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Graduate Discussion Rubric.html

Graduate Discussion Rubric

Overview

Your active participation in the discussions is essential to your overall success this term. Discussion questions will help you make meaningful connections between the course content and the larger concepts of the course. These discussions give you a chance to express your own thoughts, ask questions, and gain insight from your peers and instructor.

Directions

For each discussion, you must create one initial post and follow up with at least two response posts.

For your initial post, do the following:

• Write a post of 1 to 2 paragraphs.
• In Module One, complete your initial post by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
• In Modules Two through Ten, complete your initial post by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. of your local time zone.
• Consider content from other parts of the course where appropriate. Use proper citation methods for your discipline when referencing scholarly or popular sources.

For your response posts, do the following:

• Reply to at least two classmates outside of your own initial post thread.
• In Module One, complete your two response posts by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
• In Modules Two through Ten, complete your two response posts by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. of your local time zone.
• Demonstrate more depth and thought than saying things like “I agree” or “You are wrong.” Guidance is provided for you in the discussion prompt.

Discussion Rubric

Reading and Resources15.html

Library Article: Bystander Intervention In Emergencies: Diffusion Of Responsibility This article gives an overview of the Kitty Genovese attack and how researchers explained why nobody tried to stop it. 

Library Article: Why Challenger Was Doomed This Los Angeles Times article discusses the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. 

Library Article: Group Decision Fiascos Continue: Space Shuttle Challenger and a Revised Groupthink Framework This article, as well as the L.A. Times article on the Challenger, describes the process of groupthink and how this helped cause the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

Reading: Groupthink, Qualitative Comparative Analysis, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square Disaster 

This article focuses on why qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a superior method for the study of groupthink and provides an example of groupthink.

Module Overview5.html

Group Processes

Do you remember being in a school or work group where you ended up doing most of the work? That has probably happened a few times. Now, have you ever been in a group where the other people did most of the work? That might have happened too. Regardless of who did the work, these two groups have one important thing in common: whoever did the work, or did not do the work, did not get credit for their effort or their lack of it. In the social psychological study of group processes, this is known as social loafing. Social loafing is defined as a person’s lack of participation in a group that occurs as a result of that person not receiving credit for any work that is done in that group. The larger the group size, the more likely that social loafing will occur (Kassin et al., 2021).

Groupthink

Groupthink theory was pioneered by Irving Janis who used case studies to demonstrate how defective group dynamics could lead to disastrous decision making in crises such as the Bay of Pigs, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the intensification of hostility with North Korea, and the escalation of conflict in Vietnam (Kassin et al., 2021). When members of a group strive for unanimity during the decision-making procedure, they tend to blindly prioritize their own group over others, which can result in biased thinking and decision making (Kassin et al., 2021).

Groupthink can occur in many life settings. Have you ever been on a jury where all of the evidence pointed to a guilty verdict, but the majority of jurors were all voting to acquit the defendant? That is an example of groupthink. When you have a high-powered, closely knit group that has a strong leader and whose members are insulated from any contradictory information, groupthink can occur. In these situations, the group can decide to do whatever they want because nobody else can require them to decide differently.

The good news is that group processes do not always bring out the worst in the group (Spoelma and Chauhan, 2023). You might have been a part of a group project where you had a wonderful outcome that could not have been created just by one or two members of the group. In fact, most major decisions are made by groups because groups can make very good decisions. In short, group decisions can be better than individual decisions if the group relies on the person with the most expertise, and considers every other group member’s comments. It is also the job of the most talented group member to convince the other members to accept his or her beliefs. So, if you are a manager and you are creating a new group, just remember a few key ideas to help make this group effective. It is your responsibility to know how to do every task that every group member has been assigned. You should also know each group member’s area of expertise. Finally, you should make sure the group is between two and six members, because if it gets any larger than that, social loafing will more likely occur (Kassin et al., 2021).

References

Graduate Discussion Rubric.html

Graduate Discussion Rubric

Overview

Your active participation in the discussions is essential to your overall success this term. Discussion questions will help you make meaningful connections between the course content and the larger concepts of the course. These discussions give you a chance to express your own thoughts, ask questions, and gain insight from your peers and instructor.

Directions

For each discussion, you must create one initial post and follow up with at least two response posts.

For your initial post, do the following:

• Write a post of 1 to 2 paragraphs.
• In Module One, complete your initial post by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
• In Modules Two through Ten, complete your initial post by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. of your local time zone.
• Consider content from other parts of the course where appropriate. Use proper citation methods for your discipline when referencing scholarly or popular sources.

For your response posts, do the following:

• Reply to at least two classmates outside of your own initial post thread.
• In Module One, complete your two response posts by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
• In Modules Two through Ten, complete your two response posts by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. of your local time zone.
• Demonstrate more depth and thought than saying things like “I agree” or “You are wrong.” Guidance is provided for you in the discussion prompt.

Discussion Rubric