Teaching

i“Communication Skills for Group Decision Making” [go to Eres] provides a systematic overview of group deliberation skills in its various dimensions.

i“Small Group Communication” [go to Eres] [provides overview of educational value of group communication instruction, goals of teaching group communication, competency criteria, and evaluation issues for group communication education, including discussion of methods.]

i“Communication Skills for Group Decision Making” [go to Eres] is a state-of-the-art summary of research on this topic with extensive bibliography.

i <Here> is a description of listening skills exercises that can be adapted to a group discussion unit. (PDF)

i I’ve put together an example class unit on this site to show how you might use one of the resources indexed here to create an “R” experience in a course.

Student Textbook Chapters

i”Managing Conflict in the Small Group” [go to Eres]   [Provides thorough empirical analysis of conflict and conflict resolution techniques along with classroom exercises.]

i“Participating in Group Communication” [go to Eres] [accessible explanation of group practice that includes sections on defining group goals, group norms, stages of group development, and problem solving strategies.  Includes small case studies and review questions.]

Evaluation Instruments

i <Here> is an example of a “Small Group Communication Competencies” evaluation form available courtesy of UNCG.  [This tool comes out of Beebe & Barge, Small Group Communication, 1994 [go to Eres]

i “Glossary of Basic Communication Skills” & “Glossary of Communication Problems” is a somewhat helpful table that itemizes and defines skills.  [go to Eres]

Speech Anxiety

i The <”Personal Report of Communication Apprehension”> [pdf file] is a self-assessment tool that helps students reflect on their progress in coping with speech anxiety that can be adapted to group settings.

i The Minnesota Colleges and Universities Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty currently hosts a <”Speech Anxiety Web Page”> with various resources.

Research

i”Communication and Group Decision-Making Efficacy”> [go to Eres]  [Explores how the communication process lies behind and constitutes decision-making]

i”Effective Decision Making and Problem Solving in Groups”> [go to Eres] [an overview of “functional theory” in group communication, a theory that places task orientation at the center of group process.]

i”Small Group Assessment Tools” [go to Eres] [Discussion of issues surrounding evaluation of group communication]