You will create a writing project which will demonstrate your ability to understand a key topic of small group communication and your ability to write in an academic style.

Your writing project will be completed in two parts, with each part submitted via Blackboard:

  • Part 1 – A correctly-formatted References page listing all of the peer-reviewed and other sources you intend to use in your writing project (Individual Assignment 1), due March 2
  • Part 2 – A completed version of your writing project (Individual Assignment 2), due March 30

Visit the Assignments tab on Blackboard to find the appropriate dropbox for each part of the writing assignment.

In completing this assignment, I want you to choose a theory or key concept from the course that is of interest to you and write an in-depth analysis of it. You may also choose another theory/concept from the textbook or elsewhere (relating to small group communication) that has not yet been discussed. Here is a partial list of topics and where they can be found in our textbook.

  • Communication theory models (Chapter 1/Week 2)
  • Systems theory (Chapter 2/Week 3)
  • Groupthink (Chapter 3/Week 4)
  • Phases of Small Group Development – Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing (Chapter 4/Week 5)
  • Big 5 Personality Traits (Chapter 5/Week 12)
  • Expectancy Violation Theory (Chapter 6/Week 6)
  • Active listening (Chapter 7/Week 7)
  • Self-Directed Work Teams (Chapter 8/Week 8)
  • DECIDE Model of Decision-Making and Problem-Solving (Chapter 9/Week 10)
  • Conflict Management Styles – Compete, Compromise, Collaborate, Avoid, Accommodate (Chapter 12/Week 11)
  • Managerial Leadership Grid Theory (Chapter 13/Week 9)
  • Media Richness/Social Presence (Chapter 15/Week 13)

You can also use the Communication Theory website to look at small group communication theories.

I would like you to choose your topic as soon as possible and indicate your choice on the Google Sheets CRS 333 Work Project Sign-up.  No more than three students should be working on any one of these topics.

This writing project will be an analysis of the topic, which should include the following sections:

  • Introduction
  • History of theory/concept (author who first developed, others validating concept)
  • Alternate theories or criticism of theory/concept
  • Practical applications of the theory concept
  • Summary and/or conclusion

You must use these or similar section headers to help define what you are writing about at any point.

These are the basic criteria for your writing project:

  • Your writing project should be between 1200-1500 words and will include at least 10 sources with a minimum of five peer-reviewed sources from academic journals/articles.
  • Other than peer-reviewed sources, you may include any credible Internet sources of interest to your topic
  • Your writing should be in APA style, including correctly-placed in-text citations along with a separate References page that includes full citations of all sources used

Finally, this is the rubric that will be used to review your writing.

  • Writing Quality – What is the writing like? Do the sentences make interesting statements or ask pertinent questions? Do the sentences connect ideas together to form paragraphs that address a particular situation or concept? Do the paragraphs in the work lead the reader to some kind of outcome or conclusion? Also, are there spelling errors and/or punctuation problems? Are sentences structured correctly from a grammatical point of view?
  • Organization – Is the work organized in a meaningful way that aids the reader in being able to follow along with what is written? Do paragraphs follow each other in a logical order?
  • Content – Does the work address the theory or concept described in the title/introduction? Are there foundational elements of the theory present? Is some of the relevant history of this theory/concept provided? The work should provide a basic understanding of why this is a valid communication theory or interpersonal communication concept.
  • Application and Analysis – Are there practical examples or ways described that put the theory/concept into focus or useful context? Do these examples help to better understand the significance of the theory or concept? Is there analysis of the theory’s foundation/structure or the concept’s basis? Does the author provide their own “take” on the strengths and/or weaknesses of the theory/concept?
  • References/sources – Are the required 5 minimum peer-reviewed sources and 5 minimum credible Internet sources included? Do the sources appear to be cited correctly in the References section? Are the sources properly cited in-text?