Drama is life with the dull bits cut out. ~Alfred Hitchcock
Most of us do not consciously look at movies. ~Roger Ebert
Overview:
As a group you will, separately, watch a common movie and observe communication theory within the film. The group will then engage in an Online academic discussion and, lastly, create a presentation on what the group learned.
First, pick a movie that everyone on the group can agree upon. Be mindful of all group member's content and rating concerns. If a group member has made the personal decision to not watch R or PG-13 rated movies or, movies with a particular content, find a different film. Also, keep in mind availability. The film must be accessible to all members through physical media or streaming platforms. It does not matter if you have seen the film previously or not. You will watch it again with a new objective: to find communication patterns.
After the movie has been agreed upon, each group member will watch the film. Because of circumstances, the group will strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines and will watch the film individually. The only way you can watch together is through a virtual watch party; this would be nice, but unnecessary. While watching the film, the individual student will consult the textbook to find examples of communication theory discussed in chapters one through ten. This could be things such as listening problems (chapter 5), Tuckman's model (chapter 8), or nonverbal communication (chapter 4).
After the film, go to the Canvas assignment and post an observation in the group text section. Your observation should cover one communication theory concept and how it is linked to the film. This should be a developed and well written comment. After other members of the group have posted their observations, make at least one comment on each of your group members' posts. You can keep the conversation going by posting more if you wish. The more you discuss in this section, the more material you will have to draw upon to create the presentation in the next step.
Next, create your group presentation. Each group will present and discuss a different concept within the textbook using the film as context to exemplify the ideas. Each member is responsible for two to three minutes of presentation. The entire video will have a short introduction and conclusion that is separate from the group member presentations. Practice your parts with each other and get feedback to make the next step is the best it can be. Find a small concept and expand upon it rather than choosing a broad subject and saying very little about it. For example, rather than discussing listening problems, which is a huge section, focus on one problem, such as source distraction, and talk about that. Remember this you teaching a communication concept using the film as an example.
Finally, create your presentation as a group. You can record the parts separately and compile them using video editing software or do the presentation live through Zoom. Video clips are not necessary, but don't spend too much of your time describing scenes from the film. Be economic in your descriptions because the application of communication theory is the main focus of this assignment. Turn this in as a video and it will be posted Online for the class to watch. This will be graded as a group.
Rubric
10 Points | Each Member posted an initial comment that included a communication concept from chapters 1-10 of the textbook and gave a brief description of how that concept was exemplified within the film. |
5 Points | Each member commented on the other group members' posts that academically continued the discussion. |
5 Points | The presentation had an introduction and conclusion. |
10 Points | Each member had a separate communication concept that was explained and explored. |
10 Points | Examples from the film were given that logically and coherently explained the communication theories. |
10 Points | The presentation was professional and represented university-level work. |
Total | 50 points, awarded as a group. |