SP 410 Communicating in Virtual Teams -
Communicator Competence in Online
Decision-Making Groups
Summer Session 2006 - Fully Online Course
Gisele Tierney
tierneyg@pdx.edu

Course Description

Motivation, knowledge and skills are standard elements of the competent group communicator. In this course, students will examine the manner and quality of these competency elements within virtual teams and groups. Questions and c hallenges to communication competencies will be investigated. Some of these are: Do norms and roles in virtual teams develop similarly as they do in face-to-face groups? How is team conflict managed in virtual teams? Is there a particular approach to leadership which is better or more efficient for online decision making groups?

Students will examine h ow local to global organizations are using teleconferencing, instant messaging, collaborative writing tools and other synchronistic and asynchronistic systems to make decisions, conduct business, promote team building, etc. in virtual groups and teams. Students will participate in a virtual team task project.