COMM 227 Individual reflection paper guidelines W2024 (3)

COMM227 Interpersonal and Critical Thinking Skills WINTER 2024 Instructor: Karim Boulos Individual Reflection Paper on Experience of Leading a Small Group Assessment Purpose  The primary purpose of this assignment is for students to experience leading a small group and to reflect on their experiences. Each student will practice leadership skills by taking the lead in their group to coordinate a group reflection paper and the written portion of this individual assignment will involve reflecting on those leadership experiences.  The secondary purpose of this assignment is for students to practice critical thinking skills. Each student will write a reflection that involves making claims relevant to their experience of being a leader and supporting their claims using their experiences as a leader, as well as relevant interpersonal processes theories and evidence. Assignment objectives:  Apply leadership theories to analyze the experience of leading a small group.  Integrate evidence to generate solutions to leadership challenges in small groups.  Make use of critical thinking skills to develop claims about leadership. Course objectives :  3.1.2 Explain theories of power and leadership, and discuss their applicability to business/organizational situations  3.2.2. Develop evidence-based solutions to interpersonal challenges and problems in organizational settings  3.2.3 Perform critical analyses of claims about interpersonal processes in organizations  3.2.4 Write an effective and persuasive essay  3.3.2 Analyze the experience of leading a small group  3.3.3 Demonstrate negotiation and conflict resolution skills Assessment Overview Description : Each student will write one individual reflection paper based on their experiences as a Team Leader. For this paper, the student will describe the experience in detail and analyze the experience using critical thinking skills. They will be expected to use the course readings and their experience as a team leader of the group reflection paper to provide quality evidence to support their claim. Expected Length: The expected length of the individual reflection paper is not more than 1,200 words. Grade weighting : 13 percent of grade in the course. 1

Due date : Depends on when the student is the team leader. Due date is in Week 6 for Team leaders on group paper #1, Week 9 for Team leaders on group paper #2, Week 11 for Team leaders on group paper #3, and Week 13 for Team leaders on group paper #4. Resubmission due date for Team leaders on group paper #1, #2, #3 is Week 13.  Late submission policy : Papers submitted after the deadline will be penalized 5% per day in accordance with the course policy. Instructions :  The individual reflection paper shall address 3 issues: 1) Describe the experience, 2) Examine the experience, and 3) Articulate learning. Students can structure their paper in the way that makes sense to them as long as they address all 3 issues. It is up to students’ discretion to decide if subheadings are needed. 1) Describe the experience o Students shall describe the experience of being a team leader for the group reflection paper objectively and in detail. The following questions provide a starting point. The key is to provide an in-depth description of what you did as a leader, the behaviours in which you engaged, and how your team responded.  Where and when did the experience occur? Who was there and was anyone absent? What actions did you/others take? Who did not speak/act? What leadership style did you adopt? How did your teammates react? 2) Examine the experience o Students shall examine the experience of being a leader. The following questions provide a starting point. The key is to reflect deeply on your experiences and to draw connections with teamwork, leadership, decision making, conflict resolution and negotiation concepts/theories learned in the course.  How did the experience enhance your understanding of a teamwork, leadership, decision making, conflict resolution and negotiation concept/theory? Did the experience confirm your understanding or challenge of it? Students who are the leaders for group reflection papers #1, #2, and #3 will revise their initial submissions using track changes function by incorporating their reflections on the experience relevant to the chapters that have not been covered when their individual reflection paper is due. For example, the leader for group reflection paper #1 will resubmit their individual reflection paper by reflecting how their experience is relevant to decision making and conflict resolution and negotiation. The revision is due on the same date for those who submit the individual reflection paper as a leader for group reflection paper #4.  What was your reaction to the experience? Did you enter the experience with expectations/assumptions about leading and were these confirmed or refuted? What surprised you about the experience of leading and why? 2

s Description of experience  There is depth, detail, and vividness in the description of the experience of being a leader. /10 Examination of experience  There is correct use of terminology related to leadership, and other interpersonal concepts theories.  There is correct choice of relevant teamwork, leadership, decision making and conflict resolution and negotiation concepts/theories.  There is correct and complete application of teamwork, leadership, decision making and conflict resolution and negotiation concepts/theories to examine the student’s own experiences as a leader. /30 Learning  Main claim/learning is directly derived from the student’s personal experience of being a team leader for the group reflection paper (meeting minutes).  Main claim/learning should be connected to at least one leadership concept/theory in the course readings.  Main claim/learning should be clearly and concisely articulated.  Main claim/learning should reflect original insights about leadership. /30 Evidence  Sufficiency: There are sufficient pieces of evidence to support the claims.  Precision: Ambiguous words are not overused.  Accuracy: No fabrication of the evidence.  Authority: Evidence from personal experience of being a team leader for the group reflection paper (meeting minutes).  Representative: Different pieces of evidence are used. Evidence is from the students’ experience as a team leader for the group reflection paper (meeting minutes).  Clarity: Evidence is understandable, expressed clearly. /20 Style  There is a logical flow throughout the paper.  The paper focuses on a coherent thread.  There are smooth transitions between paragraphs.  All sources are referenced appropriately.  APA style is followed for in text citation and references.  The paper has appropriate citations.  The paper conforms to the word limit.  The paper is grammatically correct, has no spelling errors, etc.  Comprehensive meeting minutes and all evidence demonstrating your leadership is attached. /10 TOTAL /100 4

The paper will be evaluated using the following scale: 0% 10% - 49% 50%-59% 60-69% 70-79% 80-90% 91-100% Missing Below the minimally acceptable standard Marginally acceptable Satisfactory Very Good Excellent Exemplary (work that is of publishable quality) Unclear, vague, off- topic, does not refer to any course concepts or material, no evidence was used Superficial and brief description of experience; little to low quality evidence, some class terms used but with little application or with several major and minor mistakes; vague, unclear, generic learning, poorly linked to experience and examination Basic application, obvious claims, discusses concepts at superficial level, little depth of analysis, low quality of evidence, may have 1 major mistake and some minor mistakes Advanced application in some respects, obvious or novel claims, some concepts discussed in depth, higher depth of analysis, medium quality evidence, few minor mistakes Advanced application in all respects, original claim and subclaims, all concepts discussed in depth, all analyses at a high-level, all high quality evidence; Meets all requirement with no mistakes This is everything at the excellent level, but goes above and beyond. The paper would be creative and original. Meets all requirements, and goes above and beyond course expectations, and has no mistakes 5