Course Description
Course Details
Communicating successfully depends on effective use of communication strategies and behaviors. Words, facial and body movements, tone of voice, even clothing and situation, all form an intricate symbol system that must be quickly translated by those who want to communicate. It has been said that there is no communication unless a mutual sharing of meaning takes place. It has also been said that one cannot NOT communicate. These two ideas seem to oppose one another, but they are two sides of the same coin. A smile can have many meanings. And so can silence. This course will show you how to manage the conscious and unconscious codes of meaning we send to each other and to respond with appropriate codes in turn. This course explains and explores concepts of verbal and nonverbal expression including personal style, listening, relationship dynamics, self-esteem, conflict management, and cultural and gender communication differences. Examples, graphics, and theoretical models help clarify communication topics and simplify the process for effective communication in family, personal, and professional situations. Communicating is necessary. Knowing how to do it well is personally satisfying and professionally wise.
How It Works
This course is fully online, you require internet access and an email account. The course duration is 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week period to complete the final exam (online, open book). Lessons are released on Wednesdays and Fridays of each week, for a total of 12. You are not required to be online at any specific time. In addition to the specific lesson content, there is a discussion board with each lesson and often there is an optional assignment to apply the learning. Following each lesson, there is a short multiple choice quiz. Your score on these quizzes does not count towards the final mark but completing these helps solidify your learning as well as prepare you for the final exam. The final exam is an open-book, multiple choice exam and you need to achieve a minimum of 65% on the final exam to pass the course. There is only one opportunity to pass the exam. A certificate of completion from WatSPEED is available within four weeks of successful completion of each course and can be accessed in your student portal. Many of the Ed2Go courses are eligible towards the various online certificates offered by WatSPEED.
Syllabus
Lesson 1 - Communication Basics. In this lesson, we'll explore two detailed models that explain the complex nature of communication. You'll learn how words, the situation, what's going on in the heads of those communicating, and even environment are all connected—and that they all change from one communication event to the next. I'll explain a way to think about and use language that will help you more effectively avoid misunderstandings.
Lesson 2 - Communication Misunderstandings. Have you ever been in a situation where you don't know whether to say less, say more, or say nothing? In this lesson, you'll learn seven premises of communication that will help you through those times. Have you ever felt shy, apprehensive, or reluctant about communicating? This lesson will help you understand that reluctance and offer you two strategies for improving communication competence.
Lesson 3 - The Personal Side of Communication. In this lesson, you'll learn how our individual emotions, beliefs, attitudes, and values as well as self-esteem and group belonging influence how we communicate. You'll also explore how we all seek gratification of specific human needs through the unique and complicated communication process.
Lesson 4 - Language and Logic. In this lesson, I'll show you how language affects reasoning abilities. You'll learn about constructing useful word maps that benefit your decision making as well as strategies you can use to avoid mental traps that can clog your thinking process. You'll also learn that language has limits, often making it difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Lesson 5 - Nonverbal Messages. Can you say something without uttering a word? In addition to voice, facial expression, and body movement, today we'll talk about other ways people send messages without making a sound. You'll also learn that men and women develop and use very different nonverbal communication behaviors—sending messages of either inclusion or exclusion.
Lesson 6 - Intercultural Communication Differences. In this lesson, we'll look at cultural identity and how it molds habits of communication no matter what the language of the culture is. You'll learn how cultures of the world are divided into two main categories. You'll examine how individuals and groups generalize and stereotype others and the psychological reasons for doing that.
Lesson 7 - Effective Listening. In this lesson, we'll explore types of listening as well as the discipline listening requires. We'll go over the barriers to effective listening, and strategies you can use to improve your listening habits. We'll compare poor listening to empathic listening, and then evaluate the effects each has on personal and professional communication success.
Lesson 8 - Gender Communication Differences. In this lesson, you're invited to examine gender differences from the inside out. You'll learn how brain structure as well as physical structure helps determine how men and women communicate. You'll learn about the ways humans learn to act as either masculine or feminine and who teaches them. We'll explore how differences in masculine and feminine behavior manifest themselves in personal and business relationships.
Lesson 9 - Relationship Dynamics. In today's lesson, you'll learn the three main characteristics that make up any relationship as well as the stages that all relationships go through. I'll show you how to identify relationship stages in order to evaluate relationships you have. You'll explore how self-disclosure and psychological balance affects relationships and discover the role lying plays in relationships.
Lesson 10 - Communication Rules. Today we'll examine several communication theories that will be useful in analyzing and understanding communication behaviors of yourself and others. You'll learn three rules for effective communication behavior that will help you know when and how to adjust your communication behavior. You'll also learn how you can influence the behavior of others in the communication situation.
Lesson 11 - Conversation Climate. In this lesson, you'll learn how people can change the direction of a conversation to advance a personal agenda. We'll go over strategies of persuasion, characteristics of credibility, and how to achieve a sense of control in a communication situation. We'll also explore the nature of communication cohesiveness within small groups and where individuality fits in group membership.
Lesson 12 - Interpersonal Conflict Resolution. In our last lesson, you'll learn how to identify various types of interpersonal conflicts and then we'll discuss some myths about conflict. We'll explore ways in which men and women handle conflict differently, and how different cultural groups approach and resolve conflict. You'll learn how to dissect a conflict and apply four steps to successful conflict resolution at work, within the family, or among friends.
