OBJECTIVE:
This assignment provides you with the opportunity to work within a group to complete a project; this is your learning laboratory. The project enables you to practice what we have learned for conducting effective task group meetings.
The project consists of three distinct parts:
1) The planning and completion of a group adventure
2) The individual project portfolio
3) The group oral presentation, including a group outline
GENERAL GOALS OF THE PROJECT:
The purpose of this activity is for your group to become acquainted and organized while having an adventure somewhere in the Twin Cities area. This task is designed to bring you and your group members together, share experiences, swap stories, and learn about one another while completing a task.
This activity requires you and your group to spend at least three (3) hours on some kind of adventure in the Twin Cities area. You may divide your time any way your group decides (visit one or more places). The three hours does not include the meeting time it takes to decide what your adventure will be-in other words, the adventure should be separate from that meeting. You must meet with ALL group members at the same time.
A good adventure will be one that is original, unique, a creative place to go or task to do, or some unique experience that will be all your own. This will allow you to do something that will become part of your group history. Remember, new places provide the best adventures and provide an equal footing for all, instead of having someone act as a tour guide.
To ensure that you have the opportunity to interact, it is important that you are in a place or places where you can talk as a group (so avoid things like watching movies for example). Two other things to consider: NO illegal activities and do not choose a place that might make the class (or the instructor) uncomfortable to hear about in class.
PROCEDURE:
1. You will complete this assignment in the groups assigned at the beginning of the semester.
2. Do what you must to open up and maintain communication among yourselves (e.g. exchange names, schedules, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.).
3. As a group, you will engage is some sort of group adventure. As a group, make a decision about what you would like to do. Ideally, this will be something nobody in the group has done before to ensure everyone can discuss the experience in a similar way.
4. You will be preparing a written portfolio and presenting your project (orally) to the rest of the class.
5. Decide upon a name for your group.
6. Preparation:
a. Every time your group meets, make sure someone is taking "minutes." (Make sure to rotate this duty so that every member has taken minutes). Minutes of the meeting should include at least the following:
• Date/Time
• Place of meeting
• Who is present/Who is absent
• A summary of the group discussion
• What should be on the agenda for the next group meeting
b. Before you embark on a group adventure, you must all meet to plan the trip. Use this time to gain a bit of insight about each person's interests. What have those in your group done/not done in the Twin Cities area. Determine an adventure that will be enjoyable for everyone, and solidify a date/time that works.
c. Once you have decided upon an adventure, HAVE FUN! View this opportunity as a time to learn more about yourself and your classmates through a fun adventure. Whether you each meet at a specified location or carpool is up to you, but you must spend at least three (3) hours on this adventure.
d. After the adventure, take some time to reflect on the experience. What went well? What could have gone better? Was it awkward - why/why not? Try to also think on your adventure in terms of small group dynamics (What interpersonal relationships formed, how did the group dynamic change (or not) over the course of the adventure, did anyone take the role as a leader, etc...)
e. Meet as a group once more to prepare your presentation. While the written component of this assignment will be completed individually, the presentation will be done as a group. Discuss the common themes of the adventure and organize a presentation that reflects your group's experience.
7. Written portfolio (Individual):
Typed, spell-checked, proofread, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, 1" margins, and between 3-5 pages (excluding the cover page, references, and minutes). Please use APA referencing style for any citations.
a. Cover Page (should include at least the following):
• Paper Title
• Your Name & Group Name
• Project Due Date
b. Introduction (should be 1-2 paragraphs and include the following):
• Provide a summary of what your group did - What was your adventure?
• A thesis statement (one-sentence that summarizes the purpose of the paper)
• A preview statement (an introductory explanation of the concepts/theories identified through your group adventure)
c. Body (should include the following):
• 1. Concepts/theories: How did group interaction parallel the topics of Small Group Communication that we've discussed so far (e.g., task and maintenance functions performed; how decisions were made; was there conflict? If yes, how resolved? If no, why do you think it did not occur?). For each concept/theory you discuss, first provide a description of the concept (cite the book for this). Then, connect the concept to experiences during your adventure. Include examples from your adventure to exemplify your claims.
• 2. Strengths: What have you seen thus far regarding your group's strengths? How will these strengths facilitate your upcoming group assignments?
• 3. Weaknesses: What have you seen thus far regarding your group's weaknesses? When considering upcoming group assignments, what types of tasks might be difficult for the group? Why do you think this is the case?
• 4. Strategy: What will be your role/strategy to help the group overcome the weaknesses you've observed thus far, as well as maintain the strengths?
• Break the body into these four sections using the titles: "1. Concepts/theories," "2. Strengths," and so forth. Each section in the body should have 2-3 paragraphs.
d. Conclusion (should be one paragraph and include the following):
• A clear summary of your main points of analysis.
• What lessons you learned about small group communication?
e. References
• Cite the textbook and any additional sources cited in the paper (APA)
f. Group Minutes: each group member must provide typed group minutes in chronological order at the end of the paper.
Upload your paper as a Word document to Moodle in the Group Adventure section by the due date/time.
8. Oral Presentation (Group):
The group will provide a 7-10 minute group presentation to the class, discussing your adventure and how it provided first-hand insights regarding Small Group Communication.
a. Your presentation must include an introduction, body, conclusion, and clear transitions between speakers/content areas. Though this is an oral presentation, it must have a clear organizational structure.
b. In the presentation, you must include visuals of the adventure itself (i.e. pictures of your group on your adventure, landmarks you visited, etc...). Include these in a Google slides presentation (accessible through your umn.edu Google email site), and share it with me before class begins on the day in which you present.
c. Be sure to highlight elements of Small Group Communication throughout your presentation. Tell us about the decision-making process and the fun you had on your adventure, but also discuss what you learned about Small Group Communication through this experience (i.e. How did you see different theories/concepts of Small Group Communication applied by your group, etc...).
Also, discuss strengths and challenges the group faced while on the adventure.
d. Each group member should have some degree of responsibility for the presentation. All group members must be present and actively participate-equally-in the class presentation. Good presentation skills are crucial! Be creative and have fun! This is designed to be an enjoyable experience, so take advantage of this opportunity!
e. Prepare a 2-4 page brief outline of your oral presentation, including each section of the presentation (introduction, body, and conclusion), as well as central claims made in each section.
You MUST turn in a printed copy of this to me at the start of your presentation.
Attachment:- Assignment.rar