English Reflection Assignment

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“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” From: George Bernard Shaw, http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_single_biggest_problem_in_communication_is/155222.html

School of Communication & Information Department of Communication

Introduction to Communication and Information Processes 04:189:101:01&91

Spring 2023 Tuesdays 10.20am-1.20pm ET

Classroom: RU Academic Building (AB)-East-#4225, 15 Seminary Place & Online via Zoom (link on Canvas)

Twitter: #rucom101 Facebook Page (private group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1554870798137686/

Instructor: Nick Linardopoulos, Ph.D. Office: SC&I Annex B, Room #152 (building number 3135B). Note: entrance is on Huntington Street. Student Hours: Thursdays 10-11am and by appointment (online or in-person). Use the Calendar link on Canvas to sign-up (2 hours in advance) Email: [email protected] Twitter: @profnicklin Office Phone: 848-932-7563 Cell Phone: 856-425-0143

Teaching Assistants:

Liesl Broadbridge Email: [email protected] Student Hours: Wednesdays 9am-10am ET. Please use the Calendar link on Canvas to sign-up (2 hours in advance) Justin Kanski Email: [email protected] Student Hours: Wednesdays 4-5pm. Please use the Calendar link on Canvas to sign-up (2 hours in advance) Eric Lapp Email: [email protected] Student Hours: Tuesdays 2-3pm. Alexander Library (basement) or via Zoom link on Canvas. Please use the Calendar link on Canvas to sign-up (2 hours in advance)

Chloe Sena Email: [email protected] Student Hours: Wednesdays 11am-12pm. Please use the Calendar link on Canvas to sign-up (2 hours in advance)

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Sabrina Singh Email: [email protected] Student Hours: Wednesdays 9.30-10.30am. Please use the Calendar link on Canvas to sign-up (2 hours in advance)

Reaching out via email: In order to ensure that your questions are answered promptly and efficiently please adhere to the e-mail policy below. Please contact the teaching assistants first, based on your last name as follows making sure that you email only one person at a time:

Last Name A-F: Email Liesl Broadbridge ([email protected]) Last Name G-K: Email Justin Kanski ([email protected]) Last Name L-O: Email Eric Lapp ([email protected]) Last Name P-T: Email Chloe Sena ([email protected]) Last Name U-Z: Email Sabrina Singh ([email protected])

Important note: While convenient, please avoid using the Canvas inbox tool to communicate with us as there is a very high risk of your messages ending up in our spam folders. If you use the Canvas inbox and have not heard from us after three days, you may sent the message again via a regular email program.

Please further note that the above breakdown only applies to email inquiries. You can visit any member of the instructional team based on your preference/availability. You will have a designated teaching assistant for the semester as the per the breakdown below.

We expect your e-mails to be written with clarity and grace; this means complete sentences and proofreading. Please make sure you sign your e-mail with your full name and indicate the course that you are enrolled in (‘Communication class’ is not specific enough-sorry). We respond to e-mail inquiries within 48 business hours (you can resend your e-mail if you have not heard from us within that time frame).

Please, do not use e-mail for submitting your assignments; with the amount of e-mails that we receive it is impossible to keep track of who has given us what. As a result, we will not accept written assignments over e-mail for any reason.

Course Website: http://canvas.rutgers.edu Direct link to the course: https://rutgers.instructure.com/courses/214341

It is essential that you familiarize yourselves with the course website as the assignment instructions and submission, lesson plans, announcements and related course content will be available through Canvas. Completing the Canvas student tutorial is highly recommended especially if you have not used Canvas in the past: https://rutgers.instructure.com/courses/35

Prerequisites & Co-requisites: None

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Catalog Course Description: Theory and practice in communication studies with emphasis on receiving, processing, and transmitting information. Particular attention will be paid to interpersonal, organizational, and intercultural contexts.

Course Overview: This survey course is designed to introduce students to the major areas of the communication discipline. Specifically, we will focus on the meaning of communication, discuss the importance of the most prominent communication theories and assess the importance of interpersonal, group, organizational, speech, and mass communication skills in a global context. Upon the successful completion of the course, students will be able to articulate the main theoretical and practical applications of the communication discipline. In addition, the course aims to familiarize students with different approaches to test- taking and interactive assessments as well as expose them to the basic principles of working with a course management system (CMS).

Rutgers Core Curriculum Goals This course fulfils the following RU Core Curriculum Goals:

-Nature of Languages (AHq) -Philosophical and Theoretical Issues (AHo) -Social Analysis (SCL)

Course Learning Objectives (clo):

Upon the successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Discuss and evaluate the main branches of communication 2. Analyze different communication scenarios and interactions 3. Learn the basic aspects of communication theory. 4. Recognize differences between vernacular (informal) and academic approaches to communication 5. Apply theories of perception, the self, culture, language, nonverbal communication, mediated communication, relationships, organizations, and mass communication to real life situations.

Required and Supplemental Materials:

 Textbook: Ruben & Stewart (2020). Communication and Human Behavior. 7th Edition. United

States: Kendall Hunt. ISBN: 978-1-5249-7695-8 (approximately $69 e-version). The book is available from the Rutgers (B&N) bookstore. You can also purchase the book directly from the publisher’s website (which also offers an e- book): https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/communication-human-behavior Hard copies of the textbook are available on reserve at the Alexander Library.

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 Clicker: iClicker Cloud (Student) subscription available at the Rutgers Bookstore or from the iclicker website: https://macmillan.force.com/iclicker/s/article/iClicker-Student-App-Purchasing-Participation-Options The approximate subscription price is $15.99 for 6 months access. A new student subscription comes with a 14-day trial. Please see the information at the end of the syllabus for detailed instructions on how to register/create your iClicker student account, integrate it on Canvas and use the system. We will be using the mobile and/or desktop versions of the iClicker app (no physical remotes). Please note that it is your responsibility to activate and properly register your iclicker account in order to earn credit for this component.

 Supplemental materials will be available on Canvas and will be assigned throughout the semester.

Those materials will be made available each week under the corresponding lesson and/or in the Resources tab. All of the supplemental materials will be designated as R (required) or O (optional). The total amount of the required materials in addition to the textbook will not exceed the equivalent of 150 pages.

 (optional but highly recommended) Twitter and/or Facebook account (to follow course updates and

participate in the optional activities): It is recommended, but not required, to create a Twitter and/or Facebook account (if you do not have one). Make sure that a. your account is associated with your actual name and b. that your tweets on that specific account are set to public (otherwise we cannot see them).We will use the Facebook group page and course hashtag (#rucom101) frequently for course updates and participation outside the lecture. Our Facebook page is a closed group and you will have to request to be added to it. Proper etiquette is expected if you wish to stay a member of this group (see the full set of the expectations on the actual page). Also, please review the basic guidelines for creating a Twitter account here: https://help.twitter.com/en/new-user-faq

You are also required to have access to a headset/webcam (built-in type is ok) or equivalent tool in order to join the course sessions online (if not in the physical classroom) and participate in the video discussions.

Course Set-Up & Schedule:

This semester, the course will be offered in a converged learning/hyflex format. This means that some of you will be present in the physical classroom and some of you will be joining us online via Zoom at the same time. Regardless of which format you have selected for the course, you will all have the chance to participate in a comparable way during our class sessions and have access to the same course content and instructional support. It is recommended to try out the format you have registered for during the first two class sessions in order to make sure that you have a good sense of how things will work. We appreciate your patience as we fine-tune the delivery of this new mode of instruction with the goal of providing a positive learning experience. You can read about more about the converged learning format here (if you are curious): https://library.educause.edu/- /media/files/library/2020/7/eli7173.pdf

 

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Canvas Modules: Each content area in Canvas is called a module or unit (displayed as weeks). Typically, each learning module includes some version of a lecture/readings/instructional material/videos and a list of tasks that need to be completed each week. We are following a version of a flipped classroom approach; you are expected to review the core lecture online and master it by the designated synchronous class session. During the synchronous class sessions, we will summarize the content that you were assigned and have reviewed, complete an awareness check and reflect on specific applications of the covered content. You will also be completing a number of group exercises.

For this course, the overview page of each module provides a detailed listing of what needs to be completed; please review it carefully the first day it is released. In addition, it is your responsibility to check the announcement page of the course as it will include important updates, deadline reminders and content overview; carefully reviewing the details on the announcement page (along with the unit overview) and of course joining our sessions will ensure that you are aware of all the course activities. We assume that you will review all of the announcements and associated content within 48 hours of posting. Accordingly, you are expected to complete work for this course and log-in on Canvas at least three times per week. It is also expected that you will devote an average of at least 6 hours per module in addition to the synchronous component.

Please note the dates of each module for planning purposes; the typical time frame of each unit is Monday-Sunday. For the regularly scheduled modules this means that every Monday at 9am ET a new unit will become active and you will be able to view the associated content. In most cases, you have until the following Sunday (11:50pm ET) to complete the associated tasks which will be clearly described on the overview page (there may be a short grace time frame for the cut-off date). Group and paper activities/deliverables follow a slightly different (see schedule below). In addition, please note that the course runs on Eastern Standard Time (Rutgers/New Brunswick time zone) so the deadlines are set accordingly.

COVID-19 Protocols (especially, but not exclusively, for those of you who will be in the classroom): In this course, we will be following all health-related protocols established by the University as described here: https://coronavirus.rutgers.edu/health-and-safety/community-safety-practices/

Please note that the COVID-19 protocols are subject to change and this will be communicated by the University as needed. It is important to remain flexible and we will do our best to provide continuity of instruction regardless of the format.

Assessment: For course assessment purposes we use a point system. At the beginning of the semester you start off with zero points. As you complete more assignments and participate in the course, you earn experience points (referred to as XP). The more XP you earn the higher your letter grade.

Your final grade will be based out of 1000 base XP as illustrated below:

-Learner’s Profile & Video Introduction-15 XP (clo 1): This introductory assignment will enable you to introduce yourself to the instructional team and your classmates. This assignment is graded on a pass/fail

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basis. -Term Paper-200 XP (clo 1,2,4,5): For this component, you will have a choice of communication- related scenarios in order to produce a short paper (4-pages maximum). You also have the option to team up with your classmates and produce this paper in a group format (minimum of three members per team). If you choose to pursue the group option, please note that everyone in the group will earn the same grade. You will have the option to submit a draft and formal revision/re-write for this paper. Please refer to the assignment instructions on Canvas for specific details regarding the content and the submission requirements for the papers.

Or

-Group Presentation-200 XP (clo 1,2,4,5): In this group presentation (15-20 minutes) you will produce an insightful presentation and assessment on a topic related to the course. It is also expected that you will be able to demonstrate the principles of communication covered in the course during the presentation. The presentation will be asynchronous, and you will have to upload a copy of your recording (streaming video) and a written summary of your main points with the applicable references. Please note that the minimum number of students to form a group for this option is three (3). Since the group presentation is an option versus a requirement, everyone in the group will earn the same grade. Students are responsible for forming their own groups.

-Participation-285 XP (clo 1,2,3,4,5): The participation component for this course includes two main areas:

a. Small group activities (100 XP-4 at 25 XP each): During the designated sessions, you will work in your assigned small group to complete the group activities and produce the associated deliverable. Typically, those activities will entail identifying and analyzing components of communication interactions in the selected scenarios. In order to excel in this activity, you must demonstrate mastery of the course content (reviewed in advance) and utilize group communication skills. You will be placed in a group for those activities in the beginning of the semester; you also have the option to request to be placed in a group with classmates that you know.

Due to the delivery format of this course, group activities cannot be made up. Those activities will be scored and earn XP based on the completion rating (high pass/pass/fail). The top submissions will be eligible for additional XP.

b. iClicker responses (185 XP but can earn up to 205 XP due to the additional XP offered as a safety net to account for clicker issues/absences etc): Your responses through the iClicker system will be used to track your involvement and participation in the course based on specific participation and performance benchmarks. Each standard clicker class session is worth 15 XP. You will earn 1 XP for every question you answer, 2 XP for each correct response, plus 2 XP if you answer all but one of the questions. Also, please note that some class sessions are worth more on a random basis in order to ensure that by the end of the semester the minimum number of XP for this component will be offered. Those sessions will be spread out throughout the semester.

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In order to earn the maximum participation/clicker credit for each session, you have to be present/logged in during our class sessions, have a working and properly registered clicker account, and log-in/arrive on-time and particpate until the class is dismissed in order to ensure that you have answered all of the clicker questions. We know that traffic, bus schedules, internet connections may be tricky but you need to plan ahead for this; if we are on-time for the class session so can you!

Please note that from Tuesday January 31st it is your responsibility to activate, register and be ready to use to every class session (unless otherwise indicated) a working clicker-application (through your mobile phone or desktop).

Please note that due to the large size of the class we cannot and will not be able to give you credit for participation unless the Clicker system indicates that you met the participation/performance benchmarks as specific above. We can verify that your scores were correctly transferred to the Grades section on Canvas but that is pretty much where our involvement ends---make sure you check your iclicker account for confirmation that each vote was received. Just a reminder that the iclicker system comes with a 14 day free trial; once the trial time frame expires, you will have to pay to continue using the system and earning credit (sorry!).

Just to be clear about this point; if you are present/logged into the class session but your clicker device is not operational you will not earn clicker XP due to the logistics of the iclicker system. However, you should still be involved in the class session in order to participate in the other activities (which may also yield XP).

We also do understand that your iClicker set-up may malfunction in a limited number of cases; we have accounted for this possibility in the scoring for this component. We further understand that there may be circumstances beyond your control that would prevent you coming/logging into a class session; because the scoring of the clicker is an automatic process we cannot invent points or selectively assign credit even if we deem some absences more legitimate than others (even though that is often the case).

You can miss one (1) standard clicker session for any reason and still be eligible for earning 100% on your score for this component. You can make up more missed points by completing the additional participation opportunities (see below) and/or doing well on the bonus sessions. As a result of the bonus sessions, the total number of available clicker/participation XP will be at least 205 (including the practice asynchronous assignments via the iclicker app offered in preparation for the challenges).

Furthermore, please remember that you should only use your own Clicker device to participate. If we have evidence that you are using someone else’s Clicker device/account in their absence you will fail this component and a report indicating that you have violated the academic integrity code of the University will be generated. Please further note that if another classmate is using your clicker device to participate in your absence you are also considered to be in violation of the University’s academic integrity code and you are facing the same consequences as your friend who is using the device/account.

Instructions for setting up and accessing the iClicker system and participating on the clicker sessions can be found at the end of the syllabus.

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-Initial Challenge (testing your knowledge of the Force)-100 XP: This initial challenge is your first formal attempt to assess your knowledge of the Force (i.e. Communication). This assessment will consist of a number of multiple choice/answer/true-false questions based on the concepts that we have covered in the course. The nature of the questions will be conceptual/analytical and will ask you to practically apply course concepts in a variety of scenarios (including videos). The assessment takes place online, is open book/open note and must be completed within a specific date/time frame.

-Interim Challenge (demonstrating your knowledge of the Force)-200 XP: This second challenge is your second formal attempt to demonstrate your knowledge of the Force (i.e. Communication). This assessment will also consist of a number of multiple choice/answer/true-false questions based on the concepts that we have covered in the course. The nature of the questions will be conceptual/analytical and will ask you to practically apply course concepts in a variety of scenarios (including videos). The assessment also takes place online, is open book/open note and must be completed within a specific date/time frame.

-Final Challenge (or final attempt to bring balance to the Force)-200 XP: For the final challenge, you will complete a virtual assessment (multiple choice/answer/true-false) based on the concepts that we have covered in the course. The challenge will be conceptual/analytical and will ask you to practically apply course concepts in a variety of scenarios (including videos). The challenge is open book/open note and must be completed within a specific date/time frame.

Please note that due to the delivery format of the course, the challenge activities cannot be made up unless you have documentation from a health provider clearly indicating inability to complete the activity during the designated window.

In addition, you will be given the opportunity to participate in the following optional course- related activities throughout the term:

---Reflections on the course via the Facebook page, Twitter hashtag or Flipgrid: For every major unit of the course, we will provide you with a reflection/discussion prompt pertaining to the content that we are covering. You will have approximately four days to a week to post your thoughts via our Facebook group page or Twitter hashtag.

Specific due dates will be discussed during our class sessions and will be posted via the Assignments tab on Canvas. The most creative/favored submissions as judged by you and the instructional team, will be featured during our following class session. You (the entire class) will then vote on the most creative/effective posts. The top posts (as judged by you) will earn bonus XP towards the total course score. Make sure you adhere to proper decorum principles in your posts.

Alternatively, if you do not like posting on Twitter/Facebook you can submit your reflections via Flipgrid, our video discussion tool.

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Please note that submitting a post either via our Twitter hashtag, Facebook page or via the video discussion board is a tacit permission for us to display and discuss your submission during our class sessions.

The scoring for the above reflection/optional activities works as follows:

---The Facebook/Twitter posts that qualify for the final round of voting earn between 2-5 XP depending on the ranking awarded by the entire group (as determined by the clicker votes). -For each round (not post), all video submissions that are ‘on topic’ and meet the minimum time and presentation requirements (i.e. we must be able to hear you and we must be able to see you) earn 3 XP. The top post (as judged by the entire group based on the number of votes on the video discussion board) earns 6 XP. Please note that the maximum number of top videos per student is limited to two per semester.

-At the end of the semester, and regardless if your posts made it to the final round(s), you can submit a copy of what you consider to be your top three submissions with your (optional) reflection essay and you will earn bonus XP based on the assessment/evaluation of those posts from the instructional team.

---‘Write the challenge contest’: Prior to each challenge, you will be given the chance to propose possible questions. During the designated time frame (approximately a week prior to the challenge date, you can submit between 1-5 proposed questions. Specific due dates will be discussed during our class sessions and are posted on the schedule of events below. Your submission must include: the proposed question, the answer choices, the correct answer and a minimum of a 50-word justification as to why this question should be part of the upcoming challenge (hint: referring to the learning outcomes would help your case). You will earn a score between 1-5 XP for each set of questions towards your total participation score depending on the quality of your submission and the justification that you provided. If your question(s) are selected for inclusion in the upcoming challenge your score for that question will double (e.g if one question you submitted was selected and you originally earned 2 XP for that question, your actual score will raise to 4 XP).

Further details on the above assignments will be provided throughout the course on Canvas and in class.

Special Note: All written assignments must be submitted on Canvas and through the corresponding Assignments tab per the posted guidelines. As previously indicated, under no circumstances will written assignments be accepted via e-mail.

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Grading Scale: Final grades will be assigned according to the following point breakdown:

Classification/Performance Rating Letter Grade XP-Experience Points Total Senior Jedi Master/Superb A (with bragging rights) 975+ Jedi Master/Excellent A (no bragging rights) 930-974 Senior Jedi Knight/Very Good B+ 875-929 Jedi Knight/Good B 800-874 Senior Youngling/Fair C+ 750-799 Youngling/Adequate C 700-749 Novice/Poor D 650-699 Newcomer/Failed F 0-649

Please note that final grades are assigned based on the point total as outlined above-not the percentage view on the Canvas Gradebook.

 

Grade Appeals: Grades are not negotiable. However, as a student, you have the right to discuss any grade with the individual who assigned it. We believe you need to be clear on why you earned the specific grade since this is likely to help you improve and do well in the subsequent assignments. Accordingly, the instructional team would be happy to explain to you why a specific grade was assigned. Should you have any question or concern about an assigned grade please reach out to the member of the instructional who was responsible for grading the specific assignment.

In case of questions or concerns pertaining to a grade for a course assignment we must hear from you in writing no later than seven (7) calendar days from when notification was given that the grades for a specific assignment are available (this includes clicker scores). If we do not hear from you in writing within that time frame it will be assumed that you agree with the assigned grade and the associated explanation; this applies regardless of how low or high the assigned grade is. This time limit for grade appeals is strictly enforced. You can also refer to the school-wide appeal policy for additional information here: https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/office-student-services/academic-assistance-and-support/grade- appeals

Welcome to the Course! Course Schedule

Please note that the schedule could change at any point to reflect particular situations as they arise. Of course, you will be promptly notified of any changes orally and in writing. Readings, lectures and associated module materials must be reviewed prior to the subsequent session listed below (e.g topics covered for the session of 1/24 must be reviewed/mastered by 1/31).

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Week Meeting Dates

Topic Textbo ok

Key Events

1 1/17 Introduction to the Course   Review Course Syllabus and Logistics

2 1/24 Definitions of Communication

Ch. 1 *Learner’s Profile & Video Introduction Due-1/22 (can complete by 1/29)

*Clicker Registration Deadline-1/29

3 1/31 Communication Theory Ch. 2,3 Group Set- Up Activity (setting up the groups)- Due 2/5

4 2/7 Perception and Verbal Messages Ch. 5-6 *Group Activity #1-Due 2/12 *Initial Challenge Contest Questions (optional) Due: 2/14

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5 2/14 Non-Verbal Communication and Initial Challenge Review

Ch.4 *Initial Challenge Due-2/19

6 2/21 Interpersonal

Communication

Ch. 8 & 9 *Group Activity #2: Due-3/8

Term Paper Draft (optional) or Group Presentation Proposal: Due- 3/1

7 2/28 Intercultural Communication

Movie: Star Wars-

The Force Awakens-

Part I

Ch.12 *(optional) Term Paper Early Submission-Due 3/7

8 3/7 Group Communication Movie: Star Wars- The Force Awakens-

Ch. 10 *Term Paper or Group Presentation Draft: Due- 3/10

3/11-3/19 Spring Break Don’t party too hard!

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9 3/21 Organizational Communication Ch. 11 Group Activity #3-Due 3/28

10 3/28 Mediated & Mass Communication Ch.7 *Interim Challenge Questions (optional) Due-3/28 *Interim Challenge Due- 4/2  

11 4/4 Advertising & PR Readings on Canvas

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Other Key Dates: Last day for students to drop a course without a W: Thursday January 26th

Last day to add a course: Thursday January 26th Last day for students to drop a course with a W: Monday March 20th

Full calendar of key dates for Spring 2023 is available at: https://nbregistrar.rutgers.edu/undergrad/s23ugcal.htm

12 4/11

Public Speaking & Interviews/Final Challenge Review

Readings on Canvas

Small Group Activity #4- 4/16 (4/18) Paper Rewrite (optional)- 4/19 or Group Presentation Final Version- 4/19

*(optional) Final Challenge Contest Questions Due- 4/18

13 4/18 Final Challenge   *Final Challenge: 4/20-4/23

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4/25

Wrap

   

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Course Policies (read carefully)

Punctuality and In-Class Behavior: It is crucial that you arrive and log-in to class on time. Late arrivals are disruptive to the instructor and to your fellow classmates. Please do not read irrelevant material during class time or use your computers or phones for non-class purposes. Please do not talk unnecessarily to each other when we go over the material ;it is also very very disruptive especially in a large group like ours). If you want to chat while in class, please step out of the classroom quietly and return also quietly when you are done. For the students who are joining us online, please use the chat room to ask questions/react (the instructional team will be monitoring).

If you are joining the class online, you need to have either your webcam feed on or as an alternative a background/profile picture of your choice (no squares with just a name). The instructional team will be monitoring attendance/participation for the students who log-in online and may offer bonus XP as appropriate.

Please further note that you in-class behavior and overall attitude in the course is taken into consideration when the final grades are assigned especially in borderline cases. If you are persistently disruptive during our class sessions you are subject to a deduction on your participation score for that day and you may also be asked to leave the classroom or removed from the online sessions.

As indicated above, bus schedules, traffic, internet connection and related events are elements that you must plan for and are not considered valid excuses for lateness. Please plan accordingly and allow extra time to get to and log-in to the class sessions.

If you arrive late in class, please DO NOT SIT on the corridors or the walkway in the back of the classroom---doing so is a fire code violation and creates a hazard for all of us. We have enough seats for everyone so please use them! If you sit on the corridors or the walkway on the back of the classroom, you will be asked to move and find a seat, quietly.

Cell phones during class must be set to ‘silent’ (versus vibrate) or switched off for the duration of the session. Computer/tablet usage should involve only course-related purposes (Facebook, Twitter, email etc are not considered course-related content unless we complete a specific instructional activity that would require accessing those tools). The default setting for the students who are joining online is to have everyone muted; there will be several opportunities to ask questions and again, feel free to use the chat room.

Watching irrelevant material on electronic devices, sleeping, chatting or any other disruptive behavior during the class session will result in intervention from the instructional team; you may be asked to refrain from the activity or relocate to another section. Repeated violations may result in recording your activities and posting them online on the course group page. Attendance/Participation: There is no required attendance policy in this course per se. However, as indicated above in order to earn clicker XP, you must be present/logged into the class sessions with a working clicker account and answer all of the questions; there is no way around this. As previously indicated, we do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences due to the addition-based point system (we do not deduct points but you have to be in class to earn them), even though some reasons for missing class are obviously more legitimate than others. The only exception to this are university-based approved reasons for missing class (generally athletic competitions and religious holidays-see below).

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In addition, the reason(s) for missed class sessions may be taken into account in borderline grade scenarios at the end of the semester. Late Work, Extensions and Incompletes: You must submit all required projects on the assigned days. The online submission system requires you to complete and submit all required work within the specified time frame. Online links deactivate after the deadline and it is not possible for you to submit the work once the link deactivates. Also note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have successfully uploaded the required assignments on Canvas. Please further note that as indicated above due to continuous evaluation pattern that has been established for this section as well as the large size of the course we do not offer make-up exams (for any reason).

If a documented emergency prevents you from completing required work, please contact us as soon as the issue comes up. Please note than all emergencies for which you are asking to be accommodated must be documented and validated by the office of the Dean of Students as appropriate.

Absence Reporting System: If you expect to miss one or two class sessions, please use the University absence reporting website-https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An e- mail will automatically be sent to us from this system. Note that if you must miss classes for longer than one week, you should contact a dean of students to help verify your circumstances. While reporting your absence on this system does not excuse you it is important to document your absences in order for the instructional team to monitor your attendance and intervene as necessary. Reporting of absences is required for documented reasons as well (i.e. religious holiday, athletic competitions) so we can keep track of your absences and associated reasons.

Absences Related to Religious Holidays and University-Sponsored Events Please refer to University Regulation on Attendance available at: http://policies.rutgers.edu/sites/policies/files/10.2.7%20-%20current.pdf (policy 10.2.7)

Please note that you will have to provide written documentation from a credible source (e.g. Department of Athletics) if you are requesting accommodations for university sponsored events. As indicated previously, such requests must be brought to the attention of the instructional team prior to the end of the add/drop time frame.

Any applicable documentation to validate class absences (including notes from physicians) must be scanned and uploaded in color via the corresponding assignment link on Canvas (no hard copies).

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Grading Policies: There are three things that you need to know in regards to the way grades are assigned in this course (and my courses in general):

a. We do not mark on a curve. Accordingly, if you all earn A’s you will all be assigned an A.

Conversely, if you all earn F’s you will all be assigned an F. b. The grade you will earn is based on one and only one criterion: your performance in the

course. We are sympathetic and sensitive to the scenario that requires you to earn grade X to achieve objective Y. However, if you want to earn grade X you have to perform at the X level.

c. Grades are not negotiable and we do not round up scores.    

The instructional team is committed to helping you succeed in the course. We encourage you to communicate with us during any point in the semester regarding any course-related issues that you may be facing; after all, effective communication is key to your success. We promise prompt responses and constructive feedback on the work that you submit. We will listen to all of your concerns and do our best to address them. We want you to have a positive learning experience but please keep in mind that ultimately you will get back from the course what you put into it in terms of time and effort.

Communication via Email: Class announcements and weekly updates will be posted on Canvas and be sent out via e-mail. In addition, e-mail is the primary method through which we will be communicating with you on a one-to-one basis. All e-mail communications will be sent to your official Rutgers e- mail. It is your responsibility to ensure that your e-mail address is current and operational. If you want to forward your Rutgers e-mail to another address please refer to this link: https://my.rutgers.edu/portal/help/faqs.html#3.4.6

To ensure that you receive all applicable notifications via Canvas please make sure that you update your profile to a. confirm your preferred email address and b. that your preferred e-mail address matches the one on your Canvas profile exactly. Please see the following links for more information:

https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10592-4212710338 and https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10624-4212710344

Technical Requirements: Technical problems (such as power outages, erased/lost drives, downed systems and networks, malfunctioning computers, etc.) are also not legitimate excuses for late or missing work. Always make a back up copy of your work and be sure to leave yourself enough time to complete assignments –including uploading your work.

In case of technical problems with the online assignment submission system, please contact the technical support team of Canvas at [email protected] or 833-648-4357 (available 24 hours, seven days per week).

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Waiting until the very last minute to upload your work is an invitation for potential technical problems; deadlines will not be extended as a result of individual-based technical difficulties so it is essential that you plan ahead.

Academic Integrity: We take academic integrity very seriously. You are expected to be aware of and adhere to the Rutgers’ policy on academic integrity which describes and gives examples of violations on academic integrity.

We assume that before you submit any graded work you have read and understood the following links pertaining to the academic integrity policy at Rutgers:

http://nbacademicintegrity.rutgers.edu/home/for-students/ and http://nbacademicintegrity.rutgers.edu/home/academic-integrity-policy/

If you violate the academic integrity policy, you risk a failing grade in the course and even possible suspension from the university.

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, aiding cheating or other acts of acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, falsification of academic records or documents, using someone else’s Clicker device, impersonating another classmate for participation purposes and unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems. Plagiarism involves the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper, create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all the work, except for that which you have attributed to another author or creator through an acceptable citation style, is your own.

Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:

 Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving the source credit.  Using AI-based software to generate assignments.  Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving the source credit.  Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.  Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting the source.  Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it were your

own.  Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it were your

own.

Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the course or expulsion from school in extreme cases.

Student Success: https://success.rutgers.edu/

Student Support: https://studentsupport.rutgers.edu/

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Student Conduct

Rutgers University students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that promotes learning, leadership, and civility. The University Code of Student Conduct was created for the purpose of ensuring the safety and security of the Rutgers community. The code of student conduct outlines inappropriate behavior of University students on and throughout Rutgers University campus and provides guidelines for the formal complaint and disciplinary process.

Students who are found in a violation of the student code of conduct may have their case adjudicated through the code of student conduct complaint process. Violations may include academic dishonesty, causing physical or environmental harm, sexual harassment, intimidation and bullying, causing a disruption, disorderly conduct, undisclosed recording, and theft or damage of property. For a full list of violations, refer to the University Code of Student Conduct policy.

A faculty member or Rutgers University community member can file a student conduct complaint against a student using the University Code of Student Conduct Complaint form. For detailed guidelines of the complaint and adjudication process, refer to the University Code of Student Conduct regulations.

 Office of Student Conduct

o http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/about-us/contact-us

 Student Code of Conduct Policy

o http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/student-conduct-processes/university-code-of- student-conduct

 Student Conduct Complaint Process

o http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/student-conduct-processes/the-conduct- disciplinary-process

 Students’ Rights in the Student Conduct Complaint Process

o http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/resources/rights-of-complaint-parties-and- accused-students/

 Share a Concern

o http://health.rutgers.edu/do-something-to-help

 Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Regulations

o http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/student-conduct-processes/sexual-misconduct- and- title-ix/

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Use of Turnitin: Students agree that by taking this course all required work may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com (directly or via learning management system, i.e. Canvas) for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted work will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such work. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Usage Policy posted on the Turnitin.com site.

Students who do not agree should contact the course instructor in writing before the add/drop deadline.

Course Evaluations/Feedback: Your feedback about your experience in COM 101 is valuable to the instructional team as we improve our courses. Accordingly, you will be asked to complete an end of course evaluation survey (SIRS) as well as provide feedback regarding the course around the midpoint and other key increments. The purpose of the feedback process that we have established during the term is to ensure that we are all on the same page in terms of the course objectives and to address any issues regarding your experience that may warrant our attention. Please take those surveys seriously as they are designed to improve the courses you are currently taking but also the ones that you will be completing in the future. Your honest feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

   

Class Cancellation due to Inclement Weather and Extenuating Circumstances: For information regarding class cancellation due to inclement weather please refer to this link: http://www.rutgers.edu/about/operating-status In the event of a class cancellation you will be notified via e-mail as soon as applicable. If a class is cancelled due to weather or an unforeseen emergency, make up work will be completed through Canvas.

Disability Services: Rutgers University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of disability-related accommodation in this course, please tell the instructor as soon as possible and/or contact the Office of Disability Services, Lucy Stone Hall, Livingston Campus, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Suite A145, Piscataway , NJ 08854, 848-445- 6800. If you seek assistance due to a disability, it is your responsibility to inform me and made arrangements prior to any relevant assignments. See http://disabilityservices.rutgers.edu for more information.

Other Resources

Library Resources Rutgers University Libraries offer numerous resources to assist students. Librarians can help guide you through research and reference tools. A series of LibGuides can be found at the following site: http://libguides.rutgers.edu/index.php

Health Services Provides counseling on any issue you might be dealing with in your life. Also provides alcohol/drug rehabilitation, as well as psychiatric services. 17 Senior Street College Ave

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61 Nichol Avenue Cook/Douglass tel: 848- 932-7884 All campuses http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/

Rutgers Learning Centers Provides support, tutoring, and training programs for students to promote their academic achievement: Tutoring, coaching, writing assistance and more. Kreeger Learning Center College Ave Loree Building, room 124 Cook/Douglass ARC Building, room 322 Busch Tillet Hall, room 111 Livingston tel: 848- 445-0986 http://rlc.rutgers.edu/

SC&I Related Information A great deal of information is available on the SC&I website including course descriptions and details about all

degree programs: http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/ LinkedIn Learning Training Library

LinkedIn Learning is an online training library of over 80,000 video-based tutorials on over 1400 software titles. LinkedIn Learning is available for Rutgers students and can be used to learn software, programming skills, video techniques, etc. Titles include: all of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, etc.), all of Adobe CS5 & CS6 (DreamWeaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, etc.), Fundamentals of Video, iMovie, Social Media Marketing, Twitter, SPSS, Google Docs, HTML5, CSS, MySQL, PHP, Python, C/C++/C#, WordPress, etc. Students can watch the videos, follow along with exercise files, and even print a certificate of completion upon completion of a course.

For more information and access instructions, please see https://it.rutgers.edu/linkedin-learning/

Other Student Services

https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/info/current-students

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Extra Credit Opportunities/ Additional participation

Throughout the semester you may have the opportunity to participate in research projects and surveys conducted by Rutgers faculty and/or Ph.D students. Details for those opportunities will be announced to students during the course and participation is strictly voluntary (that is, students who choose not to participate in these activities will not be penalized in any way). Most of those projects will relate to either the general applications of the course content or are aimed to improve the administrations of the course in the future (in which case you may be asked to provide feedback on one or more aspects of the course). Please note that extra credit opportunities are offered to all students in the course---we do not customize the number of extra credit opportunities to individual students—sorry. We will inform every member of the course regarding potential extra credit opportunities so you do not have to ask us if there is ‘any extra credit available’. Except for the extra credit points that you may receive for participation in these projects, choosing to participate (or not participate) will in no way influence your grade in this course. In other words, students who choose to participate will be treated the same as those who choose not to participate. Most extra credit opportunities are scored on a complete/incomplete basis (there is no direct point value associated with them) and at the end of the semester we take into consideration the number of those opportunities that you pursued as additional evidence of participation.

The impact on your grade associated with those opportunities depends on: a. the number of those opportunities that you pursued, b. the quality of your work while pursuing on those opportunities and c. how close or far away your score is from the next letter grade (the closer to the next letter grade the higher the impact). Some of those opportunities (e.g. the Twitter and Exam Contest exercises) are associated with a specific point value upon the successful completion (which may also involve a range of XP). You will be informed orally and in writing in regards to those opportunities and their significance to you and the link to the learning objectives of the course. Relying solely on extra credit options to earn a good grade is a bad strategy; you are much better off placing your best effort into the main course assignments (they are worth more)!

Please note: By enrolling and staying in the course, you certify that you have reviewed and understand the policies outlined in this document.

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iClicker Instructions

1. Create your iClicker/student account. Go to https://student.iclicker.com

Note: If you already have an iclicker student account do not sign up for a new one-proceed to step 2.

If you do not already have an iClicker student account, click Sign Up! and follow the steps to create an iClicker student account.

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Please enter the following information on the search fields: -Institution: Rutgers University-New Brunswick -Email: Your Rutgers email address -Net Id: Your Rutgers Net ID (not the seven digit id number as this will not be recognized from the Canvas Gradebook).

Just one more step for the account set-up: Create and confirm your password and select Create Account. Now your two week free trial of iClicker student is ready to go!

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2. Adding our course to your iclicker account

-While logged in on the clicker app, select the ‘Courses’ tab from the app menu. The click on the + sign to search for the course.

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-Search for the institution (Rutgers University-New Brunswick)

-Search for our course: Introduction to Comm and Info-01&91-Sp23

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-Confirm course details and select ‘Add this course’ to complete the process.

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3. Using the iClicker system iclicker app (preferred for our class but can also use the web-based version)

 Launch (and log-in) to the iclicker app (after having added the course as per step 2 above)

 Join the session. A banner will appear on your screen when your instructor has started the class session. Click Join to participate.

 When prompted, read the question on the slide (or on your device) and when ready select the answer that corresponds to the letter that you want and hit ‘Send’ (if working with an open-ended or multiple answer question).

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 You can confirm that your answer was received by looking at the app.

 Note: If you aim your iClicker app at your roommate and press A as an answer, he/she will be instantly vaporized so be careful.

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Frequently asked questions for the iClicker system and contact information for technical support can be found here:

-General checklist: https://mhe.my.site.com/iclicker/s/article/Checklist- Getting-Started-with-the-iClicker-Student-App

-Participating in a polling/live session with iClicker: https://mhe.my.site.com/iclicker/s/article/How-to-Participate-in-a-Poll-with-the-iClicker- Student-App

-Technical support for iclicker accounts: https://mhe.my.site.com/iclicker/s/

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Appendix Reference

Letters

We would be happy to provide you with a reference letter provided that you adhere to the simple and but specific guidelines below:

1. I must know who you are (sounds obvious doesn’t it?) 2. You must have completed at least 25% of the graded assignments in this course or you need to

have completed another course with us in the past. 3. You must be averaging a B or higher in the course assignments that you have completed or in the

course. 4. You must make a request for a reference letter in writing (e-mail is fine) and include:

a. A detailed description of what you need the reference letter for (e.g. graduate school, employment etc) and provide any corresponding links/names for that specific program/job site.

b. A current resume c. An unofficial transcript that includes all of the courses that you have completed.

5. Upon receipt of the request, we will contact you to set-up an appointment to discuss the reference letter and any other pertinent information.

6. The above must be completed at least 30 calendar days before the date that you need the letter mailed (or to be in your hands). In other words, if you need the letter on July 1st steps 1-5 must be completed by June 1st. This is a firm deadline. The only exception is a reference for an RU-study abroad application in which case the steps above need to be completed at least two weeks before the application deadline.

7. Please note that the way(s) you go about requesting the reference letter (as indicated above) directly impact how strong of of an endorsement you are likely to receive.