We live in an age of team projects and group
communication. Marketing teams, team missions, assessment groups, church
leadership committees, group projects, and social networks are a natural part
of the modern workplace, ministry, and academic environment. So a class like
Small Group Communication, taught by Communications professor Mrs. Rachel
Trach, is necessary for preparing students for their future vocations. This
college-age generation is perhaps more social and more team-oriented than any
other, and this class helps the students create and manage productive and
cohesive groups.
In order to prepare the students for real-life group
communication, the class is divided up into small groups to complete a
strategic planning project. Each group identifies one aspect of life on the
Northland campus that could be improved. Using John Dewey's Reflective Thinking
Sequence, the group collaboratively analyzes the problem, brainstorms for
ideas, and proposes viable solutions for the problem. During this process, the
group members interview people around campus and conduct research about their
topic. In addition to identifying feasible solutions, the groups also write a
communication plan for how their solutions would be implemented here at
Northland.
At the end of the semester, the groups will present their
analysis and solutions to the Administration and other leaders on campus who
are capable of putting the students’ solutions into action. This opportunity is
particularly encouraging to the students because they have seen the ideas of
previous classes implemented—making the project not just an academic
requirement but an opportunity to enact real-life change.
Each student also creates an accountability group for the
semester. Many of them are using their prayer groups, which are, in some ways,
built-in accountability groups. Leanna Hull, a student in the class and the
leader of her prayer group, said that the project was making her more focused,
and the most change was taking place in her own responses to the unit. Through
her own observations, she feels that she is becoming a more valuable member of
the whole.
Throughout the semester, Mrs. Trach has invited several
guest speakers to lecture about various applications of small groups in
ministry and business.
- Steve
Whigham, marketing consultant for Michelin, delivered a lecture about Edward De
Bono's Six Hats of Creative Thinking and how that relates to creative group brainstorming.
- Evangelist Will Galkin spoke on the subject of group discipleship. In
many ministries—whether at home or abroad—this is fast becoming one of the most
effective forms of outreach.
- Dr. Dick
Fellars, head of Northland Center for the Local Church, spoke about the history
of small group discipleship in the local church along with presenting several
healthy methodologies that have been used well in the local church.
It's evident that understanding the dynamics of a group
is essential for anyone stepping out into the world, regardless of his or her
major. In the Communication Arts Department, we are working diligently to make
sure that our students are prepared to lead and facilitate healthy group
communication for the glory of God.