Communication Intervention

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores the study of communication interventions designed to create change at individual, interpersonal, organizational and/or community levels. Examines theories and models used to influence behavior, participation and decision-making in such contexts as voting, purchasing, membership, health campaigns and training. Focus on how communication strategies are designed, implemented and assessed using social science-based approaches. Addresses message design, needs assessment, change models, persuasion processes and evaluation of outcomes. Course work may involve application of theories to real and/or hypothetical cases. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Develops intervention skills relevant to professional practice in organizational communication, health communication, training and development, leadership, consulting, public relations, marketing and civic or community initiatives. Involves skills tied to planning campaigns, designing persuasive messaging, conducting needs assessments and evaluating effectiveness of communication-based interventions. Aligns with academic and applied fields that use communication to facilitate change within individuals, institutions, communities and public life. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Clarifies how communication functions not only as information delivery but as a strategic tool for intervention and influence. Highlights the role theory can play explaining how and why change occurs. Explores the complex factors to consider in designing effective communication interventions, as well as the need to ground strategies in research-based models rather than assumptions. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of intervention theories and models; analysis of change strategies across individual, group, organizational and community contexts; consideration of message design, persuasion and implementation; exploration of needs assessment, behavior change frameworks, action research, dialogic approaches, training design and evaluation models. Examples may draw from campaigns, organizations, communities, public initiatives and/or social or institutional problem-solving. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.