| Course Information |
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Course Description: |
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This course examines how group behavior affects organizational effectiveness, decision making, conflict resolution, and strategies for efficient group and task management. Through activities in this course, students will explore their leadership skills specifically related to groups and group social process. Emphasis will be placed on such topics as group decision-making, participation in groups, power and authority, and a variety of communication styles. |
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Course Objectives: |
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Upon the conclusion of the course the student will be able to:
1. explore the literature regarding constructs common to group formation and small groups dynamics
2. describe the general systems concepts and the systems perspective, as related in the Tubbs Model
3. self assess their facilitation skills and other leadership skills
4. develop consensus techniques, team building strategies, and collaboration models
5. gather strategies to deal with conflict as well as developing their skills for negotiation and compromise.
6. examine the opportunities presented by developing teams of persons with culturally diverse backgrounds and
7. expand their effectiveness in conducting meetings and forming a vision for organizations
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| Prerequisites and Corequisites: |
None |
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Course Topics: |
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The following topics will be covered during this course:
1.Why Study Small Groups?
2.Leadership and Small Group Decision Making
3.Communication Processes
4.Group Task Roles
5.Gender and Communication Connection
6.Group Circumstances and Structures
7.Leadership and Social Influence Processes
8.Conflict Management
9.Team Building
10.Language and Cross Cultural Politics
11.Organization Change Strategy and Tactics
12.Observing Group Process and
13.Small Group Presentations
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Specific Course Requirements: |
Course Required Projects and Activities:
1. Attendance and Participation - Students are required to have access to the internet in order to complete and participate in the weekly online discussion thread forums and to participate in class projects. Class preparation and weekly participation in the online discussion threads and projects are mandatory. The maximum points students may earn and the due date for each assignment is posted under the Assignment and Participation Section of the syllabus. Communication and interaction in class on class projects is essential for a successful completion of the course. Furthermore, as a necessary part of the course, students will be provided additional reading materials to aid their analysis and thinking processes in addressing case studies and exercises that form an integral part of the course's objectives. 2. Discussion Thread Forum and Responses - As part of the requirement of this course, discussion forums in the form of discussion thread questions will be posted by the instructor on a weekly basis. There will be exceptions for some weeks where other class projects will form the assignment for the module. Please regularly check and read your weekly module to see what is expected of you each week. The readings for the course will be provided to the student in advance so that students may be prepared for online discussion threads. This preparation is a pre-condition to the class because the discussion thread questions assume that students’ will have read the material and thus takes the student not only through the material but beyond its content to application in the real world/ school setting. Students are required to answer ALL of the discussion thread questions and respond to it in a timely manner. After an initial response to the discussion thread question, students may interact with each other in this online setting by posing questions to class mates or commenting on reflections made by class mates. However please note that for grading purposes it is mandatory that students respond to the questions posed in the discussion thread forum. No grades will be assigned for comments simply made in response to another students posted comment. Therefore a response to the question posed by the instructor in the discussion forum is a MANDATORY required activity of the course and will be graded. The cut off deadline/ due date for a response to the weekly discussion question will be the Sunday of the week in question at 12 midnight Central time. Please note this deadline requirement for the posting of your weekly discussion thread responses. POINTS: Maximum 100 points 3. Case Study, Exercises and Video Analysis - As part of the course requirement students will be required to analyze react to and respond to the questions in case scenarios and video clips and complete graded exercises assigned by the instructor. Some of the case studies will be found in the text book and others provided by the instructor. Case studies and video clips are designed to stimulate student discussion and to illustrate the very rich nature of the principles of small group interaction in the real world. Both medium will help the student to bridge the gap between the theoretical concepts in each chapter and their very practical application. The student is expected to react to the facts of the case scenario or and video by completely answering the questions following. The instructor will assign the cases and video clips to be reacted to in the weekly modules. Reponses to the case scenario and video clips is a MANDATORY activity of the course and will be graded. The final product from the case analysis and video clips should be dropped in the drop box.
POINTS: Maximum 60 points
4. Small Group Leadership in Contemporary Life: Students will be required to form an online small group and to react to a selected class activity assigned by the instructor and a video clip found in the student CD that accompanies the text. The instructor will assigned the video clip and questions for student groups to respond to. Students will be assigned to group A through C depending on the class size. During the week of Module 3, the instructor will assigned each student to a specific groups and will communicate with each student regarding the specific group assigned to. The instructor will also assign the selected activity and the video clip and questions for groups to respond to. A final product in the form of a report based on the responses of the group will be required on the 7th Nov 2007. Each group should ensure that their final product is dropped in the digital drop box. This activity will provide an opportunity for students to react to issues of leadership in an online small group setting. For a detailed explanation of this assignment please proceed to the Module Small Group Leadership in Contemporary Life. Click on Instructions Group Project.
POINTS: Maximum 40 points (Group Selected Activity :20 Video Analysis: 20 points) 5. Small Group Observation Process - Students will be required to participate in the observation of a small group meeting of their choice utilizing several observation instruments provided by the professor. This activity allows the student to observe the dynamics of a group and the leadership facilitation skills used. A report of small group observation using the instruments provided by the professor and at least a 5 page narrative of the observation experience. This is a MANDATORY activity and will be graded. Please see the grading policy for further grading information.
POINTS: Maximum 50 points
6. Small Group / Final Paper/ Presentation - Students will choose a topic from a list provided by the professor and each student will write a one word processed paper (15-20 pages) utilizing APA format and include at least ten outside sources.
POINTS: Maximum 50 points
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| Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements |
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Required Textbooks: |
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Supplementary Materials: |
All supplementary materials in the form of articles, assessment tools/ instruments and module exercises will be provided by the instructor and made available to students during the course of the semester. Please regularly check your bulletin board for announcements to this effect. |
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Hardware Requirements: |
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Software Requirements: |
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| Instructor Information |
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours, instructor's commitment to feedback, and other communication information. |
| Assessment and Grading |
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Testing Procedures: |
N/A |
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Grading Procedure: |
Each week student will be required to complete one to two required/ mandatory exercises and to respond to a weekly discussion thread question posted by the instructor. The discussion thread questions are directly related to your weekly course readings found in the module. Therefore students must have read the assigned readings for the module to be able to successfully respond to the questions posed. These weekly assignments are mandatory and will be graded. Your grade on assignments will be based upon the quality of your work. The maximum points that can be earned for each discussion thread is (10) points ten. There is a total of ten discussion thread forums that each student is required to participate in in order to receive the maximum points. Your overall final grade will be determined by the TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS you earn.
Other class activities that will be graded include video analysis, group projects, course exercises and case scenarios. Each activity is graded utilizing a point system. A detailed breakdown of the total amount of points you can earn for each activity is posted below under the item Grading Scale. The higher your total points, the more likely you will receive an excellent grade. Quality work, thoroughness of answers, grammatical accuracy and organizational presentation of your work are essential in order for students to earn points. High achievement in this course consist of the students making the maximum points or close the maximum point in individual assignments and in the successful completion of all assignments in a timely manner. The basis of the letter grade is shown below: |
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Grading Scale: |
It is imperative that students will have read the materials assigned. Much of the learning is individualized and self-paced as a result of the online delivery format utilized. The student will be graded based on the completion of required course projects and activities. These projects and activities each carry a point value, with the cumulative total of the completed points determining the grade to be received in the course. The student must complete the required project and activities in order to successfully complete the course. Your grade on assignments will be based upon the quality of your work. Your final grade will be determined by the TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS you earn. The basis of the letter grade is shown below:
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Assignment: |
Discussion Thread Participation |
Case Study & Video Analysis
Small Group Leadership in Contemporary Life |
Small Group Observation Process |
Group Final Paper |
Total |
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Points: |
100 |
60
40 |
50 |
50 |
300 |
Online Discussion Participation - 100 pts
Case Study and Video Analysis - 60pts
Small Group Leadership in Contemporary Life - 40pts
Small Group Observation Process - 50pts
Group Final Paper and Presentation - 50 pts
Percentages90%-100% --A
80% -89% ---B
70%-79% ---C
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| Assignments and Participation |
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Assignments and Projects: |
This is a summary of ALL of your course assignment due dates and the maximum points you can earned from each assignment. A detailed breakdown of this is also in your modules.
| Course Assignment |
Point You Can Earn |
Due Date |
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Module 2 - Video Clip: “Defensive/supportive” Communication Climates Responses |
10 points |
23rd Sept |
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Module 3 Tubbs Model Exercise |
10 points |
7th Oct |
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Module 4- Case study “Chempure Pharmaceutical Company” |
10 points |
21st Oct |
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Module 5 -Types of Power Exercise |
10 points |
30th Oct |
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Module 6 Group Movie Analysis Report |
20 points |
7th Nov |
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Module 6 -Group Selected Activity Report |
20 points |
7th Nov |
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Module 7 Video clip of Aggressive/Assertive Communication |
20 points |
16th Nov |
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Small Group Leadership Observation Paper |
50 points |
8th Dec |
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Small Group Leadership Final Paper |
50 points |
13th Dec |
Please Note: Your Discussion Thread Responses for Module 1- 10 are due every week. Students must actively participate in threaded discussion events. This is a mandatory requirement and will be graded. Your due dates for this are posted in each module. Each discussion response will be worth a total of 10 points each. The cut off deadline/ due date for a response to the weekly discussion question will be the Sunday of the week in question at 12 midnight Central time. Please note this deadline requirement for the posting of your weekly discussion thread responses. |
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Class Participation: |
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Because this class is a partially self-paced program in that you may complete a specific week’s work anytime during that week timeframe, it is essential that all students consistently review all available materials posted online and sent via email or in any electronic format. As part of the requirement of this course, discussion forums in the form of discussion thread questions will be posted by the instructor on a weekly basis. There will be exceptions for some weeks where other class projects will form the assignment for the module. Please regularly check and read your weekly module to see what is expected. The readings for the course will be provided to the student in advance so that they may be prepared for online discussion threads. This preparation is a pre-condition to the class because the discussion thread questions assume that students’ will have read the material and thus takes the student not only through the material but beyond its content to application in the real world/ school setting. Students must actively participate in threaded discussion events. Students are required to answer ALL of the discussion thread questions and respond to it in a timely manner. These discussion threads are a MANDATORY activity of the course and will be graded. Students must communicate with other students in the chat room (when necessary) and communicate with the instructor as and when the need arises utilizing your official student email. Students must check the course bulletin board frequently for posted announcements related to this courseStudents are required to participate collaboratively in a small group project as part of a requirement of this class. During the week of Module 3, the instructor will assigned each student to a specific groups and will communicate with each student regarding the specific group assigned to. Each group must react to a selected class activity assigned by the instructor and a video clip found in the student CD that accompanies the text. The instructor will assign the selected activity and the video clip and questions following for groups to respond to. Students will be assigned to group A through D depending on the class size. A final product in the form of a report based on the responses of the group will be required from each group. Students will also be required to participate in mandatory class projects and exercises in this class.
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Punctuality: |
Students are required to submit their assignment in a timely fashion. Late submission of assignments will result in penalty and loss of points. Students will lose a three points deduction from their total points for the first week of tardiness and an additional three points for each subsequent week. No paper will be accepted after the end of the 2nd week that the project/activity/discussion thread response is due. Please note the Due Date Policy will be strictly enforced. It is the responsibility of the student to familiarize him or herself with all due dates required for the submission of assignments. For milestones and due dates for assignments please refer to "Assignment and Participation" found in your syllabus. |
| Course Ground Rules |
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This course is a distance-learning/online course offered through the (Regent Online Degree Program). This course will be administered via Desire2Learn (D2L). Because this class is a partially self-paced program in that you may complete a specific week’s work anytime during that week timeframe, it is essential that all students consistently review all available materials posted online and sent via email or in any electronic format. Course assessment via online discussion boards, course projects, case analysis, written critiques and the final research projects will be administered on-line during the course of this class. Participation is required for all graded activities. It is imperative that students will have read the materials assigned. Much of the learning is individualized and self-paced as a result of the online delivery format utilized. The student will be graded based on the successful completion of required course projects and activities. These projects and activities each carry a point value, with the cumulative total of the completed points determining the grade to be received in the course. The student must complete the required project and activities in order to successfully complete the course.
For the required group/team project students are expected to communicate with other students in completing the assigned project. It is the responsibility of students to learn how to navigate in D2L. Students must also ensure to keep abreast of course announcements that will be posted in the bulletin board. |
| Guidelines for Communications |
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Email: |
- Always include a subject line.
Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
Use standard fonts.
Do not send large attachments without permission.
Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
- Respect the privacy of other class members
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Discussion Groups: |
- Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
- Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
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Chat: |
- Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
- Be constructive in your comments and suggestion
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Web Resources: |
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Library |
The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. |
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Students With Disabilities |
Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor. |
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Syllabus Changes |
The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board. |
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Technical Support |
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Telephone Support: |
If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling
1-866-550-7637 (toll free)
or go to the AskRODP website at:
http://help.rodp.org
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