Course Description

This course is designed to help students skillfully use communication skills needed in helping others who are in need of service or help, whether the help is extended in a professional or non-professional capacity. Although the course will emphasize helping individuals within a counseling type of relationship, the skills are fundamental communication skills needed for various family and human service professions. 

Course Expectations

Because the communication skills require practice and a concentrated effort, much of this course will consist of class discussion and role playing. If students make an effort to integrate these skills into a style of relating to others, this course will facilitate personal growth and provide a foundation from which individuals and families may be served more effectively. Students must understand that this course is very application-oriented and requires self-reflection and the giving and receiving of feedback from others in the course. The role playing and feedback components of this course will primarily be conducted via video conference and recorded practices. To be successful in this course you will need access to a computer with a reliable webcam and microphone twice per week—once to record yourself practicing skills individually and a second time to video conference with your peers to role play the skills and offer feedback to one another. You are expected to complete the assignments in order (i.e., complete the Practice activity before the Group Role Play). If you are not ready for this level of skills practice, feedback, self-reflection, and weekly interaction with peers via video conference, then you may want to consider taking this course at another time.

Course Objectives

Specific learning objectives for this course are:

1. Understand principles associated with effective helping and how to establish an effective helping relationship.
2. Understand different stages of the helping process. 
3. Skillfully use the following communication skills:
   • Attending 
   • Reflection of Feeling
   • Reflection of Content
   • Questions
   • Summarizing 
   • Silence
   • Advanced Empathy
   • Self-Disclosure
   • Giving Feedback
   • Confrontation
   • Providing Information
   • Immediacy
   • Share Personal Reactions
   • Providing Encouragement
4. Understand principles of the gospel associated with helping and healing.

Learning Model Architecture

This course is structured around the BYU-Idaho Learning Model, including the principles of Prepare, Teach One Another, and Ponder/Prove. Specific learning activities will include class discussions, Group Role Plays, individual skills practices, and writing assignments. 

Prepare

You are expected to complete your Prepare activities early in the week by study and by faith.

• To succeed in this course, you should carefully review all of the study materials prior beginning the week's assignments.
• In addition, you will have the opportunity to practice a particular helping skill (e.g., Reflecting Feelings) by listening to various pre-recorded scenarios of a helpee sharing his or her concerns. You will then use a webcam and microphone and record your responses to the individual. This will help you practice the skill in a low-stakes environment on your own before meeting with your group to practice in the Group Role Play. 

Teach One Another

You are expected to use charity and respect as you increase your capacity to learn by teaching one another.

In this course there is the Teach One Another activity: Group Role Plays.

• Group Role Plays are designed to help groups (comprised of 3 members) practice a particular helping skill by rotating between the role of helper, helpee, and observer. This will allow you to practice a helping skill as a helper, solicit the skills of a helper by introducing authentic conversations as a helpee, and offer feedback on the use of helping skills as an observer. You will meet together using Zoom video conferencing each week, record your role play session, and submit it to your instructor for review. Please note that you will be expected to join a Role Play group twice in this course: once prior to Week 03, and again prior to Week 07. It is your responsibility to work with your groups to find a time to meet each week. For your convenience, the FAML 420 Groups have been named according to time of day (i.e., Mornings, Afternoons, Evenings). You may use this as a starting point as you work to join a group with similar time constraints. 
  • For more information about how to join Groups in I-Learn, go to the Canvas Guide: How do I join a group as a student? tutorial.
  • For more information about Zoom, what it is, and how to use it in this course, go to the Student Help Guide: Getting Started with Zoom tutorial. 

Ponder/Prove

You are expected to ponder ways to apply course concepts as well as prove your understanding and competency of particular helping skills.

• You will be asked to prove your understanding of the concepts of this course by completing various writing assignments.
• You will also be asked to reflect upon and account for your use of the skill(s) in a given week.  

Major Assignments

In this course, there are four major assignments: (1) Skills Demonstration #1, (2) Midterm Exam, (3) Skills Demonstration #2, and (4) Final Exam:

• Skills Demonstration #1: During Week 06 of the semester you will be asked to again meet with your role play groups and demonstrate the skills you have learned up until that point (as opposed to just one skill). As such, the role play will take longer than your normal weekly role plays. You will then submit your recorded session to your instructor for review. 
• Midterm Exam: During Week 06 of the semester you will also be asked to complete a midterm exam to demonstrate your basic understanding of the skills learned, your ability to distinguish between good and poor uses of it in various scenarios, and your understanding of the underlying concepts.
• Skills Demonstration #2: During Week 13 of the semester you will be asked to again meet with your role play groups and demonstrate the skills you have learned up until that point (Week 06 – Week 12, as opposed to just one skill). As such, the role play will take longer than your normal weekly role plays. You will then submit your recorded session to your instructor for review.
• Final Exam: During Week 13 of the semester you will also be asked to complete a final exam to demonstrate your basic understanding of the skills learned, your ability to distinguish between good and poor uses of it in various scenarios, and your understanding of the underlying concepts.

Prerequisites

Junior or Senior level standing. 

Required Materials

You must have access to a computer and a webcam.

Proctored Exams and Assessments

This course will use an online proctoring software called Proctorio. This makes it possible for students to take assessments and exams without a human proctor present. Proctored exams can be accessed like any other exam, once the software has been installed. Exams will be recorded by Proctorio and reviewed by the BYUI Testing Center. Any questionable exams will be forwarded to the instructor for further review.

For step-by-step instructions on Proctorio installation, please refer to this help guide article.

Grading Policies

The minimum grade you can earn in this course without needing to repeat the course is a "C." 

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage Range
A	100% – 94%
A-	93% – 90%
B+	89% – 87%
B	86% – 84%
B-	83% – 80%
C+	79% – 77%
C	76% – 74%
C-	73% – 70%
D+	69% – 67%
D	66% – 64%
D-	63% – 60%
F	59% – 00%

The BYU-Idaho grading system describes each letter grade as follows:

• "A" represents outstanding understanding, application, and integration of subject material and extensive evidence of original thinking, skillful use of concepts, and ability to analyze and solve complex problems. It demonstrates diligent application of Learning Model principles, including initiative in serving other students.
• "B" represents considerable/significant understanding, application, and incorporation of the material that would prepare a student to be successful in next level courses, graduate school, or employment. The student participates in the Learning Model as applied in the course.
• "C" represents sufficient understanding of subject matter. The student demonstrates minimal initiative to be prepared for class. Sequenced courses could be attempted, but mastering new materials might prove challenging. The student participates only marginally in the Learning Model.
• "D" represents poor performance and initiative to learn, understand, and apply course materials. Retaking a course or remediation may be necessary to prepare for additional instruction in this subject matter.
• "F" represents failure in the course.

Grading Components

Learning Activities	Points	Group
Prepare: Skills Practice recordings each week	Practices: 5-10 points each (points vary)	Practice
Teach One Another: Group Role Plays each week (starting in Week 03)	Group Role Plays: 15 points each	Practice
Ponder/Prove: Worksheet/Paper/Essay writing assignments	Worksheet/Paper/Essay assignments: Points vary	Learning Activities
Ponder/Prove: Demonstrate your helping skills	Skills demo: Points vary	Demos
Ponder/Prove: Exams	Midterm and Final Exams: 50 points each	Exams

Assignments are weighted by group:

Group	Weight
Learning Activities	20%
Practice: Individual & Group	25%
Exams	25%
Demos	30%
Total	100%

Course Policies

Late Work

• You are expected to submit your work on time as a student just as your employer will expect your duties to be completed on time.
• If you submit an assignment or paper after the due date, 10% will be deducted for each subsequent day it is not submitted.
• There are no extra credit or make-up assignments.
• In the rare occurrence that you are unable to submit work by the deadline due to a natural disaster, birth or death of a family member, hospitalization, or serious accident, you should contact your instructor no more than 24 hours after the deadline.

Credit Hours and Study Time

BYU-Idaho measures academic credit in credit hours. In accordance with federal regulation, a credit hour at the college is the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes, and verified by evidence of student achievement, that reasonably approximates not less than three hours of student work for each credit. Therefore, you can expect to spend at least nine hours per week to study and complete your coursework. This time estimate represents the average student who is appropriately prepared; more time may be required to achieve excellence.

Program Statement for Marriage and Family Studies

March 2021

As the world is becoming more diverse in its values and perspectives on marriage and the family, it becomes increasingly important that students and faculty understand our mission as a major in Marriage and Family Studies at BYU-Idaho. Consistent with the University, our mission is to prepare family life professionals to strengthen families throughout the world as true disciples of Jesus Christ, as outlined in the doctrines and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Regardless of current or future philosophies or practices related to the family unit, the major of Marriage and Family Studies at BYU-Idaho is built upon The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Although this program will explore a variety of views and perspectives on the family, and each student is entitled to his or her own beliefs, it will emphasize research and theory and be guided by eternal truths as taught by the Lord’s prophets. In short, our major strives to follow the admonition from President Dallin H. Oaks that “every generation has its tests and its chance to stand and prove itself. I believe our attitude toward and use of the family proclamation is one of those tests for this generation. I pray for all Latter-day Saints to stand firm in that test.” (from “The Plan and the Proclamation,” October 2017 General Conference)

Department Policy Regarding Intellectual Property and Course Materials

All of the materials in this course are covered by fair use and copyright law and are proprietary (intellectual property). Students are not permitted to sell, post, trade, share, distribute, or send any information contained in this course (including outlines, handouts, syllabi, exams, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, audio and video recordings, or images of the same, etc., including your own work for this course) to any parties outside of this course (i.e., Course Hero, Quizlet, Google Docs, etc.) by any means without the expressed written permission from the creator of these works and the department chair. Any of these actions violate the Academic Honesty Policies of Brigham Young University-Idaho and will be dealt with as such.

The materials in this course are also intellectual property and taking any materials from the course and posting them outside of this course in any manner will be construed as theft and distribution of intellectual property. If you engage in any of these actions, or use any of these materials without authorization, the instructor has the right to impose an appropriate academic sanction (e.g., give you a failing grade for the assignment and/or fail you from the course). Additionally, the respective Course Lead, Program Lead, and/or department chair also reserve the right to impose appropriate academic sanctions regardless of any imposed by the instructor.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course requires synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
  • Student with Disabilities
  • Complaints and Grievances
  • Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Copyright

The course materials used in this class may be protected by copyright laws. You are expected to make a good-faith effort to respect the rights of copyright holders. If you disregard the policy, you may be in violation of the Church Education System Honor Code, you may place yourself at risk for possible legal action, and you may incur personal liability.

Disclaimers

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus at any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. If there is a discrepancy between this syllabus and I-Learn, consider the I-Learn information to be correct.