Course Syllabus
Welcome to SOC 404 Social Influences and Small Groups
Overview
| CATEGORY | INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Credits | 3 |
| Prerequisites | SOC 003 or PSYCH 420 |
| Delivery | Web (Canvas, https://psu.instructure.com) |
| Dates | See the Calendar. |
| Instructor | See the Orientation module under the Modules tab. |
Description
Small groups are a part of our everyday life. Given that knowledge, better understanding of how they function is not only an interesting academic pursuit, but also something that can provide you with the knowledge and tools to better navigate groups in the workplace, school, a religious congregation, or in any other venue you may find them.
The study of small groups is an interdisciplinary field that exists at the intersection of psychology, sociology, and communications. Therefore, this course will draw upon those different fields in examining small groups.
Objectives
If you take the lessons for the course seriously and do your best work, you will learn a great deal about groups, their nature, how they function, and the kind of impact they have on those who comprise them, as well as the impact on others. There is much to learn, and the materials that follow have been designed to assist you as much as possible in the process. In the final analysis, however, how much you learn will be a product of how much effort you expend. The objectives of this course are:
- to explore the functions of communication in small group settings;
- to examine theory and research in small group/team communication as it relates to the enhancement of communication skills;
- to provide the opportunity to examine one’s own participation in groups and teams, and to experiment and improve upon those behaviors; and
- to provide observational and evaluative skills in small-group behavior.
Organization
This course is comprised of fifteen (15) lessons. There will be:
- five (5) quizzes,
- six (6) graded journal entries,
- two (2) online group discussions,
- two (2) analysis papers, and
- a final exam.
Online Learning and Attendance
This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.
Materials
Texts
Beebe, S. A., & Masterson, J. T. (2019). Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices (12th ed.). Boston: Pearson. (ISBN: 978-0-13-571216-0)
Library Services
Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.
Grading
Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.
Scale
| LETTER GRADE |
MINIMUM PERCENT |
|---|---|
| A | 95 |
| A- | 90 |
| B+ | 88 |
| B | 82 |
| B- | 80 |
| C+ | 78 |
| C | 70 |
| D | 60 |
| F | 0 |
Due Dates
All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (e.g. hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.
Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide (Links to an external site.) at https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2891.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g. upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Notes
- To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates.
- Late work will only be accepted for Quiz #1 and Lesson #1 Exercises. The penalty for turning these two assessments in late is a letter grade deduction for every day that the assessment is late. After the first week of the course, no late work will be accepted. Please keep in mind that the window in which you can submit a variety of assignments is large, e.g. a week to turn in the Lesson #1 Exercises, so do not wait until the last minute to turn in your assignments.
Assignments
Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.
You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within two weeks of their due date.
| ASSIGNMENT GROUP |
POINTS | PERCENTAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Quizzes | 50 | 18% |
| Journal Entries | 60 | 21% |
| Discussions | 40 | 14% |
| Analysis Papers | 80 | 29% |
| Final Exam | 50 | 18% |
| Total | 280 | 100% |
Quizzes
Value: (5 x 10 points, 50 points total)
There are FIVE quizzes made up of multiple choice and true/false questions that assess your completion and understanding of the readings. Each quiz will cover two or three chapters’ worth of material. You will have 15 minutes to complete each quiz, and each quiz must be completed by 11:59 PM (ET) on the Sunday of the week it is assigned. There will be no make-up quizzes.
Journal Entries
Value: (6 graded x 10 points, 60 points total)
You will write six graded journal entries (you will complete one ungraded journal entry the first week of class). Each graded journal entry asks you to apply ideas from the course. Journal entries should be about 400 words in length.
Your grade on each journal entry depends on how accurately and extensively you utilize terms, concepts, and theories from the course. While some of the journal entries may ask you to discuss a group from your own life, remember that the ultimate purpose of the journal entry is to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to apply the course material. You do not want to simply describe a group without providing critical analysis grounded in the course material.
Each journal entry will be worth 10 points and will be graded on the following scale:
|
1 to 5 Points |
6 to 7 Points |
8 to 10 Points |
|
|
|
Journal entries must be completed by 11:59 PM (ET) on the Sunday of the week it is assigned. Late entries will not be graded.
Conference
Value: (2 x 20, 40 points total)
You are required to participate in two 'conferences' within your small group [a team] that you will be assigned to in the course. These conferences will take using your small group's conference tool. These conferences should take a minimum of one hour. As a group you will need to decide upon the day and time that your conference will take place during the week it is assigned. This means that everyone will need to communicate early with each other using the 'Preparing for Your Conference' discussion forum the week before the group conference is to occur.
It is important that everyone utilize the discussion forum (and not e-mail) so I can keep track of who is and who is not communicating with each other regarding the scheduling of the group’s conference. If you are not in close communication with your group on the discussion forum and they are forced to schedule the conference without you, then it will be your responsibility to participate in the conference at that time.
In each conference, you and your group will need to make a decision about a hypothetical issue provided to you. The conference will provide the raw material for your group analysis papers (see below). What your group decides ultimately about the hypothetical issues presented to you is not important. What is important is that the group takes the conference seriously. You must also record your group's conference sessions.
As an individual, you will be given one of three grades for the online discussions:
20 points: You were present for the discussion and were an active participant.
10 points: You were technically present for the discussion, but were not an active participant.
0 points: You were not present for the discussion at all.
Note: “Active participation” consists of multiple substantial contributions during the conference. Simply saying “hi” at the beginning or giving one-word answers a couple times during the conference is not active participation.
Because the group conferences are to provide practice and material for analysis papers, your group’s performance itself is not being graded. In other words, if you feel like your group did not function very well, this will not harm you. The key is to then analyze that failure (or success) using the concepts and theories from the course in the group analysis papers
Analysis Papers
Value:(2 x 40 points, 80 points total)
After each of the two group discussions, you will individually complete an analysis paper. This paper should be between 1,000-1,200 words. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon and analyze your group’s discussion using concepts and theories from the course. This last part is key…if you just write about the group’s discussion without making explicit connections and applications to readings and other course materials, then you will not receive as high of a grade.
Each of the analysis papers will provide you more specific questions to guide your analysis. You will be graded on the specificity of your discussion and examples and on the breadth and accuracy of your application of the readings and other course materials. More specifically, the point range is as follows:
|
0 to 24 Points |
25 to 34 Points |
34 to 40 Points |
|
|
|
Analysis papers must be completed by 11:59 PM (ET) on the Sunday of the week it is assigned. Late submissions will not be graded.
Final Exam
Value:(50 points total)
The final will assess your mastery of the course material from the entire semester. The final will consist of 50 multiple-choice and true\false questions. You will have 65 minutes to complete the final. The final must be completed by the end of the finals period. There will be no make-up exams.
University Policies
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic sanctions, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes (see G-9: Academic Integrity).
Unless your instructor tells you otherwise:
- Always include an in-text citation that includes the author(s) last name(s) and the year the source was published at the end of any sentence or below any image that includes words, images, or ideas you found in a source, always included quoted text within quotation marks, and always include a reference for any source at the end of your paper (ask your instructor about the format you should use).
- All of your graded coursework must be created by you without help from anyone in the course or otherwise. If you have questions about this, you should ask your instructor before submitting work for evaluation.
- All course materials you receive or access are protected by copyright laws. You may use course materials and make copies for your own use, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct and/or liable under Federal and State laws.
Disability Access
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/disability-coordinator. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Nondiscrimination
Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website at http://www.psu.edu/dept/aaoffice/.
Reporting a Bias Incident
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.
Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to enhance students' ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online (Links to an external site.) at https://equity.psu.edu/offices/student-disability-resources to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype, FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website (Links to an external site.) at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/.
Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.
TEACH Act
The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.
University Emergency Procedure
In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.
In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at http://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website at http://news.psu.edu.
To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.
Syllabus Subject to Change
The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|