INFO 281-02
INFO 281-12
INFO 281-13
Intercultural Communication (2-Units)
Spring 2021 Syllabus

Dr. Debra K Buenting
E-mail
Telephone: 719-685-0829
Skype: dkbuenting 
Office Location: Virtual
Office Hours: Monday - Saturday by appointment 

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning January 27th at 6 am PT unless you are taking an intensive or a one-unit or two-unit class that starts on a different day. In that case, the class will open on the first day that the class meets.

This 2-unit course runs from January 27 - March 24.  You will be enrolled in the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

This 2-unit course focuses on developing skills for working in racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse communities. It will help you identify and solve cultural differences so essential for navigating a flat world. This course is designed to give you very practical tools to understand the worldview and experiences of others, helping you become a more competent professional, no matter what your career goals.

Course Requirements

Assignments

We will meet for a total of eight weeks, with each week beginning on Wednesday and concluding the following Tuesday. All assignments are due by Tuesday midnight except the final project, which we shall discuss.

Discussions 400 points)

This course requires weekly reflective discussions based on course materials and informed by lectures and readings. Each discussion is worth 40 possible points. Weekly discussion participation entails reading all the posts in your group and posting at least three times each week; this includes your initial post answering the topic question, and at least two questions, responses, or dialogue with classmates. The idea is to engage with the material and your classmates to explore and grasp the concepts. Points will be awarded based on the quality and extent of participation. Initial posts should be 150-200 words. Your first post must be made by Saturday of each week; all threads close the following Tuesday evening.

Globally-focused documentary reflection (150 points)

This assignment satisfies learning objectives 1, 2, 3, & 7 and is in lieu of not being able to make a cultural visit during the current pandemic. The culture of a group exists in part “to organize and coordinate their actions, activities, and social relationships” (Lustig & Koester, 2013, p. 31). This is why attending an event of a culture other than your own can be so educational. However, you will watch one of the documentaries listed at The Good Trade - https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/must-see-global-documentaries and write a reflection. As you watch one of these films, it is hoped you will experience the culture and gain insight and understanding of the people and issues featured. Afterward, you will write a report of 3-4 pages double-spaced. 

You have a choice for the next assignment: a Film Critique or a Cultural Interview. Here are the details of each: 

Film Critique (175 points)

This assignment satisfies learning objectives 1 & 2. You will choose an intercultural film you will watch, being careful to identify principles you are learning in the course. You will then research the background of the film and write a critique of the film from an intercultural perspective (4-5 pages double-spaced).

OR

Cultural Interview (175 points)

This assignment satisfies learning objectives 1, 2, 3, & 5. Schedule an interview with someone from a culture other than your own. It is recommended this be the same group as your cultural visit and cultural overview paper, but it doesn’t have to be. You will seek to understand the attributes of the culture that go beyond the surface. As you will learn, these are the “whys” of culture that reveal beliefs, values, and social norms, or what you will come to see as “below the surface” using the iceberg analogy (4-5 pages double-spaced).

Final paper (275 points)

This assignment satisfies learning objectives 1-7 as well as core competencies C & M. Your 7-10-page final paper will be a very practical application of some aspect of intercultural communication to your chosen field. It will be the culminating expression of what you learned and how you plan to implement it in your career. This will be a semester-long project; note your topic is due week 4, and you are expected to post updates on your progress throughout the semester.

Course Calendar

Grading

Discussion board participation (50 pts X 8 weeks)           400 points

Film critique or Cultural interview                                      175 points

Globally focused documentary reflection                          150 points

Final paper                                                                         275 points

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS                                            1000 points

Other Relevant Information:
A note from your course facilitator: My hope is that you will find this course both fun and informative. I look forward to sharing experiences and insights with each of you. I trust we will all grow as we share this portion of our life and career journies, forming an online community that makes for challenging and rewarding experiences together.

top

Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

INFO 281 has no prequisite requirements.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Describe cultural values and communication styles among various regional groups.
2. Identify specific communication styles including direct and indirect communication, cultural norms for making decisions and solving conflict, the role of history in creating culture, differing perceptions of power and gender roles, implications of individualistic and collective groupings, the importance of context, and other cultural influences on communication.
3. Recognize various dominant and non-dominant co-cultures that exist in North America and other places where students live.
4. Analyze play and workspace challenges related to culture.
5. Practically demonstrate effective practices of listening, observing, interpreting and conversing with colleagues and clients from various cultures.
6. Apply intercultural communication skills in adapting individual career paths and solving culture-related job challenges.
7. Demonstrate cultural literacy in articulating world trends.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

INFO 281 supports the following core competencies:

top

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Lustig, M., & Koester, J. (2012). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (7th ed.). Pearson. Available through Amazon: 0205211240

top

Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to access PDF files.

More accessibility resources.