4397Fall03syl

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Health Communication Theory & Research COMM 6335

Meeting Times 5:30-8:30 TH, Fall, 2007

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Associate Professor

Jim L. Query, Jr., Ph.D. Phone: Office (713) 743-8608; Fax (713) 743-2876; primary e-mail is jquery@uh.edu; alternative email (in case of tech probs) profjim90@hotmail.com

Office Location: Communications (COMMS) Bldg 203G, behind the University Satellite area; Hours 1:15-2:15 MW; Other times by appt. Online meetings also possible via password.

Home Page

http://www.homestead.com/profjims/directory.html

This page has lots of useful info and links to several key sites. Be sure to visit it.

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Course Rationale:

Health is a multidimensional process with at least four primary dimensions: physiological, symbolic, social, and spiritual. This course addresses the interface among the dimensions by examining literature and learning materials from communication, health, psychology, social work, medical sociology, and nursing. As the research will indicate, effective and timely communication plays an integral role in health status, maintenance, and health promotion efforts.

The current health care delivery system is like a daunting labyrinth for many individuals. Miscommunication, misunderstandings, numerous cultural, attitudinal, and societal barriers often preclude individuals from making informed health care decisions, as well as hinder the delivery of quality health care. Rather than merely yielding to such complexity and hurdles, informed health care consumers, health care providers, and health comm scholars can begin to lessen the rampant uncertainty.

This course thus blends theory with application. A systematic analysis of the many meanings which individuals assign to their conditions influence health status, assertiveness, and compliance with sound health care regimens. In addition to the physiological stress of a particular illness, individuals often face symbolic crises which can impair their information processing abilities in terms of message creation, interpretation, and exchange. One viable strategy to lessen the intensity of these crises is the development, application, and refinement of a broad knowledge base among key publics. Subsequently, this course is designed to help you explore, understand, appreciate pressing health communication issues across a variety of situations, and help you bring to bear research to lessen the pervasive uncertainty..

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Course Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, you should be empowered to:

(1) understand and explain the origins, development, and status of the field of health communication and to a lesser extent, public health and medicine; (2) recognize and explain the contributions of an interdisciplinary focus; (3) identify and evaluate health communication research across a variety of contexts; (4) explain and evaluate key forces which shape the quality of health services; and (5) suggest and evaluate key communication strategies targeting the health care crisis in either a case study or health campaign. It is reasonable to conclude, then, that this course blends theory with application.

Teaching Strategies:

I try to diligently appeal to a variety of learning styles. I will thus employ lectures, in class simulations, videotapes, audiotapes, at least one online chat, and possibly a guest speaker. We will peruse current event articles as well as scholarly research. Please visit my tidbits and teaching philosphy pages to glean a better sense for my teaching preferences and practices. I strongly urge you to also visit and peruse the advice pages on my website. Note also that we will cover some of my research as I believe it

is imperative to illustrate that I talk the talk, and walk the walk *S*

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Required Texts:

Thompson, T. L., Dorsey, A. M., Miller, K. I., Parrott, R. (Eds.). (2003). Handbook of health communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.

Ray, E. B. (Ed.). (2005). Health communication in practice: A case study approach. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.

We will also peruse selected research articles that will be distributed in class or via email.

Suggested Documentation Reference:

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the APA, (5th ed.). Washington, DC: APA.

You need not purchase the APA manual. All written work, however, will follow its standards. Go to the APA StyleWizard at the classess' page of my website. Thanks to Dr. Lyle J. Flint!

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Absence Policy:

Learning is a reciprocal process. Barring illness or an emergency, I expect you to regularly attend and participate in class and your working groups. I do realize though that situations (relational termination, having to pull a double shift, etc.) also occur. Please communicate with me ASAP and we will work out the difficulty relative to my course. Any work missed during an UNEXCUSED absence, however, is not allowed to be made up. You are responsible for all materials covered, all handouts distributed, and all announcements made in class.

Due Dates of Assignments: The due dates are Risk-Free Thesis Statement or Research Prospectus, 10/18/2007, Final Thesis Statement or Research Prospectus, 11/01/2007 and Literature Review, 12/06/2007. Please refer to course calendar. PLAN YOUR PREPARATION TIME NOW.

Late Assignments:

Late work may be turned in with the following penalties:(l) If the work is not handed at the beginning of the regularly scheduled class time, a 30 percent penalty will be incurred. (2) For each consecutive day that the work is late, a 10 percent penalty will also be incurred. Hence, if a paper is due during the Thursday class period, and it is received the next day, Friday, the penalty would be minus 40 percent.

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Plagiarism:

Plagiarism has many forms. At one level, it is defined as using the ideas, organization, supporting sources, and/or words of another, without giving credit to the original author(s). "Giving credit" has two dimensions: (1) for material which is in the exact wording of the source's author(s), quote marks should be used to enclose the verbatim pull, accompanied by author(s)' names, year of piece, and exact page number(s); and (2) for material which is paraphrased, the author(s)' names, year of piece, and exact page number(s) are expected. The APA manual details the appropriate format.

Plagiarism also includes: using another student's paper, using another person's unpublished work, submitting a rewritten or revised version of another person's work, allowing another or paying another to write a paper for one's own benefit, purchasing and using for course credit a pre-written paper, as well as using another's paper available on the Internet.

WARNING: I am aware of a number of web sites, approximately 125, where students can down-load pre-written research papers. As a matter of policy, I regularly browse these sites comparing available papers to my students' papers. SUBMISSION OF A PRE-WRITTEN PAPER, EVEN IN MODIFIED FORM, WILL TRIGGER AN "F" FOR THE ASSIGNMENT, AN "F" FOR THE COURSE AND REFERRAL TO STUDENT JUDICIARIES.

I also bop in on e-bay frequently to peruse ads for ghost writers. And one rarely knows who might be on the other end of such an ad. Hmmmm....

ALL papers must be submitted via email and will be analyzed by Turnitin.Com.

The grade for any assignment containing plagiarized material will be an "F." The course grade will also be an "F." For any group work, group members should ensure that all of the group project material is original or that it has been ACCURATELY DOCUMENTED through appropriate citations. THESE PENALTIES WILL BE APPLIED AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY AND ALL PREVIOUS GRADES WILL BE VOIDED.

Academic misconduct on a quiz or examination will also result in course failure. Misconduct includes any unauthorized removal of an exam or quiz from the classroom at all times. Such behavior will trigger an "F" for that exam or quiz, and a course grade of "F." See the current Graduate Catalog for an explanation of these policies.

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Required Assignments:

* Four quizzes (10 multiple choice items each) will be administered. Assuming all are taken, the
lowest score will drop.

* A thesis statement or research precis (8-12 pp, somewhat flexible).will be completed. This prospectus is similiar to a School of Communication thesis statment, or a research proposal that would be presented to a health care organization.

* A literature review (15-20 pp., somewhat flexible) that provides an in depth examination of current research salient to your topic and proposed study. For quantitatively-driven research, you will draw and support research questions and/or hypotheses from the literature. For qualitiatively-driven research, you will demonstrate how communication theory will be built and/or tested.

* Either a case study analysis, related to your prospectus and literature review, will be prepared OR a mini-health campaign centering on your prospectus and lit review topic will be prepared. Depending on your choice, it will be presented to the class.

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Course Method:

This course will use a lecture and discussion format, in class presentations, case study analysis, videotapes, working groups, and guest lectures. Although my lectures are drawn from the readings, there will be material additions and deletions. Additional material will be presented by guest lecturers.

To enhance your class performance, it is helpful to first skim the assigned readings, peruse the material atlength, take good lecture notes, and then review the material in conjunction with your notes. This information lays the foundation for our class discussions and your papers.

Make-Ups:

Make-ups for missed quizzes/midterm exam will be considered ONLY IF: you call me at my office, (713) 743-8608, BEFORE the time of the deadline; AND your excuse is valid, legitimate, and documented. Note that I reserve the right to alter the format of any quiz/exam.

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Course Assignments and Weights: Weight

Thesis Statemt/Research Precis 30%

OR Health Campaign

Lit Review

34%

Quizzes 36%

Total

100.00%

Grading Scale and Transformation:

Although there is NO standard grading scale at either undergrad/grad levels, I employ the following: 90% or higher = A; 89% = A-- ; 85-88.4% = B+ ; 80-84.4% = B; 79% = B-- ; 75-78.4% = C+ ; 70- 74.4% = C; 69% = C-- ; 65-68.4% = D+ ; 60-64.4% = D; 59% = D-- ; 58.4% or below = F. ALL grade levels are possible.

One's letter grade, for any assignment, is then transformed as follows. A twelve-point transformation schema, with 1 representing an "A" and 12 representing an "F," is employed. The final course grade cut-offs follow: 1-2.99 = A; 3.0-3.5 = B+; 3.51-5.50 = B; 5.51-6.50 = C+; 6.51-8.50 = C; 8.51-9.50 = D+; 9.51-11.50 = D; 11.51 and above = F. All grade levels are possible.

The following example illustrates the scale.

Assignment

Weight

Grade

Calculation

Prospectus 30% B+ (3) 3 x 30 = 90

Lit Review 20% A-- (2) 2 x 20 = 40

Quizzes 36% C-- (8) 8 x 36 = 288

Case Study Analysis

OR Health Campaign 14% C (7) 7 x 14= 98

Totals

100%

516

Take the total and divide by the total percentage: 516/100%=

5.16 or 5.20, which equals a final grade of "B."

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Writing Considerations:

All written work is to be typed, double-spaced, and documented according to APA. Please refer to the APA handout. HANDWRITTEN, UNDOCUMENTED, AND/OR POORLY DOCUMENTED WORK WILL NOT RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE. The writing style will be in the third person and correspond to university level standards. Specific guidelines are set forth in the writing standard guide, and ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD FOLLOW THESE SPECIFICATIONS. See Classes' page.

The following course schedule may be modified to accommodate time constraints or class size. Any changes will be announced in class.

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Tentative Course Calendar

**Additional readings culled from scholarly journals and Ray will be assigned periodically throughout the semester.

Week 1

Course Overview; Text CHs1-3 (35 pp). Kreps, Query, & Bonaguro (2008) to be distributed (tbd).

Week 2

Kreps et al. (2001), CHs 5 & -8 (case study materials and Witte's work; CSM & WI)

SEPT 4th LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS WITHOUT HRS COUNTING AGAINST TX
RESIDENTS

Week of Sept 17 Chs 5, 8, & 9 (CSM 1 & 2)

Week of Sept 24 CH 12 & 13 (CSM 17 & 18); Debbie Comeaux Guest Speaker

Week of Sept 31 CH 19 (CSM 21& Witte Materials to be distributedI)

Weeks of Oct 1 & 8 CH 20 & 21 (CSM 21-22)

OCT 25 RISK FREE PROSPECTUS DUE; Dr. Lynn Harter Tentatively at Jim and Gina's

from 5:30-6:45pm..

OCT 31 LAST DAY TO DROP OR WITHDRAW FROM CLASS

NOV 8 REVISED PROSPECTUS DUE; QUIZ 1 & 2 (Sample Qs etc. forthcoming)

NOV 29 LIT REVIEW Risk Free DUE, QUIZ 3 & 4 (Sample Qs etc. forthcoming)

NOV 21-24 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Weeks 9-end CH 26 & 27 (and related scholarly articles)

DEC 6 FINAL LITERATURE REVIEW DUE by 5:00PM

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Links

Coalition for Health Communication (CHC)

Healthy People 2010