CHAPTER 9: SOLVING PROBLEMS IN GROUPS

Sometimes as much as we think we may be right about something, it's always best to get a second opinion just to make sure we've done that something in the most appropriate manner possible. This is when we can refer to solving problems in a group. One of the advantage of solving problems in a group is that we get various resources. Resources need not be in the form of ideas, input and knowledge only; sometimes, resources can be in the form of physical actions(manpower). Relating this to studying for midterms last minute, a group of friends and I decided to collectively study together each night before a paper to refresh our memory and to get the best out of each other, as in to ask the rest on a chapter that we're weak at for instance, or it could be a statistics question that we can't seem to get the proper method to solve the equation, there again; we ask for help. Personally, I feel studying in a group certainly helps me alot more than studying alone because I instantly can counter check with my peers if im unsure about something that im reading and by helping them with areas they are weak in, I not only feel good about it, I also am revising my work by helping someone else with theirs. Another advantage of group problem-solving would be the increased likelihood of catching errors or better known as accuracy.By revising with the rest, the margin of errors made can be easily reduced as you have your peers checking on you from time to time; vice versa. Besides that, groups also generate a higher commitment to carrying solutions out. By making solutions that we think is best for the whole group, we are determined to carry out those solutions made. This is co-related to the principle called participative decision making in which the people who live with a plan help make it. Everyone puts in their ideas and work toward a common goal. There are undoubtedly disadvantages as well to solving problems in a group, but the ratio is very minimal compared to the advantages of solving problems in a group. As for me, I do believe in individual progress, but i am more of a person who gets the best out of something better when working together in a group instead of doing things by myself.
posted by Haylena. xx

CHAPTER 8: THE NATURE OF GROUPS

What is the definition of a group? According to our text: A group consists of a small collection of people who interact with each other, usually face to face, over time in order to reach goals.

At this point of time im pretty sure all of us who are taking human comm as an elective subject are busy with our culture and advert assignment which is due early next week. Reminiscing back on the first week of our human comm lecture, Mr. Murali divided us into groups of 5. Throughout the whole semester we are required to work together in completing assigned tasks, groupworks and so on. The other four group members of mine were all new friends to me as I have never met them in my previous two semesters. In class we learnt that without interaction, a collection of people isn't a group which is definitely true because if we are not able to communicate and talk amongst us, how are we going to get things done collectively as a group? We also learnt that in groups, members don't just interact, their members are interdependent. If someone in the group fails to do his/her part, it affects the whole group; this is called the "ripple effect" which can be in the form of positive and negative actions. Moving on, we learnt that a collection of people who interact for a short while doesn't qualify as a group, thus time is an important factor in handling proper group dicussions/meetings. Time management is really important because one thing that I've learned is that the longer we take our time in doing our assignments, the more we procrastinate in getting our work done, we would have to rush through doing it up at the 11th hour which will most likely result in bad performance in our grades. If only one plans earlier and discusses with their group members, I'm pretty sure things would go smooth towards the due date of the assignment. The size of the group also plays a vital role in managing groups, as for instance if the group is too big and some of us may not agree with the majority of the crowd on a certain issue, but nontheless because majority of the group agrees on that particular issue, we are pressured to conform to the group because majority wins anyway right? Research suggests that the optimal size for a group is the smallest number of people capable of performing the task at hand effectively. Last but not least, for a group to be successful, common individual goals along with common group goals to acheive the best and highest recognition amongst the rest would help boost confidence in each and every member of the group to succeed in carrying out their tasks.
posted by Haylena. xx

CHAPTER 3: LANGUAGE

The definition of LANGUAGE according to our textbook says that LANGUAGE: A collection of symbols governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals. Language is a verbal symbol system that allows us to take messages and utterances, in the form of words, and translate them into meaning.

In class Mr.Murali stressed on the power of language. I believe it's so true that our language reflects our attitude. Bearing that in mind, it is really important for us to watch our language when speaking to another. This is because once something is said regardless if it's the truth or not, our very own language might seem appealing to us, but maybe not to others. We might just be hurting the other party by saying something that may seem appropriate to us but not to that person. Everyone is different, we all come from different backgrounds but one thing that brings us together is language and communication. The way we shape our language and communicate with people tells a lot about us.

The tone of our voice brings out the power in our language, our affiliation with the other; CONVERGENCE ( the way we approach society, the ability to speak in a common language) and DIVERGENCE ( the ego in us thinking we're better than the other and would like to speak in an opposite manner, thus often causes misunderstandings) aids in portraying our image to the other party. Therefore it is always best and important for us to think before we say something. We must be able to consider the feelings of the other person, if what we're about to say may hurt the person or not. A cut on our body would heal in time to come, but once hurt emotionally with words, that can sting for the rest of our lives. With that, we should always listen, heed what others have to say and speak in an appropriate language to avoid conflicts. :)

Haylena. xx
(p/s: I know I haven't been updating my posts and I understand that no marks will be given for this and the rest of the delayed ones but I just feel a need to complete my undone work. After midterms, I promise to post up the minimum requirement of 2 posts per week based on our class lectures on a regular basis. Sorry and thanks Mr. Murali!)

CHAPTER 2: PERCEPTION

The one thing that I find rather hard to practise as much as i try to curb this habit is perceiving others as what they might appear to be rather than applying the we should never judge a book by it's cover phrase. Although i deeply understand this, trust me it's not that easy to refrain any thoughts that come along be it positive or negative. Take a good look at the image on your left, The guy on the left claims that the glass is half full but the guy on the right claims that the glass is half empty. What was your first impression? Mine was the same as the guy on the left. In both ways they are right about the content. I found this example interesting because even though both parties are defining the content of the glass correctly, each are driven by their own perceptions that come first to their own minds. That itself, perception as we call it can create a negative impact on how we look at people just by judging them based on their appearance or how they carry themselves without us realising our thoughts. Our thoughts alone can turn in to our words and actions without us realising. This topic may seem a tad bit deep to ponder on, but as we covered the chapter, my "perception" on PERCEPTION or rather the definition that i had in mind before of the word perception changed. I believe i now understand better and hopefully will be able to apply whatever learned on perception in my day to night activities.

posted by, Haylena. xx

CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION.

Communication. Living with a journalist for the past 18 years of my life really opened my eyes in the world of communication. I grew up watching my dad write stories, interview renowned people, lecture classes, give talks and act. Being an investigative reporter, he's gone undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, Member of the Parliment, salesperson, handicapped and as a tourist to highlight on soceity's concern. I have learnt so much from him as he's always on the go to work on assignments given.

In our first weeks lecture we learnt about Communication Competence and that there is no "ideal" way to communicate, it is situational and relational and communication can be learned. As we touched on this slide in class, I couldn't help but to reflect on what my dad always tells me and my sisters that we should be able to communicate in an appropriate manner with our parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings and friends. He's always taught us to treat everyone as we would like them to treat us and not to discriminate between cast, creed and colour and we should be able to respect that everyone is God's child.

From what I gathered in class on communication competence, communication is an ongoing learning process; as we grow, we learn more and more new things, we meet different people, we gain more experiences in our lives and this undoubtedly contributes in moulding us to who we actually are now and who we will be in the future. Having so much interest in this field, I'm appreciating and slowly understanding everything about communication that I learn in my everyday life be it at home, in college during classes, when I'm out at work and when I'm out with friends.
posted by Haylena. xx