Republic of the Philippines

College of Arts and Letters

Bicol University
Legazpi City 4500
Telephone: (052) 732-7232

COURSE GUIDE

Purposive Communication
(GEC 15)

First Semester, AY 2020-2021

Prof. MARIA ANDREA JANE BORROMEO- ARANAS

Course Professor
 Course Guide

Purposive Communication (GEC 15)

Introduction

Hello and welcome back, future architects! I am Prof. Jane B. Aranas and I will be your
faculty-in-charge/ facilitator for this course.
The “new normal” brought about by COVID 19 pandemic caused a sudden paradigm shift
in the teaching-learning process, leaving both teachers and learners with no options except to
change their mindset and embrace a new system of learning modality. This is done to ensure
continuity of education amidst the pandemic. Cognizant of the need to transition and adapt to
the new normal, BU currently adheres to flexible or distance learning, an alternative learning
platform, to ensure the safety of the learners and faculty. Thus, this may be your very first flexible
or distance learning experience, particularly of a specific course online. Online or e-learning may
be different from the usual, face-to-face mode of learning, yet the challenge is the same as you
are still required to learn the same content, skills and standards of excellence expected of you as
a BUEÑO. As an online learner, you are expected to be more responsible and self-reliant to
succeed in this course. A course guide is provided as your course “buddy” to make learning easy
for you.
For this course, we will be using a variety of platform as our “virtual classroom”.
Messenger and Google Meet will be utilized in a minimal manner for real-time conversation such
as announcements, immediate concerns and consultation whenever needed (depending on the
students). For the most part, we will be using Google Classroom as our learning platform for our
classes. To access the course sites, make sure that you are officially enrolled to login at BU LMS.
Please visit https://classroom.google.com and log in using your BU e-mail account (you can only
access the course site using a BU account; personal Google accounts are not accepted). Once you
are logged in, click the plus icon on the upper right-hand corner on the screen and click “join
class.” You will then be prompted to enter the class code. The codes corresponding to your block
assignment are as follows:
Block 2A: oqbosso
Block 2D: pgw3kuw
Block 2F: tqlehso
In flexible or distance learning mode of delivery, like the one we are doing now, those
with stable internet connections are at an advantage. As such, they can easily access and
contribute to the discussion board whenever they like. However, I understand that there are
students who have unstable internet access or do not have internet connection or signal at home
and need to go somewhere else to get Internet. If you are in this situation, pls. communicate with
me. At the extreme end are those who have no connection. Please let me know about it as soon
as possible so that I can adjust my instructional delivery.
Our Course
The title of our course is Purposive Communication. Its course code is GEC (General
Education Curriculum) 15. Purposive Communication is a three-unit course that develops
students’ communicative competence and enhances their cultural and intercultural awareness
through multimodal tasks that provide them opportunities for communicating effectively and
appropriately to a multicultural audience in a local and global context. It equips students with
tools for critical evaluation of a variety of texts and focuses on the power of language and the
impact of images to emphasize the importance of messages responsibly. The knowledge, skills,
and insights that students gain from this course may be used in their other academic endeavors,
their chosen disciplines and their future careers as they compose and produce relevant oral,
written, audio-visual and/or web-based output for various purposes.
Our Classroom

Make sure that you are officially enrolled to be able to access

https://classroom.google.com or BULMS using your official BU email address. Once you are
logged in and accepted in the virtual classroom, you are expected to do the following:

1. Check your accounts as well as other social networking sites created for the class (FB
Messenger, Google classroom) regularly or at least, three times a week for
announcements, homework, or activities for discussion in the forum board.
2. Submit assigned tasks at Google classroom or the BU LMS inbox devoted to GEC 15
(Purposive Communication).
3. Be responsible for the originality and authenticity of your own output. Make sure that
ONLY ORIGINAL MATERIALS must be submitted. This means that if you borrowed or
used other people’s ideas, please cite them. It won’t hurt to acknowledge people who
thought of the ideas first.
4. Instructions for specific activities shall be provided on the discussion board.
5. Get to know your classmates and teacher by downloading their names and their
contact information for mutually beneficial undertakings mainly related to the course.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, the students are expected to:
1. Describe the nature, elements, and function of verbal and non-verbal communication in
various and multicultural contexts;

2. Explain how cultural and global issues affect communication;

3. Determine culturally appropriate terms, expressions, and images;
4. Evaluate multimodal texts critically to enhance receptive (listening, reading, viewing)
skills;

5. Convey ideas through oral, audio-visual, and/or web-based presentations for different
target audiences in local and global settings using appropriate registers;

6. Create clear coherent, and effective communication materials;

7. Present ideas persuasively using appropriate language registers, tone, facial
expressions, and gestures;

8. Write and present academic papers using appropriate tone, style, conventions, and
reference styles;

9. Adopt cultural and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in communication of ideas;

10. Appreciate the differences of the varieties of spoken and written language;
11. Adopt awareness of audience and context in presenting ideas; and,
12. Appreciate the impact of communication on society and the world.

The Learners
You, the learners, are second year BS Architecture students of BU Institute of
Architecture. Purposive Communication is only one of the several courses you will be taking
under the General Education Curriculum. Though this course is not a major course in
Architecture, take it seriously because the knowledge, skills, and insights that you will gain from
this course may be used in your other academic endeavors, your chosen discipline and your
future careers as you compose and produce relevant oral, written, audio-visual and/or web-
based output for various purposes. Thus, this course will have a strong impact in your academic
and professional journey.
Since there are many of you, all the BS Architecture students were divided into three
blocks. Your block assignment was already given to you by the registrar when you enrolled. Make
sure you join the Google classroom of your block.
With this, you automatically subscribe to an asynchronous and synchronous online
learning process as BU adheres to flexible or distance learning due to the restrictions brought
about by COVID 19 pandemic. As flexible learners, you are expected to follow the rules of the
University and observe the new norms under this learning system. This means that:
1. You have to be self-disciplined and self-reliant as your learning will largely depend on
your system and regularity. Manage your time well. The earlier you attend to your
reading assignments and tasks, the better for you. Do tasks at your own pace, too. The
more frequent you read and attend to your course assignments, the greater the
chances for learning and retention.
2. There are scheduled dates of submission for your assignments and other academic
requirements. Since assessment tasks in this course are connected, or has a chain
reaction, it is emphasized that you beat the deadlines so your succeeding outputs will
not be delayed. Midterm and final minor activities must be submitted at the end of
every topic. For the midterm and final major performances, please submit a week
before the scheduled midterm and final examinations as stipulated in the Bicol
University Academic Calendar AY 2020-2021. Remember that as soon as the semester
ends, submissions will no longer be accepted. This is for everybody (with or without
internet connection at home). Those who don’t have stable and regular internet
access may personally schedule when you will go online to catch up and accomplish
the requirements with the entire semester as your timeline.
3. Please make sure that ONLY ORIGINAL MATERIALS must be submitted. This means
that if you borrowed or used other people’s ideas, please cite them. It won’t hurt to
acknowledge people who thought of the ideas first. Therefore, it is a must to cite ALL
sources that you have used in your class output.
4. Plagiarism is a SERIOUS offense in this class so please avoid PLAGIARISM. Plagiarizing
consists of copying text from unacknowledged sources – whether this is part of the
sentence or a whole text – with the intention of passing it off as the student’s own
production. It includes copying and pasting from internet sources.
5. You may assess your own progress by looking into the SYSTEM of COMPUTING
GRADES and complying with ALL the requirements of the course.
6. There is no such thing as monopoly of knowledge, so I encourage you to meet up with
students online, esp. those with the same discipline (i.e. BS Architecture) or course
(Purposive Comm.) and learn from each other. You may also want to form chat groups
with your classmates or remain active in your group chats. Be active in our online
discussion boards, too. Establish and maintain a good online rapport and reputation,
for this will also affect your class standing.
7. Be responsive to queries as I will also do my part to respond within the day for SMS,
and for messages on FB Messenger or Viber, and within 3 days for emails.
8. Please use your real name and upload a recent photo as your profile picture in your
own personal FB account. This is essential in locating and communicating with you for
your classes this semester. If you have privacy issues, please let your Professor know
about it immediately.
Mode of Delivery
Ideally, we should all do our class online. However, I understand that not all of you may
have Internet access. Thus, students may be classified in terms of connectivity as those:
Group A: With Internet access daily or most of the week
Group B: With Internet access for only one to three times a week
Group C: Who can access the Internet less than once a week or have no Internet at all
For those in groups A and B, you probably downloaded this course guide as an e-mail
attachment. Those in Group C may have been contacted via their mobile numbers and received
this course guide via e-mail or mail.
Throughout the semester, I don’t think members of groups A and B will have a problem.
You can still make comments on the discussion board even once a week. For those in Group C,
you can send your assignments via mail or bring them to BU. We can talk about your participation
on the discussion board through my e-mail and mobile number, which are provided at the latter
part of this course guide.
In view of the foregoing groups, we shall use the following learning modalities:
a) SYNCHRONOUS – refers to real-time delivery of instruction
• Off-site/ Online/ Digital
o Outside the university
o With internet connectivity
o In electronic format
(i.e. classes or exams conducted via web conferencing using Zoom or Google Meet)

b) ASYNCHRONOUS – refers to self-paced, non-simultaneous delivery of instruction.

• Off-site/ Offline/ Non-Digital

o Outside of the university
o Without internet connectivity
o In electronic format
(i.e. Modular course packs using video and audio recordings, downloadable ebooks, and
open educational resources)

• Off-site/ Offline / Non-Digital

o Outside the university
o Without Internet Connectivity
o In non-electric format
(i. e. Teaching-learning process using printed learning materials)

Our class will employ ASYNCHRONOUS (meaning, NO face-to-face sessions - even online)
learning modality most of the time to ensure everyone participates in our class discussion. You
can post on the discussion boards any time during the week that a lesson is being discussed via
LMS, FB messenger, e-mail, SMS (mobile phone) depending on what is accessible to you. I will
schedule at least two (2) synchronous meetings for the whole duration of the semester, one for
the MIDTERM EXAMS and one for the FINAL EXAMS.
I understand that not everyone may have stable internet connection that is accessible
every day. It is true that those with fast connection are at an advantage as they can participate in
the discussion board anytime they want to do so, but I want this class to be as inclusive as
possible to make sure that NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND. I expect you to be responsible in informing
me ASAP if you have weak connection or at the extreme, no signal/connection at home. I need to
be informed of this the earliest possible so I can adjust the instructional delivery for you. We can
talk about your participation on the discussion board and the major exams through my e-mail and
mobile number, which are provided at the latter part of this course guide.
Course Schedule
The table below shows your weekly activities for the whole semester. Please refer to it
on a weekly basis to ensure you are not missing any activities and deadlines.

WEEK TOPIC ACTIVITIES

Week 1 & 2: • VMGO of the university • Read the syllabus and
August 10-22 • Attributes of a BU graduate course guide
• Student introductions • Familiarize yourself with
• Leveling of expectations the course site
• Introduction to the course and its • Introduce yourself
approach • Read the module
• Participate in the
discussion forum
Week 3: Communication processes, principles and • Read the module
August 23-29 ethics • Participate in the
• Defining Communication discussion forum
• General Principles of Effective • Submit individual or
Communication group assignments
• Principles of Effective Oral and/or worksheet
Communication outputs online
• Principles of Effective Written
Communication (7 Cs)
• Purposes of Communication
• Types of Communication according to
Mode
• Types of Communication according to
Context
• Elements of Communication
• Process of Communication
• Communication Models
• Linear Models
• Interactional Model
• Shared Meaning & Transactional
Model
Communication Ethics
Week 4: Communication and Globalization • Read the module
August 30- • Globalization Meaning • Participate in the
September 5 • How Globalization Happens discussion forum
• What Drives Globalization • Submit individual or
• How Globalization affects group assignments
Communication and/or worksheet
Effective Communication in a Global outputs online
Society
Weeks 5 & 6: Local and global • Read the module
September 6- communication in multicultural settings • Participate in the
19 • Definition of Culture discussion forum
• The Cultural Iceberg • Submit individual or
• Reactions to Cultural Communication group assignments
Encounters and/or worksheet
• Differences in Culture outputs online
• Generation Culture Communication
Differences
Varieties and
registers of spoken and
written language
Main Varieties of English Language
Registers
Weeks 7 & 8: Evaluating messages and/or images (e.g. • Read the module
September pictures, illustrations) of different types of • Participate in the
20-October 3 texts reflecting different cultures (Asian, discussion forum
Western, etc.) • Submit individual or
• Multimodality group assignments
• Medium of Communication and/or worksheet
• Modes of Communication outputs online
• Visual Grammar
• Elements of Visual Analysis
• Visual Resources of Interaction
• Nonverbal Communication
• Types of Nonverbal Cues

What is the message?

What is the purpose of the message?

How is the message conveyed by the text

and/or image?

Who is the target audience of the message?

What other ways of presenting the message

are there?
Week 9: Communication aids and strategies using tools • Read the module
October 4-10 of technology • Participate in the
• General Guidelines for Creating an discussion forum
Effective Presentation Submit individual or
• Communication Aids and Tools group assignments
• Software Applications and/or worksheet
outputs online
WEEK 10: MIDTERM EXAMINATIONS • Study for the exam
OCTOBER 11- • Take the exam
17
Weeks 11 & Communication for various purposes • Read the module
12 • Informative Communication • Participate in the
October 18- (Definition, Demonstration, discussion forum
31 Explanation, Description) • Submit individual or
• Writing the Informative Speech group assignments
• Affective Communication and/or worksheet
• Imaginative Communication outputs online
• Persuasive Communication (Factual,
Policy, Value)
• Ritualistic Communication

To obtain, provide,
and disseminate
information

To persuade and argue

Weeks 13 & Communication for work purposes • Read the module
14: (e.g. corporate, law, media, business • Participate in the
November 4- and trade, healthcare, etc.) discussion forum
14 • Submit individual or
group assignments
and/or worksheet
outputs online
Weeks 15, 16 Communication for academic purposes (e.g. • Read the module
& 17 research based journal or magazine article, • Participate in the
November etc.) discussion forum
15- • Submit individual or
December 5 • Essentials of Research Writing group assignments
• What is research? and/or worksheet
• Basic Steps in Writing Research Paper outputs online
Qualities of Effective Researchers
Week 18: FINAL EXAMINATONS • Study for the exam
December 8- • Submit the exam
10

Course Requirements
There are three (3) major course requirements in our class: (1) Class Standing/
Participation (2) Term Project; and (3) Major Examinations.

The first major requirement is (1) Class Standing/Participation. It consists of your

participation in online discussions in the form of posts in the discussion boards in your Google
classroom. There shall be one discussion board for each week. I will post a question and you will
answer them. You are expected to comment on the posts of your classmates. I will put a
premium on answers that are based on sources, so it is good to defend your answers by citing
your references to assert a point or idea. Other activities include online submission of individual
assignments and/or worksheet outputs related to the lesson for the week and your degree
program.

The second major requirement is the (2) Term Project. It consists of group and pair
activities, and other tasks such as submission of project proposal for the launch of an advocacy
campaign project, submission of research report based on a topic related to the advocacy project chosen
by your group that is relevant to the lessons for the week and your degree program.

The third major requirement is the (3) major/term examinations. The midterm
examination shall be an individual output, in the form of a: (1) written speech on a given topic
(environmental/political / social issue, personal, etc.) and, (2) on line or electronic submission of a
video recorded formal one-minute speech based on the written speech. The final examination is
in the form of an audio-visual presentation of a chosen advocacy relevant to your degree
program.

Those who have regular Internet access may contribute to the discussion every day.
Those who cannot go online daily are not necessarily at a disadvantage because they can still
get good grades as long as they answer the question and comment on the posts of their
classmates. For instance, if you can access the Internet only once a week, do it on Fridays or
Saturdays so that you will have many posts from classmates that can be commented on.
The challenge is for those with zero Internet access. You will need to call or send me a text
message, so that I can tell you what to do as an alternative to the weekly discussions. Rest
assured that I will do everything not to place you at a disadvantage to make sure that NO ONE IS
LEFT BEHIND. Just be sure to communicate with me.
Grading System
Your grades will be computed as follows:
MIDTERM

Class Standing (participation in online discussions, online submission

of individual assignments and/or worksheet outputs, etc.) - 40%
Term Project (Group and pair tasks, etc.) - 30%
Midterm Examination (Speech delivery) - 30%
TOTAL 100%
 TENTATIVE FINAL

Class Standing (participation in online discussions, online submission

of individual assignments and/or worksheet outputs, etc.) - 40%
Term Project (Group and pair tasks, etc.) - 30%
Final Examination (audio-visual presentation of a chosen
advocacy) - 30%
TOTAL 100%

FINAL GRADE = Midterm Grade (40%) + Tentative Final Grade (60%)

The midterm and final exams shall be performance-based, demonstrating the knowledge,
skills, and insights that students gained from this course which they may use in their academic
and professional endeavors as they compose and produce relevant oral, written, audio-visual
and/or web-based output for various purposes.

I shall give a good grade on good writing because you are BS Architecture students. I
expect that you have above average writing skills because BS Architecture students are expected
to have good communication skills. Your participation in the discussion boards shall also be 50-
50. Fifty percent will be based on your answer to the discussion question and the quality of your
response to classmates’ comments. The other 50 percent—again—shall be based on your
grammar, spelling, sentence construction, use of punctuations, and adherence to the principles of
good writing.

Learning Resource

Our main learning resource is the module for this course. The module corresponds to the
learning contents specified in our syllabus. The entire module is the contents of our Google
classroom. However, a PDF version will be provided to those with no Internet access and those
who shall request for it.
There is no such thing as a complete learning resource, so our module may miss out on
some things. Hence, you should not rely solely on the module. I encourage you to be resourceful
by reading more on the lessons using other relevant materials that you can find online or offline.
Reading other materials will enhance your learning about this course.

References

Below are the sources that I consulted in making the module. You may want to read them
for a deeper understanding of the lessons.
Adler, R. Elmhorst, J.M., & Lucas, K. Communicating at work: Strategies for success in business
and the professions. N.Y.: McGraw Hill. 2012
Bullok, R. & Goggin, M. The Norton Field Guide to Writing, 3rd ed. W.W. Norton and Company,
2013
Chase, R. & Shamo, S. Elements of Effective communication, 4th edition, Washington, Utah: Plain
and Precious Publishing, 2013
Dainton, M. & Zelley E. Applying communication theory for professional life. A practical
introduction 3rd ed. Sage publication. 2015
Lucas, S. The art of public speaking. NY: McGraw Hill. 2011
Madrunio, M. & Martin, I. Purposive Communication: Using English in multilingual contexts, C & E
Publishing Inc. 2018
Magan, Rhodora G. et.al. Purposive Communication in the 21st Century, Mindshapes Co., Inc,
2018
Mooney, A`., Peccei. J. S., La Belle, S. et. Al. Language, society, and power: An Introduction, 3rd
ed. London: Routledge. 2010
Searles, G. Workplace Communication: The basics. Boston: Allyn & bacon, 6th ed. 2014
Suarez, Cecilia, et.al., Purposive Communication in English, Ateneo de Manila University Press,
2018
Suggested Readings:

Abrams, R. Successful Business Plan: Secrets and Strategies. Rewood, CA: Planning Shop, 2010
Axelford, R. & Cooper, C. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 10th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2013
Biber, D. & Conrad S. Register, Genre and Style. Cambridge: Cambridge University 2009

Miller, K. Communication Theories: Perspectives, Processes, and Contexts. 2nd ed. NY: McGraw
Hill 2004
Wallace, C. Critical Reading in Language Education, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave
MacMillan, 2005

Required Readings:

Article: “Flight from Conversation” by Sheryl Turkle

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-
conversation.html?_r+0

Further Readings:

COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE: GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING EFFECTIVENESS Article ·

September 2014
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304782482_COMMUNICATION_IN_THE_WOR
KPLACE_GUIDELINES_FOR_IMPROVING_EFFECTIVENESS

Communication Barriers in the Workplace by Cheryl L. McKenzie and Carol J. Qazi

https://kundoc.com/pdf-communication-barriers-in-the-workplace.html

Suggested Websites: (As indicated in the course outline of the Course Syllabus)

Course Policies:

The policies listed herein aim to help students attain the learning outcomes of the course
with the intention to make them become more responsible, disciplined and independent
learners. However, these policies can be adjusted depending on the health and educational
protocols, as well as individual contexts of students.

Ethical Policies:

Students are expected to act with decorum in communicating with the teacher and
classmates either one-on-one or in the discussion boards. Proper netiquette is expected
from students. For more information, see https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-
experience/college-life/netiquette-guidelines-every-online-student-needs-to-know/

Academic Integrity Policy:

Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty shall be strictly

and promptly dealt with based on the BU student handbook. Students caught submitting
papers copied from others and presenting them as their own shall be given a failing
grade. For more information, see: https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism

Policies on Absences and Tardiness:

Distance education or online/virtual learning delivery mode will be used this

semester. This means that there are no physical classes unless the university
administration finds it safe already to conduct lectures in the classrooms. For the
meantime, attendance will be checked based on participation In the discussion board, or
in their preferred modality. There shall be point deductions for late submissions of
requirements.

Language of Instruction:

Given the nature of this course, the language of instruction is English. Hence,
English is the formal medium of communication during interactions. Filipino and/or the
regional language may be used with the permission of the teacher from time to time,
depending on the need.

Use of the Learning Management System (LMS):

The class shall use the learning management system prescribed by the university
when it is available already but for now, we shall use Google Classroom.

Use of Mobile Phones and Gadgets:

Since we are using the flexible/ asynchronous mode of learning, students are
expected to have the necessary gadgets (mobile phones, tablets, laptops, etc.) to access
course materials and to facilitate flexible learning. Students shall inform the teacher if
they have problems accessing the course site. The teacher can be reached at
majbaranas@bicol-u.edu.ph and 09237431697.

Special/Make-Up Quiz/Examinations/Work:

Special examinations will be given on a case-to-case basis. Adjustments shall be

made subject to the careful and principled consideration of the teacher. Students shall
inform the teacher if they cannot submit the requirements on time. Communication is the
key.

Dress and Grooming Codes:

Students participating in synchronous classes are expected to wear decent attire

and to be well-groomed so that their appearance is appropriate and presentable online.

Accommodations:

Adjustments shall be given to students who may not be able to access the course
site regularly or submit requirements on time. Thus, it is a must for students to contact
directly the teacher for specific concerns that may affect their academic performance.

Statement on Student Wellness:

The students’ safety and well-being is our topmost concern. In carrying out the
objectives of the course, the requirements have been carefully thought out considering
the students’ circumstances. Hence, various modes of learning are offered to ensure
success in attaining them. If in any case a course requirement will impact the health of a
student, s/he must inform the teacher immediately.

Advising and Support:

Students may communicate with the teacher anytime for advising and support.
Regular consultations and varied modes of communication are offered, such as, but not
limited to, the use of email, Viber, or FB Messenger, for students with internet
connection. Students without internet connection may send messages via Viber, FB
Messenger or SMS/text message, or any social media platform available to students. The
teacher will try her best to attend to student’s concerns
Meet Your Teacher/Professor
My name is Maria Andrea Jane Borromeo - Aranas, a native of Ligao City, Albay. I am
happily married, and I have been blessed with four (4) loving children. Since then, I lived in
Barriada, Legazpi City.
I am an alumna of Bicol University College of Education (BUCE), English major in 1989. I
earned my degree, Master of Arts in Literature, major in Language and Literature at the Ateneo
de Manila University in 1997. I continued my PhD in English Language and Literature in the same
learning institution to be more adept in my field of specialization, but due to the global
pandemic, I opt to continue my PhD in Educational Foundation at BU Graduate School this
semester for my professional advancement.
I have been teaching English Language and Literature courses since 1989. I taught at
Divine Word College of Legazpi High School and College Departments from 1989 to 2003. I have
been with Bicol University College of Arts and Letters since 2003.
I am an active member of professional organizations such as Ateneo Center for English
Language Teaching (ACELT), Bicol Association of Language and Literature Teachers (BALLT) and
International Association of World Englishes (IAWE).
I have attached my picture for you to see how I look like.
I look forward to a meaningful, fruitful and enjoyable
e-learning experience with you this semester. You can reach me
through my e-mail, majbaranas@bicol-u.edu.ph and my contact
number, 09237431697. Happy learning, everyone! ☺