Communication, Group Processes and Collaboration

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Study of communication processes that enable or hinder collaboration in dyads, teams and group settings. Considers on how dialogue, facilitation, leadership and group dynamics shape collective decision-making and problem-solving. Course activities may include applied or project-based facilitation scenarios where communication strategies are tested in practice. Course content and discussions may address issues of disagreement or public concern for purposes of understanding communication dynamics. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Builds workforce-ready skills in teamwork, listening, meeting facilitation, conflict navigation and collaborative problem-solving; competencies relevant in organizational, nonprofit, community and civic environments. Supports academic preparation for advanced study in organizational communication, leadership or deliberative democracy. Reinforces civic readiness by modeling constructive engagement across differing viewpoints and interests. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Considers how group collaboration is not merely a matter of goodwill but a communicative process that can involve power, emotion, structure and shared responsibility. Explores ways that conflict and disagreement, when managed effectively, can generate innovation, trust and shared ownership rather than division. Considers leadership as a distributed and communicative practice rather than a top-down role. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of collaboration and facilitation methods; dialogue and deliberation frameworks; leadership and followership in groups; conflict management and negotiation; roles, norms and group climate; ethics of neutrality and mediator responsibility; decision-making models; communication in diverse or high-stakes teams; online versus face-to-face collaboration. Course material may draw on real-world cases or simulations involving disagreement or public issues, analyzed for communicative strategy. Prerequisites: COMM 210 ; junior or senior classification.