Back to course 'COMM001: Principles of Human Communication'

Topic outline

  • Unit 3: Group Communication

    Collapse all Expand all

    You apply the principles of interpersonal communication in many settings in your daily life. A common setting is while working in small groups or teams. This type of communication happens casually as you interact with family and friends as well as more formally when you attempt to solve a challenge at work, at school, or while volunteering for a service activity. This unit will focus on the principles of small group communication. A more thorough discussion of formal organizational communication will be addressed in Unit 4.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 8 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • identify specific competencies of the interpersonal communication process used in facilitating small group communication;
      • identify the stages of small group development;
      • identify typical setting for small group communication;
      • explain the roles of people in small groups;
      • apply the theories of communication to the small group setting; and
      • identify ethical and unethical applications of communication in small groups.

    • 3.1: Group Communication

      • url icon
        Group Communication URL
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Read Chapter 10 for an in-depth discussion of group communication and its functions, group formation, our roles in groups, and how communication facilitates production and decision-making. After you read, complete the discussion questions and write definitions for the key terms listed at the end of the chapter.

      • url icon
        Managing Groups and Teams URL
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Read this chapter, which reinforces basic concepts of group communication challenges as encountered in the workplace. Attempt the exercises at the end of each section and the chapter exercises in section 9.7.

      • page icon
        Group Formation Page
        Students must
        Mark as done
      • page icon
        Group Problem-Solving Procedures Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

    • 3.2: Theories of Group Communication

      • page icon
        Groupthink Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        This short article explains the nature of groupthink as a deterrent to participatory decision-making in groups.

      • page icon
        The Role of Leadership in Team Decision-Making Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        This article provides additional insight into the challenges created by the group decision process and provides tips for avoiding groupthink.

    • 3.3: Conflict Management and Group Communication

    • 3.4: Small Group Communication in Action

    • Unit 3 Assessment

      • quiz icon
        Unit 3 Assessment Quiz
        Students must
        Receive a grade
        Receive a passing grade

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.