Group Communication
Fall 2008
Monday & Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.–3:15 p.m., Smith 232
Stephen D. Cooper, Ph.D.
Smith Hall 246
(304) 696-2733
Monday 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 12:30 – 3:30 pm
Wednesday 3:30 – 6:00 pm
Thursday 12:30 – 3:30 pm
Other times by appointment.
Human beings are social animals, and just about all of us will have the experience of working with others in task groups. It’s a safe bet that you will be a member of such groups in both your professional and personal life.
It is also a safe bet that you will experience some groups which are productive and satisfying, and other groups which seem to accomplish little or nothing. You may even come away from those negative experiences feeling personally devalued in some way.
This course offers you insights into the communication dynamics of small groups. We’ll examine the factors affecting the success or failure of small groups. You’ll gain experience in group work, and have the opportunity to develop practical and conceptual skills that can benefit you every time you participate in a group.
Perhaps the most valuable insight will be that there are no easy rules which guarantee a successful group. Small groups can be stunningly complex little systems of interaction; your goal in this course is to develop your ability to understand them from the inside, as a member, and guide your behavior with your understanding.
Besides getting a clearer understanding of small group dynamics, you’ll get a lot of practice doing analytical writing. This is a writing-intensive course. When you look over the course calendar, you’ll notice a short written assignment almost every week. When you look over the grading system for this course, you’ll notice points for those weekly assignments, points for a thing called “in-class memos,” and points for a case study. Relax, and trust the Force. You’ll do a good deal of writing in this course, and the writing will both help you untangle the mysteries of small groups and take your writing skills to a higher level.
If you feel a bit of anxiety about this aspect of the course, it’s a sign you realize that analytical writing is a skill you need to work on! Keep in mind that important opportunities often present themselves as challenges. This course is a safe place for you to address that challenge; my advice is to go for it. The reward for you, the ability to produce concise analytical writing, will last your entire lifetime.
So what’s the payoff, exactly, for all your hard work in this course?
· A conceptual understanding of the nature of communication in small groups, including interaction dynamics, leadership behaviors, and dysfunctionality.
· The ability to recognize roles, norms, and phases in real-life small groups.
· Familiarity with standard decision-making processes in small groups.
· Familiarity with techniques for enhancing problem-solving in small groups.
· Increased skill in analytical thinking and writing.
Your success in this course is in your own hands. As in so many other activities, commitment is crucial. At one level, this is simple: do the assignment for the class, come to class, and participate fully in the class. At a deeper level, this is complex: only you can promise you will do that, and then keep that promise to yourself.
Harris, T. E. & Sherblom, J. C. (2008). Small group and team communication (4th edition). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
The development of the World Wide Web has opened a great many wonderful opportunities to all of us. It has also made it easier than ever to misrepresent someone else’s work as our own.
Don’t do it.
Plagiarism is a fool’s shortcut. Not only do you cheat yourself of the opportunity to learn and grow, but you expose yourself to severe academic penalties.
Plagiarism is dishonest. In the I Ching there is a saying that sincerity inspires respect. Earn your self-respect through your own efforts.
Try this technique for reading course materials. It’s probably different from what you’re used to doing, but you might find it to be a better way.
· First browse the entire section you’ve been assigned. Let your eyes go where they want to: check out the headings, bold-faced terms, diagrams and figures, whatever paragraphs catch your attention. Don’t make any marks in your book or take any notes at this point. Just get a sense of how the section is put together, and what the main ideas are.
· Next, look for summary materials the book might include. There may be a chapter summary at the end. There may be a preview, or a bullet list of important ideas, or a glossary of key terms. Whatever forms the summary materials may be in, read them slowly and carefully. Let those ideas sink in.
· Then read through the assignment in sequence. Highlight passages, make margin notes, write things in your notebook. Take your time with this reading, and let the familiarity you gained by browsing guide your highlighting and note taking.
· Finally, jot down ideas or concepts you don’t feel rock solid about understanding, after doing the reading. We’ll devote time in class to talking about the concepts you identify as troublesome or confusing. Make some notes so that when I ask what things from the reading need clarifying, we’ll cover the ones you need help with.
This four-step process won’t require much more time, but I think you’ll find you have a far better grasp of the readings as a result. Try it and see.
8/25 & 8/27
Organization, Introduction, War Stories
Reading assignment for 8/27: the syllabus. No kidding! Read the syllabus through, slowly and carefully. Get a good sense of what this course is about. The syllabus isn’t a throw-away; it’s our game plan. There just might be a quiz on it...
9/3
The Basics of Task Groups
F Marshall is closed on 9/1.
Reading assignment for 9/3: chapter 1.
Writing assignment for 9/3 (#1): identify and briefly describe two important concepts from the reading, and connect them to a personal experience in a group. In other words, use ideas from the book to make sense of something in the real world. One full page is plenty if you say something, and don’t just fill up the space with blah blah. No fluff, K?
Writing assignment for 10/1 (#5): from the relational statements (Table 6.3 on p. 115), choose the two pairs of statements that you think are most significant to group work. Explain why you think they’re the most significant. Also distinguish between the positive and negative versions of the statements. What particular behaviors lead you to like, or to dislike people who exhibit that trait? Be specific!
Show me a full draft of your case study on 12/1. We’ll go over it, one-on-one, and you’ll know where to take it before you turn in the final version.
Bring the draft back on 12/3 and show me how it’s coming along. You’ll score grade points for the draft.
Put your finished case study in my mailbox no later than the close of business on 12/8. I’ll return it to you at the final exam.
In-class memoranda 80 points, total (equally weighted)
Weekly assignments 110 points, total (11 @ 10 points)
Group product grades 60 points, total
Midterm exam 100 points
Final exam 100 points
Quizzes 100 points, total
Case study—draft 100 points
Case study—final version 100 points
Attendance 50 points, total (equally weighted)
800 points are possible.
A = 720 or better
B = 640-719
C = 560-639
D = 480-559
F = 479 or fewer
Each of the short weekly assignments is worth a maximum of 10 points toward your course grade. Here is how those points can be earned:
· Writing mechanics: 3 points.
(Includes spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, word choice, general appearance of the page.)
· Relevance: 3 points.
(How well does your paper address the question asked in the syllabus? How well do you support analytical statements with concrete detail?)
· Concepts: 4 points.
(Did you use the course concepts and terms skillfully?)
Do yourself a big favor, and avoid using a thesaurus when you work on these assignments. The thesaurus makes it convenient and easy to totally screw up what you’re trying to say. The dictionary (not the thesaurus) is the right tool for clarifying your understanding of words.
These short assignments aren’t busy work! They give you practice in using analytical concepts to make sense of your personal experiences. Over the course of the semester, they build your understand of ideas which will be of real service to you in the real world.
And your case study will show off that skill in applying book-learning to your small group in this course. You’ll get a detailed handout around mid-semester. The grading of the case study will use the same criteria as the weekly assignments but on a 100-point scale, instead. The trick to the case study is to take very good notes on each session your group meets. We’ll workshop and conference your draft of the case study on 12/1; you’ll revise it as needed and submit the final version by 12/8.
I reserve the right to reject assignments or presentations after their deadlines pass. If you know you’ll have trouble making a due date on any of the work, get in touch with me before the deadline so we can make some arrangement. The key to success in this course is simple: take the course seriously, and think ahead.
That makes the attendance policy obvious: if you take this course, come to class. The worst penalty for not showing up is losing the knowledge you would have gained from our activity that day, but you’ll also lose the points you would have earned toward your course grade that day.
OK--that’s the tough part. Here’s the love part: if something is going on in your life that knocks you off your game, contact me in advance of a deadline so we can work something out. Keep in mind, though, that missing a deadline and making lame excuses afterward just won’t cut it. If you blow it, admit it—and get it right, the next time.
You can understand what I mean, then, by calling this tough love. I want you to do well in this course. But if I were to let you get away with doing less than your best, or to give you the impression that life is about doing the minimum necessary to get by, I’d be devaluing you. Again, sincerity inspires respect. I want to earn your respect, and I hope you want to earn mine.
Remember that you are a student at a first-class state university, and this is a professional context for all of us. Be sure that the papers you turn in reflect your professionalism. All your written work must be typed, double spaced, with normal margins and font size. Be sure your name, the course number, and the assignment number are on the top of the page. Written work is written work; unless we make arrangements before the deadline passes, email is not acceptable as a way to submit an assignment.
When you’re having trouble with an assignment, don’t suffer in silence. Call me! That’s what I’m here for. My office hours are listed on this syllabus, and we can meet other times by appointment.
Here’s what it all comes down to:
My job is to create an environment in which you can succeed.
Your job is to succeed.
but wait! there’s more...
The University wants to be sure you know about these things:
academic dishonesty policy
http://www.marshall.edu/president/Board/Policies/MUBOG%20AA-12%20Academic%20Dishonesty.pdf
accomodations for students with disabilities
http://www.marshall.edu/disabled
computing services acceptable use policy
http://www.marshall.edu/ucs/CS/accptuse.asp
weather closings
http://www.marshall.edu/www/policy_07.html
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