Final 2

COM 315 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview
This course addresses foundational interpersonal theories and concepts in the context of computer-mediated, contemporary relationships and the practical
application of these theories and concepts in relational strategies. Understanding how communication technologies are used to initiate, develop, maintain, and
sometimes dissolve various social relationships is key in developing effective communication practices in the digital age. Such understanding will enable you to
be more mindful in the design, development, and dissemination of communication messages in your professional life and become a more informed and effective
communicator in your personal life.

In this assessment, you will analyze an interpersonal relationship of your choice in which you use communication technology. You will assess the role of
communication technology in your life, evaluate relevant communication theories and concepts, and identify key strategies in applying apply these theories and
concepts in a real-world setting. For example, if you are in a long-distance relationship, what theories or concepts might you apply in your relationship
strategies?

This assessment addresses the following course outcomes:

 Appraise personal attitudes, beliefs, and values for their implications to personal technology behaviors and practices
 Apply foundational theories and concepts of interpersonal relationships and computer-mediated communication to inform decisions on the appropriate

use of communication technologies
 Analyze the complexity of information exchange in the digital age for opportunities to improve communication within interpersonal relationships
 Evaluate the use of communication technologies in interpersonal relationships for their implications to effective communication habits

Prompt
Throughout the course you have engaged in activities and milestones with opportunities for feedback from your instructor prior to crafting and completing the
final analysis and reflection paper. Use the following framing question in guiding your analysis and reflection as you complete this assessment: How can I use
communication technology effectively and judiciously in relationships?

You may organize your paper as you see fit, but specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: To set the stage for your analysis and proposals, begin with a self-assessment focused on your communication practices prior to taking this
course.

 Appraise your initial attitudes, beliefs, and values with regard to your own communication technology behaviors and practices for their
impact on one or more of your personal relationships. Support your evaluation with examples that illustrate each of the following. Is
there one area in which you may have experienced the greatest impact? The least?

 Relationship initiation

 Relationship development
 Relationship maintenance
 Relationship dissolution

B. Explain the impacts of communication technology on your relationships. Have they made you more or less effective in your communication?
Specifically, have they enhanced or hindered your relationships? Support your response with examples.

II. Analysis of a Key Relationship: Select one key relationship in your life to examine.
A. Discuss the keyrelationship you selected and present your reasoning for this choice. Specifically, how is this case ripe for applying

communication theories, concepts, and strategies to make more informed decisions? For example, a particular concept may have prompted you
to select the relationship you have with your mother-in-law who lives across the country. In that case, a better understanding of that
relationship is important to you for more informed family decision making.

B. What relevant concepts or theories from the course inform your understanding of this relationship? Consider at least two major concepts.
Compare and contrast these concepts or theories in addressing what they have taught you about effective and ineffective communication
practices in this relationship. Support your response with course readings and appropriate research.

C. Evaluate your use of communication technology in this relationship. What makes the usage of this technology successful or unsuccessful?
Support your response with examples. This is where you might discuss instances of positive interactions and miscommunications and the results
and consequences of those interactions.

D. To what extent does the use of communication technologies in this relationship make information exchange complex? Justify your response
with examples and draw connections to appropriate concepts or theories from the course.

III. Proposed Applications and Strategies: In this area you will address practical applications and strategies for improving your communications within your
key relationship and for developing effective communication habits moving forward.

A. Based on your assessment of your key relationship, discuss specific examples where you could apply new or different communication
technologies effectively in this relationship. Also, provide specific examples of situations in which it would be harmful or ineffective to use
communication technologies. For each, support your claims with relevant theories and concepts from the course and your research.

B. Propose specific strategies you might employ to improve communication within your key interpersonal relationship. For each proposed
strategy, provide an explanation founded in relevant theories and concepts from the course and your research.

C. To what extent could these strategies improve your communication in your other interpersonal relationships? Support your response with
appropriate concepts or theories from the course and your research.

IV. Conclusion: To close the loop opened at the beginning of this paper, discuss if, how, and why your attitudes, beliefs, and values with regard to
communication technology use and interpersonal relationships have or have not shifted since the beginning of this course. If they have not changed,
discuss how and why.

Final ProjectRubric

Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should include a cover page, references, and APA formatting/citations. The total paper length should be 6–10 pages, not
including cover page or references. The paper should be double-spaced and use standard 12-point font.

You should support your analyses, evaluations, and claims in this assessment with a mix of course readings and outside sources (a minimum of six sources total).
These outside sources should come from primary scholarly sources and should complement our course readings by building upon concepts and theories that you
feel are the most relevant to your own relationship being discussed. Primary scholarly sources include peer-reviewed journals and publications. See Brightspace
for a list of acceptable journals from which to find and cite articles. Popular press sources, for example E! News, Wikipedia, Men are from Mars, Women are from
Venus, and any other magazines, television shows, and movies are not acceptable sources. Ask your instructor if you are unsure about the appropriateness of
your source(s).

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction:

Attitudes, Beliefs, and
Values

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
qualifies in which areas
communication technology use
has the greatest and least
impact on personal
relationships

Appraises attitudes, beliefs,
and values regarding
communication technology
behaviors and practices for
their impacts to relationship
initiation, development,
maintenance, and dissolution

Discusses attitudes, beliefs, and
values regarding
communication technology,
but there are gaps in
addressing the impacts to
relationship initiation,
development, maintenance,
and dissolution

Does not discuss personal
attitudes, beliefs, and values
regarding communication
technology behaviors and
practices

9.5

Introduction: Impact
of Communication

Technologies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
explanation demonstrates in-
depth or insightful reflection

Explains ways in which
communication technology has
enhanced or hindered
relationships, supporting claims
with examples

Explains ways in which
communication technology has
enhanced or hindered personal
relationships, but has gaps in
supporting claims with
examples

Does not explain ways in which
communication technology has
enhanced or hindered personal
relationships

9.5

Analysis: Key
Relationship

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
draws insightful connections
between the relationship and
the communication theories
and concepts

Discusses the key relationship
and explains how this case is
well-suited for applying
communication theories and
concepts

Discusses the key relationship,
but does not explain the
connections to relevant
communication theories and
concepts

Does not discuss the key
relationship

9.5

Analysis: Relevant
Concepts and

Theories

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
selects supporting materials
that demonstrate a nuanced
understanding of
communication principles

Accurately differentiates
between at least two concepts
and theories relevant to the
key relationship; claims are
supported by course readings
and appropriate research

Discusses concepts and
theories, but claims are either
inaccurate or not supported by
course readings and
appropriate research

Does not differentiate between
at least two relevant concepts
and theories from the course
to the relationship described

9.5

Analysis: Use of
Communication

Technology

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
defense demonstrates in-depth
or insightful reflection

Evaluates the use of
communication technology in
the key relationship for its
effectiveness using specific
examples

Evaluates the use of
communication technology in
the key relationship, but there
are gaps in the logic or claims
are not supported with specific
examples

Does not evaluate the use of
communication technology in
the key relationship

9.5

Analysis: Information
Exchange

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
claims demonstrate a nuanced
appreciation of the complexity
of information exchange in the
digital age

Makes appropriate claims
about the complexity of
information exchange in the
key relationship, justifying the
response with examples and
relevant concepts or theories
from the course

Makes appropriate claims
about the complexity of
information exchange in the
key relationship, but does not
justify with examples or
relevant concepts or theories
from the course

Does not make appropriate
claims about the complexity of
information exchange in the
key relationship

9.5

Proposals: Applying
Communication

Technologies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
selects supporting materials
that demonstrate a nuanced
understanding of
communication principles

Proposes new or different
applications of communication
technologies that could make
communication more effective
in the key relationship;
supports all claims with
relevant theories and concepts
and appropriate research

Proposes new or different
applications of communication
technologies, but there are
gaps in the logic or claims are
not supported with relevant
theories and concepts from the
course

Does notpropose new or
different applications of
communication technologies

9.5

Proposals: Improving
Communication

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
selects supporting materials
that demonstrate a nuanced
understanding of
communication principles

Proposes specific strategies to
improve interpersonal
communication and justifies
claims with relevant theories
and concepts from the course
and appropriate research

Proposes strategies to improve
interpersonal communication,
but they lack specificity or
claims are not supported by
relevant theories and concepts
from the course or appropriate
research

Does not discuss strategies to
improve interpersonal
communication

9.5

Proposals: Other
Interpersonal
Relationships

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
selects supporting materials
that demonstrate a nuanced
understanding of
communication principles

Makes appropriate claims
about the applicability of the
proposed strategies to other
interpersonal relationships and
justifies claims with
appropriate concepts or
theories from the course and
appropriate research

Makes claims about the
applicability of the proposed
strategies to other
interpersonal relationships, but
there are gaps in the logic or
they are not justified with
appropriate concepts or
theories from the course or
appropriate research

Does not make claims about
the applicability of the
proposed strategies to other
interpersonal relationships

9.5

Conclusion Meets “Proficient” criteria and
connects discussion to initial
reflection on attitudes, beliefs,
and values with regard to
personal communication
technology behaviors and
practices

Discusses if, how, and why
personal attitudes, beliefs, and
values with regard to
communication technology use
have or have not shifted since
the beginning of the course
using specific examples

Discusses if, how, and why
personal attitudes, beliefs, and
values with regard to
communication technology use
have or have not shifted since
the beginning of the course,
but does not support with
specific examples

Does notdiscuss if, how, or why
personal attitudes, beliefs, and
values with regard to
communication technology use
have or have not shifted since
the beginning of the course

9.5

Articulation of
Response

Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-to-
read format

Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas

Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas

5

Earned Total 100%

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