264 Appendix A^ Speaking in Small Groups
During this meeting, divide your subject into subtopics, and let each member select
specific aspects to further research in depth. For instance, you might decide to include
a definition, the history, numbers and types of people affected, regions or areas affected,
proposed solutions, or arguments for and against each solution.
Successful groups find ways to hold members accountable. So before you adjourn,
have group members identify what they will do before the next meeting. Then set a
date, place, and a time (beginning and ending) to meet again.Additional Meetings: Discussing the Subject
Start each new meeting by approving the minutes of the previous meeting. Follow an
explicit agenda, an ordered list of the items you’ll discuss. Ask all members to summarize
their work and answer any questions that arise. After everyone has contributed, ask:
What questions do we still have? Are there gaps in our research? If so, where? What
patterns or themes are we finding? Are we beginning to detect a way to organize our
final presentation?
Continue to use the gatekeeper and recorder roles. In every meeting, focus on your
final goal: to present your material publicly. To achieve this objective, cooperate on
organizing ideas and outlining materials into a coherent form. Review the organizational
patterns presented in Chapter 9, and think of creative ways to introduce and conclude
your presentation (Chapter 10). Identify possible visual aids (assigning a person to create
each one), and put someone in charge of equipment needs.
Before parting, have everyone describe what he or she will do before the next
session. Then set a date, place, and time for the next meeting.Final Meeting: Polishing the Presentation
Meet one last time to finalize all the details. Give each group member a written outline
or record of what you’ve done. Rehearse the actual presentation so that everyone knows
what to do, and iron out any glitches that arise. Check that visuals are made and equip-
ment is ordered, and then congratulate one another on a job well done.Problem-Solving Teams
A “problem” can be defined as the difference between what is (the present condition)
and what should be (the goal).^11 It’s the gap between what we have and what we want.
Problem-solving teams address campus, local, national, and global problems such as
parking or housing problems on campus or challenges to free speech locally, nationally,
or globally.
In most contexts, a structured approach proves effective, and groups often use a
problem-solving method described a century ago by the educator John Dewey and
modified several times since. Dewey’s analytical, linear process of appraising problems
and generating solutions is typical of Euro-American culture, but similar methods
are used globally. For example, the Africa Region’s Knowledge and Learning Center
reported that women’s groups in Senegal also use a five-step process to solve community
problems.^12 This process is not strictly linear and one directional; your group may
circle back to previous steps, and you may revise as you go along. What follows is a
modification of John Dewey’s original steps.Step One: Define the Problem
At the outset state the problem clearly, or your task will be more difficult because it
is hard to solve a vague problem. Some problems are simple to define: “Whom shallCopyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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