Com 252 Presentation & Paper Requirements In your groups, choose an area of Interpersonal Communication that you are interested in (ex: Friendship) Once you decide which area you are interested in look at some specific topics and concepts within that area (ex: Friends with Benefits Relationships) Once your area and topic is decided, choose course concepts and/or theory discussed in the text to build your discussion around. After you narrow down your area of concentration and topic selection within that area, pose a research question or questions that you and your group will attempt to uncover through research (i.e. academic journals, texts, and articles). Example of Research Question(s): Are the more rewards than costs associated with FWBRs? Do individuals involved in FWBRs communicate shared goals? You will apply the research, theories, and class concepts to try to answer your research question and shed light to the class on your chosen topic. You are not to define topics and theories, rather you are to apply them and make links to our class readings and discussions. In your papers and presentations you should present your research questions, discuss the findings presented in the literature, show any limitations of the research, and make suggestions for future research. You are required to cite at least 5 academic sources in your paper and at least 3 academic sources in your presentation. You will each be required to each show at least 2 non-text power point slides in your power point presentation. You will also provide a program detailing important aspects of your presentations…make this feel like a concise, organized presentation. SYMPOSIUM GROUP PRESENTATION Goal: To prepare and present a symposium on an interpersonal communication topic. Rationale: The business world is requiring more and more teamwork skills of their employees. This may involve working effectively in groups as well as speaking effectively in groups. This assignment provides students an opportunity to critique the ethical membership practices of one another while preparing an actuation symposium speech. You must work effectively in a team to prepare and present an effective speech. You also must present visual aids using PowerPoint multimedia technology, which will be directly applicable to you if your career should be in business, industry, medicine, etc. SPEAKING IN A SYMPOSIUM Description: Your objective in this speaking assignment is to participate with 5-6 classmates in the process of sharing information on a topic for an audience. Each of you must prepare and deliver a speech on a specific segment of the more general topic chosen for the symposium. Your group should select an interpersonal topic that is of interest to the membership of your group and to your listeners. The symposium offers the listener an extended and in-depth treatment of a topic. The group will divide a general topic into specific sub-topic areas and will present their remarks in an assigned speaking order. After the presentation, the group will participate in a question and answer session with the class. Special Requirements: Each of you, as a member of the symposium, will examine at least 5 different scholarly sources in the process of preparing your individual paper outline, individual final paper, individual group outline, and speech. You are expected to have an introduction, body, and conclusion to the speech. Each of the group members who have to speak on one of the main points must have their own miniature speech format with an introduction, body, and conclusion of their own. If there are more than 4 people, the group must decide who will do what. Your group will need to choose one person to serve as the moderator of the symposium. This individual will condense their paper to encompass the entire group theme. Therefore, the moderator will give a detailed introduction and conclusion. The moderator will introduce each of you and your topic when providing transitions between speakers. The moderator will also lead the question and answer session. The moderator will still be responsible for citing 3 sources and having 2 non-text slides. PowerPoint will be used for the group’s visual aids. Each person must utilize at least two slides in their portion of the symposium. Each slide must have one nonverbal symbol system (pie chart, line graph, diagram, etc.) that visually helps the listener understand the message. The time limit for the symposium is 20-25 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions and answers, and individual speeches consisting of each main point must be 4-6 minutes in length. INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROJECT AND PAPER – 100 points Each student will engage in a research process that will culminate in a 4-6 page literature review (plus abstract and reference page) focused on an interpersonal concept or theory citing at least five appropriate sources using proper APA style. The grading rubric for this project is as follows: A. B. Topic and Rationale Paper 5 points This paper (one page or less) defines the topic you plan to study and why. Annotated Bibliography (See Appendix 1) 20 points This is a roughly 4-5 page paper describing four potential sources for your paper using proper APA style. C D. E. Formal Outline and Reference Page (for paper) 15 points Literature Review 50 points This paper will be organized to address: (1) your topic and its relevance, (2) external research conclusions published about it, (3) a connection between the external research and what the text says, and (4) implications. (Appendix 2) Formal Outline and Reference Page (for presentation) 10 points PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS: SYMPOSIUM – 100 points Your instructor will place each student in a 4-6 person group based on similar research project themes. The groups will prepare and present their papers in the form of a research symposium. The process by which groups will proceed to reach the goal is: (1) Each group member will share the main focus of his or her paper with the other group members. The group members will determine a thread/theme that links their papers together. (2) Groups will figure out speaker order, as well as who will moderate, be responsible for pulling together the PowerPoint slides, and prepare the program for their symposium. (3) Members will prepare individual speaking outlines based on their paper outlines (items D & F above). (4) Groups will be provided a class period for practicing their symposiums with the teacher as facilitator. (5) Each member will deliver a 4-6 minute individual presentation as part of the symposium. (6) Each student will prepare a summative reflection paper evaluating him or herself and his or her group members’ participation in the process. A. B. C. D. Individual Presentations Overall Effect of the Group process and presentation Program Summative Reflection Paper 40 points 20 points 30 points 10 points Time limit: 4-6 minutes per group member Note cards: Maximum of FIVE 3x5 one-sided index cards; key word outline required (no complete sentences). Lectern: Required Presentational Aids: PPT presentation; a minimum of two slides per group member that use an alternative symbol system (not all text). Content: The group must focus on an interpersonal issue from a variety of perspectives. Supporting Material: Minimum of FIVE different peer-reviewed sources per member. GROUP DYNAMICS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The Process 1. The group must develop a “Contract” stating expectations and responsibilities for membership. 2. Members must date and document efforts of other members each day that the group meets. 3. Groups are required to meet in the classroom on each assigned “group work day,” as well as out of class. Groups will document efforts of themselves and others in the group for three sessions. 4. If a group determines that a particular member is not meeting his or her contractual responsibilities, the “firing” process can be initiated. “Firing” a Member 1. Once a group has determined that one member is not meeting his or her contractual responsibilities, the group meets with that member (while the instructor is present) to discuss concerns and agree upon one more chance to live up to expectations. The group, the individual member, and the instructor review and discuss documentation of failed expectations. 2. If the member fails to meet expectations again after the initial meeting (#1), the group has grounds to “fire” him or her. 3. “Firing” must occur at least one week prior to the first group presentation. 4. A “fired” member must then create a paper and deliver an individual speech and will not earn the 60 points possible for group dynamics and the group presentation. 5. All students must turn in “group summative peer critique form” on the first speaking day. Grievance Procedure: Dissatisfied students may elect to follow the grievance procedure as stated on the syllabus. GROUP CONTRACT We, ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ (your names) agree to work together as a group on the next speech project. As a group we will abide by the following terms: 1. Commitment to group goal: (What is the goal of the group? How will you determine if someone is not committed to this goal?) 2. On-track Discussion: (What steps will be taken to keep the meetings focused and effective? What are the consequences for group members who do not adhere to these steps?) 3. Fulfilling individual assignments: (How will individual assignments be delegated? What are the consequences for group members who do not have their work done on time? What protocol should be followed if a member cannot attend a group meeting?) 4. Interpersonal conflict: (How will the group deal with conflict?) 5. Including all members: (What are the expectations for group participation? What format will be used to encourage member participation?) 6. Firing Process Signatures: SAMPLE GROUP CONTRACT We, ______________, ______________, ___________, and ______________ have all agreed upon the following document as a contract that will govern the members of our group. The hope is that this document will help us stay on task, meet all scheduled deadlines, and present our topic respectively. It is our aspiration to achieve no fewer than 90% of all possible points in our presentation. The foundations for our group’s firing process is a series of warnings from the other group members. Each group member is allotted three warnings. Upon receiving the third warning that member will be removed from the group. The amount of warnings given out for a single infraction will vary based on the seriousness of the violation. All warnings must be a written description of what contract infringement took place and every group member, except for the person receiving the warning, must sign it. Our group will attempt to stay focused and effective throughout our meetings. To attain this each member will be asked to take on a substantial amount of responsibility. At the beginning of each meeting we will draft a list of our objectives. All group members are expected to be present and on time to all in-class and out-of-class meetings. All group members will be expected to give their utmost effort and participation. All work will be divided evenly among the group as not to overload one particular person. If someone believes they are being treated unfairly it is their job to bring it to the attention of the rest of the group. If there is a conflict between members the majority will always win. If a tie between members occurs [INSTRUCTOR] will have the deciding vote. Being absent from class or group meetings will only be excused if there are extenuating circumstances, i.e., death in the family, or car troubles. It will be at the discretion of the group whether an excuse is acceptable. If someone knows in advance that they will not be able to attend class or a group meeting it is their duty to notify a minimum of two group members. Guidelines for Warnings are as Follows: Nonparticipation: 1 Warning Not completing tasks: 1 Warning 10-15 minutes late: 1 Warning 15-30 minutes late: 2 Warnings 30+ minutes late: 3 Warnings Signatures Group Member _______________________________________________ ___/___/______ Group Member _______________________________________________ ___/___/______ Group Member _______________________________________________ ___/___/______ Group Member _______________________________________________ ___/___/______ Group Member _______________________________________________ ___/___/____ GROUP DYNAMICS SUMMATIVE REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT Directions: In a 1-2 page typed, formal paper, reflect on the group process for the actuation symposium speech. This paper should follow the rules of proper grammar, spelling and punctuation and represent your best work. Additionally, this paper is to be completed and included in your portfolio on the day your group presents. This paper should include the following: 1. A clear overall score out of seven points for each group member. Rate each of your group members’ (including your own) overall contributions to the group process using the following rating scale: 0 (Poor) 1 2 3 4 5 6 (Met requirements) 7 8 9 10 (Excellent) 2. An ethical critique for each group member (including yourself) justifying the score you have assigned. 3. A discussion exploring the advantages and disadvantages of working in your particular group. 4. A reflection on what you have learned about effective strategies for working in groups based on your COM 252 group work experiences. EXAMPLE GROUP DYNAMICS SUMMATIVE REFLECTION The group made up of Cassie, Lacie, Jessica, and Kyle gave their speeches on depression and I’ve been assigned to critique them. They all spoke on Wednesday April 6th and this is what I thought of their speeches, as it applies to Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. I find myself fortunate to have had as great of a group as I did. It is going to be hard for me to rate each person because seeing them actually give the speech would show me more about how committed they were. But, I will try to do my best. Cassie deserves a ten as far as I am concerned. Throughout the whole process she was a team player. I never saw her deter away from the group goal. Cassie showed dedication and support. She was even willing to cancel a doctor’s appointment just to make it to a group meeting. Cassie did miss class one day, but it was for a legitimate reason and she followed the group contract procedures for if a class time was missed. She e-mailed everyone before class and then called us after class to see what she had missed. Post partum depression was Cassie’s subject originally and she did a great job of helping the rest of the group get up to speed on what it is about. She displayed her abilities to do well on her own and as part of a group. Lacie also deserves a ten. Lacie played a different role in the group than Cassie did. She made sure that people were always included and were on the same page during discussions. She met her daily assignments and was instrumental in working with the PowerPoint presentation. Another thing Lacie did well was brainstorming. The majority of the ideas that we have to distinguish ourselves from the other groups come from her. She brought fresh new ideas to the table. Besides doing all that, she was also at every meeting, on time, and prepared. Her upbeat attitude and excitement made working on the speech much more enjoyable, especially considering the topic we have. Kyle’s rating is a little bit harder for me to give. Some days I wanted to give him tens and other days he deserved threes. Overall, I think I am going to have to give him a eight. Kyle was very inconsistent. He missed or was late for a couple of our group meetings outside of class. He didn’t help out much with the slide show and wasn’t very vocal about any ideas or suggestions he had. On the plus side, I was very impressed that he had his speech done as quickly as he did. He also told us that he likes working in the group because he has to be responsible and get his work done so that he doesn’t let everyone down. So, I know that when it comes to the speech, I should be able to count on him to do a good job. Finally, I get to experience the joy of rating myself. (Can you sense the sarcasm?) If I have to rate myself, I would hand out a nine. The main reason I wouldn’t give myself a seven is because my outline isn’t exactly done yet. I know what my main points are and so the group is able to go from those. However, I am still trying to put the finishing touches on it. This may prohibit me from being able to practice as much as I should before we rehearse as a group. I know I will be ready by Friday though. I haven’t been a total slacker the whole time though. I have attended all the meetings. I gave input when it was needed and helped the group brainstorm ideas for the various parts of the project. When it came to finishing the PowerPoint, I made several contributions. Now that I look back, I realize that I could have done more, especially when it came to helping everyone else do research and find supporting material. It was refreshing for me to be in a group with other people that were willing to work and do what needed to be done without being asked. While we were thinking of ideas for main points, I found it extremely helpful to have other peoples’ opinions on what topics would work and what other ones could be changed. One thing I didn’t like about my group was that we didn’t really take the time to make sure everyone was on the same page about the main points. It would have been nice if when we were writing our speeches, if we had done it together. That way we could have made our speeches more united. I have learned a great deal from the speech. Not only have I become more knowledgeable about postpartum depression, but I have also learned more about working in groups. I now know that it is very helpful to establish group goals and rules right away. This helped us stay focused and made sure that everyone knew what was expected. Overall, I had a great experience working with my group. Name: __________________________________________________ Section: _____________ Title/Topic: ________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTOR CRITIQUE FORM SYMPOSIUM SPEECH Poor Excellent 0 Individual Grade 10 Critique Points Use of Voice: Intelligibility? Conversational style? Fluency? Emotional expression? /10 Use of Body: Attire? Poise? Eye contact? Facial expressions? Gestures? Use of Lectern? /10 Structure Macrostructure and Microstructure (including formal outline) /10 Content Analysis (including supporting material): /5 PowerPoint Slides: /5 Group Grade Critique Points Group Dynamics (Based on peer reviews from group members) /10 Overall Effect of the Group Symposium Thematic? Substance? Listener relevance? Focus? Supporting Material? Presentational Aids? /10 Program Content and Structure Thematic? Substance? Listener relevance? Focus? Supporting Material? /15 Program Overall Effect Clarity & Coherence? Creativity? Design? Viewer Appeal? Time: ___________ /15 Total Points: Appendix 1: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY NOTES. The following is taken from Purdue. You might find the links from their site helpful as well. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/ This resource was written by Geoff Stacks and Erin Karper. Last full revision by Dana Bisignani. Last edited by Allen Brizee on September 3rd 2008 at 9:33AM The following handout was provided by Dr. Laura Stafford, with contributions made from Renee Human. An annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following: Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is. (For our 252 assignment, make sure you focus on what theories are used, and what the main research questions and findings are). Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source? (For our 252 assignment, make sure you focus on what you see as potential limitations in the article) Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic? (For our 252 assignment, it is very important to relate how an article can assist you in your research project Why should I write an annotated bibliography? To learn about your topic: Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information. At the professional level, annotated bibliographies allow you to see what has been done in the literature and where your own research or scholarship can fit. To help you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view. To help other researchers: Extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies are sometimes published. They provide a comprehensive overview of everything important that has been and is being said about that topic. You may not ever get your annotated bibliography published, but as a researcher, you might want to look for one that has been published about your topic. Format The format of an annotated bibliography can vary, so if you're doing one for a class, it's important to ask for specific guidelines. The bibliographic information: Generally, though, the bibliographic information of the source (the title, author, publisher, date, etc.) is written in APA format. The annotations: The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The lengths of the annotations can vary significantly from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. The length will depend on the purpose. If you're just writing summaries of your sources, the annotations may not be very long. However, if you are writing an extensive analysis of each source, you'll need more space. A few sentences of general summary followed by several sentences of how you can fit the work into your larger paper or project can serve you well when you go to draft Sample Annotated Bibliography (from a different course): Renee Human, UK Burgoon, J. K., Bonito, J. A., Ramirez, A., Dunbar, N. E., Kam, K., & Fischer, J. (2002). Testing the interactivity principle: Effects of mediation, propinquity, and verbal and nonverbal modalities in interpersonal interaction. Journal of Communication, 52, 657-677. Burgoon and her co-authors compared FtF and CMC (text, NetMeeting and videoconferencing) to evaluate the role that the channel, perceived physical closeness or distance and verbal/nonverbal clues play in decision-making tasks by paired interaction. FfF ranked higher in valence, but interaction processes were not affected significantly by channel. In fact, text channels can leave a useful written record and audio can improve trust. Proximity was a bigger issue: Real or perceived distance affected decision-making more negatively than collocated decision-making. Interesting comparisons of FtF and CMC conditions that include the variable of proximity, however, the artificial task performed by strangers echos back to other CMC work: zero history and FtF as the gold standard (ironic after stating up front in the article that this is an issue in CMC research). Useful to cite in both the introduction as well as the proximity literature review parts of the paper. Dainton, M., & Aylor, B. (2002). Patterns of communication channel use in the maintenance of long-distance relationships. Communication Research Reports, 19, 118-129. Dainton and Aylor investigate long-distance relationships (LDRs) within a uses and gratifications framework. Besides interest in patterns of channel use in LDRs, the researchers wanted to identify correlations between relational maintenance behaviors and channel choice. Five relational maintenance behaviors—openness, positivity, assurances, networks and tasks— were tested in relation to FtF, telephone, Internet and letters. Positivity and networks were significantly correlated to Internet use in the LDR. However, individuals in LDRs with some face-to-face interaction were more likely to perform three of five maintenance behaviors—positivity, assurances and sharing tasks. This experiment provided evidence that these five categories from Canary and Stafford’s 1992 relational maintenance scale are applicable to online relational interaction testing and thus provide a basis for my use of (at least) these five categories in my study. Johnson, A. J., Haigh, M. M., Becker, J. A. H., Craig, E. A., & Wigley, S. (2008). College students' use of relational management strategies in email in long-distance and geographically close relationships. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 381-404. Johnson and her colleagues coded one week of student participants’ emails to friends, family and romantic partners using Stafford and Canary’s 1994 relational maintenance topology. Openness (23%), social networks (22%), positivity (16%), joint activities (10%) and miscellaneous (e.g., “better run”, “later”)(9%) behaviors were all employed in emails to friends. Sharing task, avoidance and avoidance were eliminated altogether due to low or no usage. Assurances were not significant for friends although they were for family and romantic partners. No significant differences were found for geographically and long-distance friends. This supports my assertion that closeness at FtF is not significantly greater than in the post-migrated relationship due to the employment of relational maintenance behaviors, just as Johnson and her colleagues also discovered. Merolla, A., & Stafford, L. (2007). Idealization, reunions, and stability in long-distance dating relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24, 37-54. How can long-distance romantic relational (LDDR) partners report greater stability than geographically close (GC) couples? Idealization may be the answer. As frequency of FtF interaction decreases, idealization appears to increase. GC couples were significantly different and did not report the high idealization levels that LDDR couples did. Moreover, increased CMC use did not appear to affect the higher levels of idealization held by LDDRs. This finding is particularly interesting to my study. Although not based in romance, the friendships I study evolved like most of these LDDRs: FtF and then migrated online (or at a distance more specifically in Merolla and Stafford’s study). Is idealization of the other in the dyad more idealized at a distance? This provides an interesting point to make in the discussion section of my study and a note to encourage further study in this direction. Rabby, M. K. (2007). Relational maintenance and the influence of commitment in online and offline relationships. Communication Studies, 58, 315-337. This study is primarily concerned with the role that commitment plays in moderating relational maintenance behaviors in online-offline relationships. One research question, however, investigated the differences in reported maintenance behaviors in four groups: Virtuals (met online, continue online), Pinocchois (met online, now meet offline), Real Worlders (met and continue to meet offline) and—the group I’m concerned about—Cyber Emigrants (met offline, continue relationship online). For positivity, Cyber Emigrants reported the highest means, coming in second in social networks and sharing tasks, and third in openness and assurances. Virtuals were almost always consistently last. In Rabby’s world commitment is the mediating variable for relational maintenance choice and use. In my world, I can employ this to help make the same case for memories (e.g. Real Worlders and Pinocchios that scored higher share more immediate memories or shared common ground, lesser so for the Cyber Emigrants and almost non-existent for Virtuals). Appendix 2: Sample Literature Review Rubric Student Name: ______________________________________ Paper Title: _____________________________________________________ 1. APA FORMAT #1 (TITLE PAGE& ABSTRACT FORMAT) 1 2 3 4 5 Are the title, author’s name, running head, and page number in the correct APA 6th edition format? Did the author include an abstract that discusses the scope of the paper in less than 200 words? 2. INTRODUCTION: ATTENTION and PREVIEW 1 2 3 4 5 Does the paper capture the attention of the reader? Does the reader have a clear understanding of the topic and goal of the paper? 3. MAJOR IDEAS IDENTIFIED AND SUPPORTED 1 2 3 4 5 Are the major ideas identified and supported? Are the key ideas and articles adequately explained? Is adequate research / support (rationale)/ evidence provided in the literature review? Are examples, arguments, and evidence appropriate to the focus of the paper? Are concepts from the glossary and textbook discussed and applied? 4. APA FORMAT # 2 (ORGANIZATIONAL COHERENCE)1 2 3 4 5 Is the literature review well organized? Are the major ideas/studies organized in a specific structure? Is there a clear organizational scheme, including appropriate levels and headings? 5. APA FORMAT #3 (INTERNAL CITATIONS) 1 2 3 4 5 Does the paper include proper internal citations consistent with APA 6th edition formatting? 6. APA FORMAT #4 (LANGUAGE CLARITY) 1 2 3 4 5 Does the paper use precise word choices and avoid both colloquial expressions and pronouns unless the referent is obvious? 7. CONCLUSION SUMMARY & FINAL STATEMENT 1 2 3 4 5 Is a clear summary of the major ideas presented? Is the final paragraph effective and memorable? 8. APA FORMAT #5 (SPELLING and GRAMMAR ACCURACY) 1 2 3 4 5 Does the paper include proper spelling, abbreviations, subject-verb agreement and punctuation consistent with Standard American English? Is it written in active voice? 9. OVERALL IMPACT (INTERESTING & MEMORABLE) 1 2 3 4 5 Is the paper creative (interesting and memorable)? Has the paper provided something new? Is the literature review more than a series of summary paragraphs? Does the paper discuss perceived limitations of the referenced articles? Does the paper make a compelling recommendation for direction of future research? 10. APA FORMAT # 6(REFERENCE LIST CITATIONS) 1 2 3 4 5 Does the paper include proper reference list citations consistent with APA 6th edition formatting?