3/13/2025 11:53:34 PM	COMM 4 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  COMM 4	Title:  SURVEY OF COMMUNICATION
Full Title:  Survey of Communication
Last Reviewed:5/13/2024

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		4 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  COMM 60

Catalog Description:

In this introductory communication course, students will learn how to prepare and deliver public speeches while improving their ability to communicate in various group, interpersonal, and intercultural settings.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 100 OR EMLS 100 (formerly ESL 100) or appropriate placement based on AB705 mandates

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this introductory communication course, students will learn how to prepare and deliver public speeches while improving their ability to communicate in various group, interpersonal, and intercultural settings.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 100 OR EMLS 100 (formerly ESL 100) or appropriate placement based on AB705 mandates
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
Area:	B	Communication and Analytical Thinking
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	A1	Oral Communication		Fall 1981
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	1C	Oral Communication		Fall 2023
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2023	Inactive:
C-ID:
CID Descriptor: COMM 115	Survey of Human Communication	SRJC Equivalent Course(s): COMM4

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Conceive, research, organize, and prepare coherent oral presentations incorporating qualified sources and effective verbal and nonverbal delivery.

2. Express and identify concepts of intercultural communication.

3. Demonstrate effective listening and interpersonal skills for various communication contexts.

4. Use skills and strategies to work effectively in small groups.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical foundations, and concepts of communication, including the canons of rhetoric and the Aristotelian proofs of ethos, pathos, and logos.

2. Demonstrate rhetorical sensitivity to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility through audience analysis.

3. Use ethical communication practices such as truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and sound reasoning by using scientific theories, expert testimony, empirical studies, and verified facts in presentations or writing.

4. Conceptualize and organize compelling arguments into effective and appropriate structural patterns for oral presentations based on the communication setting.

5. Manage communication apprehension related to public speaking, interpersonal interaction, and group discussion.

6. Actively and critically listen to and provide constructive criticism of oral presentations, including those of peers.

7. Apply rhetorical principles to analyze historical and contemporary discourse.

8. Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills, with emphasis on listening.

9. Demonstrate small group and/or team-building communication skills.

10. Find, critically examine, select, and orally cite qualified supporting materials from primary and secondary sources during oral presentations.

11. Employ appropriate and effective verbal and nonverbal messages while delivering a speech.

12. Rehearse and refine the concepts presented through various speaking situations.

Topics and Scope

I. Foundational Concepts and Theories of Communication

    A. Characteristics

    B. Process

    C. Ethics

    D. Competence

    E. Communication Apprehension

II. Types of Public Speaking

    A. Informative

     B. Persuasive

         1. The 5 canons of rhetoric

         2. The Aristotelian proofs (ethos, pathos, logos)

    C. Interviewing

    D. Cultural events or intercultural issues

    E. Other

III. Speech Preparation Skills

    A. Audience Analysis

         1. Values

         2. Cultural identity

         3. Beliefs

         4. Unconscious bias

         5. Privilege

    B. Research Skills

         1. Library and electronic research techniques

         2. Evaluation of supporting materials

             a. Primary and secondary sources

             b. Verifying credibility, accuracy, and relevance

    C. Ethical Speech Composition Skills

          1. Accuracy of information

          2. Soundness of reasoning

          3. Clarity of explanations

          4. Avoidance of fallacies

          5. Quality of expert sources

          6. Reliability and validity of statistics

   D. Speech Organization

         1. Creating a thesis

         2. Choosing compelling arguments

         3. Logical and proportional main points

   E. Modes of Delivery

         1. Manuscript

         2. Extemporaneous

         3. Impromptu

         4. Group discussion

         5. Memorized

IV. Presentation Skills

    A. Practice skills

    B. Delivery

         1. Vocal qualities

         2. Body language

         3. Managing communication apprehension

    C. Oral citation of sources

V. Critical Listening to and Evaluation of Live, In-Class Student Presentations, and Various other Forms of Communication (e.g., Famous Public Speeches, Political Rhetoric, and Advertising)

    A. Evaluation of source credibility

    B. Evaluation of emotional appeals

    C. Evaluation of logical appeals

VI. Intercultural Communication

    A. Gender communication

    B. Co-cultural variation

    C. Perception of cultural identity

    D. Cultural humility versus Intercultural Competence

    E. Adapting to the cultural identities of others

VII. Interpersonal Communication Concepts

    A. Listening skills

    B. Verbal and nonverbal communication

    C. Relational communication

    D. Self-perception/identity

VIII. Working in Groups

    A. Group member roles

    B. Conflict resolution

    C. Decision-making

    D. Leadership

    E. Problem-solving

    F. Group presentations

    G. Organizational communication

    H. Coordinating preparation and research for a presentation

Assignments:

Assignments will include:

1. Assigned reading (20-35 page/per week average)

2. Public speaking assignments of varying difficulty (5 minimum), all delivered to a live audience and faculty-evaluated and supervised, such as

    A. Informative

    B. Persuasive

    C. Group panel discussion

    D. Intercultural concept or cultural event

    E. Other

3. Written work (1,500-2,000 words total), such as:

    A. Speech outlines

    B. Self-evaluations

    C. Journals

    D. Essays

    E. Critiques/Rhetorical Analysis

4. Quizzes and Exams (2-20)

5. Critiques of oral presentations or written response papers (oral or written)

6. Other assignments such as:

    A. Group projects (1-2)

    B. Experiential exercises

     C. Interviews

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 15 - 30%
Writing assignments
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 5 - 10%
Critiques of oral presentations or written response papers (oral or written)
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 45 - 60%
Public speaking assignments
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 15 - 25%
Quizzes and Exams
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 10%
Class participation; other assignments

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

COMM 6. 6th ed. Verderber, Rudolph and Verderber, Kathleen and Sellnow, Deanna. Cengage. 2021.

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions. 11th ed. Hamilton, Cheryl. Cengage. 2018. (classic).

Communication in Our Lives, 9th ed. Wood, Julia. Cengage. 2023.

Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 8th Ed. Beebe, Steven, Beebe, Susan and Ivy, Diana: Pearson. 2021.

 

Faculty members in the School of Communication Studies, James Madison University (2022). Communication in the Real World. Harrisonburg:  James Madison University School of Communication Studies. https://pressbooks.lib.jmu.edu/communicationintherealworldjmu/  Licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

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