The Purpose of Written Application Assignments The application assignments are designed around one goal: to extend your learning experience beyond the classroom by applying the communication concepts and principles from course lectures and readings to your individual experiences. One of the most interesting aspects of taking a course in communication is that unlike many other courses you might experience at a university (e.g. organic chemistry, 18th century literature, etc.) the subject matter is not abstract or removed from the events of your everyday life. In contrast, the process of communication is part of almost everything that we do. In class this semester, we will explore the scientific body of knowledge on communication by reviewing a variety of concepts, theories, and research from communication scholars. However, each of us already possesses knowledge about communication processes by virtue of our everyday experiences as human beings. While this implicit practical understanding is subjective and limited by the boundaries of our experiences, perspectives, and biases, it is inarguably of immense practicalvalue—our working knowledge of communication is what allows us to function in the complex and rapidly changing environments we find ourselves in. These assignments represent a means of bridging these two bodies of knowledge by engaging with the scholarly concepts discussed in course material from your own perspective. In this sense, every student who takes this course possesses the tools needed to successfully complete the written application assignments scheduled over the course of the semester. To excel in these assignments requires more than possessing these tools, however; it takes a willingness to earnestly engage in meaningful consideration of the concepts discussed in the assignments and to demonstrate your comprehension by constructing a thorough, well-reasoned, and well-written answer to the questions posed in each assignment. Grading Scheme for Written Assignments All written application assignments are graded on merit, not merely completion. That means that thegrade you receive will depend entirely on the quality of the work you submit. Grading ranges based on the percentage of the base value of an assignment and commensurate levels of quality are listed below: - 90-100% of the assignment’s point value: Scores in this range are reserved for truly outstanding assignments—ones that demonstrate mastery of the assignment’s subject matter, an understanding of the larger communication context and related concepts, and a willingness to go beyond the assigned requirements when applying and discussing the material. - 80-90% of the assignment’s point value: Scores in this range are given to assignments that are demonstrably above average and show particular quality via insight, depth, or detail.Assignments in this range stand out from their peers in addressing the concepts at the core of the assignment, but generally don’t go beyond that to address the larger context or related communication processes. 70-80% of the assignment’s point value: Scores in this range are given to assignments that meet the basic criteria described in the assignment instructions, but are otherwise unremarkable. Typically, submissions at this - level are somewhat limited in providing detail, reasoning, or other support that demonstrates a well-versed understanding of core concepts. - 60-70% of the assignment’s point value: Assignments in this category are of borderline acceptable quality because of at least one or two significant flaws—e.g. leaving out an item included in the assignment instructions, incorrectly applying a concept, providing unsupported claims, etc. - Less than 60% of the assignment’s point value: An assignment which receives a score in this range falls well short of the assignment requirements and typically includes multiple, significant flaws or oversights. Additional Grading Criteria Although the quality of your answer is the primary basis by which grades are awarded for an assignment, the following criteria can also factor into the score awarded for an assignment. - Serious Writing Issues— In general, you are expected to use proper writing techniques, including the use of paragraphs and complete sentences on all written application assignments. Occasional typos or grammatical errors are fine; however assignments which are very poorly written may be penalized. Advice for doing well on written application assignments:- Read the directions, clearly identify each item the assignment directions ask you to discuss, and be sure to address each in your paper. This would seem to be straightforward, but is not uncommon for assignments to lose significant grading points simply because they omit discussion of items specifically included in the instructions.To illustrate this, let’s review some assignment instructions in an example written assignment: Example Assignment Instructions: Disconfirmation refers to communication that explicitly or implicitly devalues another person, effectively treating them at some level as if they don’t existor don’t matter. Discuss in detail two examples of disconfirmation—one in which you were disconfirmed and one in which you potentially disconfirmed someone else. Clearly explainthe nature of the disconfirmation that occurred, how the other party reacted, and how your relationship was potentially affected. In this example, your answer should include a specific description of two examples of disconfirming communication from your personal experience (One in which you were disconfirmed and one in which your communication disconfirmed someone else). Additionally, for each example you should provide a specific description of the disconfirming communication and a clear explanation of how disconfirmation potentially occurred, the reaction of the other party, and the impact on your relationship. Leaving out any of the items above, describing only one example, or describing two examples of the same type (e.g. where you were disconfirmed) would all cause you to lose points on your grade. - Consider using formatting (e.g. headings, underlining) to make key assignment elementssalient to both you and the grader. Using the example written assignment instructions described on the previous page, you might create the following headings:Example 1 (being disconfirmed)Example 2 (disconfirming someone else)For