CREATIVE GROUP PROBLEM -SOLVING ASSIGNM ENT - COM M 208
This experience is designed to provide an opportunity to gain insights into principles of small group
com mu nication by direct participation as a mem be r of a problem-s olving gro up. You will be assig ned to
work in an ong oing creative prob lem -so lving grou p with othe rs fr om clas s. Yo ur w ork in this grou p will
serve as the basis for application papers and an in-class group presentation. A specific problem statement
will be identified for you sometim e during the sem ester.
Solve the Problem
The solution must be reasonable and workable. As a group, you will meet during scheduled class
sessions. You will also need to “meet” outside of class using online chat rooms and bulletin boards. As
you att em pt to find a n eff ectiv e so lution, kee p in m ind that th e pr oble m m u st be inves tigated th orou ghly
before coming to any conclusions. In the spirit of effective group problem-solving and inquiry, you must
keep an open mind; you cannot know (and must not assume to know) what the best solution will be
without thorough consideration. Solutions should emerge only as the result of your analysis and
discussion.
As yo u wo rk, u se th e tradition al approa ch to problem -solving (Re flective T hink ing) to gu ide you. You will
need to employ various specific techniques outlined in the texts to assist you in the stages of the process.
Identify one group member to take responsibility for planning and facilitating each separate strategy. Be
sure all group mem bers facilitate at least one strategy sometime during the sem ester.
Be a Participant Observer
As you work, be involved as an active member of the problem-solving group. But at the same time you
need to b e a kind of “obs erver.” C onside r the com m unication activities of th e group and ho w they illustrate
the concepts and theories cove red in clas s and th e text.
You will need to keep some kind of regular group activity journal. After group work sessions, review class
notes and read ing m aterial and mak e journ al entries a bout individuals and events that clearly relate to
course material. A good record of the group activity will help you in a number of ways.
• It will help you ground your learning.
• It will b e ab solu tely ne ces sary to do w ell on with th e ap plica tion p ape rs. In fac t, bein g co nsc ious ly
awa re of the a pplication paper top ics w ill allow you to foc us your ob servation s in a help ful way.
• At the end of the semester, you will provide assessments reflecting the quality of the participation
of oth ers in your grou p, an d tho se a sse ssme nts w ill be m ore relia ble if you ha ve s om e specific
records of the group's activities.
Demonstrate What You Have Learned
At the end of the semester, your group will develop and deliver a presentation focused on its activities
through the semester. You will have a total of 30 minutes for your presentation. Plan on 20-25 minutes of
form al presentation to allow about five minu tes for a Q&A session. Use the following outline as a guide to
structure your presentation. Plan to spend about 4-5 minutes on each of the sections.
I. Introductions: Each member of the group should be introduced. These introductions should offer
some insight into each person’s distinct comm unication role/style in the group.
II. Insight into specific creative problem solving strategies: Offer detailed insight into one strategy
that worked particularly well and one strategy that did not work well. Be sure to discuss why you
believe the strategy worked/did not work. Do not simply relate “what happened” (but do include
that, too).
III. Insight into yourselves as a communicating group: Consider all the concepts and theories covered
in class. As a group, decide on one specific concept or theory (e.g., Symbolic Convergence
Theory, altercasting, the relationship between trust and self-disclosure, groupthink, Hersey and
Blanchard’s situational model of leadership, etc.) that you think was central to your collective
