This activity introduces undergraduate students to the idea of metacommunication by means of a performance praxis assignment. Students will engage in a performance that enhances their communication skills and better understand how the frames of mimesis and poiesis are utilized to understand communication form and context. Courses: A single-class…

This single-class activity provides an opportunity for students to understand qualities of the dark side of interpersonal communication better. To achieve this goal, students review a series of articles from "The New York Times'" "Modern Love" column. Students are introduced to the dark side of interpersonal communication and…

Courses: Introduction to Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Communication Theory, and Health Communication across face-to-face, hybrid, and online formats. Objectives: Students will demonstrate an understanding of interpersonal communication concepts and theories by (1) identifying artifacts that illustrate the unique features of…

As a central area of study within the discipline, theories of interpersonal communication are the bedrock of many introductory textbooks designed for use in undergraduate courses on communication and communication theory (Griffin, 2012; Littlejohn & Foss, 2010; Miller, 2004; West & Turner, 2010). Though undergraduate students are, of…

Skill development exercises designed to promote the development of students' interpersonal competence have been the centerpiece of undergraduate interpersonal communication courses for decades. Research suggests that students develop interpersonal competence through exposure to and participation in skill development courses and activities. In…

This article describes an activity using Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" as a supplemental text in an undergraduate group communication course. This book will help stimulate conversation and promote easy avenues for classroom discussion. In addition to weekly quizzes over each chapter to help facilitate rich classroom discussions, the…

This article describes an activity in which teachers and students use music in the form of a "Mix-tape" to relate communication theory to students' lived experiences. When students identify and use their own familiar popular culture texts to explain concepts and identify relationships, they do so in ways that the course textbook cannot. This…

A basic premise of social approaches to studying communication is that theories of interpersonal communication and personal relationships are reflexively defined, socially constructed, and historically situated. In contrast to the tradition of psychological models of relational processes and message transmission, social approaches encourage…

This paper describes an assignment that gives students the ability to improve written and verbal communication abilities, which they will be using throughout their lives, by enhancing communication skills and competencies in a class setting. It is a two-part assignment that begins with a discussion on how to produce a successful cover letter and…

The objective of the assignment described here is to allow students to reflect upon and articulate how they have been shaped by their "standpoints" in life. Many times, students are not aware of others' views and cultural upbringing (other than surface-level issues). By examining how Standpoint Theory shapes one's perceptions of their privileges…

This activity is designed as a brief, two-part assignment that students should complete outside of the class period before engaging in class discussion. Because this activity is an overview of the field, it works best if assigned early in the semester. The class periods immediately prior to the assignment should give students a basic orientation…