COMMUNICATION STUDIES 342

PROBLEM-SOLVING IN TEAMS AND GROUPS

INSTRUCTOR:  JIMMIE MANNING

Course Description (from KU Undergraduate Catalog)

This course introduces the basic concepts important to leading and/or participating in problem-solving work teams.  Problem identification and analysis and leadership are emphasized and practiced.  Teamwork variables are discussed and promoted.  Lectures, demonstrations, exercises in class are structure for students to analyze groups outside of class.

 

Text and Materials

  1. Applicable project materials.
  2. Computer access with internet capabilities.
  3. Course readings available through KU libraries.
  4. Keyton, J.  (2002).  Communicating in groups:  Building relationships for effective decision making (2nd ed.).  Boston:  McGraw-Hill. 

 

Course Goals

  1. To gain a larger understanding of the perceived roles of problem-solving work teams both organizationally and interpersonally.
  2. To examine theories related to small group communication.
  3. To practice problem identification.
  4. To better understand how leadership can occur through a variety of team and group roles.
  5. To critically and culturally analyze how groups work.
  6. To develop a personal understanding of how others view the individual personality in a group setting.

 

Individual assignment details are as follow:

 

CHAPTER/UNIT WORKSHEETS (150 points, or 15%)

Success in this course is dependent upon reading the textbook and understanding the material presented in lectures.  Because so much of the learning is dependent upon your having read and comprehended the information presented, the instructor will provide chapter/unit worksheets via Blackboard containing questions and activities related to the content of the particular chapter or unit.  You must provide an appropriate and concise (yet clear and competent) answer for each question.  You will have fifteen question sheets to read and return, and since each question sheet is worth ten points.  Please realize, too, that simply filling in a question sheet is not earning points.  You must provide an acceptable answer that will be qualitatively evaluated.  The instructor also reserves the right to deduct up to thirty points from this grade total if you are not adequately participating in classroom discussion based upon the information covered in these worksheets.

 

GROUP PARTICIPATION AND DOCUMENTATION (600 points, or 60%)

During the course of this class, you will work with a group of other people in order to learn how you, as a communicator, function in a group.  You and your group will complete three tasks assigned by the instructor.  Upon successful completion of these tasks, you will earn an appropriate number of points depending on your contributions, awareness, and overall success.  Since learning in groups is an acquired skill, the first group project will be worth 100 points; the second 200 points; and the final group project will be worth 300 points.  Each of the following four areas will constitute twenty-five percent of the grade for each project:  the group’s final product, overall group function, individual contribution, and journal.  More detail will be provided as each assignment approaches.

 

ARTICLE REPORT (50 points, or 5%)

Each student will read an article related to group work.  This article will be assigned by the instructor.  Students must locate a copy of the article, create an original and informative annotated bibliography for the article, and provide a copy of both for the instructor.  More information about this assignment will be provided on a future date.

 

EXAMS (200 points, or 20%)

A midterm and final examination, each worth 100 points, will be delivered to the class.  The exams will be written, and each will be comprehensively based upon all course material covered up until the examination date.  The exams will be comprised of multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay questions.  Students will only be allowed to take examinations outside of the scheduled time period in case of an emergency (e.g. a verifiable death in the family, verifiable extreme illness, a fire or disaster, etc.).

 

Tentative Class Schedule

 

Aug 19             Course review (Syllabus distributed and discussed)

 

Aug 22             What is communication?

Aug 24             Defining groups (Communication worksheet due)

Aug 26             Evaluating group member fit

 

Aug 29             Personality (Chapter 1 worksheet due)

Aug 31             Verbal communication in groups

Sept 2              Nonverbal communication in groups (Personality worksheet due)

 

Sept 5              No school – Enjoy Labor Day!

Sept 7              Listening – Semester groups announced (Chapter 2 worksheet due)

Sept 9              Group workday

 

Sept 12            Group member roles (Group A)

Sept 14            Group norms (Group B)

Sept 16            Communication networks (Group C)

 

Sept 19            Exploring how groups develop (Group D)

Sept 21            Typologies (Chapter 3 worksheet and teaching project materials due)

Sept 23            Analyzing group tasks – Second project announced

 

Sept 26            Speaking in teams and groups (Chapter 4 worksheet due)

Sept 28            Communication competence

Sept 30            Group workday (Chapter 5 worksheet due)

 

Oct 3               Diversity (Article assignment distributed)

Oct 5               Groups D&C Present

Oct 7               Groups B&A Present

 

Oct 10             Group climate (Chapter 7 worksheet and marketing project materials due)

Oct 12             Midterm examination

Oct 14             FALL BREAK – Enjoy!

 

Oct 17             Group satisfaction – Final project announced

Oct 19             Solving problems and making decisions (Chapter 6 worksheet due)

Oct 21             Assessing and implementing decisions (Chapter 8 worksheet due)

 

Oct 24             Leadership (Chapter 9 worksheet due)

Oct 26             Managing conflict (Chapter 10 worksheet due)

Oct 28             Anger management (Chapter 11 worksheet due)

 

Oct 31             Managing group meetings

Nov 2              Appropriate group discussion

Nov 4              Parliamentary procedure (Chapter 12 worksheet due)

 

Nov 7              Feedback

Nov 9              Group workday (Chapter 13 worksheet due)

Nov 11                        Group workday

 

Nov 14            Social support

Nov 16            Systems theory as applied to groups

Nov 18            Group workday

 

Nov 21            Ethical considerations in groups

Nov 23& 25     THANKSGIVING BREAK – Enjoy!

 

Nov 28             Groups and public image (Article report due)

Nov 30             Effective consulting of groups

Dec 2               Computer-mediated groups

 

Dec 5 & 7        FINAL GROUP PROJECTS

 

Dec 15             Final Examination (1:30 – 4 p.m.)  Final project materials due

 

Reading Schedule

 

HAVE THIS READ                 BY THE BEGINNING OF THIS CLASS PERIOD

Chapter 1                                 August 24

Chapter 2                                 August 31

Chapter 3                                 September 12

Chapter 4                                 September 21

Appendix                                  September 26

Chapter 5                                 September 28

Chapter 7                                 October 3

Chapter 6                                 October 10

Chapter 8                                 October 19

Chapter 9                                 October 21

Chapter 10                               October 24

Chapter 11                               October 26

Chapter 12                               October 31

Chapter 13                               November 7