceptions of, and capacity to interact with, persons with physical disabilities

Courses: Intercultural Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Human Condition     

The Interpersonal Development Project: Bridging Theory and Practice in Interpersonal Communication Courses

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Communication and Conflict

Objectives: Students will develop theoretical knowledge of specific student-selected interpersonal communication theories and concepts. Students will apply theoretical knowledge to their own communication practices and track improvement over time.     

Using The King of Queens to Illustrate the Implications of Attribution Formation in Interpersonal Relationships

Objective: To illustrate the implications of attribution formation in interpersonal relationships

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Communication Theory

Time required: Approximately 30 minutes

Materials needed: An episode of The King of Queens     

Metaphorically Examining Organizational Communication: A Student's Perspective

Courses: Organizational Communication (assignment can be adapted easily for other theory courses, such as Interpersonal Communication, Rhetorical Theory, Communication Theory, or Persuasion)

Objectives: Students who successfully complete this assignment will be able to analyze critically and describe creatively an organizational concept or theory.     

Picture This: Exploring Nonverbal Communication Through Self-Portraiture

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Basic Course, Business and Professional Speaking, Group Communication, Organizational Communication

Objectives: Students will understand the relationship between nonverbal behaviors and perception formation in the communication process. Students will synthesize communication information while working in varying contexts ranging from individual to class settings.     

Using Film to Illustrate Theory: A Case Study of High Fidelity

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Relational Communication

Objective: To define, identify, and apply key features of account-making     

Teaching the Difference between Compromise and Collaboration through Trial and Error

Courses: Conflict Management, Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, Small Group Communication

Objectives: Students will distinguish between collaboration and compromise. Students will also engage in group processes and make decisions using compromising and collaborating strategies     

Creating Opportunities for Interaction and Critical Reflection in the Interpersonal Communication Course: Completing Random Acts of Kindness

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Basic Course

Objective: To identify and analyze interpersonal communication concepts in everyday interactions     

The Secret Life of Your Classmates: Understanding Communication Privacy Management

Courses: Basic Human Communication; Interpersonal Communication; basic theory courses. Optimal minimum class size is 20 students.

Goal: To introduce and demonstrate the key principles of communication privacy management (CPM) theory by having students create their own private disclosure message and explore their peers' messages     

Producing a Mix-Tape: An Activity for Contextualizing Course Content

Courses: Public Speaking, Argumentation & Advocacy, Interpersonal Communication, Communication & Culture

Objectives: Students will (1) connect a variety of communication concepts taught into a clear contextualized argument, and (2) become “critical producers” of a mix-tape, by recognizing course materials in a popular contexts     

Using You've Got Mail to Teach Social Information Processing Theory and Hyperpersonal Perspective in Online Interactions

Courses: Communication Theory; Interpersonal Communication; Computer-Mediated Communication

Objective: To illustrate the implications of social information processing and hyperpersonal perspective in CMC relationships

Time required: 1 hour

Materials needed: a DVD of You've Got Mail. scene 2 “Morning log-ons” and scene 21 “Still here” will be used     

Staging scenes of co-cultural communication: Acting out aspects of marginalized and dominant identities

ABSTRACT

Courses: Intercultural Communication, Interracial Communication, or an Interpersonal Communication class that covers co-cultural theory.

Objectives: Students will be able to demonstrate a practical application of co-cultural theory by creating scenes that illustrate different communicative approaches and desired outcomes based on communication between marginalized and dominant group identities. In this experience, students will reflect on their own marginalized and dominant identities and consider ways in which they experience privilege and disadvantage based on these identities.     

Exploring diversity through dialogue: avowed and ascribed identities

Courses: Intercultural Communication, Conflict and Communication, Interpersonal Communication

Objectives: After completing this single-class activity, students should be able to (1) differentiate between the avowed versus ascribed dimensions of cultural identity construction; (2) articulate the contested nature of cultural identity, including how cultural stereotypes guide perceptions of the Other; and (3) demonstrate tolerance through active and supportive listening to facilitate a nuanced appreciation of cultural diversity.     

“Listening is an act of love”: Learning listening through StoryCorps

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Basic Survey Course, Group Communication, Organizational Communication, Intercultural Communication, Listening, Family Communication, Interviewing, Business and Professional Communication.

Objectives: After completing this single class activity, students will be able to: (a) define listening; (b) identify listening as a top skill employers desire; (c) explain how listening may be perceived as an act of love; and (d) critically assess ways in which their listening behaviors may be improved.