Speech 200—Cultural Communication

Student Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, student will be able to:

  1. Identify, explain, and apply knowledge of the nature of culture;

  2. Identify, explain, and apply concepts central to intercultural communication;

  3. Understand and apply a dialectical perspective to intercultural relations;

  4. Distinguish between and practice open-minded description, interpretation, and Evaluation components of personal responses to diverse cultural practices; and

  5. Display motivation and ability to interact competently with culturally diverse others

Measures
The outcomes for this course are measured by mid-term exams, final exams, papers, and presentations.  Using Bloom's Taxonomy, the instructor has identified the level of learning represented by the assessment tools. 

The goal for this course has been to take one outcome per year and thoroughly assess it.  The strategy and results for outcome #1 are provided below. (note: the one outcome focus is a campus wide program for all courses.)

Results

Speech 200 - Course Adoption Form Outcome #1

Identify, Explain, and Apply Knowledge of the Nature of Culture (Fall 2004-05)

Outcome
Components
Measured

Component Content:

 

Level of Competence Measures (Bloom)
 

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation


Definition of Culture
 

Culture consists of patterns of behaviors and attitudes shared by groups of people

 

write definition
92% (midterm-Fall-04)
90% (midterm- W-04)
92% (midterm-Sp-05)
average = 91%

 

 

 

 

Defend status of self-generated example as meeting the definition of a culture

83% (Final-Fall-04)
xx% (Final- W-04)
93% (Final-Sp-05)
average = 88%


Culture as a socially developed
Learned
phenomenon
 

Culture is primarily learned (not innate).

 

 

explain how a specific culture is learned

79% (midterm-Fall-04)
92% (midterm- W-04)
83% (midterm-Sp-05)
average = 85%

 

Explain whether self-generated example is a learned culture

85% (Final - Fall-04)
xx% (Final - W-04)
83% (Final -Sp-05)
average = 84%

 

 


Major cultures which shape us (“The Big 7”)
 

Gender, social class, sexual orientation, ethnicity/race, nationality, religion, age.

 

identify all seven groups
95% (midterm-Fall-04)
96% (midterm- W-04)
97% (midterm-Sp05)
average = 96%

 

Identify self-generated example as one (or none) of the “Big 7” cultures

88% (Final -Fall-04)
xx% (Final - W-04)
93% (Final-Sp-05)
average = 91%

 

 

 


Battling the tendency to Essentialize people and cultures
 

Fighting the human tendency to see a person or culture as embodying only one stereotypical cultural dimension, rather than embodying many unique and cultural dimensions simultaneously.
 

 

 

Recognize definition of essentializing

61% (midterm-Fall-04)
80% (midterm- W-04)
62% (midterm-Sp-05)
average = 68%

 

 

Show how dialectical perspective reduces essentializing

xx% (midterm-Fall-04)
xx% (midterm- W-04)
50% (midterm-Sp-05)
average = 50%

 

 

Assess personal experience as essentializing (or not)

78% (Final -Fall-04)
xx% (Final - W-04)
79% (Final -Sp-05)
average = 78.5%


Major areas of values/ beliefs shaped by cultures (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck)
 

What is the quality of human nature?  What is the appropriate relationship between humans and nature?  What is the appropriate form of relationships between humans? Should time be spent doing or being?  Do we focus on past, now, or future?
 

 

identify all five areas
42%(M)
___%(F)

identify and explain personal values/beliefs in terms of one of these areas
100%(G)

compare two cultures in terms of one of these areas ____%(F)