-----Original Message-----
From: Paul C. Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 11:12 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [Re: activities,demos,group work (long)]
> Dennis Byrnes wrote:
>
> One of the objectives of our new general education plan is
> to help students learn how to work collaboratively in teams.
> Here the objective is small group work and we're looking for
> the right context to teach it. It seems to be the complement
> of your question. This competency is, in part, suggested by
> surveys by our College of Management that suggest employers
> are looking for employees who are skilled in working in
> groups.
We have a gen ed course titled "Small Group Behavior", in which
students
learn two interaction models: the "Task-oriented model" and the
"interpersonal model". Most of the work is done on the former model.
Students face a variety of real-life tasks (e.g., select someone to hire
from a number of applicants), work on the tasks in small groups, then
self-assess and peer assess per the behaviors described in the models (e.g.,
"Information Giving", "Challenging", "Clarifying"). They do some of the
self- and peer-assessment by watching videotapes of their interactions.
Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee
Now, that seems reasonable. Alverno does some good things, and it seems to
me that if we are going to knuckle under to the demands of some employers
who want group problem solvers (Dilbert, where are you when we need you?) it
makes some sense to require it of everybody. Then the rest of the faculty
can use it -- or not -- in their courses without having to teach those
skills.
Al
Al L. Cone
Jamestown College <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
North Dakota 701.252.3467 X 2604
http://www.jc.edu/users/faculty/cone
The Internet is democracy at its ugliest. Apologies to Paddy Chayefsky
who said this about television
