The Text Chapter Presentation is a group assignment, while the Self CPA and Portfolio are individual assignments.

Text Presentation Project

Monterey Peninsula College

Interpersonal Communication

Professor: Daniel S. Fox, Ph.D.

Task:

• Your group will present all or part of the content of the assigned text chapter in an INNOVATIVE manner. 
• This assignment entails: (1) creating a written summary of the core concepts and principles in one chapter of the text, and (2) developing a creative presentation of selected core ideas. 
• Any combination of presentational strategies may be used, including those which involve the audience, use various media, or utilize dramatic/theatrical modes; how this is done is entirely up the group.
• The emphasis is on innovation and clarity.   Note: the presentation that is dry, ho-hum, non-interactive, and plainly an ``essay on legs`` will receive significantly lower marks.  It takes little effort to merely read the content of the summary sheet to the rest of the class.  The challenge here is to get out of the typical, frequently ineffective modes of communication. 
• Learning Goals:  To (a) give learners a full exposure to the material within the text, (b) allow members to experience team-tasking and diversity in close interpersonal interaction with other students, and (c) provide an opportunity for learners to apply critical skills and creative solutions to the presentation of course content.
• Product:  The group will provide a one-sheet, 1-2 page summary of the content of the chapter to every student in the class.  It may be a two-sided sheet, but the font size may be no less than 10 pt. and no more than 12 pt. This sheet should not be given out to classmates until after the group presentation.

• Presentation:  The presentation should be between 10-15 minutes, and should demonstrate appropriate presentational strategies and practices, such as the use of:

a.       presentation aids (i.e., overheads, handouts, poster board),

b.      a clearly organized presentation (i.e., preview, body of main points, and a summary), and

c.       clear delivery (articulation, pronunciation, volume, pitch, rate, eye-contact, appropriate use of gestures and movement).

Self

Communication Problem Analysis

Interpersonal Communication

MPC (Spch 3)

Dan Fox, Ph.D.

Task:  In a four-part structure (1. problem description, 2. analysis and definition, 3. solution exploration; 4. implementation reflection), learners will analyze a communication problem of your choice, and create a 2-pg. summary for each part.  Each of the four parts entail a 2-page paper summary, and will involve sharing the contents with other members of the class.

Learning Objective

Given a communication problem or challenge of their choice, learners will accurately (1) describe the problem, (2) analyze and define the problem (examined for its parts, components, reasons for being, and/or dynamics of operation), (3) generate appropriate and effective solutions for the problem, and (4) implement some or all of those solution and write a reflective essay on that outcome. 

The process, then, includes four distinct components:

1.        Description of the interaction problem or challenge.

2.        Analysis and Definition of the interaction problem or challenge.

3.        Generating Solutions and strategies for that problem or challenge.

4.        Implementing those solutions with a Reflection upon how that went.

Subject of Focus: Self

As this is a Self CPA, its focus is on an interpersonal communication problem that you face in your daily living.  The other CPAs conducted in this course are focused on a case situation (either in film or on paper); this CPA brings the same skills to bear on a real and very relevant communication challenge. 

Remember that you will be sharing the basic content of this CPA with others in small groups toward the end of the course; this means that you should chose a relationship that you will feel comfortable sharing in that context.  Also keep in mind that you don’t have to retain the real names of people in the situation that you choose; our purpose is not to identify individuals, but to learn about interpersonal communication processes and strategies.

Paper Format

Each of these components will be written into a short one-sheet, 1-2 page report.  This assignment is to be single-spaced, rather than the standard double-spaced format.  Each component will be due at progressive stages of the course (see course Calendar for exact dates). 

Directions

Write up the results of each phase of the project (1-describe, 2-analyze & define, 3-solve, 4-implement & reflect) in the form of a 1-2 page Summary (this is an executive summary format, for those familiar with it).  One Summary will be written for each component.  A suggested format for each paper is provided below.

Suggested Structure

1. Begin with an introduction to the people and issues central to your interaction challenge (approx. one paragraph). 
2. Using headers (such a capitalized titles that are underlined or bolded) to organize your ideas, begin by addressing the core task of that particular paper (i.e., description, analysis, solving, etc.) in paragraph form. 
3. When the purpose is to describe, be sure you include actual instances of talk (quoted conversation between people), along with descriptions of the context and situation where the interaction occurred.
4. When the purpose is to analyze and define, you should do your preparation sufficiently so that your efforts to isolate the various parts of the problem have been done prior to writing; what is written is a final version of your thinking, rather than the beginning.  Defining should draw upon the textbook, lectures, and other readings about relationships; it is your effort to give a precise label to the relational challenge under your examination.
5. When the purpose is to solve, you should begin from the needs you established in prior observation and writing.  Draw upon your course material and what strategies appeal to you personally.  The actual solution(s) should be described in sufficient detail that the reader can “see” the method being used.  Think in terms of what you plan on implementing as a relational strategy in this case.
6. When the purpose is to reflect upon your implementation, you should write from a person point of view, rather than a sterilized social scientific perspective.  Share what you tried and how it went for you.  Don’t feel as if your must prove some level of success with the implementation; view it as an attempt, and one that may be adjusted and re-tried at a later time.

Other notes:

• These papers should be no longer than two 8 ½ x11 inch pages, and be printed on one sheet of paper.  You may have to learn how to get your printer to print on the back side of a sheet of paper, or simply use a copier to have it copied front-back on one sheet.
• Be sure you remember to put your name, course title, and date in an upper front corner of the paper.
• The document should be easy to read and visually scan;  font sizes are no less than 10pt., no larger than 12pt.; font styles should be of a standard variety (i.e., a common reader style, such as Courier, Times New Roman, Arial).
• Organized in a way that helps the reader absorb the material efficiently and effectively; the organizational structure should be appropriate for the objective of the summary.
• Should not contain images or pictures.

Portfolio Assignment

Monterey Peninsula College

Interpersonal Communication

Professor: Daniel S. Fox, Ph.D.

Task:

In a 5-8 page paper, learners will reflect upon the lessons, principles, and experiences of the course, explaining how they have explored the material in their own lives over the duration of the course.

The reflection paper (described above) should be the first item in the portfolio.  Included in the portfolio will be copies of the following assignments:

1. completed Discussion Questions,
2. Quiz scores summarized (1 through 10) on one sheet,
3. the completed CPA,
4. Text Chapter summaries for the chapters which your group presented,
5. your best of the two film analysis papers, and
6. all Experiential assignments.

Format:

1. Copies:  As the portfolios will not be handed back, everything submitted should be COPIES of originals.
2. Reflection paper:  The portfolio reflection paper should be between 5 and 8 pages in length, typed, double-spaced, paginated, stapled, and include headers to organize the thought-line of its contents.  The student’s name should be typed near the top of the first page.
3. Portfolio folder:  The portfolio should be a standard 8 ½”by 11” manila file folder.  The papers should be stapled into the folder at the top left corner (if the papers are thick you may need to take it to copy shop where they have the heavy-duty staplers).

Due Date:

As the Portfolio will not be due until the end of the course, and not before the assigned due date (to be announced in class), be sure you plan ahead for this assignment.  It will be one of the last assignments that you hand in for the course.