Northwestern University

School of Education and Social Policy

HDPS 311: Group Dynamics

Winter Quarter 2016

Instructor: / Thomas Golebiewski, Ph.D.
Phone: / (847) 347-4798
Email: /

Office Hours: / By appointment
Teaching Assistants / Telephone –
By Appointment only / Email
Kaitlyn Bellingar / 989-640-9904 /
Isabelle Richards / (847) 804-7705 / TBD

I.COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will explore the impact groups and organizations have on individuals and how those individuals relate to the various groups of which they are members. Specifically, this course will focus on the study of large groups and social systems, with an emphasis on leadership and authority, member roles, small group dynamics, and development, diversity, and inter-group relations. Experiential and intellectual learning will be integrated through the use of process, discussion, large study groups and assignments designed to facilitate application of theory and research. Applications will be made to decision-making groups, cultures (groups identified by race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ethnicity, and disability), the classroom, larger social and political systems, and leadership and diversity in group and organizational life. In addition, participation in Tavistock Large Study Group Experiential Sessions will facilitate a deeper understanding of group dynamics, development and member roles in groups. Participation in the Tavistock experience is expected unless waived by the instructor.Students will not be evaluated on their performance in the conference.

Each Thursday afternoon class session will use a variety of methods that will include lecture, process and experiential groups, and discussion groups. until 6:00 p.m., followed by TA-led small discussion groups from 6:10-6:45 p.m. The Tavistock Large Study Group Sessions will be held on Thursday evenings 1/21/15, 2/4/15, 2/11/15, and 2/18/15 and 2/25/15 from 5:30-6:45. In addition, Review and Application Groups may be scheduled on Wednesday evenings. Detailed information about these sessions, rooms, and locations will be announced in class.

II.LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. To define and understand basic concepts and theories of small group processes and social systems structure and processes.
  2. To describe and analyze group processes such as small group development, norms, and member roles which emerge in systems in which students are participating.
  3. To develop an understanding of leadership, diversity, and authority issues in groups.
  4. To apply theory, research, and experience to other relevant group and organizational settings.

III.COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION

  1. The task of this course is to learn about groups. Students will have opportunities to participate in a variety of groups and, through these experiences, apply their learning. Active class engagement is essential for learning and achievement in this course. Student learning is highly dependent upon student engagement. Students are therefore expected to read all assignments prior to class, engage with the Canvas discussion board (1 post and 1 reply per week), participate actively in class discussions, and participate in experiential learning activities. There will be weekly reading assignments. The reading assignments will serve as an impetus for classroom discussion. Students should be prepared to react to, discuss, and integrate material represented in the weekly reading. Students are encouraged to draw upon their personal background/experiences to link theory to applications. Although students are encouraged to share their experiences to enhance their learning, students are expected to make responsible decisions and consider how they take up learning in groups and not only what they share, but what information is uncomfortable for them to discuss. The challenge here is for students to examine their authority and their freedom and responsibility for learning.
  1. Students will work in groups of 3-4 to facilitate one in-class activity and one online discussion in Canvas on dates of their choosing. Both activities will explore and explain the big themes in the assigned readings and materials for the week. They may be simple or creatively constructed. Activities may be in the form of discussion questions, an experiential activity, video clips, demonstrations, etc. It is up to the group to decide how to best instruct the class in the week’s materials given the modality (in class or online). Following the facilitation, students will submit a response paper describing their experiences leading the class. Guidelines for these specific response papers are on page 6.
  1. Students will be responsible for submitting8 response papers throughout the semester. Students are asked to critically and subjectively reflect upon about weekly readings, classroom discussion, and in-class group experience in order to integrate academic and experiential materials in these papers. Two of the 8 response papers are required and will be responses to the student-facilitated learning activities mentioned above. Students can respond to their choice of class sessions for the remaining 6 papers. The response paper for each class session or learning activity is due prior to the beginning of class the following week (eg. the response paper for Week One is due prior to 4pm on Week Two). Students can choose whether they would like to submit their responses electronically or in printouts; if printed out, the paper must be handed in to the student’s TA at the beginning of class. Further guidelines for these papers begin on page 4.
  1. Students will be required to complete a final paper, drawing together their group experiences and theoretical information covered throughout the course of the class. This paper will serve as an evaluation of students’ grasp of theoretical information, the ability to articulate an understanding and application of such material, and an ability to reflect on experience and apply critical thought to theoretical practices. The final paper should be between 10 and 15 pages long and will follow a given format included below. The final paper will be due in class Week 9 and must be turned in at that time.
  1. Grades are based upon criterion-referenced grading. The cutoff for grades is as follows:

Grade Scale
Letter Grade / Percentage (%)
A / 93-100
A- / 90-92
B+ / 87-89
B / 83-86
B- / 80-82
C+ / 77-79
C / 73-76
C- / 70-72
D+ / 67-69
D / 60-66
F / 59
  1. Weighting of class tests, assignments, and participation is as follows:

40%Response Papers

40%Final Paper

20% In-Class/Online Participation

  1. Papers will be graded on the following criteria: depth of analysis of material, use of data to support positions, demonstrated understanding of theory and research, ability to apply theory to other situations, organization, and clarity of writing.
  1. Use of APA reference style preferred. A terrific style resource is Hacker, D., A Pocket Style Manual, Boston/NY: Bedford/St. Martin, 2008.
  1. Participation in the Tavistock Large Study groups is expected. Students are expected to attend all lectures, discussion meetings, and Tavistock experiential group sessions. Students are expected to comply with all Northwestern academic integrity requirements.
  1. Participation is expected. Students will be given opportunities to participate in class and online. Each week students will be asked to post and reply to a topic related to classroom learning, beginning Week One.

Students with Special Needs

Students who have a documented disability and 504 accommodations should inform the instructor at the beginning of the quarter in order to address needs and arrange for accommodations.

IV.REQUIRED READINGS

Reading Source / Availability
DeBoard, R. The Psychoanalysis of Organizations. London: Tavistock, 1978. /
  • Purchase at Norris
  • Posted on Canvas

Gillette, J. & McCollom, M. (1995). Groups in Context. New York: University Press of America Inc. /
  • Purchase at Norris

McRae, M. B. & Short, E.L. (2010). Racial and Cultural Dynamics in Groups and Organizational Life. CA: Sage. /
  • Purchase at Norris

A course pack of selected additional readings /
  • Posted on Canvas

V.ASSIGNMENT GUIDES

Response Papers:

Students will be required to complete 8 response papers throughout the course. The papers will be scored on a rubric from 0-4 (please see page 5), and will count for 40% of the student’s total grade. Please note that there are 8 response papers due and 10 class sessions; two responses are required in the weeks following a student’s co-facilitation of an in-class or online learning activity (for more guidelines on this requirement, please see page 6). The remaining 6 response papers can be to class meetings of each individual student’s choosing (that’s right, you get to skip a week!).

The purpose of each response paper is to meaningfully reflect upon the current week’s readings, lectures, discussion, and group experiences, including your own thoughts, opinions, and feelings, references to the previous week’s group experiences, and questions moving forward. Each paper will be kept confidential between you and your TA and is designed to help you personally digest and think critically about class themes as well as to help prepare you for group discussions.

The response paper for each week will be due at the beginning of the following class (eg. the response paper for Week One is due by 4pm on Week Two); any paper received electronically or on paper after 4pm will automatically receive a zero. For more details about how papers will be scored, see the rubric on the next page.

Each paper will be 1-3 page(s), double-spaced, written in the first person, and include the following:

  • A well-organized personal reflection focusing on at least one observation or example taken fromprevious group or classroom discussions (eg. the response paper for Week Three will focus on what happened during class Week One or Two; “Last week, when Mary mentioned the stress she was under writing last week’s response paper, the group fell silent.”)
  • At least two different references cited in APA style(no separate reference page needed, can use footnotes) from the current week’s reading materials that elaborate or support your understanding of what occurred in last week’s group process/discussion (eg. the response paper for Week One will integrate the assigned readings from Week Two to help reflect upon what happened in Week One).
  • At least three questions regarding group dynamics that could be posed to the current week’s group (eg. the response paper for Week One will include questions the student might want to ask in Week Two; “I wonder if anyone else in the group felt uncomfortable during last week’s silence? Can silences actually be perceived as being supportive to other group members?”)
  • No cover page—your name, date, and response paper number on top right-hand corner (based on your count; TA’s will let you know if they see a discrepancy)
  • Please double space and limit responses to no longer than 3 pages. You can meet all requirements with a response paper of 1-2 pages.
  • Please note that you cannot turn in a response paper past the beginning of class the following week (eg. Week One’s response paper cannot be turned in after the beginning of class Week Two. It must be submitted online or physically given to your TA by the beginning of class).

Score / Response Paper Criteria
0 /
  • One week’s response paper has already been skipped (freebie has been used!) and submission is later than 4pm the day of the next class.

1 /
  • Missing any observations and examples taken from last week’s classroom group processes, experiential activities, and/or discussions
  • No cited references to current week’s assigned reading materials
  • Missing subjective personal understanding of current week’s assigned materials’(eg. reading, movie, etc.) themes
  • Missing any reference to questions regarding class content that could be posed to the class or brought up in group discussion

2 /
  • Response paper reflects upon content from previous week’s class discussion, experiential activities and/or group work
  • Mentions last week’s classroom group processes, experiential activities, and/or discussions
  • Contains at least one cited reference to current week’s assigned reading materials
  • Subjective personal understanding of current week’s assigned materials’(eg. reading, movie, etc.) themes reiterates cited references, rather than containing unique viewpoint
  • Contains at least one question regarding class content that could be posed to the class or brought up in group discussion

3 /
  • Response paper reflects upon content from previous week’s class discussion, experiential activities and/or group work
  • Contains one or more specific observations and examples taken from classroom group processes and/or discussions
  • Contains at least two cited references to current week’s assigned reading materials
  • References and examples are used to support and elaborate on subjective personal understanding of current week’s assigned materials’(eg. reading, movie, etc.) themes
  • Contains at least two questions regarding class content that could be posed to the class or brought up in group discussion

4 /
  • Response paper reflects upon content from previous week’s class discussion, experiential activities and/or group work
  • Contains a well-organized, in-depth reflection on classroom group processes and/or discussions including one or more specific observations and examples
  • Contains at least two cited references to current week’s assigned reading materials
  • References are used to support and elaborate on subjective personal understanding of current week’s assigned materials’ (eg. reading, movie, etc.) themes
  • Contains at least three questions regarding class content that could be posed to the class or brought up in group discussion

Student-Led Learning Activities (Classroom and Online) and Response Papers

Students will lead the class in groups of 3 or 4 in two separate learning activities throughout the course of the quarter, one via a 20-minute in class learning activity and the other through the Canvas discussion board. The activities must focus on teaching the class relevant themes from that week’s assigned reading (eg. the learning activity for Week 3 will focus on the readings assigned to be completed for Week 3). Students can cater the activities and discussion questions to fit whatever they feel would best convey that week’s themes and ideas to the rest of the class. Examples include: leading a classroom discussion with pre-planned questions, giving a demonstration, facilitating an experiential interactive activity, showing a clip from a movie, etc. Feel free to get creative.

After a student has conducted this activity, they are required to complete a response paper reflecting specifically on what it was like to lead the class. These two response papers, following the two classroom learning activities, must be turned in prior to the following class meeting (eg. If a student presented on Week 3, they must submit this response paper by 4pm on Week 4) and are to be turned in instead of the usual response papers. These papers will also be 1-3 pages in length, double-spaced, and include the same formatting as the other papers (written in the first person, APA style, no cover page, references can be footnotes).

The questions to answer in these two unique papers are below. Please be as specific as possible. When mentioning any reading materials, ideas, or themes, include the corresponding citations to reading materials in APA style (footnotes acceptable). Use references to elaborate upon or provide context for your unique, subjective experiences.

  1. What did you intend the class to learn about this week’s reading materials? About themselves?
  1. Did the facilitating experience fulfill your hopes? Did it fall short? How so?
  1. What did you learn about you and your experience in groups in your role as a leader? As a co-facilitator? As a teammate? In other words, how did you take up your authority? How did you manage boundaries?
  1. If this is your second leading experience…did you notice any differences in your leadership style due to the medium you were using (eg. in-class v. online)? How was the group preparation different?

These papers will be scored on the rubric below.

Score / Student-Led Activity Response Paper Criteria
0 /
  • Submission is later than 4pm the day of the next class.

1 /
  • Paper is missing a response to two of thethree questions (or fourquestions, if second response paper)
  • Relevant references are not cited

2 /
  • Paper is missing a response to one of the three (or four) questions
  • At least one relevant reference is cited
  • Reference is reiterated, rather than used to elaborate or provide context for personal experience
  • Questions are answered generally, with no specific examples or observations from the learning activity

3 /
  • Paper includes a response to all three (or four) questions
  • At least two relevant references are cited
  • References are not just reiterated, but are used to help elaborate upon or provide context for the subjective experiences being described
  • Questions aremostly answered generally, with a few examples and observations from the learning activity

4 /
  • Paper includes a response to all three (or four) questions
  • At least two relevant references are cited and mentioned
  • References are used to help elaborate upon or provide context for the subjective experiences being described
  • Questions are all answered specifically, including examples and observations from unique moments in the learning activity

Final Exam:

This examination expects you to synthesize and integrate your learning throughout the course. This task demands that you draw from your collective experiences of the readings, the lecture/discussions, and your experiences in various groups. The readings for this course were essential to forwarding your learning and application as well as enhancing your ability to “make sense” of your group experience. Your paper should demonstrate reflection on the multiple levels you have engaged in learning, the concepts put forth not only in the written materials presented for the course (the text), but the lectures and discussions that occurred within each class session and the variety of group experiences you’ve had. There is not a required number of citations; however, the more you demonstrate an understanding for and ability to critically apply major concepts highlighted through course readings, lectures, etc., to your in-class group experience, discussion group, and Tavistock large group experience, the more you will demonstrate your learning and ability to “play” with the entire experience. Use APA reference style.

You must answer five out of the six questions listed below. In addition, include a reflection summary that addresses the following areas: