Mastering Communication: A Lesson From Group Presentations
Touchstone 1: Personal Essay - Please choose any skill or scenario you like.
ASSIGNMENT: Select one specific event in your academic or professional career when you used one of the employability skills below.
The innovation skill, which helps you use strategies to develop your ideas and create change.
The communication skill, which helps you effectively share information, your ideas, and your perspective.
The productivity skill, which helps you plan your time and your writing.
The technology skill, which helps you use digital tools and devices to document your writing efficiently and effectively.
Write a (500-800-word) narrative essay that describes this event. Some examples could include:
Firsts: Think of a "first" in your academic/professional career when you used your chosen skill, and describe that moment in detail.
Proud moments: Choose a moment when you felt proud about an accomplishment that was made possible by using one of the above skills.
Adversity: Describe a time when you had to think or act quickly to overcome a challenge using one of the above skills.
Your essay should include the following components:
In your introduction:
Explain the scenario.
In your body paragraphs:
Describe the employability skill you used and how it was used in your specific event.
Describe the benefits or shortcomings of using this skill and how the skill contributed to your success; or alternatively, how it could have been utilized differently to achieve greater success.
In your conclusion:
Describe what you learned about yourself through the experience and how you plan to utilize this skill in the future.
In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review this tutorial for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert: Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines.
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Create a 500-800-word personal essay in which you:
Explain the scenario you have chosen.
Describe the chosen employability skill and how it was used in the scenario.
Describe the benefits or shortcomings of using this skill and how it contributed to any success.
Describe how it could have been used differently to achieve greater success.
Describe what you learned about yourself throughout this scenario.
Minimize mechanical and stylistic errors.
Complete the reflection questions listed below.
B. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
Consider the early stages of your writing process. What brainstorming and prewriting activities did you engage in to compose your narrative? How did they help you begin formulating your ideas? How do you anticipate that these steps will make the writing process more productive? (4-5 sentences)
Consider the skill you chose as a topic. Why did you pick this particular skill? What about it are you looking forward to exploring as you work on your later assignments in this course? (3-4 sentences)
C. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)
Chosen Employability Skill (10 points)
Describe a time in your academic or professional career when one of the four employability skills was used.
Accomplishes all of the following: Clearly and specifically describes one of the four employability skills; describes in detail the scenario in which the employability skill was used; clearly and effectively discusses how the employability skill was used in that specific scenario. Accomplishes 2-3 of the following: Clearly and specifically describes one of the four employability skills; describes in detail the scenario in which the employability skill was used; clearly and effectively discusses how the employability skill was used in that specific scenario. Accomplishes 2 of the following: Clearly and specifically describes one of the four employability skills; describes in detail the scenario in which the employability skill was used; clearly and effectively discusses how the employability skill was used in that specific scenario. Accomplishes 1-2 of the following: Clearly and specifically describes one of the four employability skills; describes in detail the scenario in which the employability skill was used; clearly and effectively discusses how the employability skill was used in that specific scenario. Does not describe one of the four employability skills or how the employability skill was used in a specific scenario.
Employability Skill Analysis (10 points)
Describe in detail the benefits or shortcomings that were experienced while utilizing the employability skill, and how it affected the outcome of the scenario. Analyze how the skill can be utilized in the future.
Accomplishes all of the following: Clearly and specifically discusses the benefits or shortcomings of using the chosen employability skill; analyzes in detail how the skill affected the outcome of the scenario; clearly and effectively explains how the skill can be utilized differently in the future. Accomplishes 2-3 of the following: Clearly and specifically discusses the benefits or shortcomings of using the chosen employability skill; analyzes in detail how the skill affected the outcome of the scenario; clearly and effectively explains how the skill can be utilized differently in the future. Accomplishes 2 of the following: Clearly and specifically discusses the benefits or shortcomings of using the chosen employability skill; analyzes in detail how the skill affected the outcome of the scenario; clearly and effectively explains how the skill can be utilized differently in the future. Accomplishes 1-2 of the following: Clearly and specifically discusses the benefits or shortcomings of using the chosen employability skill; analyzes in detail how the skill affected the outcome of the scenario; clearly and effectively explains how the skill can be utilized differently in the future. Does not discuss the benefits or shortcomings of using the chosen employability skill; there is no analysis of how the skill affected the outcome of the scenario; there is no explanation of how the skill can be utilized differently in the future.
Narrative Flow (10 points)
Present a focused, meaningful narrative.
Accomplishes all of the following: The composition is focused on one event; the details are specific; the details are relevant to the event. Accomplishes 2-3 of the following: The composition is focused on one event; the details are specific; the details are relevant to the event. Accomplishes 2 of the following: The composition is focused on one event; the details are specific; the details are relevant to the event. Accomplishes 1-2 of the following: The composition is focused on one event; the details are specific; the details are relevant to the event. The composition is unfocused and lacks specific and relevant details.
Conventions (5 points)
Minimize errors in standard English grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes fewer than 5 minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes 5 minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes more than 5 minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage.
Reflection (5 points)
Answer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Accomplishes all of the following: Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; follows or exceeds response length guidelines. Accomplishes 2-3 of the following: Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; follows or exceeds response length guidelines. Accomplishes 2 of the following: Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; follows or exceeds response length guidelines. Accomplishes 1-2 of the following: Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; follows or exceeds response length guidelines. Does not answer the majority of reflection questions or the majority of answers do not follow response length guidelines.
D. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Double-space the essay and use one-inch margins.
Indent the first line of each paragraph by ½ inch.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Submission must include your completed personal essay and reflection questions with the components described in the guidelines above.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
Mastering Communication: A Lesson from Group Presentations
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
June 9, 2023
Various encounters have enriched my abilities and broadened my understanding throughout my academic journey. One such defining episode occurred during one of my earliest writing courses at the university. Specifically, one of the most impactful projects we worked on was when a sizable group project unveiled the remarkable impact of communication on team dynamics and outcomes. In the subsequent sections of this essay, I will discuss what I have learned about maximizing my communication skills in a multicultural workgroup and using it strategically to harmonize different perspectives and ideologies.
Personal Reflection
Before taking this course, I was also caught in the misconception that communication mostly happens through verbal exchanges between individuals. However, as I went through the lectures and the various activities where I worked with various groups, I realized that rather than being limited to the mere exchange of words, communication weaves together active listening, empathy, clarity, and concision, embodying a multilayered skill that goes beyond surface interactions. In the context of our group project, we were tasked with analyzing a chosen company's culture, employing theories and models from our studies. The group, an eclectic mix of diverse backgrounds, brought many unique perspectives and approaches to the assignment.
Effective Use of Communication in Multicultural Groups
Personally, I believe that this tapestry of varied insights, although an invaluable resource, came with its challenges, including several communication barriers. For example, conflicting views sparked debates on the choice of organization, the theoretical models to utilize, and the overall architecture of our presentation. Aside from this debate, another instance where we experienced a roadblock was our perspective on the position we had to take due to our cultural differences. It was then that I noticed that both verbal and non-verbal communication can become strained when faced with conflicting opinions from one another in an organization. Recognizing these hurdles, I stepped into the shoes of a mediator and lead communicator, marking a significant milestone in my personal development.
Benefits and Shortcomings
The strategic use of effective communication that I used as a mediator became an effective tool during our subsequent group meetings. By facilitating transparent dialogue and ensuring each voice was acknowledged, I realized that we unified our distinct ideas into a coherent plan. Yet, time and again, this journey had its roadblocks. Time constraints, protracted discussions, occasional misinterpretations, and personal biases intermittently hindered our communication process, reinforcing the necessity of lucid and empathetic exchanges.
Areas of Improvement
Despite the effective use of transparent, clear, and effective communication to reconcile varying ideas ...