1. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com

2. COM 321 Week 1 DQ 1 Aristotle’s Classification Scheme For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Think of a speaker you admire. What was it about that speaker that made his or her communication memorable? Using Aristotle’s classification scheme, decide whether you believe this speaker’s power to persuade comes from ethos, pathos, logos, or from a combination of these methods and explain what led you to this conclusion. What qualifications do you believe a communicator needs to be considered effective today

3. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 1 DQ 2 Four Perspectives on Communication For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Thinking Through Communication discusses four different theoretical perspectives on communication. Consider each of these perspectives and answer the questions below about these perspectives. a. Consider the psychological perspective. In what ways do you believe that what goes on inside people’s heads (beliefs, values, attitudes, etc.) affects their communication? b. Consider the social constructionist perspective. How do we “build worlds” through communication?

4. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 2 DQ 1 Stereotypes For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Think back to when you were in high school and classify the students. What categories (or person prototypes) did you use to categorize these people? Describe in detail each prototype, including appearance and personality characteristics. How might your communication behavior change if you were to talk to members of each of these groups? Why do you think we classify people into these kinds of categories? Is there any truth in any of these stereotypes? Is this kind of activity relatively harmless, or is it harmful at some level? What kind of stereotypes can be damaging? How can people be encouraged to look beyond stereotypes?

5. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 2 DQ 2 Language and Attitudes For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, we think through language. The words we use to talk about the world reinforce our attitudes and, occasionally, our prejudices. Changing our language to eliminate offensive language, many argue, may change our attitudes as well. At the very least, becoming aware of the biases in language practices may make us more sensitive to the feelings of those who are the targets of these biases. Thus, we try our best to avoid sexist and racist language by substituting new, more “politically correct” usage. Do you think that language affects thought and behavior? Does changing our language make a significant change in the way we think and behave?

6. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 2 Personal Constructs Paper For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com To get a clearer sense of the kinds of judgments you make, think of specific people who fit the following categories: a family member, a teacher, a male friend, a female friend, a person you dislike, and a person you work or socialize with. Choose two of these people and list five to ten adjectives that describe ways in which these people are similar and five to ten adjectives that describe ways in which they are different. Then, choose two other people and repeat the exercise.

7. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 3 DQ 1 Not Communicating For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com During this week, select one hour of the day when you are with other people and try not to communicate. During this hour, try your best not to communicate verbally and to keep nonverbal communication to a minimum. Take note of the opportunities for communication you passed up, how it felt when you couldn’t communicate, and how others reacted toward you. Once you get an initial reaction, if your behavior seems to be upsetting those around you, give a brief explanation that you are conducting an exercise for a communications class, and then go back to being non-communicative.

8. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 3 DQ 2 Relationship Development For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Think about the progression of relationships in your life. How is your communication different when you first meet a stranger, when you get to know the person and find something in common, and when you get to be good friends? Does it change significantly if you establish an intimate relationship with that person? Have you experienced the dialectical tensions described by Baxter and Rawlins? How have you resolved them? Have you known people whose relationships broke apart because they could not resolve dialectical tensions? Share your views on these issues.

9. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 3 Portfolio Project Daft For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Review the Final Portfolio instructions found in Week Five of the online course or under the “Components of Course Evaluation” section of the Course Guide. This assignment will require you to assess your concept of self and your communication skills, strengths and weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities for growth. The draft should address the issues listed in the assignments that have been covered through the first three weeks of this class.

10. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 4 DQ 1 Organizational Communication For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Discuss the upward and downward communication channels you have experienced here at Ashford University. Identify any problems in organizational communication you have seen. Do you feel that you have adequate information? In what areas would you like clearer information? What could the university do to provide more useful information to you and to improve communication?

11. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 4 DQ 2 The Global Village For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com What is your attitude toward living in the global village? For example, if you were offered a good job in a foreign country, how would you feel about packing up and moving there for several years? If your roommate were of a different cultural background, would you welcome the experience or would you feel a little uncomfortable? Do your answers depend on what country the job is in or where the roommate comes from? Explore this attitude. Why do you think you feel the way you do?

12. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com COM 321 Week 4 Organizational Skills Assessment For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Think about the skills you have gained through coursework, personal experiences, and previous employment that will help you be effective in organizations. Prepare a written list of the skills you possess in each of the following categories: (a) work-content skills, (b) personal attributes (such as communication and self-management), and (c) technology. Following each skill listed, explain how the skill might help you in your current career or in the career you intend to pursue. The paper must be formatted according to APA style. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.

13. COM 321 Innovative Education--snaptutorial.com