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© 2019 Macmillan Learning. All rights reserved.
Instructor’s Resource Manual
Reflect & Relate
An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
Fifth Edition
by Steven McCornack and Kelly Morrison
Prepared by
Joseph Ortiz
Scottsdale Community College
Marion Boyer
Emeritus
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Curt VanGeison
St. Charles Community College
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INTRODUCTION
Reflect & Relate: An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, Fifth Edition, presents a
sound starting point for planning and developing the introductory interpersonal communication
course. The textbook is rooted in three expressed purposes. First, it prompts students to be self-
reflective about their interpersonal knowledge and abilities. A desirable outcome of studying
interpersonal communication is that students become mindful about the impact their
communication has on others. Self-reflection is a vehicle by which personal change and
development occur. A second purpose of the textbook is to relate the scholarship of the field to
the interpersonal challenges students face in their lives. This nexus of theory and practice reflects
a key tenet of interpersonal communication as a discipline. A final purpose of Reflect & Relate is
to be relevant to the current social reality of today’s learners. Given the diversity and
technological sophistication we have today, it is important that interpersonal study resources
enlighten paths for solving increasingly complex interpersonal issues.
Although Reflect & Relate speaks to important issues students face in their interpersonal lives,
instructors face the challenge of translating the textbook into a meaningful learning experience
for students. It is the plan of this Instructor’s Resource Manual (IRM) to provide insight into how
this translation might take place. Rather than being prescriptive, the IRM poses ideas about
thoughtful course and lesson design. Rather than being restrictive, it jump-starts possibilities for
using Reflect & Relate in a way that is consistent with your teaching philosophy and style. Since
the pedagogical features found within the text are sufficient for experienced instructors to design
a meaningful interpersonal course, one objective of this IRM is to stimulate fresh thinking about
alternative learning activities and assignments. If you are relatively new to teaching the
introductory interpersonal course, you will find here the rudimentary background for using
Reflect & Relate as a primary course textbook. An instructor’s experience notwithstanding, any
course design is ultimately centered on identified student learning outcomes. Ultimately, this
manual is a tool for thinking about how to attain your identified learning outcomes.
The manual is divided into two parts. Part I overviews a philosophy of teaching the
introductory interpersonal course, covers basic course design principles, and focuses on
strategies for promoting effective student learning. Part II is a chapter-by-chapter guide to
planning student learning in your course. Every chapter includes
• Chapter Objectives
• Lecture Outline
• Discussion Questions
• Think Pair Share
• Journal Prompts
• Experiential Activities
• Video Recommendations
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• Web Resources
• Music Recommendations
ESTABLISHING COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Even though an institution establishes course content parameters through its curriculum process,
specific course goals and objectives are often left to the discretion of the instructor. Effective
course design begins with deciding what your course goals and objectives will be and which
pedagogical methods you will pursue to achieve these learning outcomes. The structure of
Reflect & Relate is sufficiently comprehensive to afford you flexibility in making decisions
about course goals and objectives and choosing pedagogical methods.
Specifically, the textbook emphasizes theory, self-reflection, skill development, and practice.
Theory coverage provides students with the basis for understanding and managing their
interpersonal experiences. Students who grasp the fundamentals of dialectical tension theory, for
instance, are better prepared to appreciate the need for self-disclosure skills or conflict
management skills. Theoretical knowledge about how interpersonal communication works is
fundamental to becoming more aware and competent in dealing with others interpersonally.
An understanding of interpersonal theory is enhanced by self-reflection. This is especially
important because students have established images (for better or worse) of themselves as
Reflect & Relate. Skill development ranges from strategies to improve self-esteem to the ability
to respond assertively to relationship problems. Moreover, in seeking to accomplish more than
cursory coverage of interpersonal skills, the textbook frames practice opportunities to apply
communication skills to daily life. In making this connection to actual interpersonal experience,
the course becomes more than an academic credit for students to earn; instead, it has the
potential to be a transformational learning experience.
ESTABLISHING A TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
The structure of Reflect & Relate allows you to frame a teaching philosophy for your course that
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Use of course
concepts is
accurate and
correctly
applied
(weight × 2)
Chooses the
correct concepts
to apply and
uses them
accurately in
developing the
work.
Chooses the
correct course
concepts to
apply. No more
than one minor
mistake in
application.
Chooses the
correct course
concepts to
apply.
Incorrectly
explains a
concept in
development.
Some portion of
the work
introduces
unrelated
concepts that
distract from the
overall focus of
the theme.
The writer
introduces no
relevant concept
to the given
theme.
The work
reflects
meaningful
and/or
significant
thought
(weight × 2)
Shows the
connection of
concepts. Uses
appropriate and
precise
illustrations to
support the
thesis.
Attempts to
connect related
concepts.
Presents
appropriate but
imprecise
illustrations.
Simply
rephrases and
re-illustrates
concepts or
presents
irrelevant
details.
States the
obvious with no
integration of
personal insight.
Lacks clarity of
focus or
meaning related
to the assigned
topic.
to those students who might be referred to campus writing-assistance centers when the first
graded assignment is given. Another drawback to written themes is the workload of reading and
grading. As mentioned above, rubrics streamline the workload. Also, creating collaborative
writing assignments in which students share the work and grade can reduce the workload.
Finally, preventing and dealing with instances of academic dishonesty can be a difficulty with
theme assignments. In addition to a syllabus policy on academic dishonesty, preemptive
measures like requiring the submission of outlines, first drafts, and research notes may curb
plagiarism.
JOURNAL ASSIGNMENTS
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EVALUATION
I will collect the journal four times this term (see course outline for due dates). Each time you
submit your journal, it will be graded according to the following criteria:
“A” journal—Exceeds expectations
• Meets all assignment requirements.
• All entries address interpersonal concepts in a focused manner, using course concepts
accurately.
• All entries show reflective thought and judgment about self.
• Appearance, spelling, grammar, and organization of the work are college-level.
“B” journal—Above expectations
• Meets all assignment requirements.
• Most of the entries probe beneath the surface in addressing questions and analyzing
experience.
• Many of the entries show reflective thought and judgment about self; some could have been
more in-depth.
• Overall strengths in appearance, spelling, grammar, and organization of the work outweigh the
weaknesses. Some entries are better written than others.
“C” journal—Meets expectations
• Meets all assignment requirements.
• Provides basic responses to reflective questions or experience-based entries with limited
evidence of reflective thought or judgment about self on most entries.
• Course concepts are accurately referenced but not elaborated on.
• Needed further proofreading prior to submission.
“D” and “F” journals—Below expectations
• One or more assignment requirements were not met.
• Routine, unreflective discussion of questions and experiences.
• Use of course concepts is mostly inaccurate.
• Appearance, spelling, grammar, and/or organization impede understanding of the work.
Reflective writing is a means by which students think about themselves in light of course
concepts and assess their own development of knowledge and skills. Thus, a major advantage of
journal assignments is empowering learners to account for their development and growth in the
course. Journal writing also supports cognitive and affective engagement in the learning process.
Students have some latitude in addressing their own learning needs and interests in the course,
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which is of particular importance to adult learners. Journal assignments also present challenges
not unlike theme assignments in that they require time and attention in grading if they are to
provide students with meaningful feedback about their learning. With journal assignments in
particular, instructors will need to give students clear structural requirements and an evaluation
guide to help them develop journal entries. Students may be reluctant to explore personal
learning challenges and ideas, since these will be subject to review and a grade. While it is
probably unlikely that you will elicit the trust and confidence of every student in this regard, you
can establish a climate of trust and confidentiality through your classroom conduct and
professionalism, as well as by explicitly addressing these issues with students.
SKILL ASSESSMENTS
The final, and perhaps least frequently used, means of evaluating student learning and assigning
grades is through skill assessments. Skill assessments require students to either produce a written
response to a given prompt or verbally work through a role-play scenario, dyadic interview, or
simulation. The assessments provide instructors with an opportunity to observe and offer
feedback on student skill performance. For example, students might be presented with a
worksheet of distressful statements and then have to produce written examples of empathic
responses to the statements. Another exercise would be to have students role-play a conflict
scenario and apply conflict management skills. The instructor and/or peers can use skills-based
checklists similar to the one found below to rate performance. If the role-play is video-recorded,
students can self-assess their performances.
Skill assessments provide direct insight into how well students have attained given skills, at
least within the test condition. They are also the primary means of evaluating student learning in
any course whose course objective is skill development. One disadvantage of skill assessments is
the lack of authenticity; it is difficult for many students to role-play or to produce skilled
responses while being observed and rated. Also, oral-based skill performance assessments can
take a great deal of class time to administer.
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Sample Skills Checklist
Conflict Management
Behaviors
Rating
Nonverbal expressions are open and invite connection
with the other person
____ entire time
____ most of the time
____ some of the time
____ very little of the time
Uses concrete language to name or describe the problem
____ entire time
____ most of the time
____ some of the time
____ very little of the time
Stays focused on the issue
____ entire time
____ most of the time
____ some of the time
____ very little of the time
Exhibits effective listening through the use of paraphrasing
and questions to clarify
____ entire time
____ most of the time
____ some of the time
____ very little of the time
Expresses feelings and needs without demanding
or blaming
____ entire time
____ most of the time
____ some of the time
____ very little of the time
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Developing the Course Structure
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Decisions about classroom policies are driven by two primary factors. First, institutions typically
issue academic policy statements on academic dishonesty, the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) accommodation provisions, academic grievances, and the like. Familiarize yourself with
all official school and department policies as a means of thinking about and developing your
classroom policies. Your institution or department may require that certain institutional policy
statements be reprinted or referenced in your course syllabus. Absent any such requirements, it is
still a good idea to advise students in writing to read and review all institutional policies as
outlined in the student handbook or catalog.
A second factor that shapes classroom policy decisions is your teaching ethos—namely, your
beliefs about what makes for an effective learning environment, as well as your beliefs about
student motivation and responsibility. Policy statements in your syllabus establish a tone and
expectations for how you will manage the class: Is attendance mandatory? What constitutes an
excused absence? Can students hand in papers late? If so, what penalties will be imposed? Is it
acceptable to simply get up and leave early? Explicit written policy statements on common
classroom matters are important for encouraging desirable student behavior. Developing your
classroom policies as the semester progresses can be a rocky road to travel with students and
department chairs!
Although it is difficult to anticipate every classroom scenario that you might face in a given
term, and you don’t want to over-legislate student behavior, there are common matters on which
every instructor needs to develop a policy stance. These include class attendance, behavioral
expectations, grading, late assignments and makeup tests, academic dishonesty, and instructor
availability.
CLASS ATTENDANCE
Mandating class attendance is fraught with a range of controversial issues. Among the
proponents of a mandatory attendance policy are those who believe that financial resources
(public and private dollars) are wasted when poor class attendance translates to poor academic
achievement. Others argue that class attendance provides students with a lived, quality learning
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resources usually heavily subsidize student tuition.) A less common but plausible argument is
that students who have enrolled in college are sufficiently mature to accept the consequences of
their choices. In other words, if poor attendance leads to poor academic grades, then (hopefully)
students learn a lesson.
Philosophical positions on attendance notwithstanding, a detailed attendance policy statement
is important to any syllabus. Questions to consider in developing such a statement are
• Is class attendance voluntary or required?
• What constitutes an absence? When will you take attendance? Does arriving after roll call
mean the student is absent? What about leaving early?
• How are late arrivals and early departures treated?
• Are there excusable absences? What are they? What kind of proof or advance notice needs to
be provided?
• What is the student’s responsibility for picking up missed notes, handouts, and/or
assignments?
• What are the exact consequences of absences? How are grades affected? What is the effect, if
any, on continued class enrollment?
Finally, how much leeway you give students with class absences depends entirely on the
demographic profile of the class. I have always thought it appropriate to give students a modest
number of opportunities to miss class in order to attend to the realities of life (i.e., illness,
transportation problems, doctor’s appointments). Similarly, a class filled with adult learners may
need more latitude with absences than would a traditional college-age population. Assess the
demographic profile of your class to come up with a reasonable position on the number of
absences, if any, which are tolerable for the academic term.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS
All classrooms develop norms that express the range of acceptable behavior in the given setting.
Norms emerge quietly over a short series of interchanges. Say, for example, a student enters the
classroom late, offering no reason or apology for doing so, and the instructor makes no comment
about the action. The next time the class meets, another student—or even the same student—
does the same thing, with still no comment by the instructor. Meanwhile, all the other students
(especially the wily ones) are observing what is happening here. Since you’ve failed to comment
or express any displeasure for the lateness, students now perceive a norm of acceptance for tardy
arrival. Now, if tardy arrival truly is acceptable to you, then no problem. Another instructor may
find tardiness disruptive to the other students, yet take steps to deal with it only after it has
become epidemic. In that case, it can be quite challenging to reshape student behavior.
This example demonstrates the need for instructors to make behavioral expectations known
15
from the start. Behavioral expectations can be presented as a syllabus statement or developed in
cooperation with students as a class behavior contract. Developing behavioral expectations in
collaboration with students is an effective means of creating a positive learning environment
(more details about how to do this are presented below).
Some instructors, because of personal preference or the class’s demographic profile, may
choose to write a behavioral policy without getting input from students. In these cases, a
statement might address behavioral expectations related to the following areas:
• Class attendance and punctuality
• Appropriate language and terms of address
In short, a syllabus statement must name the kinds of behaviors that you believe are important to
creating a respectful and civil classroom conducive to effective learning. Most important, such a
statement must explicitly state that the instructor is bound by the same expectations, lest a double
standard exist in the classroom.
GRADE POLICIES
No area of teaching provides more occasions for dissatisfaction and grief than grading. Much of
this malaise can be avoided by establishing a clear policy regarding how individual assignments
are graded and how final grades for the course are determined. Good grading policy is then
buttressed by conscious efforts to keep students informed about their performance.
As mentioned before, clearly written assignments, including expectations and grading
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will derive their final course grade. Consider using the first or second class meeting to explain
how a final course grade is calculated.
Finally, students will be less distressed about their grades when you keep them informed about
their standing in the course. This also means returning graded assignments in a timely manner.
Instructors can keep students up-to-date on their course grades by providing them with an
assignment checklist as part of the syllabus. Such a checklist allows students to record
assignment grades when they receive them from the instructor and to monitor their own progress.
Other means of keeping students informed about their grades include posting grades in a secure
online course management system such as Blackboard, or distributing to students a printout of
their grades at intermittent points during the term.
As a side note, because of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), it is
unlawful to publicly display any aspect of student grades. Accordingly, you cannot use student
names or student identification numbers to post individual grades on an office door, on an
overhead projector, or when passing around in class a roster of assignment grades. Consult with
your department chair or campus legal representative about appropriate means of communicating
student grades. A secure and timely means of apprising students of their class performance
prevents many unpleasant surprises at the end of the term.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKEUP TESTS
As with the practical argument for mandating class attendance, there is less housekeeping for
instructors when students turn in assignments and complete tests on time. But life happens, and
there may be legitimate reasons why students are unable to do that. An effective course syllabus
will speak to whether (and how) you will accommodate late assignments and missed tests. Some
possible considerations in such a statement would be:
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ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Opportunities for student plagiarism and cheating have become increasingly frequent through
insidious uses of technology. Literally hundreds of Web sites offer term papers and essays for
purchase. Additionally, instructors began banning cellular telephones during written
examinations after they discovered students using them either to take photographs of exams or to
surreptitiously text-message answers to each other. Interestingly, the academic world has
developed some technological defenses in the form of Turnitin.com and iThenticate.com. Both
are costly yet viable solutions for discouraging plagiarism.
The problem of academic dishonesty arises from many factors. Students often have many
demands on their time, which leads them to wait until the last minute to prepare for tests or write
that give students an orientation to research strategies and proper resource documentation.
INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY
Another important policy issue is to formally account for your availability to students. Being
accessible to students outside of class is important for dealing with their questions and concerns.
Thus, it is important to maintain your office hours consistently, and to respond in a timely
manner to messages. Few things can trigger or exacerbate a student grievance more than an
instructor who is inaccessible or unresponsive. Your syllabus should state your office hours,
telephone number, and e-mail address. Depending on your faculty assignment status, you may
not be required to maintain formal office hours, but nevertheless it is good practice to give
students clear direction on how they can meet with you outside of class should the need arise. At
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least one telephone number for reaching you should be in the syllabus. Some institutions may
require that a department phone number be included as well so that students have at least two
different ways of reaching you by voice. Many younger college students, however, find e-mail
access and course Web sites such as Blackboard to be the only ways they care to communicate
with an instructor outside of class. Increasingly, instructors are maintaining a presence to their
students via social networking Web sites including Facebook. Instructors must be extra careful to
avoid violation of FERPA rules related to student records and privacy. This means that when
using Facebook or other social media sites, you should never reveal information about students’
grades, course enrollments, class schedules, etc.
POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
the course syllabus, your professional manner, and a class behavior contract.
THE FIRST CLASS
First impressions have a major impact on student attitudes and responses to the course. It is
important that your first meeting provide students an opportunity to engage with you and each
other; to engage with the course material in some small, meaningful way; and to learn the course
requirements. Your primary objective in your first class should be to reduce student uncertainty
about the course.
A simple getting-acquainted activity can be used to break the ice and begin the process of
building the trust and rapport that are critical to effective learning environments. Several print
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can convince a student to remain in the class or to drop it, and the decision can depend on the
student’s assessment of the course requirements. While it is unnecessary and inefficient to
verbally walk students through the entire syllabus, it is certainly important to discuss critical
policies and assignment requirements. Two strategies for covering the entire course syllabus with
students is to have them read it outside of class and acknowledge by signature that they have
read and understood the syllabus, or to give a quiz the following class period on its contents.
Both approaches encourage students to read the syllabus and reduce the time you have to spend
discussing it aloud during the first class.
ROLE OF THE SYLLABUS
A recurring theme in the course policies section above is the importance of the syllabus in setting
a tone for the course, establishing your expectations, and preempting problems. It bears repeating
that your syllabus should address any academic matter that might become a concern (i.e.,
attendance, late papers, and behavior expectations).
Once the syllabus is distributed, two things are vital to ensuring that it supports a positive
learning environment. First, only with good reason should changes be made in the syllabus.
INSTRUCTOR’S PROFESSIONALISM
The professionalism that you bring to the classroom establishes a tone that supports a positive
learning environment for students. Aside from how you manage the first class meeting and the
content of your syllabus, there is an array of attitudes and behaviors that model effective habits
of learning and civility in the classroom. Some of these habits include:
• Starting class on time
• Being prepared for class
• Using humor and language in an appropriate way
• Learning and using student names
• Being clear about lesson objectives and staying on task
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THE CLASS CONTRACT
Some instructors may find it useful to spend the first few class periods establishing a contract to
govern classroom behavior. Creating a contract with students can be a messy process requiring
great skill at group facilitation. The payoff is that you increase the likelihood that the class abides
by the rules of acceptable classroom behavior and the sanctions for aberrant behavior. Classes of
primarily adult learners are especially amenable to contracts.
Although there are a number of ways of establishing a class contract, here is a fairly
straightforward method:
1. Divide the class into small groups and have each group brainstorm a list of student and
2. Have each small group cull its brainstormed list by prioritizing its top five most important
behaviors.
4. Next, have students brainstorm and vote on sanctions for contract violations.
5. Finally, photocopy the approved contract and distribute it for each student to sign.
An interesting phenomenon of developing a class contract is that the group discussion can have a
