Navigating Human Communication in a Changing World (NCO104)

Effective communication has become more complex in today’s world. Existing and emerging technologies have made misinformation and fake news ubiquitous. Achieving veracity in the consumption and reception of information has therefore become more challenging. Thus, the way we communicate must evolve. This course introduces students to the principles and practice of effective communication. Students begin with the basics: what communication is, how it works, and the classical and contemporary tools we use to refine our messages. It focuses on core dimensions of ethical communication, including creation, production, and reception. The course then exposes students to writing as an iterative thinking process that involves drafting, questioning, and revising ideas in academic, professional and interpersonal contexts. Within this process, students explore how AI is reshaping the way communication is created and understood, while learning to use it as a tool rather than as a substitute for their own thinking. By the end of this course, students will be equipped with the tools and skills to communicate persuasively and ethically, adapt to different audiences, and influence outcomes in real-world contexts.

• Communication in Context
• Persuasion in Practice
• The Tools for Effective Communication
• Storytelling with Data and Visuals
• Active Listening, Dialogue, and Reading the Room
• Presenting with Purpose: Oral, Aural, and Visual Communication
• Influencing Outcomes in Person, in Context
• Communication Processes in the Age of AI
• What Pattern Machines Can and Cannot Do: Communicator’s Edition
• Writing as Thinking I: Iteration, AI, and Finding Your Own Voice
• Writing as Thinking II: Seeking and Evaluating Feedback
• Writing as Thinking III: Editing and Refining

• Describe the cognitive principles and thinking processes underlying effective and ethical communication and why these principles persist across changing media environments.
• Identify the key rhetorical strategies of effective communication.
• Explain the capabilities and limitations of generative AI as a communication tool.
• Apply audience analysis frameworks and communication ethics to adapt communication for influencing outcomes across specific contexts, purposes, and receivers.
• Construct persuasive arguments through an iterative process of drafting and revision.
• Evaluate AI-generated communication outputs to use AI as a tool while maintaining authorial judgment and intellectual integrity.