AHSC/232/4 Sec AA 2004

Course Outline

WORKING IN TASK GROUPS/AHSC/232/4 SecAA

• Course Goals
• Course Objectives
• Experiential Learning
• Required Texts
• Course Requirements
• Attendance and Participation
• Assignments and Evaluation
• 4 Observation Journals
• Suggestions for Writing an Observation Journal
• Group Presentation
• Group Presentation Components
• The Tool Kit Inventory of Skills (10%)
• Synthesis of Group Observation Areas (10%)
• Situate your group into a developmental theory (10%)
• Fishbowl/Process (10%)
• Criteria for Inventory Evaluation
• Instructor Evaluation
• Additional Important Student Information
• POLICY REGARDING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
• Bibliography

Course Goals

1. The goal of this course is to provide you with experiences that will help you to:
2. Develop your observational and diagnostic skills in groups.
3. Acquire skills in appropriate participation and intervention in groups.
4. Acquire a theoretical understanding of the concepts on group development.
5. Link the literature to your experience.
6. Become ‘participant-observers’.

Course Objectives

1. This course will provide opportunities for students to:
2. Develop insight and sensitivity to self and others in relatively unstructured groups.
3. Practice new behaviors in their work group situations.
4. Develop a "Tool Kit" of skills for effective group membership;
5. Give and receive feedback on the effectiveness of behaviors and skills.
6. Demonstrate effective group membership.
7. Practice and improve observational and diagnostic skills.
8. Contribute observations, analysis, and comments to the group process;
9. Demonstrate an understanding of developmental processes of small task groups;
10. Link practice with theoretical concept, through active experimentation.

Experiential Learning

This course utilizes the “laboratory method” of learning. This method entails learning-by-doing. The Assumption is that people learn best by experiencing, by reflecting on that experience, by conceptualizing from those activities and actually trying out what they have learned. In other words, you will learn effective group behavior by actually working in a task group. You will be given the opportunity to link data (your experience and observations) to theory that will be presented in lectures, required readings, class discussions and shared processing time in your small group.

Required Texts:

1. Dimock, H. (1993). How to observe your group. North York: Captus Press.

2. Kass, R. (2002). 2^nd Ed. Theories of Small Group Development. Montreal: Centre for Human Relations and Community Studies, Concordia University.

3. Applied Human Sciences 232 Course Pack (Selected Readings.)

Strongly Recommended Texts:

1. American Psychological Association Manual (A.P.A.)

Course Requirements

Attendance and Participation

Since this course utilizes the laboratory method of experiential learning, full attendance, punctuality and participation are essential for your own and others' learning. You may miss no more than one class session. For any additional classes missed, your final grade will be lowered by 1/3 of a letter grade, per absence. Coming to class late, or leaving early, without prior arrangements, constitutes a session missed.

Assignments and Evaluation:

All Observation Journals must be typed and double-spaced and must include appropriate references and a bibliography, according to the APA format. Correct grammar, clarity, and organization will be among the criteria used in evaluating papers. Journals are due on the dates specified, at the beginning of class. Late Journals must be negotiated prior to the due date. Un-negotiated late Journals will result in lowering your mark by 1/3 of a letter grade for every two days delayed, including weekends.

Please note: All assignments must be completed in order to receive a passing grade for this course.

4 Observation Journals

• Due: Jan. 19^th, Feb. 9^th, Mar. 1^st, Mar. 22^th
• Value: 15% each (60% of your final course grade)
• The Observation Journal reflects your experience in your task group, and integrates the information from the lectures and readings. In an experiential learning model, it is essential to take time to reflect upon your learning experiences. These logs are designed to help you in this process. They will also provide a rich source of data that you and your team members will require for your Group Presentation. There will be a total of 4 Observation Journals.

Suggestions for Writing an Observation Journal

• The Observation Journals are systematically accumulated records of your experiences in your task group sessions. They will serve as a source of data for your Group Presentation. As soon as possible after each session, take about 20 minutes to write about your experience.
• Only discuss your Task Group session.
• Record your behavioral observations, process observations, your impressions of others, and hunches about meanings, by using the Instruments provided.
• Analyze what you think is happening: what is moving the group forward and what is blocking the group's development.
• Focus on the process of the group, not the content: describe how the group did, not what they did.
• Concrete, observable and “checked out” examples are the building blocks of your Observation Journals.
• Specifically state names, events, and behaviors to illustrate the statements you make about your group’s development.
• Link your observations and ideas to your readings.
• In each Journal you will identify one area of your group development, which is in need of improvement and you will supply a concrete plan of action that you will implement. In the following Journal, you will evaluate your intervention, discuss what worked and what did not work, and plan a new action plan for the following two weeks, and so on. Patterns and meanings will emerge as sessions go by. It is not necessary to understand everything that occurs in your group; however, it is necessary to systematically record your observations and reactions.

• Log entries should include:

1. Nonjudgmental descriptions of members' behaviors (not their intentions)
2. Your feelings and reaction to the process.
3. Your feelings and reaction about what impacted on you, and on the group, and how?
4. Ideas from class that strike you as being of some importance or seem like links to what is happening in your group. Include questions that you have, as well as your attempts to find answers.
5. Learning and insights drawn from the materials covered and/or your experiences in the group.
6. Integration of, and reflection on the required readings. You are free to select your own readings related to group development. We are specifically interested in your analysis and attempts at integration. We encourage you to challenge the readings in your analysis, and in the event of disagreement, supply your rationale.

Group Presentation

Due: March 8^th and March 15^th

Value: 30% of your final course grade

This group assignment will pull together all you have learned about diagnosing group dynamics. You will present your group along the following dimensions:

1. Present your group’s profile.
1. The Tool Kit Inventory of Group Skills.
2. Synthesis of Group Observation Areas.
2. Situate your group into a developmental theory.
1. Summarize a group development theory.
2. Describe how your group developed within this framework.
3. Address one group area in need of improvement, and provide a concrete intervention that you, as a group, would wish to implement if you were to work together in the future.
3. Fishbowl/Process
1. Discuss your thoughts and feelings about your membership in the group

Group Presentation Components

The Tool Kit Inventory of Skills (10%)

This part of the presentation is to construct and represent a Tool Kit, which contains the interpersonal/group attitudes and skills you each bring to the group.

The Tool Kit is to assess, list and symbolically represent the strengths, skills, tools, attitudes that you bring with you, to the group work experience.

You will each be required:

1. To look at your ‘self’ as an instrument, to formulate your assumptions about what makes a ‘good’ group
2. To make explicit to your team members the framework you use to diagnose what is going on
3. To address what you think needs to be done to make things even better.
4. To formulate a Learning Goal and a specific ‘Recipe’ you will use, in order to achieve it.

You will consider the following points:

What are the tools you each use well?

What is lacking in your collective Tool Kit?

How may you add what is needed?

This Inventory will include an itemized list of all the group tools you collectively have at your disposal.

Each item will be briefly defined in your own words, discussed and substantiated by showing, through an example from your Task Group, how the specific tool was used and to what affect.

Synthesis of Group Observation Areas (10%)

This part of the presentation is a summary the Areas of Observation discussed in the individual Observation Journals.

This section will address Climate (physical/emotional), Involvement, Interaction, Cohesion, Decision Making, Leadership and Productivity, as it developed over time. As a group, you will review and synthesize the data you have individually collected over the semester, and address the changes in these Areas of Observation, over the semester.

Situate your group into a developmental theory (10%)

• Summarize a Group Development Theory.
• Situate your group into the developmental framework you have summarized, by providing concrete examples to substantiate your statements.
• Discuss what helped/hindered the group’s development.
• Provide a prescription or action plan, which you believe would move your group forward if you were to continue in the group for another semester.

Fishbowl/Process(10%)

At the of your presentation, you will discuss how you felt in the group, what you thought of the group’s process, what if anything changed for you, as a result of having participated in your task group.

Criteria for Inventory Evaluation:

1. Demonstrated understanding of the ‘self’ as an instrument and its impact on the group. (Tool kit)
2. Demonstrated understanding of theoretical frameworks. (Theory and Diagnosis)
3. Demonstrated understanding of group tools and their impact on the group (Observation)
4. Clarity, specificity, feasibility of the ‘Recipe’ offered. (Intervention)
5. Adequacy of examples and thoroughness of content. (Observation)
6. Demonstrated ability to synthesize and make sense of your collective experience. (Diagnosis)
7. Teamwork: visibly balanced and effective involvement of all group members. (Leadership and Decision Making)
8. Demonstrated ability to plan and evaluate an intervention.
9. Processing skills. (Evaluation)
10. Educational benefits to others. (Communication)
11. Time management
12. Creativity
13. Extras

Instructor Evaluation

Value: 10% of your final course grade

Each student's progress in developing effective behavior in groups will be assessed by the instructor and the teaching assistants.

Criteria for Evaluation:

1. Taking risks in group and in large class
2. Moving the group forward
3. Showing evidence of effort, change and development
4. Diagnostic skills applied in the group
5. Flexibility in leadership behaviors (task and maintenance)
6. Contributing to others' learning
7. Regular attendance, positive participation and attitudes

• Jan. 13^th Last day to register.
• Jan. 19^th DNE Last day for withdrawal with tuition refund for from two-term and fall-term courses.
• Mar. 8^th DISC Last day for withdrawal from fall-term courses (no tuition refund).

The following scale is used in the calculation of your final grade. Letter grades are converted to numerical values:

Each component equivalent of your grade is multiplied by the percentage for the component. The final grade is a sum of grades of the various course requirements. You must have an average equal to or above the numerical value to earn the corresponding letter grade. For example, 3.17 is above 3.0 (B) but below 3.3 (B+). Therefore, the grade would be B. 

POLICY REGARDING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

All material submitted for evaluation must be your original work. The submission of written work, which includes the words or ideas of another without citing or attributing them to their author, constitutes plagiarism according to the guidelines of the University. Cheating or assignments, which are plagiarized, will not be counted, and their authors treated in accordance with Concordia's policy on academic dishonesty as stated in the University Calendar. These consequences range from failure to expulsion. Ponder the repercussions before taking chances.

Bibliography

The following is a sampling of readings relevant to the area of group dynamics:

Bennis, W., Benne, K., Chin, R., & Corey, C. (1976). The planning of change. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Dimock, H.G. (1987). Groups: Leadership and group development. California, University Associates.

Egan, G. (1970). Encounter: Group processes for interpersonal growth. Belmont, CA.: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Gibb, J.R. (1978). Trust: A new view of personal and organizational development. Los Angeles: The Guild of Tutors Press.

Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. (1977). Management of organizational behaviour: Utilizing human resources. New Jersey: Prentice_Hall.

Heider, J. (1986). Tao of leadership. Toronto: Bantam Books.

Johnson, D. & Johnson, F. (1991). Joining together. New Jersey: Prentice_Hall.

Lacoursiere, R.B. (1980). The life cycle of groups. Chicago: Quadrangle Books.

Miles, M.B. (1973). Learning to work in groups. New York: Teachers' College, Columbia University.

Napier, R.W. & Gershefeld, M.K. (1981). Groups: Theory and experience. Boston: Houghton_Miffllin.

Schutz, W. (1982). Profound simplicity. New York: Bantam Books.

©2001-2004 LearningByDoing, Inc