SPCH 225/B. Larson

Case Study Project & Symposium

Group Essay Evaluation Assignment

(15 points)

 

Instructions:

Group members will collaboratively compose a Reflective Essay & Evaluation of their experiences in the process of completing the Case Study Project and Symposium.  Essay should be approximately two-four pages, and properly headed up with name of team, and team member names, class/instructor (SPCH 225/B. Larson), title of assignment and date. Use descriptive language and specific examples from Rothwell and your group experience to show me, rather than tell me.  Generalizations and vague responses will not be sufficient – so think deeply and specifically about your group’s process. Please include information about how each group member participated in the composition of the essay!

Please staple your Participation/Preparation/Attendance information to the back of your essay.

************************Essays and Group Forms are due on May 3rd **********************************

 

Remember - Reflection is Not:

·                     Feedback on the activity - “great,” “bad,” “fun,” “too hard,” “too easy.”

·                     Feedback on the participants.

·                     How the activity “should” have been planned to meet your needs.

·                     A summary of what was done - “we did this, that, and the other thing” (recall, describe).

Reflection Involves Use of “I” and “We” Statements:

·                     Express your feelings - emotional statements are okay.

·                     Engage the content - intellectual analysis of the assignment.

 

Questions to guide your Reflective Group Essay:

 

Ch. 1. Small Group Communication Competence:  Think about your team’s communication throughout the project: How did it evolve? How have you adapted to each other? Describe why and how your methods of communicating and cooperating improved and/or threatened your team’s effectiveness and success (use your Notes from Rothwell as needed Ch. 1-5). I expect you to use specific examples.

 

Ch. 2.  Groups as Systems: Describe your relationships with each other; what verbal and non-verbal cues are used in your groups that indicate the type of relationships you have developed with each other (give specific examples).  Describe your group’s interconnectedness. Were sort of relationships were formed with some group members, but not others? How and why did these relationships develop?

 

Ch. 3. Group Development: Describe how your group experienced the Periodic Phases of Group Development. Were there prior relationships? . If so, what strategies were used to welcome newcomers to interact with those who were previously acquainted? What tensions (primary and secondary) were involved in your group relationships? Were you able to overcome these tensions? Describe how - using real examples

 

Ch. 4.  Group Climate: Using your group climate form/assessment, describe the dialectical tension of competition and cooperation in your group. How did your group members work to construct cooperation?

 

Ch. 5. Roles and Leadership:  What roles (formal and informal, task and maintenance), emerged or were assigned in your group – and to whom and how? Talk about leadership in your group, how did the leader(s) emerge, what were the duties/expectations of the leader, and what perspective of leadership was used (Traits, Style, Situational, Functional, Communication Competence)?

 

Final Questions: What questions about the issue were answered by your group, and which were not?  What new questions did your project generate? What did you learn – specifically – about small group communication?