SmallGrp Syllabus Fall 2015

COM 1170: SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
Fall Semester 2015
Instructor: Kevin Kryston (MA), Adjunct Professor, Communication Studies
Office hours: T/Th 9-noon at Communication Lab (Rhodes 128). Before or after class (by
appointment). Please email me to schedule an appointment outside of scheduled hours.
Email: krystonk@clarkstate.edu (Please use BlackBoard during semester)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an introduction to the basic terms, principles, and theories of small group
communication, examining specifically leadership, roles, goal achievement, conflict, decision
making, and problem solving. This course focuses on the development of effective group
decision making and leadership skills; emphasizing methods of expressing oneself and
understanding others through learning group communication, group theory, and participating in
small group decision-making experiences.
COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define and explain basic terms, principles, and theories of small group communication
 Recognizing how and why we communicate
 Employing basic communication principles to foster cohesiveness and problem-
solving skills in groups
 Creating group communication projects, to observe and analyze effective
communication.
 Evaluate understanding of small group communication
2. Analyze, adjust, and improve own communication behaviors in groups
 Demonstrate understanding of various types of group participation (leadership, roles,
goal achievement, conflict, decision making, problem solving)
 Assessing various conflict styles and methods of conflict resolution
 Creating group communication projects
 Observing and analyzing effective and ineffective communication
 Developing collaboration skills and learn how to manage and facilitate group
discussions
3. Develop critical thinking and observation skills for the group process
 Demonstrating one’s knowledge of communication theories and the relationship to
group processes
 Addressing group communication through analysis
 Compare and contrast types of discussion formats through participation in panel,
symposium, and forum discussions
 Identifying and employing skills required for virtual meeting formats during group
meetings
4. Competently report group outcomes
 Evaluating information and evidence obtained by group member through group
participation and discussions
 Demonstrating understanding through analysis
 Identifying group roles, and how they contributed to the group outcomes through
group analysis

5. Select and evaluate various source materials for creating a presentation
 Recording source material during academic research
 Recognizing the difference between credible and non-credible source materials
 Employing various support materials
 Utilizing visual aids in a group presentation
REQUIRED TEXT
 Beebe, S. A. & Masterson, J. T. (2014) Communicating in small group (11th ed.).
STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to come prepared to class by completing required readings and
assignments. While in class, students should make a special effort to be active and respectful
listeners, and be engaged in class activities in discussions. Furthermore, students should respect
the time, opinions, and feelings of fellow students and the instructor. Conversely, students can
expect the professor to come prepared to class, respect the time and opinions of all members of
the class, remain diligent to update students on their progress and make efforts to help them
improve their understanding and performance surrounding course content, and encourage
thoughtful dialogue.
GENERAL COURSE EVALUATION
The total possible points for this course are 850, divided as seen below:
 Two group reports – 100 points (50 points each)
 Two papers – 150 points (75 points each)
 10 Quizzes – 100 points (10 points each)
 Group Project – 200 points
 Final Exam – 100 points
 Attendance and Participation – 150 points
 Interteaching – 100 points (35 per session)
Grade Scale: 850-765 = A 764-680 = B 679-595 = C 594-510 = D
ASSIGNMENTS
Group Reports: Students will write two short reports concerning their work in group. These
reports are designed to help students identify strengths and weaknesses of their group. Thus,
papers should be done individually without the help of others in the group. That said, students
should still cite class discussions and readings in their reports. The first report asks students to
state the goal of the group, how the group came to that decision, and the steps remaining to
achieve that goal. The second report will ask students to describe a specific conflict or difficult
decision within their group, and assess their strengths and weaknesses while acting in the
situation. Papers should be at least 2 pages in length. Each paper is worth 50 points, 100 points
total. More detailed descriptions and grading rubrics will be provided closer to the due date of
each paper.

Papers: Students will write two papers related to course materials. The first asks students to
assess why small group communication is important and how they plan to use it in future classes,
careers, and in their life. The second will ask students to analyze and identify of group conflict
management, climate improvement, leadership, and task accomplishment in the movie Cool
Runnings, which we will watch in class later in the semester. More details with specific
guidelines and expectations will be provided later. Both papers should follow the format and
research standards required by the course and the college. All papers are due at the beginning of
class. Grading rubrics and detailed assignment descriptions will be provided closer to the due
date of each paper. Each paper is worth 75 points, 150 points total.
Group Project: Over the course of the semester, students will work in small groups on a project
with real world application. Students will be assessed based on their performance while working
in the group, the quality of the final project, and each student’s individual performance within
the group. Each group will present their final project to the class at the end of the semester in the
way of their choosing, granted it is approved by the professor. Final format ideas are due two
weeks before final presentations. Groups must provide a physical copy of their presentation
(PowerPoint printout, speaking outline, short paper, etc) prior to presenting. Groups will also
provide a detailed outline of their work thus far on the project, as well as a summary of what
remains to be done midway through the semester. A rubric with grading criteria of the group’s
presentation, individual’s performance, and the overall quality of the project will be provided
prior to the final presentation. The final group project is worth a total of 200 points: 100 points
for the group’s final project report, 50 for group presentation, 25 for individual presentation, and
25 for the mid-term outline.
QUIZZES AND EXAMS
Quizzes: Quizzes will cover content related to textbook and supplemental course readings, class
discussions, projects, and other class activities. There will be a total of thirteen quizzes
throughout the semester. All quizzes are unannounced and will cover readings from the book and
supplemental readings. Additionally, one quiz will address the syllabus. If there is a quiz, it will
occur at the beginning of class. At the end of the semester, each student’s lowest three quiz
grades, with the exception of the syllabus quiz, which will not be dropped regardless of the
student’s score. There are 10 total graded quizzes, each worth 10 points, making a grand total of
100 points.
Final Exam: The final exam will cover all course materials. Format is multiple choice, true/false,
short answer, and essay. The exam is worth 100 points. The final exam is on December 10th at 1
pm. There will be no exemptions for this exam.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Attendance is required for this course. Students will sign in before each session to verify their
attendance. Each student is allowed two unexcused absences. The third absence results in a loss
of 25 points from the student’s final grade, and each unexcused absence after the third results in
the loss of a letter grade, or 100 points from the student’s final grade. Excused absences require
documentation and notification in advance if possible. If a student misses a course for any
reason, they will be expected to understand material covered in class, and it is the student’s
responsibility to get class notes, assignments, and other materials from classes they miss.

Participation grades are given based on the student’s engagement in class. This includes, but is
not limited to, active listening, respecting the time and opinions of other students and the
professor, engaging in productive, meaningful discussion, asking thoughtful and meaningful
questions, and practicing appropriate class etiquette. A student cannot earn participation points
if they are absent. Cell phone use is not tolerated in class. If there is an emergency, please let me
know before hand, keep your device on vibrate, and quietly excuse yourself when the time
comes to deal with a call. Full details of participation guidelines can be found in the “Track Your
Grade” form, and grades will be posted online throughout the semester. If any student is
concerned about their participation grade, or would like to know a better way to improve that
grade, please feel free to contact me for a meeting.
Participation and attendance account for 150 points towards the student’s final grade.
INTERTEACHING
Three times throughout the semester, the class will engage in interteaching. Interteaching is a
pedagogical tool designed improve student comprehension of material through effective dialogue
with each other in the classroom about specific readings and assignments. It is collaborative and
dialogic in nature.
To complete interteaching, students must come to class having read the assigned reading. There
will be a short quiz on this reading. There will always be a quiz taken at the beginning of class
on the day of an interteaching exercise. They are then randomly assigned to groups of three to
work on a set of scenarios that force them to apply the concepts from the reading. The groups
will always be different. At the conclusion of class, students are given an Interteaching Record
form that helps the instructor know what to lecture on during the next class.
The advantages of teaching and cooperative learning are combined in interteaching; students
learn about and practice oral communication in this course. In class, students will work with one
or two other students to answer and discuss the scenarios on the activity sheet. Each student is
required to speak and contribute during interteaching, instructors act as a coach and circulate
among the groups of students to provide clarification and guidance as needed, and to help the
learning process. At the end of the interteaching session, each student will complete an
Interteaching Record (ITR) to identify the topics they had difficulty with, which they want to
know more about and also to evaluate the interteaching session. The interteaching record also
comes with a score sheet, in which students are given a total of 48 points to assign to all
members of the group based on their preparation, communication, critical thinking and listening,
and focus. Students will also grade their own performance. All group members should contribute
and facilitate discussion.
Please note that these sessions are not about finishing the scenarios, rather to have meaningful
discussions about the concepts of the reading. If a group has a meaningful discussion on only one
scenario for the whole class, that is fine. Don’t focus on finishing all scenarios. Interteaching
values quality of discussion, not quantity.

Each interteaching session has a possible total of 35 points. There are twenty possible points
which can be given based on the instructor’s evaluation of the group/student’s performance in
the group, and 15 are possible for student evaluations on the Interteaching Record. The quiz
counts towards the student’s quiz score, not their interteaching score. There are 105 total points
available during interteaching, but only a possible of 100 points can count towards a student’s
final grade. Due to the nature of peer evaluations, it is almost impossible that a student can earn
all 105 total points during interteaching. Thus, this creates a five point buffer to grading that
should improve students’ final overall score in the course. In the unlikely event that a student
earns more than 100 points on interteaching, any additional points will count as extra credit
towards the student’s final grade. If a student is absent during an interteaching day, the grade is
counted as a zero and there is no make-up possible due to the conversational and dialogic nature
of the sessions.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. According to the Clark State student
handbook cheating and plagiarism are defined as:
1. Cheating: Academic dishonesty may take the form of cheating when one presents as
one’s own work the work of another. Some examples include, but are not limited to, the
following:
o Copying or providing another student an examination, assignment, or other work
to be evaluated.
o Inappropriate collaboration on work to be evaluated.
o The use of cheat sheets, etc.
o Buying/selling examinations, term papers, etc.
o Having another person take an exam; having another person write a paper or
assignment for which the student will receive credit.
o Submitting work for which credit has already been received in another course
without the expressed consent of the instructor.
2. Plagiarism: One particular form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism (i.e., the
representation of another’s words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own). While it is expected
that a student who is engaged in writing will utilize information from sources other than
personal experience, appropriate acknowledgment of such sources is required. Plagiarism
includes, but is not limited to:
o Utilizing a direct quotation without citing the source.
o Paraphrasing the ideas, interpretation, and expressions of another without giving
credit.
o Using the ideas of others as their own by failing to acknowledge or document
sources. Sources of information should be credited or footnoted by following an
English language style guide (e.g., APA Handbook).
3. All written work is to be typed, double-spaced with 1” margins, and standard 12-point
Times New Roman font. Do not extra spaces between paragraphs. As a header, students
should put their name, course number, and date in the upper left hand corner of the first
page of papers. All papers need to have titles, centered above the body of the paper. The
header can be either single or double spaced, but single is preferred. All papers should
have page numbers accompanied by the student’s last name on each page in the upper
right header of each page.

4. Use of APA citation style is required, so be sure to access and use the APA Style Guide
available online (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/). Please consult
librarians or ask the professor for more information on APA formatting and research
recommendations for papers.
5. All exams and quizzes are closed book. If a student is caught referring to their book or
notes during an exam or quiz, it will be considered a form of cheating, as defined above.
Students should feel free to refer to all available resources for all other assignments,
granted the use of these materials does not lead to cheating or plagiarism, as defined
above.
OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION
1. Late Work: All quizzes, participation, presentations, discussion, interteaching, and
attendance will happen in real time and thus, any student who fails to be in attendance at
the time of these aspects of the course will receive a zero on that assignment. For
physical documents, such as papers and reports, late work will only be accepted on class
period after the designated due date, but will result in a loss of 10% of the grade on that
assignment. The professor will not accept assignments at any point after that point,
resulting in a zero on said assignment. Students must attend the final presentation and
final exam to receive credit (unless there is a valid excuse for missing, as approved by the
professor, the department, and the school).
If a student knows they will be unable to complete work on time, they should provide as
much forewarning as possible to the professor and have a documented and valid reason
for not completing assignments or exams by the due date. The professor may choose to
grant an extension to students with valid, documented reasons for not completing
assignments.
2. Students with disabilities at Clark State must self-advocate for their need for
accommodation by requesting accommodation letters from the Disability Services office.
If you have a documented disability for which accommodations may be required in this
class, please contact Dr. Cort Schneider (schneiderc@clarkstate.edu) in the Office of
Disability Services (937-328-6019) as soon as possible to arrange accommodations. If
you have already presented your documentation and/or arranged accommodations
through Disability Services, you are required to provide your instructor with your
accommodation letter within the first three weeks of class. Accommodations will
only be provided after the letter is submitted to me and with sufficient lead-time for me to
arrange testing or other accommodation.

CLASS SCHEDULE – FALL 2015
Date Reading – To Be Completed Before
Class
In Class
8/25 Introductions and Syllabus Review
8/27 Syllabus, Chapter 1 pg 3-19 SYLLABUS QUIZ
Lecture and Discussion, Research and
Citation Review
9/1 Chapter 1: Review pg 1-19, read pg 19-
35
Lecture and Discussion, Group Formation
9/3 Chapter 2 pg 36-42 Lecture, Activities, and Discussion
Group Brainstorming
9/8 Chapter 2 pg 42-54 INTERTEACHING #1
9/10 Chapter 2 Review; Chapter 3 pg 55-64 PAPER 1 DUE
Interteaching Review Lecture and Discussion
9/15 Chapter 3 pg 64-75 Lecture and Discussion
9/17 Chapter 4 pg 76-90 GROUP TOPICS DUE
Group Presentations
9/22 Chapter 4 pg 90-101 Lecture and Discussion, Dialogue Exercise
9/24 Chapter 5 pg 102-112; Watch Debi
Jackson’s “A Mother Stands Up for
Her Child, And All Transgender
Children”
Lecture and Discussion; Discussion of
Understanding Cultures and Roles
9/29 Chapter 5 pg 112-128 GROUP REPORT #1 DUE
10/8 Chapter 6 Review; Chapter 7 pg 148-
167
Interteaching Review Lecture and Discussion
10/13 Chapter 7 pg 167-174 Lecture and Discussion; Listening Exercise
10/15 Chapter 8 pg 178-188 FINAL PROJECT OUTLINE DUE
10/22 Chapter 8 Review Interteaching Review and Discussion
10/27 Chapter 9 pg 218-228 Watch and Discuss Cool Runnings
10/29 Chapter 9 pg 228-239 Watch and Discuss Cool Runnings
11/5 Chapter 10 pg 249-268 Leadership Styles Activity and Discussion
11/10 Chapter 11 pg 269-288 PAPER #2 DUE
Discussion of Papers, group work time
11/12 Chapter 11 pg 288-300 Lecture and Discussion; Types of
Communication Exercise

11/17 Chapter 12 pg 301-309 FINAL PROJECT FORMATS DUE
Group work time
11/19 Chapter 12 pg 309-323 GROUP REPORT #2 DUE
Lecture and Discussion
11/24 Course Wrap Up and Evaluations
11/26 *NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING*
12/1 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
12/3 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
12/10 FINAL EXAM – 1 PM
* Please note that all dates and assignments are subject to change at the digression of the professor.
** There will also be supplemental readings or other media pieces throughout the semester. The class will be given
as much warning as possible

SmallGrp Syllabus Fall 2015

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