Effective: 2022-05-01

Course Description

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

CST 115 is designed to examine principles and generate experiences of effective group communication including decision-making; leadership; group behaviors and maintenance; navigating, managing, and resolving conflict; project management; and group/team presentation strategies.

Course Objectives

• Communication
• Demonstrate effective communication skills orally and in writing within a small group setting.
• Evaluate and interpret verbal and nonverbal aspects of group communication
• Critical Thinking
• Evaluate and synthesize information in order to describe how different methods of group decision making, critical thinking, and creative problem solving techniques can affect a group in its decision making
• Investigate, analyze, and integrate evidence and reasoning into group problem solving
• Civic Engagement
• Recognize, describe, and analyze diversity issues affecting group communication (gender, culture, age, sexual orientation, etc.)
• Demonstrate effective problem-solving techniques within a small group setting
• Professional Readiness
• Develop and demonstrate skills in the use of technology in a group communication setting
• Demonstrate effective use of soft skills in a group communication setting
• Introduction to Group Communication
• Compare and contrast group communication to communication in other contexts.
• Describe and demonstrate characteristics of competent communication appropriate for a group member
• Recognize and describe the benefits and drawbacks of group collaboration
• Identify and describe elements of the Transactional Model of Communication
• Listening
• Describe and explain the steps of the listening process
• Identify, describe, and make a plan for minimizing barriers to listening and poor listening habits
• Demonstrate the effective use of various listening response styles appropriate to various communication environments
• Group Development
• Describe and differentiate the stages of group development
• Identify and explain their own individual and group's progress through the stages of group development
• Identify and explain how groups manage norms and issues of identity and power
• Develop and manage appropriately-negotiated norms for group maintenance and performance enhancement
• Meetings
• Organize, moderate, and participate in regular team meetings with a clear purpose and a successful outcome
• Describe, evaluate, and practice key roles in facilitating group discussions and deliberations, including chairperson and note-taker
• Group Diversity
• Describe and evaluate barriers to communication in the context of a diverse group setting
• Describe and analyze group dynamics based on various cultural differences including (but not limited to) personality, generational, racial, socioeconomic, religious, political, etc.
• Problem-Solving and Conflict
• Review, analyze, and report on the communication skills needed for creative problem solving, and managing conflict and tension in the small group setting
• Utilize appropriate problem solving, conflict management, and decision making methods while performing group tasks
• Discuss the symptoms of, brainstorm, and implement strategies to reduce groupthink
• Communication Climates in Groups
• Differentiate between supportive and unsupportive communication behaviors, both verbal and nonverbal, and how they impact a group's climate.
• Perform supportive communication behaviors, both verbal and nonverbal, that contribute to a positive team climate.
• Leadership
• Apply conceptual ideas (e.g. group role theory, leadership theories, and goal and motivational theories) to practical communication situations.
• Presenting in Groups
• Develop, organize, and deliver oral messages supported with ideas and information suitable to the topic, purpose, audience, and occasion.

Major Topics to be Included

• Introduction to Group Communication
• Listening
• Group Development
• Meetings
• Group Diversity
• Problem-Solving & Conflict
• Communication Climates in Groups
• Leadership
• Presenting in Groups