COMM2110: Case Study Analysis Requirements & Guidelines

About the Assignment

Students will be assigned to teams comprising 4-5 members. Each team will be assigned a case study on an interpersonal topic to analyze. The goal of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to critically think about important interpersonally focused issues that most of us face at some time or another over the course of life. It is expected that, upon completing this analysis, you will have gained additional insights into interpersonal communication topics covered in class and come to appreciate the pragmatic utility and social significance of an interpersonal communication course. At the same time, the assignment will provide students with the opportunity to work as part of a team and reflect on the role of interpersonal communication in groups.

Written Reports

Team Report

As a team, you will turn in a 5-page (minimum; excluding cover page) written report of your analysis. Questions to think about and respond to will be provided along with the case study on March 06, 2008. At this time, you will have the opportunity to raise any additional questions or concerns you may have about this assignment.

Individual Report

In addition to the team report, each team member must also turn in a 2 to 3 page report addressing the following questions:

Were you able to apply concepts learned in class to analyze your case study? If yes, how so? If no, why not?
What new things did you learn working on this case study that were not covered as part of the course?
Was completing this case study useful in terms of understanding the practical implications of interpersonal communication theory and research?
How was your experience working as part of a group? What things did you like/dislike about working in a group?
What are your recommendations in terms of including this assignment in future classes of COMM 2210? Should the assignment be retained as it is or eliminated altogether? If it should be retained, should the requirements of the assignment be modified in any way to make it more useful? Explain.

Feedback & Evaluation

Confidential Team Member Feedback

Every team member must also complete a confidential group member evaluation form for each member of the group and turn it in along with the written reports. A copy of the Confidential Team Member Evaluation Form is available for download from the Downloads page on the course homepage or by clicking here

Team Presentation Evaluation

Every member of the audience must complete a team presentation evaluation for each of the teams and turn it in along with team member evaluations. In addition to being factored into the team’s overall grade, audience evaluations serve the important function of providing constructive feedback and facilitating improvement. A copy of the Presentation Evaluation Form may be downloaded and printed from the Downloads page on the course homepage or by clicking here

Presentation

Each team must prepare a 15-20 minute presentation that summarizes, at minimum:

What the case study was about
Questions the team was asked to address
Findings from the team's analysis
Significance/importance of those findings for interpersonal communication & relationships

Class attendance during team presentations is mandatory and every member of the audience must complete an anonymous audience rating form evaluating the presentation. Most importantly, issues raised during team presentations are fair game for the final exam.

General Instructions

Presentation Dates: 04/15/2008 or 04/17/2008

Because of time limitations, only 2-3 team presentations will be scheduled per class period
Team presentation dates will be assigned randomly

Team & Individual Written Reports Due Date: 04/15/2008

All teams and team members must submit their final reports on 04/15/2007, regardless of whether your team is presenting on April 15, 2008 or April 17, 2008. No exceptions!

Confidential Team Member Feedback & Audience Presentation Evaluation Forms: 04/17/2008

All completed confidential team member feedback forms as well audience evaluation of team presentation MUST be turned in by the end of our class meeting on April 17, 2008

Team & Individual Reports Formatting Instructions

Case Study Analysis Report Length: 5 pages minimum (excluding a cover page)

Instructions for Formatting Cover Page of Team Report:

Running Head: top of the page, left-aligned, title of the article (ALL in CAPS)
Case Study Analysis of 'Title of the Article' centered between the top and bottom and left & right margins
The title of the article should be followed by your team members' first and last names ( Members' names may be organized either in order of contributions or alphabetical order of last name)
Your institutional affiliation, 'Utah Valley State College' should appear on the line below your names
All three pieces of information (Title, Names, Institutional Affiliation) MUST be double-spaced

Click the following links to view a SAMPLE COVER PAGE for the Team Report and a SAMPLE COVER PAGE for the Individual Report

Acceptable Font: Times New Roman, 12-pt font

Acceptable Margins: 1" on the top, bottom, and right; 1.25" on the left

Acceptable Spacing: Double

Pagination: Your team name and page # must be provided in the page header and right-aligned (same as page header)

Citations/Credits: If you are using information that is not your own (including information from the textbook), you MUST give the appropriate citation of the source from which you took the information within the body of the text and on a separate 'References' page. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism and will result in a failing grade. Please be warned that ignorance is NOT an acceptable excuse. When in doubt, ASK, do NOT guess!!

Note: I will provide a brief overview of when and how to provide citations within the body of the text as well as how to format the references page in APA style. If you still have any questions or need additional instruction/assistance, please feel free to set up an appointment with me and I'll be glad to help in any way I can. Good luck!

Click on the relevant links below to go to related course pages

Revised Course Schedule - Click on this link for information on class meeting dates, topics covered, and assignment due dates
Policies & Guidelines - Click on this link for detailed descriptions of course policies on late submissions, missed work, & academic integrity, and guidelines for classroom discussion, participation, & civility
Course Requirements - Click on this link for information on the assignments and exams that are required for successful completion of the course
Critical Analysis - Click on this link for instructions and guidelines for completing the Critical Analysis paper
Assignment Due Dates - Click on this link for a snapshot of important assignment due dates and exam schedules
Track your Progress - Click on this link for a breakdown of course grade and the final grade reference table
Downloads - All of the course information is available for download in MS-Word or PDF formats

Return to COURSE HOMEPAGE - Click on this link to return to the COMM 2110 Course Homepage