Persuasive Communication | Master Course Outlines | Academics

COMM240 Persuasive Communication

3 credits

2250

Completion of COMM111 with at least a C or better

None

This course meets the General Education requirement for Critical Thinking.
This course meets the General Education requirement for Information Literacy.

This course helps students build skill 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.

Course Learning Goals

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 [Critical Thinking];
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 [Information Literary].
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
Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals

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.

Students in Persuasive Communication meet the General Education Learning Goals of Critical Thinking and Information Literacy through many of the 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 skills are evaluated based on a rubric created by the course professor.

The artifacts produced for assessment include a presentation outline for the campaign (for Critical Thinking) and a written assessment that requires research, ethics, evaluation, and citation of sources (for Information Literacy).
Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student:
1. Each instructor uses a departmentally-approved textbook.
2. Students use traditional library materials and academic online resources.
3. Students may be required to: