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carsten@osu-okmulgee.eduArts & Sciences
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This course focuses on enhancing student understanding and skills for participation in small group interaction. This course addresses various social dimensions of group processes such as group development, leadership, conflict resolution, and verbal and nonverbal communication strategies. Particular emphasis is on task-oriented groups. Theory. Credit Hours: 3; Total hours of theory per semester: 48; Total hours of lab per semester: 0 Prerequisites: None, but having taken a writing course will greatly benefit you.
REQUIRED TEXTS. REFERENCES, AND MATERIALS
COURSE ACTIVITIES In this course students will Ø Attend every class meeting on time. Ø Read all textbook assignments before coming to class. Ø Complete and submit all assignments by their due dates. Ø Participate actively and enthusiastically in classroom discussions and small group activities. Ø View and discuss videos that depict the various concepts of small group communication Ø Write individual reflections of group activities and reading assignments Ø Make group presentations Ø Submit several in-class group assignments. Ø Submit several graded homework assignments. Ø Conduct peer evaluations and report on findings
GRADES WILL BE BASED ON THE QUALITY AND COMPLETION OF THESE TASKS:
PROJECTED COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: Course introduction Week 2-3: Understanding Small Groups Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 1-3 Bell & Smith, Ch. 1 Chapter Exam #1 Week 4-5: Communicating in Small Groups Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 4 In-Class Group Activity + Reflection Chapter Exam #2 Week 6-7: Listening in Small Groups Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 5 Bell & Smith, Ch. 3 In-Class Group Activity + Reflection Chapter Exam #3 Week 8-9: Problem-Solving in Small Groups Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 6 In-Class Group Activity + Reflection Chapter Exam #4 Week 10-11: Nonverbal Communication Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 7 + Handouts In-Class Group Activity + Reflection Chapter Exam #5 Flag Presentations Week 11-13: Conflict Management Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 9 Bell & Smith, Ch. 4 In-Class Group Activity + Reflection Chapter Exam #6 Week 13-14: Leadership Barker, Wahlers, & Watson, Ch. 8 + Handouts Bell & Smith, Ch. 5 Peer Evaluations Due Difficult People Skits Week 14-15: Final Group Presentations
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) According to the ADA, each student with a disability is responsible for notifying the University of his/her disability and requesting accommodations. If you think you have a qualified disability and need classroom accommodations, contact the Access Services Office located in the Student Union. Please advise the instructor of your disability as soon as possible, to ensure timely implementation of appropriate accommodations. Faculty have an obligation to respond when they receive official notice of a disability from the Access Services Office but are under no obligation to provide retroactive accommodations. To receive services, you must submit appropriate documentation and complete an intake process during which the existence of a qualified disability is verified and reasonable accommodations are identified. Call 293.4988 for more information. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Academic dishonesty or misconduct is neither condoned nor tolerated at OSU-Okmulgee. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty or misconduct shall be subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty and/or misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following actions: (1) plagiarism: The representation of previously written, published or creative work as one’s own; (2) unauthorized collaboration on projects; (3) cheating on examinations; (4) unauthorized advance access to exams; (5) fraudulent alteration of academic materials; (6) knowing cooperation with another person in an academically dishonest undertaking. Students are required to actively protect their work against misuse by others. For details, refer to The OSU-Okmulgee Student Handbook available in the Office of Student Support & Development, in each division office, and online at http://www.osu-okmulgee.edu/handbook/. STUDENT CONDUCT Students are expected to cooperate in maintaining a classroom environment conducive to learning. Courteous and respectful behavior will be expected from all students each day. All pagers, cellular phones, and CD and MP3 players should be turned off. The use of tobacco in any form in university buildings is prohibited. CLASSROOM PROCEDURES Class time is used to discuss readings, to plan and conduct in-class activities, to exchange ideas about communication, and to apply the knowledge we have gained. In addition, this course requires a fair amount of reading. Students should expect to read 15-20 pages per week. Small Group Communication is a sophomore-level course that demands that students use self-discipline and time-management skills to complete assignments. Students must effectively use class time and time out of class to achieve course goals. ATTENDANCE Since this course is taught primarily in a workshop format, your attendance is vital and mandatory. After all, how can you learn about group communication if you are not here to practice with your group? Since all groups will go through graded in-class activities, your grade may suffer if you are not here to participate in those activities. Attendance will be taken at every class meeting, and you are expected to arrive on time as set forth in the OSU-Okmulgee student handbook. If you are absent for any reason, you are responsible for all work missed. In addition, you are expected to be prepared when you return to class after an absence. Therefore, please get the names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the members of your group so that if you are absent, you can find out about missed work and assignments that are due. If you know in advance that you will be absent, ask me for assignments first. ASSIGNMENTS During the semester, you will participate in small-group activities, write reflections of your experiences, complete a number of written assignments in the specified format, and give group and individual presentations. You will receive handouts providing you with all the specifics for each assignment that you complete outside of class. In-class activities will not be described beforehand to maintain the element of surprise (that’s how real life is—you cannot always control it, but you can learn how to deal with it). However, we will discuss the ground rules for each activity first. Chapter exams are nothing to be feared. They essentially consist of two or three questions about the material from each textbook chapter. You will be allowed to answer the questions at home and bring your typed answers to class. Class time is too precious to use it for sit-down testing. LATE WORK This course relies heavily on in-class presentations and participatory in-class activities. These presentations and activities are useful for learning only if they are completed in conjunction with the information we discussed in class. If you are not here, you cannot apply your knowledge, and if you want to make up a presentation two weeks after the scheduled date, the learning experience will be lost. In-class exercises will be conducted on appropriate days throughout the semester. Exact dates will be announced in class; they depend on how quickly we finish our discussion of the relevant background information. Because of the participatory nature of these activities, group presentations and in-class group activities must be given and completed on their scheduled dates and cannot be made up. One written reflection or chapter exam may be submitted late for full credit. No additional work will be accepted late. “I was absent that day” or similar comments are never acceptable as an excuse. If you know that you will be absent on a day something is due, be sure to turn your work in early or, if needed, discuss the matter with your group first before you come to me. If you are absent for other reasons, contact me and the members of your group. This class is based on the participation of all students; you cannot learn if you are not here, and your group cannot function if you are not here. Absences are antithetical to small group communication, and disappearing from sight without letting anyone know where you are will hurt not only you but also your group. One thing you will learn in Small Group Communication is that sometimes the group’s needs have to come before yours. If you have an excused absence (departmental functions, job interviews on campus, jury duty), let me know well ahead of time so that I may be able to arrange the presentation schedule accordingly or speak with your division chair if needed. In addition, arrange to submit your homework early. In case of longer excused absences or other problems, talk to me before your absence. I will work with you as best as a course like this allows, but do not assume that you are automatically entitled to turning in late work or making up everything you missed. If you expect to have frequent absences this semester (i.e. 5 or more), I strongly recommend that you consider taking this course some other time. Questions about missed work and absences need to be discussed during my office hour, not during class. AS DONALD TRUMP SAYS…. All groups have the right to dismiss, i.e. fire, group members who refuse to participate in group activities, are frequently absent, or do not complete their portions of group projects. Firing a group member is a last-ditch resort for someone who repeatedly has failed to do his or her share of the work and continually refuses to cooperate. It is not to be taken lightly, and the decision to fire someone is irrevocable; once it has been made, groups may not readmit the fired person, who must then seek admission into another group. To facilitate this process, groups who are considering firing someone must first approach me with their request. I will then inform them about the process of firing a member. (Note: This process is complicated and time-consuming. I want groups to work with difficult members and not just kick them out left and right.) Fired group members must talk to me to find out how they may join another group. (There is no guarantee that you will be admitted into another group—think carefully before you decide not to participate in group activities.) ONLINE ACTIVITIES A Blackboard site has been created for this course. Check Blackboard regularly for announcements, especially if you were absent, to find out what was discussed in class and to obtain homework assignments. You will also be expected to sign on to Blackboard to complete some online discussions. Computers to do this are available at various locations on campus. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students committing academic dishonesty (see attached guidelines) will receive a 0 for the assignment. Repeated academic dishonesty will lead to an F for the entire course and earn you a referral for disciplinary action according to the OSU-Okmulgee Student Handbook (see above). RULES OF THE CLASSROOM
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