COMS 520 Communication Theory and Practices

Understanding communication theories is essential to understanding the discipline of communication studies. As Littlejohn states, “Theories provide explanations that help us understand the phenomenon we call communication” (2). This course will provide an overview of communication theories across the major areas within the discipline of communication studies.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete four Discussions. Discussion threads should be at least 450 words and should include two scholarly citations outside the course textbook to substantiate the student’s arguments. The student will reply to their classmates’ threads. All replies should be at least 300 words, contain two scholarly citations, and be posted intermittently throughout the week. All posts should follow proper APA style.

Essay Assignments (5)

Throughout this course, the student will submit a series of essay assignments each constructed as an APA paper (APA Guide, Section 2.2) that includes a title page, the body, and reference(s). Each essay is designed to deepen the student’s foundational awareness of communication theory within a Christian worldview.

Definition of Communication Essay Assignment

For this Definition of Communication Essay Assignment, the student will submit a 500-word essay describing his/her personal definitions of communication and how this relates to communication generally. Opinions and observations should be supported by rational arguments and scholarly data, including at least two scholarly sources. Current APA style is required for all essay assignments. This essay may be written in a first-person voice. 

Journal Article Essay Assignment

The student will analyze one communication journal article based on the questions and composition style identified in the assignment instructions. The student must ensure the article is from a peer-reviewed scholarly communication journal.  In this 350 word essay, the student discusses elements from the assignment instructions related to one scholarly article. The paper should follow APA style and have at least one reference.

Traditions Essay Assignment

In this Traditions Essay Assignment paper, the student will submit a 750 word essay examining each Communication Tradition based on the criteria described in the assignment instructions. The submission should include at least four scholarly sources. Throughout this course, the student will be completing various stages of a research paper project. One element of the research paper is identifying into which tradition the selected theory rests.

Book Report Essay Assignment

In this Book Report Essay Assignment paper, students will compose a 700 word essay discussing specific elements identified in the assignment instructions related to the book I and Thou by Martin Buber. The submission should include two sources, including the I and Thou text.

Theories Essay Assignment

In this Theories Essay Assignment paper, students will write a 1,000 word essay to examine four Communication Theories based on the criteria described in the assignment instructions. The submission must include 8 scholarly sources and the textbook. Throughout this course, students will be completing various stages of a research paper. One component of the research paper is identifying the significant elements of one communication theory.

Research Project Assignments (5)

Throughout this course, the student will be completing a research project regarding one theory of communication. The final product of this research project will be a 10-12 page research paper and a 10-minute multimedia presentation of the paper. For this project, the student needs to collect 15 relevant sources, which must be cited in the paper. All portions of this project must be correctly formatted in APA style. This project will be submitted in the following stages:

Title Page and Research Question

The student will choose one of the theories discussed in the textbook to serve as the topic for the research project. Using the title construction design requirements detailed in the assignment instructions, the student will select and submit a title and research question for review. If the title selected is not acceptable, or if the title page format is not correct, the student will receive comments from the instructor. After a title is approved,  the student may begin research for their project.

Introduction and Annotated Bibliography

The student will use their research to create a 400 word introduction paragraph following the composition design and length requirement as described in the assignment instructions. Generally, an introduction to a research paper should present its purpose, research question, and thesis statement. The submission should include 15 sources and conclude with an annotated bibliography appendix.

Literature Review

The student will submit the body of the paper, which should be the synthesis of the 15 scholarly sources found during the research process. This review should be written in paragraph format with appropriate topic sentences for each paragraph. Furthermore, through this literature review, the student should compare/contrast, analyze, and apply the scholarly perspectives presented in the research. Since the review will serve as the body of the paper, the student should aim to have between 10–12 pages of text.

Paper Submission

The student should submit their final research paper. The final paper should include 10–12 pages with the additional title page, abstract, and reference list. At least 15 sources should be listed on the references page and all sources must be used and properly cited within the paper. This final paper should demonstrate flawless APA format.

Presentation (Video Discussion) 

The student will create a multimedia presentation of their theory that includes a video. The video should be between 7-8 minutes, include at least 15 peer-reviewed source citations, and be uploaded to Canvas following on the instructions provided in the discussion page. The student will also submit a 300 word respond to the presentation of two other students.

Quizzes (3)

Students will complete a scholarly writing quiz, a midterm exam, and a final exam. Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned modules. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes. The scholarly writing quiz contains three multiple choice questions to be completed in 60 minutes. The mid-term and final exam each contain 90 multiple choice or true/false questions to be completed in 3 hours.