COM5101 Communication Fundamentals
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · Semester A, 2026/27COM5101 Overview
- City University of Hong Kong
- Semester A, 2026/27
- Postgraduate course
- Continuous assessment only
What this course asks you to do
Communication Fundamentals is organised around a demanding but reusable move: take an abstract theory, recover the relationship it proposes, inspect the evidence used to test that relationship, and then decide whether the explanation survives in another context.
- Assessment shape Participation, two closed book quizzes, a research paper and its presentation.
- Core skill Compare theoretical claims through their assumptions, evidence and boundaries.
- Research habit Separate a construct from the operation used to observe it.
- Application rule Preserve the mechanism and boundary when moving theory into a new case.
How COM5101 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Class Attendance and Participation | 30% | Class participation plus peer assessment in the presentation |
| Quizzes | 35% | Two in-class closed book quizzes weighted 15% and 20% |
| Research Paper | 30% | 3,000 to 5,000 words excluding references, tables, figures and appendices |
| Presentation | 5% | In-class presentation of the research paper |
The official syllabus publishes continuous assessment totalling 100%. It does not mark any row as a hurdle. Confirm operational details on Canvas.
Four continuous assessment components total 100%.Current COM5101 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-25 | Quiz 1 | |
| 2026-11-13 | Quiz 2 | |
| 2026-11-27 | Presentation | |
| 2026-12-04 | Research paper due |
Dates are as published in Published Semester A 2026/27 schedule.. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What COM5101 covers
Ten chapters move from communication theory and research design to listening, disclosure, conflict, group dynamics, conformity and social identity.
Communication Theory as an Explanatory Tool
constructs, propositions, mechanisms, evidence and revisionFrom topic to explanation
A communication topic becomes a theory-shaped explanation only when it connects constructs through a relationship and offers a mechanism for that relationship.
- Constructs and propositions
- Directional relationships
- Explanatory mechanisms
- Operational definitions
- Boundary conditions
- Evidence and revision
Testing and Comparing Communication Theories
explanation, prediction, parsimony, falsifiability and organising powerCriteria answer different questions
The course reading evaluates theory through explanatory power, predictive power, parsimony, falsifiability, internal consistency, heuristic value and organising power. These are not interchangeable virtues.
- Explanatory power
- Predictive power
- Parsimony
- Falsifiability
- Internal consistency
- Heuristic and organising value
Constructs, Measures and Boundary Conditions
operational definitions, validity, replication and domain limitsOperations make constructs observable
Communication theories rely on abstract constructs such as trust, attention, influence and self-disclosure.
- Abstract constructs
- Operational definitions
- Construct validity
- Reliability limits
- Multiple operations
- Domain boundaries
Research Traditions in Communication
quantitative, qualitative, interpretive and computational designsResearch design begins with inference
Quantitative, qualitative and computational approaches are not rival brands. They answer different questions by standardising, contextualising or scaling evidence.
- Inference first
- Quantitative comparison
- Qualitative interpretation
- Computational scale
- Sampling and causation
- Integrated design
Digital Traces and Construct Validity
platform records, proxies, missing cases and ethical interpretationRecords are made by systems
Digital traces arise when people interact with networked systems, but a trace is not a transparent copy of behaviour.
- Platform recording
- Found data
- Proxy construction
- Scale and heterogeneity
- Missing cases
- Ethical interpretation
Listening and Meaning Making
receiving, interpreting, recalling, evaluating and respondingListening is a sequence
The lecture defines listening as a learned process of receiving, interpreting, recalling, evaluating and responding to verbal and nonverbal messages. The sequence matters because different failures demand different repairs.
- Receiving cues
- Interpreting context
- Recalling meaning
- Evaluating credibility
- Responding visibly
- Feedback loops
Self Disclosure, Privacy and Uncertainty
audience, purpose, persistence, trust and uncertainty reductionDisclosure makes the self perceptible
Self-disclosure involves making personal information available so that another person can perceive something about the speaker.
- Relational disclosure
- Uncertainty reduction
- Audience boundaries
- Purpose change
- Persistence and search
- Contextual privacy
Conflict and Nonverbal Communication
incompatible goals, verbal cues, silence, timing and spaceConflict concerns perceived incompatibility
Interpersonal conflict appears when people perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources or opposing viewpoints. The conflict can be expressed openly or remain nearly invisible.
- Incompatible goals
- Conflict intensity
- Verbal channels
- Nonverbal cues
- Contextual interpretation
- Structure-focused repair
Balance, Norms and Group Dynamics
signed relationships, group types, norms, values and tensionBalance theory adds a third relation
Balance theory represents relations among a person, another person and an object. Positive and negative ties can create a coherent pattern or an unbalanced pattern that produces pressure for change.
- Signed relations
- Balanced patterns
- Unbalanced tension
- Group types
- Norms and values
- Routes to change
Conformity and Social Identity
uncertainty, normative pressure, belonging and group significanceSimilar agreement can have different causes
The lecture contrasts conformity in an ambiguous perceptual task with conformity when the correct answer is visually clear.
- Ambiguous judgement
- Clear-task pressure
- Informational influence
- Normative influence
- Public compliance
- Identity significance
The official syllabus combines major theories, research methods and applications across mass media, interpersonal communication, organisations and culture. This guide concentrates on the materials available for the opening theory and research sequence and for interpersonal and group communication.
How the assessment fits the learning
The course is assessed entirely through continuous assessment.
Class Attendance and Participation rewards grasp of readings, comparison and application. Two closed book quizzes test explanation, comparison and theoretically informed analysis. The research paper requires critical review of hypotheses, methods, findings, conclusions and implications before applying theory to a real issue. The presentation adds technical execution and group coordination.
The common thread is disciplined movement from claim to evidence to application.
How to use the ten chapters
Begin with the first three chapters if theoretical language feels slippery. They separate constructs from operations, prediction from explanation and a theory's domain from the cases outside it. Chapters four and five turn those distinctions into research design and digital-trace analysis.
Chapters six to ten use interpersonal and group settings to practise locating mechanisms: listening stages, disclosure boundaries, conflict cues, balance pressure, conformity and social identity. Every worked example is original practice designed around the reasoning roles in the published criteria.
Worked example · free
Repair a weak communication claim
- 2Define the cause and outcome as constructs rather than labels.
- 2State a mechanism and a directional prediction.
- 2Add a meaningful boundary and rival explanation.
- 2Choose operations that could distinguish the accounts.
Key terms
- Boundary Condition
- A condition that identifies the domain where a theoretical relationship is expected to hold and the cases outside it.
- Communication Theory
- A connected set of constructs and propositions intended to explain or predict communication phenomena.
- Construct
- An abstract idea used in theory that must be represented through an observable operation in research.
- Construct Validity
- The degree to which an operation represents the theoretical construct it is intended to capture.
- Digital Trace
- A record produced as a person interacts with a networked system, shaped by the platform's design and logging rules.
- Falsifiability
- The capacity of a theoretical proposition to face observations that could count against it.
- Group Norm
- An accepted and relatively specific rule or convention guiding behaviour within a group.
- Heuristic Value
- A theory's capacity to generate productive new hypotheses and lines of investigation.
- Operational Definition
- A rule specifying how a theoretical construct is observed, measured or manipulated in a study.
- Parsimony
- Preference for a simpler theory when competing accounts explain and predict equally well.
- Reference Group
- A group used as a standard for judging attitudes or behaviour, whether or not membership is intimate.
- Self Disclosure
- The act of making personal information available so another person can perceive something about the speaker.
- Social Identity
- Perceived membership in a social group together with the emotional and value significance attached to that membership.
COM5101 FAQ
How is this course assessed?
The official syllabus assigns 30% to Class Attendance and Participation, 35% to two in-class closed book quizzes, 30% to a research paper, and 5% to its presentation. These numeric rows total 100%. Canvas should be checked for operational details such as rooms, submission settings and any updates to the published schedule.
What assessments close the semester?
The published assessment table allocates the whole course mark to participation, two quizzes, a research paper and a presentation. The two quizzes are explicitly closed book, so revise distinctions and applications for retrieval while confirming the latest logistics on Canvas. The paper and presentation require critical review, application and coordinated delivery.
What do the closed book quizzes reward?
The published quiz criterion emphasises understanding basic communication theories, explaining key concepts, comparing theoretical traditions and applying theories to real experience or issues. Prepare contrasts rather than isolated definitions: state the claim, mechanism, evidence and boundary, then show how a rival account would interpret the same case.
How should I compare two communication theories?
Place both theories against the same outcome and evidence. Choose the criterion that matters for the question, such as explanatory power for intervention or predictive power for forecasting. Identify where their predictions diverge, propose an observation that separates them, and finish with a bounded verdict rather than saying that both are useful.
What makes a strong research paper plan?
Organise the review around a disputed theoretical claim. For each study, record the hypothesis, operational definitions, method, findings, conclusion and boundary. Explain disagreements through measurement, domain or proposition, then apply only the mechanism supported by the evidence. This directly answers the critical review and application roles in the published rubric.
How should digital trace evidence be evaluated?
Start with the event that caused the platform to create a record. Ask which behaviours could produce the same field, which people and interactions are absent, and whether a platform change altered measurement. Treat the trace as a proxy, corroborate it with another operation, and keep the conclusion at the level the record can support.
What should the group presentation demonstrate?
The published rubric names command of mass communication theory, technical execution and group coordination. Use one shared argument, stable definitions and explicit transitions. Divide research labour, but make each speaker advance a different link in the same reasoning chain. Rehearse timing and ensure that visuals remain legible without narration.
Questions students ask in each COM5101 chapter
- What turns a communication topic into a theory?
- A theory specifies constructs, a relationship, a mechanism and a domain. It changes what evidence you seek and identifies a result that would be surprising. A broad statement that media influence people lacks those features, so it organises a topic without yet explaining a communication outcome. Chapter 01 · Communication Theory as an Explanatory Tool
- Can the most accurate theory still be a weak explanation?
- Yes. A statistical pattern may forecast sharing or attention without identifying the process that generates it. That can be useful for prediction but inadequate for intervention. If the task is to change an outcome, explain why the observed predictor is connected to the mechanism rather than assuming accuracy supplies causation. Chapter 02 · Testing and Comparing Communication Theories
- Why is an operation not the same as a construct?
- A construct is an abstract theoretical idea, while an operation is one observable representation of it. A message count, survey answer or experimental choice can capture only part of trust or disclosure. Treating the operation as the whole construct hides rival meanings and makes transfer across contexts unsafe. Chapter 03 · Constructs, Measures and Boundary Conditions
- Should the research question or method come first?
- The research question and required inference should come first. Choose a method because it can produce the evidence needed for that conclusion. Starting with a fashionable tool often leaves a mismatch, such as using message volume to answer a question about meaning or interviews to estimate population prevalence. Chapter 04 · Research Traditions in Communication
- Why are digital traces not direct behaviour?
- A platform records selected events under its own categories and technical rules. The same social action may leave different traces across systems, while different actions can create the same field. Researchers add another interpretive step when turning the field into a proxy for trust, influence or identity. Chapter 05 · Digital Traces and Construct Validity
- Why is hearing not the same as listening?
- Hearing concerns receiving auditory stimulation, while listening continues through interpretation, recall, evaluation and response. A person can hear every word and still misunderstand the relational cue or forget a condition. Diagnosis should identify the stage instead of prescribing the vague instruction to listen better. Chapter 06 · Listening and Meaning Making
- Does voluntary disclosure remove later privacy claims?
- No. A person can choose to share information with one audience for one purpose without authorising public reuse. Analyse whether audience, purpose, persistence or identifiability changed. The privacy issue concerns control across contexts, not only whether the first disclosure was voluntary. Chapter 07 · Self Disclosure, Privacy and Uncertainty
- Can conflict exist without an argument?
- Yes. Conflict may appear through delay, avoidance, silence or minimal response when incompatible goals remain unspoken. These cues justify inquiry rather than a verdict. Identify the pattern, relationship and constraints, then create a response opportunity that can confirm or challenge the interpretation. Chapter 08 · Conflict and Nonverbal Communication
- Does an unbalanced triangle predict which tie will change?
- No. It predicts pressure toward coherence, not the endpoint. Attitude, relationship or interpretation may change. Rank the possibilities using commitment, value centrality, power and ambiguity. A finished analysis identifies evidence that would show which route occurred rather than fitting one story afterwards. Chapter 09 · Balance, Norms and Group Dynamics
- How do informational and normative influence differ?
- Informational influence treats others as evidence when reality is uncertain. Normative influence responds to the social cost of standing apart even when the person can judge the task. Examine ambiguity, private belief and public response, then choose an intervention matched to the mechanism. Chapter 10 · Conformity and Social Identity
How to prepare for the assessments
Build a one-page theory ledger with five columns: claim, mechanism, operation, evidence and boundary. After each reading, fill one row without copying its abstract. Then create an original case where two theories predict different outcomes and write the observation that would separate them. For the quizzes, practise retrieving distinctions without notes and end every answer with a bounded verdict.
For the research paper, turn the ledger into a comparison matrix and connect every limitation to the conclusion it narrows. For the presentation, rehearse handoffs between reasoning steps rather than dividing the deck into unrelated article summaries. Confirm current logistics, due settings and course announcements on Canvas.
