SPC 132 - Group Communication
Last Date of Approval: Spring 2020
3 Credits
Total Lecture Hours: 45
Total Lab Hours: 0
Total Clinical Hours: 0
Total Work-Based Experience Hours: 0
Course Description:
Group communication offers practical, applicable exercises to improve listening skills, leadership, and open-mindedness to other points of view. Considered by former students as a most valuable “life course,” students will learn techniques to improve relationships, manage conflict, solve problems, and reach consensus. There are no public speeches given, but a significant portion of the class is spent in small-group activities and discussion. Group Communication helps students build confidence in their communication skills while also enabling them to listen actively, think critically, consider the viewpoints of others, and effectively express themselves, all of which will benefit them in the classroom, in life, and in the workforce.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: None.
Mode(s) of Instruction: traditional/face-to-face
Credit for Prior Learning: There are no Credit for Prior Learning opportunities for this course.
Course Fees: None
Common Course Assessment(s): None.
Student Learning Outcomes and Objectives:
Consciously adopt a participant-observer perspective during group discussions.
- Experiment with the relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication in terms of successful communications.
- List and employ techniques for controlling highly dominant group members.
- Identify the behavior functions provided by observed small group members.
Cultivate ethical standards for behavior within a small group.
- Dramatize examples of assertive, aggressive and passive behaviors.
- Explain the ethical concerns regarding the treatment of speech, of people and of information.
Assess cultural differences and employ techniques to overcome cultural barriers.
- Breakdown how change impacts small groups.
- Formulate opinions about why cultural awareness in communication is crucial.
Measure personal progress on the ability to listen and to modify behavior to the needs of the group.
- Recognize the vocabulary and communication lingo which comprises the small group experience.
- Practice ways to improve listening skill.
- Accurately paraphrase peer comments before adding any new information.
- Organize roles and modify actions within small group discussion exercises.
Apply the principles of conflict-management to group discussion.
- Summarize appropriate and inappropriate responses to conflict.
- Practice reaching consensus in small groups.
- Observe and critique team members in a consensus exercise.
Add to Pathway (opens a new window)
|
