COMM 6450: GROUP INTERACTION FACILITATION AND PEDAGOGY
(Tuesday, 6:30-9:00, Fall, 2006, Hellems 77)
Professor:
Office:
Office Phone:
Email:
Home Phone:
Office Hours:
Dr. Larry Frey
92 Hellems
(303) 492-5600
Larry.Frey@colorado.edu
(303) 444-3335 (Answering Machine Available)
3:15-4:15 Tuesday & Thursday, 5:30-6:30 Tuesday, and by appointment
Introduction
The role of groups in people’s life has never been more apparent and important. Every segment
of society—from families to classrooms, workplaces, community organizations, governments,
and international collaborations—relies on groups. The general reason for living, learning, and
working in groups is because groups potentially are more effective than individuals.
Unfortunately, however, as most people know only too well from personal experience, and as
well documented in the scholarly literature, when left on their own to engage in naturally
occurring (“free”) discussion, groups often flounder and perform less effectively than they
should. Groups, thus, often need facilitation.
The term facilitate is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “to make easier”; hence,
group facilitation can be defined as any meeting procedure, technique, or practice that makes
group life easier. Meeting procedures are “sets of rules or guidelines which specify how a group
should organize its process to achieve a particular goal” (Poole, 1991, p. 55).
There has been a tremendous growth in group facilitation meeting procedures over the years, and
there is general agreement about why these procedures, in theory, work. One important reason
they work is because virtually all of these facilitation procedures, in one way or another,
structure the interaction that takes place in groups. Group interaction facilitation, therefore,
involves using meeting procedures to make it easier for groups to communicate.
This course examines theory, research, and practices associated with facilitating a variety of
group interaction processes (e.g., group creation, conflict communication management,
conversation and discussion, task accomplishment, and team communication). Moreover, given
that pedagogical practices are a particular type of facilitation, the course also examines
pedagogical facilitation (teaching) of an introductory group interaction course. Implications of
the facilitation techniques examined for teaching an introductory group interaction course are
woven throughout the course units.
Recommended Books
Frey, L. R. (Ed.). (1995). Innovations on group facilitation: Applications in natural settings.
Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Frey, L. R. (Ed.). (2006). Facilitating group communication in context: Innovations and
applications with natural groups (2 vols.) Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
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Frey, L. R., & Barge, J. K. (Eds.). (1997). Managing group life: Communicating in decisionmaking groups. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Course Schedule
Aug. 29
Sept. 5
Introduction to the Course and to Group Interaction Facilitation and Pedagogy
A. Readings (Posted at http://tac.colorado.edu/comm6450. Log in using “comm6450” as the
username and “communication” as the password, go to “documents and lists” at top of
page, go to “shared documents” under “document libraries,” and call up the individual
readings. Note: Close all other programs to open the individual readings.)
Sunwolf, & Frey, L. R. (2005). Facilitating group communication. In S. A. Wheelan (Ed.),
The handbook of group research and practice (pp. 485-509). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
Frey, L. R. (2006). Introduction: Facilitating group communication in context: Innovations
and applications with natural groups. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating group
communication in context: Innovations and applications with natural groups (2 Vols.,
pp. 1-59). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Sunwolf, & Seibold, D. R. (1999). The impact of formal procedures on group processes,
members, and task outcomes. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), D. S. Gouran, & M. S. Poole
(Assoc. Eds.), The handbook of group communication theory and research (pp. 395431). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Zorn, T. E., & Rosenfeld, L. B. (1989). Between a rock and a hard place: Ethical dilemmas
in problem-solving group facilitation. Management Communication Quarterly, 3, 93106.
Warnemunde, D. E. (1986). The status of the introductory small group communication
course. Communication Education, 35, 389-395.
Frey, L. R. (1999). Teaching small group communication. In A. L. Vangelisti, J. A. Daly,
& G. W. Friedrich (Eds.), Teaching communication: Theory, research, and methods
(2nd ed., pp. 99-113). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
B. Discussion Questions/Assignments
1. What problems do groups demonstrate when they engage in natural (free) discussion?
2. What are some reasons (at least theoretically) why group facilitation procedures work?
3. How might group facilitation practices best be categorized?
4. What are some important ethical issues to consider in the facilitation of group
interaction?
5. What salient issues are involved in teaching an introductory group interaction course?
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Sept. 12-19
Facilitating Group Formation and Group Member Awareness
A. Readings
Moreland, R. L. (1987). The formation of small groups. In C. Hendrick (Ed.), Review of
personality and social psychology (Vol. 8, pp. 80-110). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Sunwolf. (2006). Empathic attunement facilitation: Stimulating immediate task
engagement in zero-history training groups of helping professionals. In L. R. Frey
(Ed.), Facilitating group communication in context: Innovations and applications with
natural groups: Vol. 1. Facilitation group creation, conflict, and conversation (pp. 6392). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Kawakami, H. S. (2006). Kinetic facilitation techniques for promoting relationships among
members of diverse groups. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating group communication in
context: Innovations and applications with natural groups: Vol. 1. Facilitation group
creation, conflict, and conversation (pp. 93-121). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Keyton, J., & Frey, L. R. (2002). The state of traits: Predispositions and group
communication. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), New directions in group communication (pp. 99120). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
B. Discussion Questions/Assignments
1. What are some advantages and disadvantages of using group interaction icebreakers?
2. Each of the three groups should find or create a group interaction icebreaker exercise
and come prepared to facilitate (and process) it.
3. What personality/communication traits are important to assess and make group members
aware of, and why? What are the possibilities of facilitating change in such traits?
Sept. 26Oct. 3
Facilitating Personal Growth and Human Relations in Groups
Guests: Alana Shaw (Director, Turning the Wheel Productions, Inc.) and Will
Bledsoe (Advisor, University of Colorado at Boulder Restorative Justice Program;
PhD candidate, Department of Communication, UCB)
A. Readings
Umbreit, M. S. (1999). Restorative justice conferencing: Guidelines for victim sensitive
practice—Adapting conferences, mediations, circles and reparative boards to people,
communities, and cultures. Ft. Lauderdale, FL/St. Paul, MN: The Balanced and
Restorative Justice Project.
Rogers, C. (1970). Carl Rogers on encounter groups. New York: Harrow Books. (Chapter:
“The Process of the Encounter Group”)
Friedman, P. (n.d.). Communication Studies 540: Human Relations in Group Interaction
I—Readings on encounter. Unpublished manuscript, University of Kansas, Lawrence.
Blumberg, A., & Golembiewski, R. T. (1976). The role of the trainer. In A. Blumberg & R.
T. Golembiewski (Eds.), Learning and change in groups (pp. 76-93). Baltimore:
Penguin Books.
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October 10
Facilitating Group Conflict Management
A. Readings
Tindale, R. S., Dykema-Engblade, A., & Wittkowski, E. (2005). Conflict within and
between groups. In S. A. Wheelan (Ed.), The handbook of group research and
practice (pp. 313-328). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Jones, T. S. (2005). Mediating intragroup and intergroup conflict. In S. A. Wheelan (Ed.),
The handbook of group research and practice (pp. 463-484). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
Broome, B. J. (2006). Facilitating group communication in protracted conflict situations:
Promoting citizen peace-building efforts in Cyprus. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating
group communication in context: Innovations and applications with natural groups:
Vol. 1. Facilitating group creation, conflict, and conversation (pp. 123-154). Mahwah,
NJ: Hampton Press.
Albeck, J. H., Adwan, S., & Bar-On, D. (2006). Working through intergenerational
conflicts by sharing personal stories in dialogue groups. In L. R. Frey (Ed.),
Facilitating group communication in context: Innovations and applications with
natural groups: Vol. 1. Facilitating group creation, conflict, and conversation (pp.
155-181). Mahwah, NJ: Hampton Press.
Walker, G. B., Daniels, S. E., & Cheng, A. S. (2006). Facilitating dialogue and
deliberation in environmental conflict: The use of groups in collaborative learning. In
L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating group communication in context: Innovations and
applications with natural groups: Vol. 1. Facilitating group creation, conflict, and
conversation (pp. 205-238). Mahwah, NJ: Hampton Press.
Oct. 17
Facilitating Group Discussion and Dialogue
A. Readings
Plax, T. G., & Cecchi, L. F. (1989). Manager decisions based on communication facilitated
in focus groups. Management Communication Quarterly, 2, 511-535.
Cragan, J. F., & Shields, D. C. (1995). Using SCT-based focus group interviews to do
applied communication research. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Innovations in group
facilitation: Applications in natural settings (pp. 233-256). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton
Press.
Collier, P. J., & Morgan, D. L. (2002). Community service through facilitating focus
groups: The case for a methods-based service-learning course. Teaching Sociology,
30, 185-199.
Murphy, B. O. (1995). Promoting dialogue in culturally diverse workplace environments.
In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Innovations in group facilitation: Applications in natural settings
(pp. 77-93). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Burkhalter, S., Gastil, J., & Kelshaw, T. (2002). A conceptual definition and theoretical
model of public deliberation in small face-to-face groups. Communication Theory, 12,
398-422.
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Spano, S. (2006). Theory and practice in public dialogue: A case study of facilitating
community transformation. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating group communication in
context: Innovations and applications with natural groups: Vol. 1. Facilitating group
creation, conflict, and conversation (pp. 271-298). Mahwah, NJ: Hampton Press.
October 24
Dr. Betty Cannon (President of the Boulder Psychotherapy Institute and the
Colorado Group Psychotherapy Society)
A. Readings
Cannon, B. (2005). Group therapy as revolutionary praxis: A Sartrean view. Sartre Studies
International, 11, 133-152.
Burlingame, G. M., Kapetanovic, S., & Ross, S. (2005). Group psychotherapy. In S. A.
Wheelan (Ed.), The handbook of group research and practice (pp. 387-406).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Oct. 31Nov. 14
Group Presentations: Facilitating Task Group Interaction—Creativity/Idea
Generating, Communication Feedback, and Problem Solving/Decision Making
A. Readings
Sunwolf. (2002). Getting to “GroupAha!”: Provoking creative processes in task groups. In
L. R. Frey (Ed.), New directions in group communication (pp. 203-218). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Keyton, J. (1995). Using SYMLOG as a self-analytical group facilitation technique. In L.
R. Frey (Ed.), Innovations in group facilitation: Applications in natural settings (pp.
148-176). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Poole, M. S. (1991). Procedures for managing meetings: Social and technological
innovation. In R. A. Swenson & B. O. Knapp (Eds.), Innovative meeting management
(pp. 53-109). Austin, TX: 3M Meeting Management Institute.
Chilberg, J. C. (1989). A review of group process designs for facilitating communication.
Management Communication Quarterly, 3, 51-70.
Broome, B. J., & Keever, D. G. (1989). Next generation group facilitation: Proposed
principles. Management Communication Quarterly, 3, 107-127.
Nov. 28
Facilitating Team Interaction
A. Readings
Wheelan, S. A., & Furbur, S. (2006). Facilitating team development: Communication and
productivity. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating group communication in context:
Innovations and applications with natural groups: Vol. 2. Facilitating group task and
team communication (pp. 155-176). Mahwah, NJ: Hampton Press.
Gribas, J., & Sims, J. (2006). Metaphoric illumination and symbolic ambiguity: Applying
the team metaphor for perceptual reorientation. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Facilitating group
communication in context: Innovations and applications with natural groups: Vol. 2.
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Facilitating group task and team communication (pp. 177-203). Mahwah, NJ: Hampton
Press.
Poole, M. S., DeSanctis, G., Kirsch, L., & Jackson, M. (1995). Group decision support
systems as facilitators of quality team efforts. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), Innovations in group
facilitation: Applications in natural settings (pp. 299-321). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton
Press.
Johnson, S. D., & Iacobucci, C. (1995). Teaching small group communication with The
Dream Team. Communication Education, 44, 177-182.
Dec. 5
Facilitating Social Change through Group Interaction
A. Readings
Broome, B. J. (1995). The role of facilitated group process in community-based planning
and design: Promoting greater participation in Comanche Tribal governance. In L. R.
Frey (Ed.), Innovations in group facilitation: Applications in natural settings (pp. 2752). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Palmer, D. (in press). Facilitating consensus in an anti-globalization affinity group. In L. R.
Frey & K. M. Carragee (Eds.), Communication activism: Volume 1. Communication
for social change (pp. 325-353). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Harter, L. M., Sharma, D., Pant, S., Singhal, A., & Sharman, Y. (in press). Catalyzing
social reform through participatory folk performances in rural India. In L. R. Frey &
K. M. Carragee (Eds.), Communication activism: Volume 2.Media and performance
activism (pp. 285-314) Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Dec. 12-19
Individual Presentations (Note: December 19, 7:30-10:00 p.m.)
Assignments
A. First Paper (20%; 10 pages; due October 10): Synthesize the scholarly literature about human
relations groups and leadership of them, and, using your experiences in the human relations
group class session, analyze your strengths and weaknesses as a potential facilitator of
personal growth and human relations in groups.
B. Second Paper (35%; 30% written, 5% oral presentation) (15-20 pages; due December 12;
Note: This paper cannot be done on the same topic as your group facilitation assignment):
1. Choose a group facilitation procedure and (a) explain it, review relevant theory and
research related to it, and discuss what research needs to be conducted on it; and (b)
discuss how the procedure can be used in an introductory group interaction course to
illustrate a group interaction process.
2. If you are involved with a natural group and have an opportunity to employ a facilitation
procedure with that group, (a) explain the procedure, relevant theory and research related
to it, and what research needs to be conducted on it; and (b) examine how you used it to
help members of that group to engage more effectively in group interaction.
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3. Choose a particular group interaction process/outcome and (a) explain it, review relevant
theory and research related to it and (if available) how it has been facilitated previously
and (b) create and explain a group facilitation procedure that could be used (in an
introductory group interaction course and with natural groups) to illustrate it.
C. Group Facilitation: (25%): You will be assigned to a group that will present a session on
facilitating task group interaction. The group will have the entire class period and should
prepare readings in advance, an oral presentation that takes up the entire session, and
appropriate handouts for that class session.
D. Participation (20%): Based on completing in-class participation assignments (e.g., individual
reading reports), contributing to class discussions by offering your viewpoint and asking
relevant questions, and any additional assignments.
University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB) Notes (Arranged alphabetically)
A. Classroom Behavior Policy: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an
appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards
may be subject to discipline. Faculty members have the professional responsibility to treat all
students with understanding, dignity, and respect; to guide classroom discussion; and to set
reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions.
Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and
topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender
variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal
name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender
pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make
appropriate changes to my records. See polices at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code.
B. Disabilities: If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to
me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed.
Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact:
303-492-8671, Willard 322, and http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
C. Honor Code: All UCB students are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic
integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism,
aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All
incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the
academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member
and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or
expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/.
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Academic dishonesty in the form of cheating or plagiarism in all its forms—from using the
ideas, organization, supporting sources, or words of another (including other students) without
giving credit to the original author, to allowing or paying another person to write a paper for
one’s own benefit, to purchasing and using a pre-written paper for course credit, as well as
using another person’s paper available on the internet—will result in a grade of F for the
assignment, an F for the course, and referral to student judiciaries. Papers submitted by any
student, written in part or in whole by someone other than that student, shall be considered to
constitute fraud under the University Honor Code, and result in the assignment of a grade of F
for the course. In addition, it is required that the work you complete for all course assignments
be original. Unless you have my explicit permission, you are not allowed to submit work that
you have completed or are completing for assignments in either this or any other course.
Academic misconduct on an examination also results in course failure and referral to student
judiciaries.
The development of the internet has provided students with historically unparalleled
opportunities for conducting research swiftly and comprehensively. The availability of these
materials does not, however, release students from appropriately citing sources where
appropriate or applying standard rules associated with avoiding plagiarism. Specifically, I am
expecting to review papers written by students drawing ideas and information from various
sources (cited appropriately), and presented generally in the student’s words after careful
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. An assembly of huge blocks of other individuals’ existing
material, even when cited, does not constitute an appropriate representation of this
expectation. Uncited, plagiarized material shall be treated as academically dishonest, and the
paper will be assigned a grade of F as a result. If you are confused as to what constitutes
plagiarism, review the UCB Honor Code on this topic, or see me.
D. Observance of Religious Holidays and Absences from Classes or Examinations: Campus
policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably
and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with
scheduled examinations, assignments, or required attendance. In this class, I will make every
effort to accommodate students who have such conflicts with scheduled examinations,
assignments, or attending class, provided students notify me well in advance of the scheduled
conflict. If an examination is scheduled or an assignment is due on a religious holiday, I will
provide the opportunity for it to be taken/due on another day. Classes missed to observe a
religious holiday will not be counted as an absence with regard to the participation evaluation.
E. Sexual Harassment: The UCB policy on Discrimination and Harassment
(http://www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination.html), the UCB policy on Sexual
Harassment and the UCB policy on Amorous Relationships applies to all students, staff, and
faculty. Any student, staff, or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of
discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age,
disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the
Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at (303) 492-2127 or the Office of
Judicial Affairs at (303) 492-5550. Information about the ODH and the campus
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resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or
harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh.