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Project outline
Abstract:
The following is an attempt to capture the true essence of a
Group Discussion as it evolves in its role
from being a traditional mode of gauging candidates
communication and argumentative skills to thepresent role as a
universal facilitator of assessing overall personality. Various
aspects pertaining to the
art and science of group discussion have been looked into in the
subsequent pages.
1. IntroductionA group discussion, colloquially known as a GD,
is a methodology to gauge specific traits among
candidates with regard to their personality, behavioral
disposition and skills. Inferences drawn
from it go far beyond the insights gained through conventional
documents like curriculum vitae
and resumes. As a result, the technique is gaining noteworthy
popularity among educational
institutions, public and private bodies, and sundry associations
in their pursuit of evaluating
candidates for recruitment or selection. Many self-help books
offer inputs on tackling a group
discussion effectively. This paper delves into some practical
strategies in this regard.
2. Importance of a GDThis section focuses on the growing
importance of a Group Discussion in todays competitive era
focusing on mainly the skills both verbal and non-verbal, that
recruiters look for in a potential
candidate and the time saving in case of a large pool of
candidates. For e.g. a Group Discussion
can help a recruiter identify skills like communication,
interpersonal, leadership, tolerance, etc.
which an interview cannot possibly do.
3. Classification of Group DiscussionsThis section aims to
describe the various types of group discussions that may take place
in
diverse environments, based on different classifications. For
example, if one classifies
discussions based on the topic, group discussions can be divided
into 4 types factual speech,
controversial and argumentative, abstract and case study based.
At least 3 classifications aim to
be covered in the chapter.
Videos demonstrating the features of each different group
discussion shall also be included in
the chapter, along with a detailed description. Practical
examples of these group discussions
being used in the industry shall also be included in the
chapter.
4. Effective Group Participation SkillsIn this section we will
be discussing skills needed to excel in a GD. We will be focusing
on verbal
communication, listening skills and most important non verbal
cues like body language, proper
eye contact etc which are more desirable than the verbal
communication. Tips and exercises
needed to improve GD skills shall also be covered along with
videos highlighting the same.
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5. Group Discussion as a businessWith the growing demand of GDs
as a selection criterion of various institutes and companies,
imparting GD skills is being seen as a prospective business plan
by many. There are institutes
which conduct mock GD sessions and charge heavy amounts from the
candidates. There are also
online tutorials bundled with books which are sold worldwide.
This section will present the
business perspective of Group Discussion skills.
6. Tips to contribute effectively towards a GDThis section
focuses on various strategies which could be practiced for
Effective Group
Discussion. Effective facilitation tools like promoting
interest, reaching consensus, deriving
conclusions, group leadership and conflict management are
discussed.
Strategy for Effective Participation
a. Promoting interest in GD topic
b. Consensus & conclusion
c. Group Leadership
d. Conflict Management
7. Learning ActivitiesThis section throws light on various
learning activities such as Mock Group discussion, peer
assessment and feedback and guidance from experts. It also
throws light on how Small group
activities are performed for adapting and applying group
discussion techniques learnt and
feedback is given for further improvement.
Learning Activities
a. Mock Group Discussions
b. Peer Assessment & Feedback
c. Expert Guidance
8. Referencesa. Effective Group Discussion: Theory and Practice;
Gloria Galanes and Katherine Adams
b. Facilitators Guide to Participatory Decision Making; Sam
Kaner
c. The Trainers Guide to Running Effective Team Meetings: 72
Techniques for Improving
Meeting Productivity; Ava. S. Butler
d. In At The Deep End(Speaking Activities for Professional
People); Roger Carter and Vicki
Hollet
