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Preface
Introduction
This resource manual is designed to assist you in teaching a course for which Interpersonal
Communication–Everyday Encounters is the primary text. Some instructors using this book will be
seasoned teachers of introductory interpersonal communication; others will be less experienced.
Regardless of whether you have taught the course before, this resource manual should prove valuable. It
includes not only activities, goals, and strategies we use in our own classrooms, but also insights gleaned
from instructors across the United States. The result is a range of perspectives, assignments, and teaching
options that offer useful ideas to veteran and novice teachers alike.
The introductory course in interpersonal communication offers unparalleled opportunities for teaching
and learning. Healthy interpersonal relationships are central to our happiness and well–being, and
effective communication is critical to good relationships. Thus this course, unlike many others your
students take, pertains directly and immediately to their lives. Most students who enroll in the
introductory course in interpersonal communication enter with a high level of motivation and interest:
They want to learn how to communicate more effectively in their personal and professional relationships.
Ins
This teaching guide consists of 12 chapters that mirror those in the text. Each chapter includes four
sections:
Discussion Items — Discussion items provide ideas that may act as a catalyst for class or small group
discussion. For each item, we have provided you with points to look for when raising these topics in
class.
Classroom Activities — Each chapter includes a number of activities that encourage students to apply
material in the text to their everyday lives. Individual, group, and internet-based activities are included.
Activities promote experiential learning by involving students in real or simulated communication
situations in which they can practice, observe, and assess skills. A good activity teaches principles and
spurs understanding of the conceptual bases of principles. Often these goals are accomplished in the
process of debriefing students on an exercise after they complete it. Instructional resources are NOT
substitutes for conceptual discussions and they should NOT be used to fill time in a classroom. Instead,
activities, films, journals, and panels are teaching resources. Like lectures and discussions, these
resources clarify and fortify the content of a course. Activities and other instructional supplements should
The activities in this section are categorized according to individual (for example, completing a handout
or survey), partner/ethnography (that is, working with a partner in class or requiring observation or
interviews outside of class in preparation for the activity), group, demonstration/whole class (for
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example, role plays or skits), and activities that take advantage of the Internet. The type of activity is
indicated in a table that precedes the detailed explanation for the activities. For example:
Title Individual Partner/
Ethno
Group Demonstration/
Whole Class
Internet/
InfoTrac
Rumor Clinic X
provided at the end of the Activity section), and a
preparation work inside or outside of class prior to the day of the activity.
Journal Items — These are items about which students may write if you decide to include a journal
assignment. Many instructors favor this assignment because it encourages students to reflect further on
class material. For each item, we have provided you with a short paragraph of points to look for in
student responses. If you do not include a journal assignment, these can also be used as discussion items
in class and/or to review course concepts periodically with the students.
Media Resources — This section includes film, web, print and other resources (such as CNN videos) that
you can integrate into the course.
Web Sites — These
number of internet sites devoted to interpersonal communication has increased considerably in
the past few years. When the second edition of this book was written (in 1999), one search
Print Resources In each chapter there are one or two books that relate concepts discussed in
the text. Many of these books are written for a popular audience and we have found it valuable to
critique some of the assumptions made in the popular press books with the concepts (and
assumptions!) of the theories and guidelines discussed in the text. Further, we have provided a
discussion topic or question for each book and also a suggestion, when appropriate, for when
students might use a particular book as part of the popular press book analysis paper (described
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Most chapters have an additional section on Panel Ideas.
Panel Ideas — These are options for inviting outside speakers to talk about class material in a
presentation or discussion format.
The manual concludes with test items.
Instructors who adopt Interpersonal Communication-Everyday Encounters will have the option of
adopting MindTap, a fully integrated and customizable e-book and learning activity suite featuring
interactive exercises, activities, and assignments that guides students to analyze, apply, and
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Revisions to the 8th Edition
The 8th reflect content changes in
the 8th edition of the textbook, which features an increased emphasis on cultural diversity, ethics,
identity performance, social media, and family communication. Below is a list of these revisions
2. Engage Ideas features have been moved to the end of each chapter, and now includes 1
Active Learning question and 1 Workplace Application question.
4. There are new end-of-chapter Case Studies and Questions for Chapters 8, 9, and 11.
5. ave been included. Further, rejoinders
(explanations of why a particular answer is correct, what to look for in a particular
answer, and a page number reference to the textbook) for each multiple-choice, true/false,
identification, and essay question, are provided.
to the introductory course in interpersonal communication.
If you have any questions or comments, we hope that you will share them. You can reach us at:
Diane Carter Julia T. Wood
Department of Communication Studies Department of Communication
Studies