Details for Assignment 03: Small Group Individual Analysis Paper

Step 7: Submit Assignment 03: Small Group Individual Analysis

Within 48 hours following the presentation, each student will submit to Moodle a 3-4-page Small Group Individual Analysis focused on the process of the group's work-NOT on the topic.

OBJECTIVE: Writing a small group analysis paper is an excellent way to examine group processing. Over time, observed behavior of participants begin to expose patterns, including communication concepts in action. By recording and analyzing what you observe, you are demonstrating how to document "data." Additionally, writing an analysis allows you to integrate small group concepts and theories with your own experiences in your group. Hence, the need for maintaining a journal.

PROCEDURE for Small Group Individual Analysis:

1. During group meetings, face-to-face or virtual, observe members' interaction and how your group functions as a whole. Record observations and any contributions you make in your GoogleDocs online journal. Make sure to record entries immediately after each meeting. From time-to-time, the instructor will check on your progress through the shared document. The more you record in the journal, the easier it will be to recall when writing your analysis paper.

2. Your paper will include a cover page; not be less than three (3) nor exceed four (4) typewritten pages; double- spaced, with 1" margins; using 12-pt. Times New Roman. The analysis is NOT a group assignment, but an individual one. Thus, it will necessarily be different from papers written by other members of your group.

NOTE: Papers will not be shared with any other member of the class, which allows the writer to be open in their analysis.

DO NOT FOCUS on your group's topic. Instead, the paper should include terms and concepts with appropriate applications and explanations as they relate to your group's interactive process. You will need to cite specific examples to substantiate the appropriateness and accuracy of your analysis. The paper should be able to reflect that the writer had completed a unit in small group communication.

3. Your paper should be organized into three basic sections:

a. Introduction:
A short paragraph describing the general characteristics of your group; how you came together; when and where you held your group meetings; an overview of your group process; what you intend to focus on in your paper. A specific thesis/preview statement should be included that reflects the organization and approach of your paper.

b. Body of the Analysis:
This section should be devoted to your analysis and the description of the behaviors observed in the group process. This will involve specific examples of behaviors observed in the group and the application of communication concepts to these observations. How were these significant? Why were they important to the functioning of your group?

Consider discussion of the following items. For details and perspectives on each items, go to:

Moodle > Course Home >ASSG 03: Small Group Analysis > Small Group Resources

Leadership - How did the group deal with leadership? Which style of leadership do you think best describes each member? How could each member be a more effective group member?

Roles - Did roles emerge from the group's pattern of interacting? Which group members were skilled in keeping the group on task? Which members were skilled at facilitating the flow of interaction? Which members were skilled at maintaining or changing the climate or mood of the group? Which members were skilled at helping relieve group tension? What task, maintenance, individualistic roles did group
members play? Was there role specialization, role fixation, etc.

Communication Climate - How would you describe the communication climate of your group over time (from the first interaction to the most recent)? What factors contributed to the overall climate of your group? (Remember Gibb's supportive or defensive behaviors?) How did contextual and environmental factors influence group communication and group productivity?

Norms - Did norms emerge from the group's patterns of communicating? If so, how (explicitly stated, informally applied, etc.)? Which norms encouraged group effectiveness? Which norms hindered group effectiveness?

Constraints - What types of constraints did your group experience? How did those constraints influence group interaction? Describe how the group managed time during meetings. Describe the quality of interaction during meetings.

Decision-Making Methods - How did your group make decisions? (majority rule, by expert, consensus, etc.). Did they vary throughout the group's tenure? Did groupthink occur? And, if so, how was it handled? Where there any other "defective decision-making" instances? What helped your group make good decisions?

Phases of Group Development - How did your group proceed through the project? What caused you to form, how did you "storm," etc.? What might have been effective ways to manage tension?

Creative Problem-Solving - How did your group manage the problem-solving aspect of the assignment?

How did you brainstorm? Did you try any of the other creative ways to problem-solve? What might have been made problem-solving more effective?

Do not try to address all of these concepts. (In fact, you may decide to choose some different concepts.) Trying to address all in a short paper would mean you would do very little analysis and application. Choose one to three concepts and discuss in detail (oftentimes your detailed discussion will include incorporating other concepts covered in the course.).

You should include your behaviors and contributions to the group as well. This should be a learning process: What did you learn from your small group experience that you can apply to other small groups that you will be a part of? How did this group differ from other groups that you have been in? What would have been other ways to handle the issues?

c. Conclusion:

Integrate and summarize specific behavior patterns that illustrated your group process. What lessons did the group learn about communicating in small groups? What factors contributed to your group working well together? How could your group have been more effective?