Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
Students taking this section of JMC 5823 Cross-cultural Communication must be enrolled in the Gaylord College online MA, Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy program. No exceptions will be made due to the size of the cohort for the online MA program.
Course Materials
The required textbook for this course is listed and hyperlinked below.
- Intercultural Communication in Your Life (2nd edition) by Shawn Wahl, Jake Simmons, Jeffrey McCune, Jr.
Additional required supplemental materials such as articles, case studies, and videos are posted to Canvas on the Required Resources page for each week.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Discussions (8) |
|
30% |
| Quizzes (12) |
|
15% |
| Multimedia Assignment |
|
15% |
| Research Assignment |
|
10% |
| Reflection Essay |
|
10% |
| Final Project |
|
20% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Discussion
These weekly posts ask you to comment on current events, textbook readings, and topics related to the course themes.
Multimedia: Critical Engagement
For this assignment, you will be interviewing an acquaintance of another race and gender identity than your own. After planning the interview, you will record it (video), and also compose a written reflection on your experience.
Research: Diversity in Advertising
The purpose of this assignment is to have you evaluate contemporary ads for their portrayal of diversity. It includes a written analysis and a 1-minute audio recording with a summary of your observations.
Final Project: Strategic Communication Plan
In a small group of 3-4 team members, you will create an original, diversity-focused, Strategic Communication Plan. (Topic approved by instructor). You will identify and analyze known problematic intercultural issues from a company or organization and then create a plan that your team believes would be successful.
This project will utilize generative IA tools. To prepare for this assignment, make sure you have reviewed the following video available through LinkedIn Learning: “How to Research and Write Using Generative AI” by David Birss. We will use the CREATE model that he outlines and share our experiences during upcoming class sessions.
All OU Students have access to LinkedIn Learning content. Sign in with your OU credentials. Your experience may vary based on whether you have a LinkedIn account, or if it's linked to your OU e-mail or not. Please persevere and if you continue to have trouble accessing it, you can find additional information from OU-IT, or you can contact OU-IT directly.
Content Advisory
Difficult Topics
From time to time, I will present content that some may find uncomfortable because of challenging ideas, strong language [sometimes profane], bold images, or seldom-discussed topics.
I acknowledge that at times it may be uncomfortable to include difficult topics. However, it is an important part of the educational experience, as it supports the development of critical thinking skills, helps to develop and improve interpersonal skills, and prepares learners for their roles in their professional settings, as well as to be engaged citizens.
Please know that you may adjust your pace of reviewing these materials to fit your personal level of comfort. Feel free to contact me privately if you have any concerns.
Productive Dialogues
There is ample opportunity within our course for academic debate, disagreement, compromise, and for us to change our minds. In order for this to be a productive dialogue, I ask that we all:
- Recognize that we are entering into this space with different experiences and understandings.
- Use reasoned arguments that are supported by reputable resources.
- Practice truly listening to one another.
- Ask questions for clarification.
- Provide and receive feedback with grace.
- Respect the privacy of those sharing. We are all learning together, and it’s important that we take from here what we have learned. Please respect that people may share how the topics in this course have impacted their personal lives and also that people may make mistakes while they learn.
- If something is said or done in these dialogues that prohibits you from being able to participate in this class, I ask that you reach out to me directly. You may also choose to use other resources on campus, such as reporting through the 24-Hour Reporting Hotline (call at 844-428-6531 or visit Report an Incident). This hotline can be used to report bias, discrimination, physical or mental harassment, or misconduct by OU community members.
Course Policies
Statement of Diversity
Whether your career takes you across the globe or keeps you close to your home base, your ability to listen to, and communicate with, people from diverse backgrounds will be an asset. In the professional fields that Gaylord College represents—journalism, broadcast, professional writing, advertising, and public relations—I believe it is especially important for us to become competent and comfortable with listening and talking to anyone, anywhere, as the need arises.
For this reason, the outcomes in this course are designed to comply with the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications Standards 2 and 4 to address both domestic and international diversity.
Teaching Philosophy
My goal is to provide a learning environment for you that will be a safe and respectful environment for you to learn about diversity and the media. No question is too basic to explore. I believe that our “personal” lives influence our public selves, so our assignments intentionally combine personal, shared, scholarly, and mediated experiences to help enrich our conversations about these topics. Because of this approach, you will find that I give broad latitude in how you choose to complete graded assignments. I will always give you specific goals and outcomes. However, I will expect you to exercise your personal agency, integrity, creativity, and initiative in completing these assignments.
Communication
The best way to communicate with me is through email. If you have a question, I will respond as soon as possible, usually the same day. If you would like to schedule a call, send me an email, give me a few dates and times that work with your schedule and I will confirm a time that works for me as well.
Late Policy
This is an online class and you will be able to do many of the individual assignments at your own pace—especially module readings and quizzes. However, to help you to plan your time successfully in this class, I have labeled the class modules [or learning segments], with dates that align with our current semester. In this way, you can pace yourself through the work as you might if this class met in person.
Major assignments—both individual and group—will have firm deadlines. Through gradebook settings on Canvas, you might automatically have 10 percent of total possible points deducted for late assignments up through a four-day window. After 4 days late, you will automatically receive a zero.
Generative AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, may be used for the final project, "Is There A Better Way?" with appropriate citation, but not with any other assignments. If you are in doubt as to whether you are using AI tools appropriately in this course, I encourage you to discuss your situation with me.
- As AI Spreads, Experts Predict the Best and Worst Changes in Digital Life by 2035
- This report covers results from the 16th “Future of the Internet” canvassing that Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center have conducted to gather expert views about important digital issues.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|