Virtual Communication Tool: Increasingly, teams and groups–both in academia and in the workforce–rely on technological resources to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other

Virtual Communication Tool Part 1 (Due 8/31/22)

Overview:

Increasingly, teams and groups–both in academia and in the workforce–rely on technological resources to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others. In this class, you will have opportunities to actively engage with classmates via Canvas forums. In addition, we can extend our communication options using other resources.  These resources are commonly known as virtual communication tools.  

Instructions:

Your task: individually explore free virtual collaboration tools that groups can use to communicate with group members in this class. Do not select Google Docs, Google G Suite, and Microsoft Office tools; you need to find something different. There are many other excellent resources available online at no cost.

Using the tool you’ve selected, create your own short “icebreaker” activity. (Icebreakers are commonly used in the initial “forming” stage of group development and help members get to know each other.) Do not copy any icebreaker activity you find online or in texts—the activity must be your own original work created specifically for this class. You may not use anything previously created and/or submitted anywhere else, to include anything you may have submitted in a previous Small Group Communication class. 

Submit the Virtual Communication Tool worksheet to the assignment drop box before 11:59 pm Wednesday 8/31/22. I’ll use submissions to organize everyone into small groups for the Module 3 activity. Note: as with all assignments submitted to a drop box in this class, include your name, date the assignment is due, and title of assignment in the upper-left corner of the first page. 

Your worksheet must include the following, with each item numbered for clarity:

1. Identify the virtual communication tool by name with correct APA citation to identify the source.

2. Provide clear directions for accessing your selected tool.

3. Write a 4-6 sentence explanation of how the tool works.

4. Write a 4-6 sentence assessment of value to group productivity and success in the classroom.

5. Include your complete “icebreaker” activity with instructions (in other words, what’s required to complete this activity?) Create an activity that can be completed in approximately 15 minutes.

Use 1" margins all around. Use 12-point font and double-space your text.

Scoring: your completed worksheet is worth up to 30 points. There is no credit assessed if you submit any Google Docs, Google G Suite, or Microsoft Office tools, or if the icebreaker is not your own original work.

Expect a grade deduction for anything incomplete or missing. 

*The department standard for a “passing grade” for this assignment is a minimum 55% .

This drop box will close at 11:59 pm (US Central Time) Wednesday and will not be reopened.