Overview
Interpersonal communication plays a central role in everyone’s life. We engage in communication in practically every aspect of our lives, whether in person or mediated via digital or analog media. However, much of our communication practices are a result of habits, and we rarely make a conscious effort to communicate more effectively.
Business and organizations rely on interpersonal communication, as much professional activity involves teamwork with coworkers, conversing with customers, and meeting with clients and partners. To overcome and avoid interpersonal communication problems, you must learn to enhance your listening skills and your verbal and nonverbal communication techniques. As well, you need to keep in mind the social and cultural contexts in which you interact with others.
COMM 243 introduces you to the challenges and rewards of communicating with others in professional settings. After completing the course, you will be to detect communication problems, act as an effective communicator, and provide sound advice about ways to improve communication outcomes.
Through a simulated work environment, you will interact with virtual coworkers and clients to complete tasks and assignments that mimic actual interpersonal communication issues in a workplace setting. Educational material and individual, iterative feedback will guide you through developing skills that will not only be essential for successfully completing the course but will also help you excel in your chosen career.
Find out more about this course’s use of simulated, experiential learning methods.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course, you should be able to
- relate key concepts to communication problems you observe or experience at work.
- understand the social and cultural contexts in which interpersonal communication takes place.
- resolve and avoid interpersonal problems to better achieve organizational and individual goals.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMM 243, you must achieve a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on the Final Examination, and achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) in the entire course. The distribution of marks for the various credit activities is listed below:
| Activity | Weight |
| Experiential Interactions & Exercises | 30% |
| Reflective Essays (3) | 40% |
| Final Examination | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Work and assignments not submitted for evaluation will receive a grade of 0 percent.
Materials
Registration in this course includes access to an online simulation platform. This learning platform includes interactive discussions and exercises as well as extensive educational texts and videos.
As this course makes continuous use of an interactive online environment and online videos, it requires students to have regular access to a desktop or laptop computer with a high-speed Internet connection. It is not possible to download the course material and complete this course predominantly offline.
Although you may be able to access the course website ahead of your start date, there is no early access to the simulation platform.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the COMM 243 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the examination.
Online Exam (3 hours)
Challenge for credit course registration form