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Department: COMM

Course No.: COMM 251W

Credits: 3

Title: Advanced Nonverbal Communication

Contact: Ross Buck

WQ: W

Catalog Copy: COMM 251W Advanced Nonverbal Communication (Formerly offered as COMS 2141W.) Second semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: COMM 250 or COMS 207 or instructor consent; Engl 105 or 110 or 111 or250. Recommended preparation: COMM 220 or COMS 205. Buck.

Selected issues and research techniques current in the literature. Research projects of kinesic, proxemic, and/or paralinguistic behaviors involved in communication.

W Criteria: 1. Writing assignments will be central to learning the content of the course. A series of four 5-10 page drafts of a research project will be assigned and evaluated, culminating in a 20-25 page paper. The first draft will be a 10-page introduction/literature review of the area of research, and will be required by the fourth week of class. It will be returned with comments and suggestions at the fifth week and will be worth 10% of the grade. The second draft will be a revision of the introduction, with the addition of a 5-page section describing the methods of study, which will be due the seventh week of class. It will be returned with comments and suggestions in the eighth week and will be worth 10%. The third draft will add 5-page results and 5-page discussion sections, constituting a draft of the final paper. It will be returned with comments and suggestions in the tenth week and will be worth 20% of the grade. The final paper will incor! po! rate these suggestions, will be due at the end of classes, and will be worth 20% of the grade The W component will therefore be 60% of the grade, with short answer/essay examination scores worth 40% (midterm 15%, final 25%).

2. The primary modes of writing instruction in the course will be the written commentary on the drafts, with some formal instruction to the class as well.

3. Revisions will be required based upon the written comments on the drafts.

4. The syllabus will inform students that they must pass the "W" component of the course in order to pass the course.

Role of Grad Students: Expected role of graduate student assistants in the course: based upon current staffing, the course will be normally be taught by graduate students. Preparation for teaching or assisting with this course: will include a Master's degree; taking at least one course in Nonverbal Communication at the graduate level (normally COMM 350; COMM 351 and/or PSYC/COMM340 with other graduate-level preparation); participation in relevant W course training and instruction for graduate students as available at the W Institute.

How and by whom they will be supervised: Ross Buck, Ph.D., will supervise the teaching of the course by directing the preparation of the syllabus, choosing text and web-based assignments, attending classes on occasion, spot-checking graduate student evaluations of writing and grading.