BHB2802 Interpersonal Communication _ The Learning Portfolio

The Written Assignments

There are four mandatory writing assignments for the learning portfolio. Each of the portfolio assignments is explained as a submission below and should be completed as explained.

The Written Responses

For effective communication, it is essential that you learn to respond appropriately to what you hear, watch and read. For your learning portfolio in BHB2802, an essential component is the comments you make responding to your classmates’ posts.  Comments on at least three classmates’ posts should be made within the tutorial week following the one when you first uploaded your own post to the portfolio. (See in red below.)

Submission 1:  Formal Email: Self Introduction

Due by the start of the tutorial, Week 2

Post a formal email, addressed to me, in which you describe your educational and/or professional experience and what you would consider your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communication. Try to be clear and concise and yet comprehensive in your description. The audience should be viewed as me as well as a group of professional peers.

This should be 250 to 300 words.

As you respond to your peers’ self-descriptions, try to give feedback that establishes a connection between their experiences and your own.

Submission 2: Reflection

Due by the end of Week 6

Post a reflection on an interpersonal communication problem you have recently experienced. Use as a framework for this reflection Gibb’s Model of Reflection (1988). You should describe the workplace (or other social) context, the problem scenario and possible root causes, and the persons involved. Also, be careful to explain how you felt about the situation, how you evaluated it, and what conclusions you could draw about the root causes and effects. DO NOT describe how the problem was resolved.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to get feedback from your classmates on how they think your problem can be resolved. In fact, I think I had mentioned in class how you should frame the ending of the scenario described with a question.

Let me give you an example.


Let's say I recently ordered pizza online. When the pizza arrived, I found that it was not my order. So instead of keeping my cool, I acted angry with the delivery guy and refused to pay. At that point the delivery guy called his store and connected me with the person who had taken my order. At that moment I realized that the person to whom I had given the order had a strong English accent and was definitely not a native speaker. He might not have comprehended correctly the first time I called as I placed the order. This time I am assured though that a new order would be prepared, for no charge, and so I have calmed down. At this point I feel some guilt for frying the delivery man. How might I then make amends with the delivery fellow?

This should be 250 to 300 words.

As you respond to your peers’ reflections, try to offer suggestions for how they might solve the problem based on what you know and have learned about interpersonal communication so far.

Submission 3:  Project Synopsis

Due (first draft) by Week 8

Post a Project Synopsis, which describes each of the following:

·        a specific workplace context

·        your project’s thematic focus

·        the interpersonal communication problem being explored

·        the nature of your project’s professional importance

·        the objective and scope of your study

·        proposed data collection/research method

·        potential solutions/implementation for problem resolution

·        benefits to the workplace

·        concluding thoughts

Your synopsis should be persuasive: In it you must convince an audience of peers that the interpersonal communication problem you have chosen merits study and that your team has developed an approach to solving such a problem. 

This should be 1000 to 1200 words.

Formative feedback, based on criteria provided by the instructor, will be provided first by a peer team during a peer review session and then by your instructor during a consultation. The final draft will be evaluated. All drafts should be included in the portfolio.

Submission 4: Critical Reflection

Due by the start of the tutorial, Week 13

Post a critical reflection on your learning experience from the project in this module. In the reflection, you should explain in detail what you studied and what you learned, why you did it, how the process made you feel, and how the experience might have changed your views and/or any future behavior. You should conclude by discussing how you might be changed by what you have learned and how this might impact you in the future.
This should be 250-300 words.

As you respond to your peers’ reflections, pay particular attention to how they state they have been changed by the experience. Try to connect what you have learned about interpersonal communication with what your peer describes, explaining common points and differences.