Embedded Files
Of all the classes that I teach, this one seems to stick with students in some of the most significant ways. I have students message me years after they graduate and tell me how this material has helped them in their career. I’ve even had some students tell me that the used what they learned from this class to get a job over more qualified candidates. No matter what your major and no matter what you want to do in life, the material in this class can be used to make you better-- better at relationships, better at your job, better with daily communication.
This is more than just a class; this is an adventure.
Nonverbal Communication Online Student Comments
Nonverbal Communication Online Student Comments
This class is well-organized, which helps me understand exactly what I am expected to do each week. I also like that you, as the professor, are very involved with the class, as I have had professors in other online classes that seemed disconnected from their students. Another helpful thing about the class has been the level of interaction with classmates through the discussions and Marco Polo posts, which helps gain new perspectives on the topics we're learning about. In an online class, you miss out on the face-to-face interaction of an in-person class, so it's important to find online alternatives and this class does that well. Course Evaluation Spring 2021
I love how well structured this class is. I know what I need to do this week and when it's due I love that all the content and everything is in one place, lots of my classes are so complicated and it is hard to balance The videos are great, it gives me somethings other than reading to do. lots of my classes just assign reading and that's it The Marco polo is very clever and pretty fun. Course Evaluation, Spring 2021
This course was so interesting! I loved the interactive features included in the online course. Prof. Meade's introductions to each lesson were inspiring to read. She clearly has a passion for the subject. Course Evaluation, Spring 2022.
I enjoy this class because it's an a new aspect of communication to learn about. My other classes have been focused on media or verbal communication so I find it refreshing to be in a class where I'm learning about an entire world of communication I don't know much about. Overall, I think the class is going well. I learn a lot from the videos, readings, and Power Points. The study guide is concise and beneficial to studying for the test. I also enjoy the calendar and how all the due dates are very clear. Midsemester Survey 2022
Nonverbal Communication Student Comments
Nonverbal Communication Student Comments
Dr. Meade is kind and caring toward every student. Dr. Meade used as many different teaching methods as possible. She encouraged class participation and would walk around to each group to listen to opinions when she asked us to discuss in small groups. She asked us during the semester to provide feedback on what she was doing that was helpful and what she could improve upon, and she took the comments seriously and tried to adjust to accommodate our needs. Course Evaluation, 2019
WOW!!! This course has been so fun. I am a communication disorders major and I took this class to fulfill an elective credit. This class has been so fun and eye-opening. This has been one of the first classes where I actually enjoy the class discussion. It is so fun to hear everyone's opinions and theories when it comes to nonverbal communication. Dr. Meade is always full of energy and excited to hear our class discussions. She does a great job at getting every student involved and excited. I am so glad I chose this class because I know it will be beneficial for me in my future career as a speech-language pathologist. I have even recommended it to a couple of people in my major. Course Evaluation, 2022.
Excellent professor and I admire how enthusiastic she is while teaching! I can say enough how much of a difference it makes when a professor really gets into the teaching. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and would definitely take it again! Also, she is very good at not taking sides on controversial topics and I have a lot of respect for that skill. Course Evaluation, Spring 2022
I absolutely loved this class. Dr. Meade made our class environment a safe space from the beginning, which encouraged us to be active in our learning through discussions, activities, lectures and more. I have been able to apply each and every concept to the outside world, and I am very glad I chose to take this class. I am currently in the process of studying film, and learning the nonverbals that we so easily dismiss in our daily lives have become something I can't help but focus on when it comes to analyzing film. I watch for every single movement an actor makes, the way in which they speak, and generally tell stories with their bodies. I strongly believe my experience this semester would not have been completely fulfilled if it were not for Dr. Meade and her class. I can confidently say I would take it again if I could. Course Evaluation, 2022.
Dr. Meade is one of my favorite professors that I have had. Non-verbal communication is absolutely the best comm class that I have ever taken. This class encouraged me to learn, engage, and take what I learned outside of class. I have never learned more life skills than I have in this class. It has prepared me for my future, and my career. Course Evaluation, 2022.
Dr. Meade, I have so loved getting to take your classes! You are such a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and just all-around fun professor! It is so easy to learn in your class, and half of the time I don't even realize it's happening. Haha. Your stories are so engaging and applicable and I love how you are constantly mixing things up. Class is never dull, that’s for sure! Course Evaluation, 2019
Good evening,
Thank you for being a part of making this the best last semester for me! I enjoyed the layout of your class, the fun newspaper project as opposed to a paper, and everything in between. I have already started a few conversations about nonverbal actions and how they speak louder than words beginning with something you taught us on day one, the head-tilt when you’re fully engaged and listening. Your nonverbal communication course was so much fun and I am glad that I chose to take it. Thank you for making class engaging despite the pandemic and actually teaching me a thing or two throughout the semester! I really enjoyed it. Student Email Remote Semester 2021
We used an app on our phone called Marco Polo to do weekly assignment and that was a fun way to make points and get to see our classmates since we are all online right now. Course Evaluation, Remote 2020
I liked how we used many different resources to learn. This made information stick more because it was repeated in several different ways. This class was so applicable after the first week I noticed myself talking about the things I learned in class with other people. Course Evaluation, Remote 2020
Not only was Dr. Meade extremely knowledgeable on this topic, she could teach it incredibly well! Her passion and animation made class even more interesting than the topic of discussion already was. Course Evaluation, 2016
Course Objectives
Course Objectives
Recognize key research related to smell and consider the implications of personal smells and the signal that it sends.
Evaluate how changes in volume, rate, pitch, and tone can influence a message.
Consider the ways in which clothing and artifacts send messages.
Question the arbitrary nature of fashion.
Recognize interpersonal space, assumptions of those who use more space, and how space invasion effects performance.
Consider the impact of personal environment and room arrangement on communication.
Identify approach and rejection strategies and the nonverbal dangers to interpersonal relationships.
Consider a wide variety of methods involving lie detection.
Characterize cultural and gender differences in eye contact, facial expressions, touch and gestures.
Consider the research on eye contact, facial expressions, touch, and gesture.
Apply your understanding of eye contact and touch to various contexts.
Use what you know about facial expressions, eye contact, touch, and gestures to make informed decisions about your self- presentation.
Explain how we know which nonverbals are innate and the implications of a nonverbal being learned biological.
Describe the development of nonverbal communication related to the sending and receiving of messages.
Articulate what is considered beautiful in various cultures and the biological, social, and interpersonal implications.
Describe how cultural factors influences the presentation and interpretation on nonverbal.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Nonverbal Communication is such an interesting class, that students like to share what they are learning with their friends and family. I put together a site of videos and resources for extended learning on topics that are open for students to share with others.
Take a look at Nonverbal Resources.
What Does a Typical Week Look Like?
What Does a Typical Week Look Like?
Every week there is an introduction and overview of what students will learn and what they are supposed to do. Via Blackboard, students are given weekly videos to watch and a quiz over the videos. Students on campus will have weekly discussions on topics and students in online classes, we post a video on Marco Polo about the week's topic.
Every week students learn by:
Reading
Lecture
Discussion
Videos
Here is a sample of what a week looks like. When I polled students, they said they spend about two hours a week on reading and videos.
This week we will look at hands and feet. We will look at the hands and feet of others and draw conclusions based on research. What does it mean when someone points their feet to the door and what can we tell from a handshake? We will consider how to use our hands and feet to send the messages that we want. For example, can changing the way we hold our arms change the way someone talks to us?
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
(The learning objectives are given weekly and these become the study sheet for the class exams)
Define haptics and kinesics
Identify different gestures to include emblematic, deictic, pantomimic, steepling, batonic, iconographic, ideographic, Clinton thumb
Analyze the implications of gestures on verbal fluency
Reflect on personal gestures and consider self-presentation
Apply understanding of gestures by analyzing gestures in context
Describe how gestures influence speech fluency and recall
Practice a variety of handshakes and understand their contexts
Demonstrate the different types of handshakes, how to give a good handshake, and the politics of handshakes
Describe the research of Amy Cuddy
Explain the impact of isopraxism
Differentiate between open and closed body orientation
Describe honest feet, feet pointing, framing, and leg crossing
Do This-Readings, Activities, and Assignments:
Read Chapter 4 in Textbook: Kinesics in Bowman, Nonverbal Communication: An Applied Approach
Read Getting a Leg up on Body Language (PDF provided)
Read Online Article: Art of Handshaking by Joe Navarro
Power Point and Lecture
Watch These Videos and Take Quizzes Over Videos
Lee Morrison: Are You More Likely to Be Victimized If You Walk a Certain Way
Hand Gestures Around the Word
How Handshakes Reveal Your True Age
Increase Confidence and Performance by Changing Your Pose
Observing Body Language
The Power is in the Palm of Your Hands-Ted Talk
Reading Feet-The Body Language of Business:
Weekly Discussion over the Topic
Breaking Bread Together
Breaking Bread Together
Students sitting together discussion family food traditions.
In Nonverbal, we talk about how important food is in social settings. To help students fully understand, students read academic pieces about food and watch videos on food culture. We then celebrate “family food day” and each student brings in a food that has meaning to their family. One at a time, they stand up and explain their food and what it means for them and their family. We then line up and eat!
While eating, we are in social circles and I have conversation prompts that the groups talk about. For example, I tell them of my Thanksgiving tradition and then they share stories in their circles. They learn as much by “breaking bread” together and sharing stores as they do from all the academic reading they did to earn the right to be in the circle. Students write two-page essays of their food experience.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse