MCCCD Program Description

Small Group Communication

Course: COM230

First Term: 2010 Spring

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Principles and processes of small groups and development of skills for participation and leadership in small group settings. Practice in problem solving, decision making, and information sharing.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Identify the elements and describe the process of communication. (I) 2. Identify and describe motivations for member participation in groups, phases in group development, and roles and role emergence in groups. (II) 3. Use meeting management and facilitation techniques to organize, plan, conduct, and evaluate a conference, workshop, or small group meeting. (II) 4. Identify and apply small group theory to analyze groups in private and public settings. (II) 5. Identify and demonstrate leadership skills in small group and team environments. (III) 6. Identify and demonstrate techniques and skills for developing and maintaining a supportive climate in a small group. (IV) 7. Demonstrate effective communication skills in a small group. (IV) 8. Describe the impact of culture on team interactions, and demonstrate intercultural sensitivity during the group process. (IV) 9. Identify and use conflict management strategies in a small group. (IV) 10. Describe and employ a variety of virtual meeting formats. (V) 11. Working in a small group, identify, research, analyze, and resolve a problem related to social scientific theories and principles. (VI) 12. Identify and use team building techniques. (IV) 13. Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills in small groups settings. (IV) 14. Use meeting management techniques to organize, plan, and conduct a small group meeting. (V) 15. Identify information required in the research of a topic. (VI) 16. Describe the techniques of information management. (VI) 17. Identify and describe theories and styles of leadership. (VII) 18. Identify, describe, and demonstrate key leadership functions within small groups. (VII) 19. Use appropriate problem solving techniques to identify, analyze and resolve a problem in a small group setting. (VII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Groups and Group Processes A. Communication Models B. Teams vs. Groups C. Small Group Purposes 1. Information Sharing 2. Problem Solving II. Participation in Group Meetings A. Motivations for individual participation in groups B. Phases in Group Development C. Roles and Role Emergence D. Agenda E. Room Set-up and Resources F. Facilitating G. Follow-up and Evaluation III. Leading Groups A. Theories and Styles B. Emergence and Shared Leadership C. Characteristics of Effective Leadership IV. Improving Group Climate A. Interpersonal Needs 1. Supportive vs. Defensive Communication 2. Self-Disclosure, Empathy, and Trust 3. Verbal Messages 4. Non-Verbal Messages B. Cultural Sensitivity C. Cohesiveness D. Groupthink E. Conflict 1. Conflict Styles 2. Positive Functions of Conflict 3. Strategies for Managing Conflict F. Team-building Techniques V. Technology and Teams A. Virtual Meeting Formats 1. Synchronous a. Audio conferences b. Video conferences c. Web chat 2. Asynchronous a. Voicemail b. E-mail c. Web boards B. Adapting Group Communication Strategies for Virtual Communication 1. Choosing Appropriate Formats 2. Providing Effective Facilitation VI. Problem Solving A. Problem Solving Agendas B. Research and Systematic Analysis C. Decision Making D. Implementation and Evaluation E. Presentational Formats C. Tasks D. Shared Leadership E. Adapting to a Situation VIII. Problem Solving A. Establishing a Shared Vision of Problem B. Data Gathering and Analysis C. Brainstorming Solutions D. Establishing a Plan E. Implementing a Plan

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 12/8/2009

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.