Interpersonal Theory and Practice Syllabus
Course Structure
Course Description
The study of interpersonal communication is the study of interaction between people. It is not only the conversation, but the study of relationships, problems, and situations and how they can be dealt with in a positive manner. This course is designed to study interpersonal communication from a descriptive as well as analytical point of view. The topics of interpersonal relationships, self-concept, perception, gender and culture impact, verbal and nonverbal language, listening, self-disclosure, defensiveness, and conflict will be discussed. Possible methods of enhancing interpersonal communication situations will be practiced through discussion, role play, writing, and observance.
Interpersonal communication will be implemented firsthand in class. You will participate in preparation activities such as readings from our online textbook and articles. You will teach one another through weekly discussion boards. You will ponder and prove what you have learned by reflecting on your activities in a weekly assignment and also by taking a weekly reading quiz. You will have two projects due instead of a midterm and final test.
Course Objectives
- Students learn foundational interpersonal theory and vocabulary.
- Students understand self-communication and develop interpersonal skills.
- Students develop skills to improve interpersonal relationships.
Learning Model Architecture
As with all of your other courses at BYU–Idaho, you will have the opportunity to prepare intellectually and spiritually throughout this course. This course follows the BYU–Idaho Learning Model and will give you several opportunities to share those learning/teaching moments with others. You will also be given opportunities to reflect on what you are learning and to report on your weekly activities. Please remember that you will need to be able to devote 3–4 hours of time for every course credit, or 9–12 hours weekly.
Course Materials Needed
IComm: Interpersonal Concepts and Competencies. It may also be accessed in the Resources Folder.
Grading Policies
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range |
|---|---|
| A | 93% – 100% |
| A- | 90% – 92% |
| B+ | 87% – 89% |
| B | 83% – 86% |
| B- | 80% – 82% |
| C+ | 77% – 79% |
| C | 73% – 76% |
| C- | 70% – 72% |
| D+ | 67% – 69% |
| D | 63% – 66% |
| D- | 60% – 62% |
| F | 00% – 60% |
Class Policies
Assignments
Each week runs from Friday to Friday of the next week. You will be required to participate in two discussion boards each week: the small group discussion board and the Your Board discussion board. Your first post to the small group discussion board will always need to be completed by the due date listed with the board on the Calendar, and the follow-up posts will be due three days later. This will require you to be prepared to post an intelligent comment by the first due date, which is early in the week, so the preparation materials should be reviewed prior to this time.
The Your Board is an online social experiment, like a virtual water cooler, where class members will discuss topics throughout the week. Interpersonal communication skills now extend to the online setting, and this discussion board is an opportunity for hands-on electronic communication to show how interpersonal theories such as perception, relationships, and conflict resolution apply. Throughout the semester, you will be asked to evaluate your experience on this board, and you are required to participate by contributing.
There is a weekly individual assignment, a self-assessment, and a weekly “Best Of” assignment where you reflect on the week's activities, providing samples of your best posts, applications, and work.
All activities and assignments are due on the due date listed on the Calendar. The time listed on your Calendar is automatically adjusted for your time zone if you have updated your time zone in your profile. You will submit your assignments in the appropriate week in I-Learn.
All quizzes are open book.
Standard Code of Conduct
Demand the Highest Ethical Standards from Yourself
The collaborative and team oriented nature in this class means that there are many group projects both in and out of class. It is inevitable that you will have opportunities to hand in work that is not your own. Remember when these opportunities present themselves that you are being trusted and challenged to uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior. We want you to learn from your experiences in this class and at BYU-I in general. You need to be able to trust each other and yourself to make the ethical decision. Accordingly, cheating, plagiarism, and other cases of intellectual dishonesty will not be tolerated, and your instructor will be responsible to decide what action to take place.
Take Pride in Your Work
Business leaders know that everything they present to the public reflects on them and their organization. Long-term success comes only to companies and individuals who produce the highest quality products and services, and deliver them in a timely fashion. Every paper, presentation, and project is an expression of the pride you take in yourself and your work. Make every effort to write well, meet deadlines, and take the time to make both the format and the content of your work of the highest quality. This may mean writing one more draft, double checking spelling and grammar, or reviewing and practicing your presentation one more time.
Demonstrate Respect for Yourself and Others
Managers make decisions and lead others to implement those directives. Thus, if you are going to be a manager, you must learn how to influence others to accept and respect you. You will need to show yourself to be worthy of their respect, and in turn, show that you respect them. Your professional demeanor sends messages about your leadership ability and level of dedication. You can earn a lot of credit by following some very basic guidelines:
- Be On Time - Professional behavior means being on time for class deadlines. Group work is important for this course, and your contributions are essential in order to ensure discussion flow.
- Be Prepared - Unprepared managers have very short careers (or end up in dead-end jobs). To succeed, you need to prepare for each class session. Nothing shows less respect for others than making them wait while you do something you were supposed to have done in advance. If you don’t come prepared and try instead, to “fake it,” you run the risk of looking foolish and wasting everyone’s time with irrelevant comments.
- Show Respect - Professionalism also means being civil to those with whom you disagree. In business, you will find that you must work with people with conflicting opinions or personal styles. Your ability to work with, tolerate, and effectively interact with these individuals is critical to your success. Finally, you demonstrate a lack of respect for your colleagues or professors when you engage in private discussions while course or business meetings are in progress.
- Get Involved - Professionalism means keeping up with the discussion. It means making a contribution. Not everything you say has to be serious, however. As long as it fits, it’s okay, even desirable, to inject a little humor once in a while. Just make sure you do it in a way that isn't mean and doesn't step on anybody’s toes.
Resources
Online Support Center
The Online Support Center (OSC) is designed to help any students taking online courses at BYU–Idaho. If you have questions about any online course or any feedback concerning online courses, instructors, or your online learning experience please contact the OSC.
OSC Contact Information
Phone: 208-496-1411
Text Messaging: 855-808-7102
Email: onlinelearning@byui.edu
Live Chat: Click Here
Website: https://www.byui.edu/online/online-support-center
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 AM – 7 PM (MT)