Group Course Proposal Information

GROUP Proposal Assignment Information North Seattle Community College English 101 – J.C. Clapp

General Overview:

For the next few weeks you and your group will write a proposal. You will collaborate as a group, and then write a group proposal which will be presented orally to the class and in writing to JC. At the end, you will write an individual self-evaluation.

Your Task:

You will choose your own group members. Your group needs to have at least three people in it. It would be a good idea to limit your group size to no more than six. Then, your group will decide upon a problem to propose a solution to. You will need to:

 Choose a specific problem that is important in the lives of your group members;  Choose a specific audience for the proposal;  Define the chosen audience;  Use details, facts, and examples to help you to demonstrate and establish that a specific problem exits;  Propose a solution to the defined problem;  Use the details, facts, and examples necessary to convince your defined audience that your solution(s) are reasonable, doable, and effective.  Use a form/style/tone appropriate to your chosen audience

The Process:

You will need to carefully and methodically work through the process to writing a strong proposal:

 Read Chapter 10, which explains all of the aspects of the proposal.  Read Chapter 18 carefully and then, referring specifically to page 590, choose and organize your group.  Begin on page 369 of your textbook and, as a group, delegate and complete all of the steps, questions, and exercise presented. You are not required to turn any of your answers to these planning exercises in, but they will make your work much easier if you complete them.  After you have formulated your problem, defined your audience, and considered solutions, you need to decide what form your proposal will take. Chapter 17 (page 557) discusses how form embodies purpose – it might give you some ideas. Also, Chapters 19 and 20 have ideas for considering visual design.

Oral Presentation:

Every group will be presenting their proposal orally to the class. You will have about 15 minutes in which to present your ideas. A hard copy of your proposal, which includes all of your group member’s names, will be turned in to JC on the day you present. During your oral presentation, you may choose to use handouts, overhead transparencies, power point, posters, or any other visual materials. There will be one proposal per group and one presentation per group. You may choose to structure your oral presentation in any manner you choose, with the main goal being to tell the class what your proposal contains. Convince us that your proposal merits implementation! Pretend like we are your defined audience. Do not simply read your proposal, instead present it. All group members must participate in the presentation. Chapter 21 (pg. 646) in your text can help you develop your oral presentation.

Delegation:

You will need to decide who in your group is responsible for what. Make these responsibilities clear! You may split up the tasks in any way your group sees fit. The only requirement is that all members of the group contribute equally and fairly. Everybody in the group will receive the same grade on the written and oral proposal the group creates. You will receive individual grades on your self-evaluation. If somebody in your group refuses to cooperate and do their share, your group can vote them out. If you are voted out of a group, it is your responsibility to find another group that will accept you. If you all behave like grown ups and do your share, there won’t be problems! Be fair and play nice.

Self-Evaluation:

You will be doing an evaluation of the contributions made by each member of your group (including yourself). In this evaluation you will assess how your group functioned and what your role was in the group. These evaluations will be confidential and directed only to JC. Please address all of the below questions in your self-evaluation:

 How did your group go about organizing and managing the project?  What role did you play in the group?  What contributions did you make to the group?  What was your level of dedication and responsibility to the group?  Identify each member of the group individually and discuss what role they played. In addition, discuss what contributions they made. Were they an effective group member? Why or why not?  What problems or issues did you confront individually and as a group and how did you handle them?  From your own perspective, what do you see as the main differences between collaborative and individual writing? What do you see as the benefits and limits of each?  What is your assessment of your final product and presentation? What would you change if you had more time?  What do you feel you learned, if anything, by participating in this project?

This self-evaluation is mandatory and is worth 20 points. It must be typed and will be approximately 2-3 pages long. Please be honest, thorough, and reflective. The self-evaluation is due the day after you present. JC’s Evaluation:

Attached is a grading rubric that will be used to grade your group’s proposal and presentation. All members of the group will receive the same grade. Your self-evaluation will be graded individually and will be based on:

To what extent does the student demonstrate the ability to . . .  Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness/growth of his/her own written work and contribution to the group’s task  Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the contributions made by his/her peers to the overall group effort  Thoughtfully and reflectively answer the questions presented in the “self-evaluation” section of the assignment sheet  Write using standard edited English.

Due Dates:

 Rough Draft Due: Friday, February 24th  Final Draft Due: Tuesday, February 28th or Wednesday, March 1st -- when your group presents.  Self-Evaluation Due: Thursday, March 3rd (Typed, 2-3 pages long)