SELF ANALYSIS PAPER

“What did I learn about me?”

The purpose of this paper is to answer the following question:

“Using concepts from your textbook as your guide, how did YOUR
contributions help or hinder your group’s output?”

You will be required to use ONE small group concept (communication competence,
power or conflict) to evaluate your performance within your group. That is, you must
evaluate your behavior in your group based n the concepts discussed in Chapters 1, 9
and 10. This is not an opportunity for you to “sing your own praises” or make
excuses for any shortcomings; it is an opportunity for you to reflect DEEPLY on
your willingness and ability to use small group communication techniques.
Therefore, it is possible for you not to have been an excellent contributor to your group,
but, if you write a thorough and honest analysis, you still may receive an A on your
paper. This assignment is worth 25% of your grade. Due May 4, 2015 by 5 pm.

Guidelines

 Paper must be written in essay format (well organized, clear thesis, appropriate
headings and referencing, and proofread)
 Paper must be 5-7 double spaced pages in length—typed
 Paper must contain a bibliography with at least five sources including your
textbook (TWO SOURCES must be scholarly—NO WIKIPEDIA)
 Paper must describe and evaluate in detail what happened during meetings (real
and virtual), preparation for the presentation, or class activities. Therefore, this
analysis requires you to reflect on all of your group interactions and pick TWO
situations in which you did or did not apply a concept that was discussed in class
or the textbook. Remember—to DESCRIBE, you use examples from your real or
virtual group interactions; and to EVALUATE, you judge your behavior according
to criteria imbedded in the concepts from the textbook and class discussions.

Your paper will be graded in the following way:

FORMAT (10%)—grammar/spelling, organization, clear thesis, appropriate referencing;

RESEARCH (20%)—clear presentation of concept, related evidence, quality of sources;
ANALYSIS (30%)—clear descriptions of events, appropriate incorporation of examples,
clear application of concept to events/examples; INSIGHT (30%)—honest evaluation of
group productivity/cohesiveness, honest evaluation of self as a member; and PEER
EVALUATIONS (10%)—see “Participant Rating Scale” on the website.
Sample Outline

I. Introduction
Thesis—According to the textbook, my use of communication competence,
power, or conflict allowed me to help/caused me to hinder my group’s output.

II. Research
A. Discuss textbook description of communication competence, power or
conflict
B. Offer research examples of communication competence, power or conflict

II. Analysis
A. Application of communication competence, power or conflict to Event 1
1. Describe the part that you played in Event 1
2. Focus on the communication skills demonstrated

B. Application of communication competence, power or conflict to Event 2

1. Describe the part that you played in Event 2
2. Focus on the communication skills demonstrated

III. Evaluate YOUR impact on the group

A. How satisfied are you with your group’s output?
B. What did you learn about YOURSELF as a result of being a part of a
system?

IV. Conclusion