LAST finalized & reformatted - 10/2/17

TO BE UPDATED FOR SPRING 2018

 

 

STUDY PREVIEW SHEET

FOR  -TEST #1[Midterm]-
-THIS IS A RANDOM  (& incomplete)  LIST OF ITEMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

(Test day = AA & BB = W 10/11/17) [ same material for both sections /  slightly different tests]

See below for TWO(2) required advance test questions &

                   ONE(1) extra credit question [ no extra credit items this semester]

 

NOTE --- As you have seen, this course  examines  various factors involved in  achieving effective "One-to-Many" communication contexts.   For studying purposes, it will helpto  think about the various units in the course content as being interrelated and conceptual. This means that knowing specific terms and their definitions is just the beginning.  True comprehension means that you know what that item "looks like" in action and how it is used to effectively present material to a target audience.

This course & this test are structured to assess your ability to  synthesize various concepts and apply them.  Such expectations may require more critical thinking skills & attention to detail than you have used for other types of classes. 

 IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ATTENTIVE DURING THE IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES/DISCUSSIONS,  YOU MAY NOT BE AS KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE COURSE MATERIAL  AS YOU THINK YOU ARE. THERE WERE MANY CONCEPTS THAT WERE ASSIGNED AS READINGS BUT WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO FULLY ADDRESS IN CLASS.    STUDY & RE-READ CAREFULLY (including the online slide shows in the folder in Blackboard)

 

 

CHAPTERS & AREAS OF FOCUS  FOR TEST

 

Emphasis will be on Chapters 1- through -16 + , 20-through-22   (O'Hair, et al., 6e)  & notes from the class activities [ S.O. / slide show design/ ]. This IS a lot of material so be sure to refer to the "additional tips for preparing" listed below.

Also remember that many of our discussions acknowledged the "cultural sensitivity" of virtually everything discussed in the listed chapters. In other words, most of what we have studied actually overlaps since human communication actually operates in multi-channeled ways. In answering any given, question you may find you need to incorporate material from more than one "chapter"

 As mentioned above, in order to give you a "headstart" to the in-class test, there are some questions to be completed in advance &  handed in on test day (10/11/17. This semester threre are two(2) such required, complete-in-advance questions *[see details  below*] 

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BRING A "BLUE EXAM BOOK"

 

 

REQUIRED ADVANCE QUESTIONS
**[These questions are to be completed at home & handed in along with your in-class test] [Both = typed / double-spaced] [ Together,  they will be worth:14-18 pts<tbd>]

1. =  Peter has been invited to be the guest speaker at the 2017 Induction Ceremony for the  Seton Hall chapter of the National  Honor Society. In a clearly written essay, discuss the following: Considering the type & category  of speech, what are three (3)  specific recommendations that you would give to Peter in terms of preparing his presentation?  Be sure to cite specific items from the textbook to support each of your  recommendations. Answers without tie-ins to the textbook will receive fewer points. Also, extra points will be  given for addressing relevant  "Cultural Perspectives."

 2.  On Youtube, view David Grady's TED Talk on bad meetings in the workplace. [via Ted.com/talks]  Apply EITHER  one(1) of these two checklists from your textbook to this speaker's presentation:

                     a. "Reviewing your speech in light of audience demographics" - p.92/6th ed. {select any 4 on the list}

                                                     / OR /

                     b. "Does your speech incorporate effective Oral Style?" - p.242/6th ed. { select any 4 on the list}

 

TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Questions used probably will include some mixture of  Fill-in, Terminology Definitions, Short Answer, & Brief Essay types. It is possible that  some multiple choice questions from the online quizzes will be recycled as well.  Be prepared to explain, to analyze, to use comparison/contrast.

 


HOW TO STUDY

I will NOT use the same exact wording as in the readings & I expect you to use your-own- words in your answers. We have covered a great deal of material and it will be difficult to "cram" effectively.  I'd recommend starting now to review & outline the chapters.

 

LENGTH OF TEST

It is expected that most people will be able to complete the test in 50-60 minutes, but you will have the entire class period to work. 

 

MORE TIPS FOR PREPARING

Use strategy. Review the handouts/online assignment pages/slide shows that have been used for class activities.  They also help you focus in on the important concepts/terms from the course being emphasized by your professor.  As you review your readings, make use of any preview information as well as the post-chapter summaries & questions . Also, be familiar with such terms/concepts as these listed below: (please note that this list is random, incomplete & off the top-of-my-head, but it will get you started.)

Basic Communication:  process /  functions [Spr-Msg-Rcr-Fdbk & remaining 3 basic elements] The five(5) canons of rhetoric [especially epideictic / incl. modern day descriptors  ]
Primary source material vs. Secondary source material [_____]  Oral Language style vs Written Language Style
Patterns of organizational arrangement []including all six(6) mentioned in your book] The Influences of Culture, High-Low context [ including Organization; Language]
Basic "formulas" for structuring INTRODUCTIONS & CONCLUSIONS [ incl.____] . ) Visual Theory & Presentational Aids i.e. "_______<be prepared to answer at least one question pertaining to the specific findings from the Slide Show  activity>
Basic "formula" for structuring SPEECHES [ incl.____] . ) Thesis Statement technique
 
 Transitions & Signposts
   (all about Connectives [esp. __________];
  
Citing Sources/ "Oral Footnotes"G
Primacy & Recency etc. , etc.
   
Also, the material on the online quizzes is helpful for review purposes & it MIGHT still be accessible after the closing date. See procedure linked in left column of Professor's webpage. However, the Blackboard application was recently updated so this procedure may not work.  

 

 

some SAMPLE QUESTIONS FROM THE PAST

Below are various samples of in-class test questions I have asked in the past in this & similar, academic-type communication courses. Some do[*] but many do not pertain to this  class &/or your current textbook &/or this portion of the semester; therefore they are not provided as specific review material.  I simply cut & pasted  items from miscellaneous previous tests-- to  give you an idea of how complex and multifaceted my questions tend to be.

Some Sample Objective-type Questions -----

 *[F.I.]   1.When developing a speech, the speaker should create two outlines: a working outline and a(n) ______ outline.

* [F.I.]   2. Listeners have a better recall of the main points made at the beginning of a speech than of those made in the middle of a speech, a phenomenon termed the ________.

 *[M.C.]  3.  To inform, to persuade, and to mark a special occasion are the three types of  A) general speech purposes. B) specific speech purposes. C)  thesis statements.   D)   speech occasions.

 [M.C.]  4. We use our past experiences & frames of reference in order to help us make assessments about current people and situations. When we use such past information to DEFINE a behavior via a particular person's demonstration of it, we are:  a) prototyping   b) personally constructing   c) stereotyping  d) scripting

* [M.C.]  5. Most of the following statements regarding the rules for acknowledging source material you have used in your speech are correct EXCEPT for these two(2) {i.e. select the 2 choices that are incorrect}  : A)  Simply “cutting-and-pasting” material from sources into your speech and representing it as your own is a form of plagiarism. B)  Any sources that require credit in written form should be acknowledged in oral delivery formats. C)  It is not necessary to acknowledge direct quotations in a speech. D) Verbatim statements are known as paraphrases & do not need acknowledgement.  E)  Paraphrasing alters the form but not the substance of another person’s ideas.  F)  Speakers don’t have to cite information that is considered common knowledge.

[T/F] 6. According to your instructor & the textbook authors, beginning researchers, such as yourself, need to remember that research investigations is cumulative and self correcting and incremental. In other words, this means that every research project should be structured definitively from the start, A good researcher never changes anything once the study gets started. 

 

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * *

 

Some Sample Short Answer/Essay-type Questions -----

*[SA] 7. Review this excerpt from the Body of an Informative speech. Note that it contains several organizational  as well as structural  errors. Find _2  errors of each type.  Categorize  &  Explain the errors. 

*[ES] 8. You are now in a "second-level" Communication course, so you are well aware of the role of Audience Analysis & Adaptation as part of the preparation process.  What were 2 SPECIFIC Audience-Centered  techniques that you incorporated into your recent "Selective" Presentation?  Your answer needs to cite actual  Aud-Adapt concepts mentioned in the textbook. Name names & be specific about the demographics in this class. Avoid generalities.

 *[SA] 9. "Mirroring" in terms of nonverbal behavior  is connected to the basic human pattern of seeking  similarity. Explain .

 

[SA] 10. Take one of the competencies you listed in question ___. Explain the item by briefly describing the last time you exhibited such competency during an interpersonal encounter.

 

[ES]  11. Explain the basic ways that nonverbal communication channels are used in relation to the words being said and what is the terms that your author use to differentiate the 2 types of connections?

 

*[SA]  12. Describe the functions of supporting materials. Then,  explain why speakers should use a variety of supporting materials.

 

[F.I.]  13. Define "Attribution Process" in reference to the study of human communication. Support your answer by applying it to a specific current event.

 

*[SA] 15. Whenever possible, Val always elects to be the last speaker in a sequence. This strategy aims to take advantage of the perception concept known as ______.

                 Explain how this works.

 

*[ES]  16. E.T. Hall asserted such concepts as Communication is Culture & Culture is Communication,  Space Speaks & Time Talks. How do these three all impact on each other? ,     (Hall, 1959)

 

 

 

 

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these three(3)  below definitely  are not from this class but indicate the ability to APPLY material that I expect.

 

[SA] . If Chris BELIEVES that racism exists in the workplace, Chris is more likely to PERCEIVE co-worker Jaime's loud voice & aggressive behavior as being racially motivated.  Explain this phenomenon by applying the Believing-is-Seeing concept .

[ES]  . Two students (who have an acquaintanceship) pass each other on a campus pathway  and say: "Hi! What's up?"-"Nothing much"   and then continue on their way. This interaction can be discussed in a variety of ways  (e.g. as pragmatic language act / as phatic communication   /   as situational vs. developmental relationship  /  as interpersonal communication,  etc.).    From at least 3 of these perspectives, explain what could have been going on in this brief dyadic encounter.

 

[ES] 14. Would you use an ethnographic approach, a content analysis approach or an Interpretive Rhetorical Criticism approach  to investigate the following Research Question: "What Influence do US/Western cultural norms have on the evolution of the Superbowl broadcast from a sports broadcast to a Social Event?"  Support your choice.