Term Paper Prep Assignment

Meet with one other person from the class. You can meet in the classroom during the class time or outside of class. Exchange term paper concepts (the description you sent me or your modification of it). Discuss each other’s projects. Then write a short (2 paragraphs) description of the other person’s project, explaining what approach they are taking, one method they might be using, and applying at least one class concept from the other lessons (Introduction, Principles, Sending and Receiving Skills, Culture, Gender). Say you met with me and discussed my project. An example of what you write might be:

Michael wants to understand how space influences effective classroom communication. He thinks that some faculty make more effective use of the classroom than others. For example, Professor X stays behind the podium, reading his powerpoint while Professor Y walks around the front of the room and out among the students, looking back at the powerpoint project and Professor Z sits on the desk. Michael thinks that Professor X is creating barriers and will be the least effective. Professor Y may scare people by getting too close, especially since the professor is young and may be seen as coming on to people. Thus, he argues that Professor Z is likely to be the most effective.

I think he is using a structural approach since he is starting with the type of nonverbal behavior and then seeing its effect, although you might call this a functional approach because he wants to see what is most effective. It will depend on how the study develops. He talked about observing 3 different classes because he knows of teachers who are like these three types. He will have students rate the classes. This is a field experiment. Finally, gender plays a role since one of the problems with Professor Y’s style is the issue of gender and relationships.

Failure to complete this assignment will result in a 5 point penalty on your term paper.