Skill Improvement or Relationship Improvement Project:

This project is your opportunity to synthesize the theories and ideas learned in class with your own communication experiences. This assignment will be a written documentation of your efforts to improve a communication skill or interpersonal relationship of your choice.

This assignment will take the entire term to complete and will be graded in the following three stages: First, you will select and describe a communication skill or interpersonal relationship you would like to improve (1-2 pages). Second, you will identify and implement the various communication practices that facilitate improvement (2-3 pages).

Finally, for optional extra credit, you will analyze the experiences and outcomes that resulted from your efforts (1-2 pages). Points will be deducted from projects turned in late.

Writing Requirements:

All written assignments should be double spaced with 1-1.5 inch margins and 10 or 12 sized fonts. Please do not use report covers or binders. All papers must be proofread, not just spellchecked.

Papers with more than four errors per page will be returned to you for resubmission. While grading will be based primarily on content, the content must be presented with respect to scholarly writing and organization. Please save an extra copy of all written assignments.

At the top of your assignments, please list using single spacing, your name, course name, assignment, and date turned in. Cover pages are not necessary.

Interpersonal Communication Relationship and Skill Improvement Project Guidelines

STAGE I

Choose a communication skill or an interpersonal relationship that you want to improve. Describe how and why the skill or relationship needs improving. Give examples of when you utilize the skill and when you don't. For example, are you more willing to express your feelings with women rather than with men? Are you assertive with strangers, but not with family or friends? Do you get along with others, but can't seem to get along with one particular person or one type of person?

Has the relationship always needed mending or did recent events strain the relationship? Describe your past history with the skill or relationship. Why do you think you don't utilize the skill? Was the skill ever modeled for you? What types of relationships were modeled for you? What events shaped your opinion of the skill or the relationship? Note any relevant background information pertinent to the skill or the people in the relationship.

STAGE II

Provide a detailed account of the efforts and strategies used to improve the skill or relationship. Document your experiences as you try to improve your communication. What did you do to improve a skill or relationship? Did you tell the other person that you wanted to improve your relationship with them? Why or why not? What happened when you incorporated new behaviors in your lifestyle? How did you feel using new communication techniques? How did others react? Were others receptive or resistant to your new behaviors?

Document their feedback. Observe the skill being used by others. Practice the skill in various contexts. Does it work better in some situations and not as well in others? Likewise, does it work better with some people and not as well with others? Document the concepts from our textbook or other books, films, etc. that help you improve the skill or the relationship.