Discussion 1: Perception
• Video: The Communication Process (25:35)
Perception of messages is not as straightforward as we need it to be, nor as easy. Additionally, in our changing society, we are learning how to interact with people who culturally have different beliefs, values, and attitudes. For the initial post, address the following:
• How can our understanding of perception help us become more effective communicators?
• Think of time when you interacted with someone from a different culture. Using the communication model, how did your conversation evolve? Was there a miscommunication?
• What could you have done differently?
Discussion 2: Listening Analysis
Read the lesson for this week and complete the listening exercise in the Listen Up! section to evaluate your listening skills. Then, address the following:
• State the results of the exercise.
• Using the information from the exercise, describe an instance when you failed to be an effective listener.
• Next, respond to the following prompts, making connections to the ideas contained in the listening chapter assigned for the week. Explain your thought process and provide examples to give explanation to your descriptions of why you feel that way.
o Where in the stages of listening did you experience breakdown?
o What was the reason you failed to listen effectively? Were listening barriers present?
o What could you have done differently to improve your listening?
Discussion 3: Conflict Management
For the initial post, address the following:
• How can you manage your emotions in a conflict situation so that you remain aware of how you are communicating and listening?
• When you have a conflict with someone with whom you only communicate online (instructor, another student, online customer service, etc.), how do you resolve your conflict? What is appropriate, and what is not?
• When you have a conflict with someone you see face-to-face, how do you resolve your conflict? What is appropriate, and what is not?
Discussion 4: Culture & Groups
For the initial post, address one (1) of the following:
• Scenario 1: A colleague from another country has limited English-speaking skills and does not comprehend the group task. Additionally, this colleague has the habit of giving gifts to business associates at the end of projects. Gift-giving is an expected part of business etiquette in her culture. How do you deal with these issues to ensure the success of the group? What criteria would you set early on in the process?
• Scenario 2: Your manager asks you to take on a new project that you think you could take on by yourself. He suggests that you form a task group with 15-20 members, which you think is too much. One of the members he recommends adding to the team is John. This gives you additional concern because you think John has had hidden agendas in the past. Even though you think you can do this on your own, how is a group decision different from an individual decision? How can you convince your manager that a smaller group would be better? How do you deal with John if your manager insists on him being in the group?
Discussion 5: Grabbing and Maintaining Attention
For the initial post, address the following:
• Why is knowing your audience an important part of capturing and maintaining their attention?
• What cultural considerations do you need to take into account for your particular audience/topic?
• How are you going to keep the audience's attention throughout the speech?
• Find at least one example on YouTube, TEDx, or other video repositories of good attention-getting examples. Post the URL and explain how the video is a good model for capturing the audience's attention. The video can be on any topic but must be appropriate for sharing.
• Make sure to include a scholarly source to support your points.
Discussion 6: Delivery: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Find a video or article about speech anxiety, speech content, organization, or delivery. For the initial post, address the following:
• Summarize the content.
o Include tips on verbal and nonverbal communication with audience members of different cultures.
• Explain why you thought it was important.
• Determine how it will help you deliver a presentation.
Discussion 7: Relationships and Technology
For the initial post, select one of the following options and address the related questions:
Option 1: Interpersonal Relationships
• Pick an important relationship and describe its relationship culture.
• When the relationship started, what relationship schemata guided your expectations?
• Describe a relationship story that you tell with this person or about this person. What personal idioms do you use?
• What routines and rituals do you observe?
• What norms and rules do you follow?
• How do self-concept, self-image, self-esteem, and self-disclosure effect a relationship?
Option 2: Technology
• How does technology affects your communication in various contexts including the following:
o Academic
o Professional
o Civic
o Personal
• Examine how your engagement with technology changes from context to context.
o For example, do you use online technology more in one context than another?
o In what contexts/situations might you prefer "old media" like phone, written letter, or even face-to-face communication?
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least two peers or one peer and the instructor. Select one peer who chose the option you did not choose.
• For example, for Option 1, examine where your interpersonal relationships have the same or similar routines, rituals, norms, and rules and where they are very different.
• For Option 2, how are the context for technology use the same or different? Is there a trend or pattern that you see as a whole?
Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification.
Discussion 8: Interviews
For the initial post, address the following:
• Have you ever been on an interview?
• What were some of the questions asked?
• What questions did you ask the interviewer?
• What was the nonverbal used?
• What did you wear?
If you have not been on an interview, look up three questions an interviewer might ask, and answer them. What do you think you would wear?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.