COMM240 Persuasive Communication

Department of The Arts: Communication Studies

1. Course Number and Title

   COMM240 Persuasive Communication

2. Number of Credits

   3 credits

3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

   2250

4. Prerequisites

   Completion of COMM111 ( C or better)

   Corequisites

   None

5. Other Pertinent Information

   This course is the capstone course for students enrolled in the Communication Studies program. This course fulfills the Critical thinking/problem solving and Information literacy requirements of Category III: Specialized Skills and Perspectives.

   A Departmentally approved textbook is required for this course.

6. Catalog Course Description

   Students build skills in analysis, writing, and communication of persuasive messages. Topics include: the theoretical premises currently operating in the field of persuasion, research and analysis of persuasive messages, preparing and delivering persuasive messages through a variety of channels.

7. Required Course Content and Direction

   1. Learning Goals:

      1. Course
      Students will:
      1. examine the various theoretical premises and approaches to studying persuasion;
      2. identify persuasive premises including the use of emotion, logic, the role culture plays, and nonverbal messages;
      3. analyze various types of persuasive messages in a variety of contexts including persuasive campaigns or movements;
      4. examine the role mediated communication plays in the creation and delivery of persuasive messages; and
      5. research, prepare and deliver persuasive messages to a variety of audiences.
      
      
      2. Core (if applicable)
      Category III: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Students will be able to:
      4. integrate and/or combine knowledge from multiple sources to create new knowledge (Synthesis).
      
      Category III: Information Literacy Students will be able to:
      1. determine the nature and extent of the information needed.
      2. determine the technologies and information formats appropriate for the information identified.
      3. access needed information effectively and efficiently.
      4. evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into their knowledge base and value system.
      5. develop an understanding of many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and access and use information legally and ethically.

   2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      1. persuasion in today’s changing world
      2. ethics in persuasion
      3. traditional, artistic, and humanistic approaches to persuasion
      4. social scientific approaches to persuasion
      5. the making, use, and misuse of symbols
      6. tools for analyzing language and other persuasive symbols
      7. psychological or process premises, the tools of motivation and emotion
      8. content or logical premises in persuasion
      9. nonverbal messages in persuasion
      10. the persuasive campaign or movement
      11. becoming a persuader
      12. modern media and persuasion
      13. the use of persuasive premises in advertising and integrated marketing communication

   3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

      1. Course
      Students satisfy the Course Learning Goals via tests, written class exercises and assignments, papers, critical thinking assignments, class participation and individual and group oral presentations.
      
      
      2. Core (if applicable)

      Students in Persuasive Communication meet the Core Learning Goals of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving and Information Literacy by completing class exercises, papers, tests, and through a final presentation in which the student(s) produces a persuasive campaign. This presentation requires the use of multiple sources of evidence. Student’s persuasive skills and critical thinking/problem solving skills are evaluated based on a rubric created by the course professor.

      The artifacts produced for the Core Assessment include a presentation outline for the campaign (for Critical Thinking and Problem Solving) and a written assessment that requires research, ethics, evaluation and citation of sources (for Information Literacy).

   4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      1. Each instructor uses a departmentally approved textbook.
      2. Students use traditional library materials and academic online resources.
      3. Students may be required to:
      1. engage in supplemental reading;
      2. access and utilize the college online learning platform;
      3. access and utilize the publisher supplemental website; and
      4. attend an outside conference.
      4. See course format.

8. Teaching Methods Employed

   Section VIII is not being used in new and revised syllabi as of 12/10/08.

Approval/Revision Date: Approved 12/2012