Part 1
How do you feel about working in groups? Describe a positive group experience and a negative group experience you have had at work, school, etc. Be sure to provide examples of what made each experience positive/negative.
Part 2 - Project
Assignment Objectives
? To demonstrate a thorough understanding of the major tenets of Groupthink theory.
? To demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate real-world applications of Groupthink.
? To demonstrate the ability to organize and present information in a presentation format.
? To demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas clearly.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize students with the role that Groupthink plays in group communication through various case studies. For the project, you will select a Groupthink case study. You can choose one of the following: Jonestown Massacre, Heaven's Gate, Challenger Disaster, Joe Paterno Scandal, Bay of Pigs Invasion. To learn more about the GroupThink theory, please see pg. 202 in Think Communication.
Students will examine the major tenets of Groupthink theory and apply them to a specific event in history. To begin your research, Google your topic and "Groupthink" together (i.e. "Jonestown" and "Groupthink").
Format
You are creating a media project. The final product will be digital and a combination of visual images and text. The final product must meet the requirements of each component described in the "Assignment Requirements" portion of this assignment sheet. You are free to choose any or a combination of the products below to create and house this digital product:
PowerPoint, Google Slides (free with your Gmail based student email account), Haiku Deck, Emaze, Prezi, Video (Movie Maker, YouTube, Google Hangouts on Air, etc), Website (weebly.com, wix.com), Padlet, Glogster, Voicethread, Digital Scrapbook (e.g. cliptomize), Digital Newsletter (many online templates exist) OR a digital medium of your choice with which you can upload or provide an accessible link to the entire final product for the your classmates and me to see.
NOTE: Notify if an alternative formats for the assignment is needed to meet ADA modifications.
In order to be successful with this project, follow the required format and meet all requirements described for each section of the project.
Assignment Requirements
Choose a specific case study that demonstrates Groupthink. Develop a presentation to inform about the event and describe how this event illustrates the major components of Groupthink. Presentations should identify the following:
1. Background of the Event
a. A brief synopsis of what occurred
b. Key individuals (who they are, relevant background information, role in the event)
c. Social/political climate surrounding the event (identify the social/economic factors present during this time that contributed to the event)
2. Group Leadership
a. Identify the leadership style(s) exhibited in this event based on your reading for this Unit. Provide examples from the event to illustrate this leadership style.
3. Application of Groupthink
a. Symptoms of Groupthink (identify 3-4 different symptoms and provide examples to support your answer)
b. Effects of Groupthink in this event (provide 2-3 specific examples)
c. How Groupthink could have been prevented in this situation
4. Works Cited
a. 3-5 sources
b. MLA format.