V o l u m e 2 • I s s u e 3 • September 2003 An International Forum for Innovative Teaching CONTENTS 1 Commentary Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D. 4 Using C-SPAN Videotapes in the Classroom Jim Schnell, Ph.D. 6 Using Special Teams for Teaching and Not Team Teaching, Part 1 Roger D. Lee, Ph.D. 8 Classroom Oscars: Preparing Students to Accept an Award Eletra S. Gilchrist 10 News Updates on Handheld Technology in Introductory-Level Courses Dr. Laura A. Guertin 12 Meet the Authors • • • • • • • • • • • C O M M E N T A R Y Cultivating the Habit of Scholarship Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy Indian River Community College Fort Pierce, Florida cohene@ircc.edu Institutions of higher learning exist in order to promote learning among students who have enrolled in their educational programs. Such students place their trust in the institution to serve this purpose efficiently. While students can always benefit from reading the works of great scholars whose books they are assigned and from surfing the Internet, clearly scholarly instructors bring vital pedagogical assets to the learning process, including their critical habits of thought, fund of knowledge, zest for learning, and capacity for engaging students in the learning process. As scholars, professors also model scholarly habits that students can emulate. Future scholars are often spawned as a result of the influence of an admired teacher. And, indeed, were it not for the support institutions of higher education give to scholarly activity, even scholarly resources such as textbooks and Internet resources would wane. Thus, institutions of higher education should provide their faculty with conditions conducive to the cultivation of the habit of scholarship. Workplace. The conditions conducive to the cultivation of the habit of scholarship are various, but some general, delineable areas fall within the purview of the said institutional duty. First, institutions of higher education must provide a workplace equipped for scholarly activity. The traditional mainstay of scholarly activity has, of course, been the library. With the advent of computer technology, the nature of a well-equipped library has undergone substantial change. While physical resources— hard copies of books, periodicals, and indices— remain a central component of a well-equipped library, scholarship demands access to the most up-to-date information. The immediacy by which information can be delivered via the Internet may render obsolete some printed information. Thus, online delivery of information can be essential to scholarly endeavors. This need can vary depending on the kind of scholarship in question. Empirical investigations such as scientific or technological ones or ones that rely on changing social institutions such as legal reform can be compromised by the time lag associated with print resources. Technology. Given the crucial role that online access may play in the acquisition of knowledge, faculty should be supported with personal computers and pertinent peripherals, including printers. This technology should provide online access to all library databases and other accessible library facilities. In addition, communication and knowledge exchange between scholars is greatly enhanced through the availability of electronic mail facilities. Such exchange has had the effect of creating a worldwide community of scholars. No scholar should be excluded from interaction with this community for want of convenient access to technology. continued on pg. 2.......... Cultivating the Habit of Scholarship continued from pg. 1.......... The Successful Professor™ (ISSΝ 03087) is published 4 times a year by Simek Publishing LLC PO Box 1606 Millersville, MD 21108 See our website at www.thesuccessfulprofessor.com for Subscription Rates, Disclaimer, and Copyright Notice. Stanley J. Kajs Editor/Publisher Contact us at editor@thesuccessfulprofessor.com • • • • • • • • • • • • Would you like to share your teaching successes with your colleagues from other colleges and universities? If so, then submit an article describing your most effective teaching strategy or technique to The Successful Professor™. Visit our website to view the Guidelines for Articles. www.thesuccessfulprofessor.com We welcome articles from all disciplines at any time. The Successful Professor™ Secretarial Support. Scholarly activities can be derailed or severely detained by the imposition of secretarial work that could be done by others who are or can be hired for these purposes. Infringement upon the time resources of faculty engaged in scholarly activity for purposes of saving institutional operating costs is self-defeating from the perspective of an institution’s duty to support scholarship. Thus, institutions have a derivative duty to provide scholars with secretarial help. Faculty should not be burdened by such activities as having to call students to cancel a class, copying exams and handout materials, proctoring make-up exams, filing, filling out forms, mailing, requisitioning equipment, and other time-consuming activities. Class Size. Further, instructors should not be required to teach large classes. (The definition of “large” here can vary with the field of instruction and should be left to the discretion of scholars rather than to that of administrators who may not be abundantly familiar with the instructional context.) Inflated student-teacher ratios militate against fruitful class interactions that promote student learning. Grading of tests and written assignments becomes cumbersome when class enrollments are excessive. While the use of teaching assistants can, to some degree, ameliorate such problems, institutions of higher learning should avoid over-reliance on teaching assistants. Students are greater gainers through interaction with and feedback from their scholarly professors. Professors who have a direct knowledge of their students’ work are better situated to render constructive guidance. Yes, student assistants can gain valuable experience that may someday equip them for the professorial role. But this role should not itself be usurped in the effort to train new professors. Teaching Load. Similarly, the number of courses taught should not be excessive (not to exceed three courses, depending on number of preparations, committee and departmental VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 assignments, and research expectations.) The distinction between “teaching institution” versus “research institution” should not blind administrators to the fact that quality teaching is a function of scholarship, which is likely to suffer if professors do not have sufficient time to develop their pedagogy. While research oriented institutions have traditionally offered faculty reduced teaching schedules, those institutions that have emphasized teaching have typically required heavier teaching loads. This practice, however, is based on a false assumption that teaching is less driven by scholarship than research. This bifurcation is often supported by the concept that publishing is merely tangential to pedagogy. Nothing could be further from reality. Publishing can inform and vitalize teaching of courses when the publications are related to what is being taught. Professors at teaching institutions who dismiss publishing as a goal often do so for reasons of time constraints created by heavy teaching schedules. Unfortunately, this emphasis on quantity may also usurp the goal of qualitative teaching by eroding professors’ opportunity for scholarly development of their ideas outside the classroom. Committee Assignments. Faculty participation on standing and ad hoc committees can, in some cases, make contributions to the college or university community that can justify the time invested. This is true when the committee function is related to pedagogy or other scholarly activity. On the one hand, a committee charged with making curriculum changes in general education requirements for undergraduates might benefit from input from a seasoned undergraduate instructor. On the other hand, a committee charged with a function more remotely related to pedagogy or scholarship (for instance, admissions or campus safety) might best be left to others continued on pg. 3.......... 2 Cultivating the Habit of Scholarship continued from pg. 2.......... more qualified. In any event, faculty involvement in committees should be a function of the degree of its relevance and significance to pedagogy and promotion of scholarship. From this perspective, it would be counterproductive for an institution of higher education to require a form of participation from its faculty, which—due to lack of relevance, unnecessary burden imposed, or excessive time expenditure—defeats these very goals. Office Space. Personal space is also a valuable catalyst for scholarly activities. Faculty must therefore be afforded private office facilities. Institutions that distribute a single office among two or more individuals may consider such an arrangement to be more cost effective than providing single faculty offices. In the long run, the investment in personal space afforded by single offices may be a wiser investment. Increased productivity may more likely come with freedom to pursue scholarly activities without undue diversion and interruption from others. Recognition. Institutions of higher education must provide incentives for faculty to pursue scholarship. Teaching institutions that encourage superior teaching need to motivate their faculty to be productive members of the scholarly community. Recognition of professional accomplishments by peers can be a powerful motivator. Such incentives include sharing of scholarly accomplishments among faculty through internal media sources (faculty newsletters, for example); rewarding scholarship through promotions, bonuses, awards, and salary increases; subsidizing research and publication through generous grants as well as release time; hosting and financially supporting of local, intra-institutional, state, national, and international colloquia and conferences; and paying full travel expenses to The Successful Professor™ attend pertinent scholarly meetings and to make scholarly presentations. The applied side of scholarship should not be exempt from the latter modes of encouragement. This would include due respect and accommodation for practical experience gleaned through pertinent outside work activities. For example, clinical psychologists who conduct outside practices within the boundaries of their pedagogical duties bring valuable clinical experience to the fore of their classrooms. This infuses scholarly discourse with real life case examples and gives greater credence to what is professed. Without a fresh supply of case experience, lessons are likely to become stale and routine. Even in an area such as philosophy, which is traditionally associated with the academy, there is considerable room for professional growth beyond the ivory tower. Thus, ethicists who teach medical ethics can find valuable, pedagogical fuel in conducting ethics consultation for area hospitals. Team Teaching. Given the interdisciplinary character of knowledge itself, institutions of higher education should underwrite interdepartmental communication, including interdisciplinary team teaching. The vast interrelated network of knowledge that unfolds through scholarly investigation is humbling to any single scholar. Collaborative team teaching efforts among scholars can immerse students in this vast network of knowledge and provide a flavorful blending of scholarly insights not attainable by any single perspective, no matter how enlightened. The panorama of ideas as these are unpacked, related, and harnessed in the classroom can invigorate both students and instructors, and bring each into a communion with knowledge not easily attainable in a more solitary pedagogical environment. Exposure to this interplay of ideas can be excitingly contagious for the student, breaking down individual barriers in favor of a joint venture in VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 knowledge exploration. Such communal pedagogy is a powerful model of “higher” education for student emulation, portending all the advantages of scholarly engagement multiplied by its array of interdisciplinary insights. Thus, given their primary duty to promote knowledge among students and their broader duty to serve the educative functions of the communities, states, and nations they serve, institutions of higher education have a duty to support and cultivate scholarly habits among their faculty. ••••••••••••••• November Commentary The Commentary in the November issue entitled “Teaching in the Middle East: Some Observations” will be the Editor’s interview with Donn Dupree, a teacher of English as a second language and of writing with the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Donn will share his experiences and insights teaching Arab students in the Middle East. 3 Using C-SPAN Videotapes in the Classroom Jim Schnell, Ph.D. Professor Department of Communication Studies Ohio Dominican University Columbus, Ohio schnellj@ohiodominican.edu Introduction A primary objective in the development of my classroom assignments is to construct activities that convey theoretical understanding and illustrate a correlation between theory and real world application. The use of C-SPAN videotapes, available from the Public Affairs Video Archives at Purdue University, provides a unique opportunity to meet this teaching objective. Communication scholars have acknowledged the use of C-SPAN as a teaching tool in resources such as C-SPAN in the Communication Classroom: Theory and Application (Muir, 1992). The C-SPAN application described in this article can be useful in a number of courses, including Cross-Cultural Communication and Mass Media courses. The central message of this article is far less about Limbaugh and more about the subjective nature of being human. The analysis of Limbaugh is merely a means to an end. The Rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh The rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh has been at the center of controversy since The Rush Limbaugh Show went on national radio in 1988. One of the controversial areas associated with Limbaugh is his position on diversity issues. The classroom exercise described in this article focuses on the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh, regarding diversity issues, during the period 1990-2000. Limbaugh is widely popular with some segments of U.S. society and equally The Successful Professor™ unpopular with others. He has consistently been referred to as the most dangerous man in America (Arkush, 1993) because of his statements on diversity issues. Limbaugh offers an explanation on this: “It must be stated that all too often conservatives are considered racists . . . . this phenomenon is purely related to the conservatives’ strong commitment to free enterprise and their concern with the expansion of government and the welfare state. Liberals and the Democratic Party long have been perceived to be the political allies of blacks and other minorities because they advocate massive wealthredistribution programs” (Limbaugh, 1993, p. 243). “I cringe . . . . at the constant accusations that we conservatives are facist, racist, selfish . . . .” (Limbaugh, 1992, p. 26). The foundation for this inquiry rests on this general question: “How does one become labeled as being insensitive to diversity?” More specifically in this analysis is this question: What is it that Rush Limbaugh is saying that results in his being interpreted in such a manner? This study is difficult because of the generalities. The contemporary usage of the term diversity has no concrete definition. No accepted standard exists that defines one as a racist, sexist or homophobic. This interpretation process is relevant in my Cross-Cultural Communication and Mass Media courses and provides me an opportunity to use C-SPAN as a teaching resource in order to teach students how researchers study such issues. Viewing and Evaluating the C-SPAN Tapes Toward this end, my class observed a varied collection of public presentations made by Limbaugh between 1990-2000 and took note of any comments he made dealing with women, minorities, homosexuals, or marginalized members of U.S. society. I did not give them a rubric from VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 which to analyze. The use of a rubric that might delineate among degrees of perceived sensitivity regarding such diverse considerations as the plight of those groups listed above can be very helpful in conveying a well-established construct of findings. However, given that my objective was to promote a learning experience more than produce publishable results, I encouraged them to create their own framework for interpreting the videotapes. My students used C-SPAN tapes as a representative sample because C-SPAN does not have a political agenda and because it videotaped Limbaugh in a variety of speaking situations. The use of C-SPAN combined the visual with the aural. Celeste Condit (1989) posits that we, as consumers of mass media, tend to embrace media when they use a vocabulary we are comfortable with and convey our beliefs, attitudes and values. The observer heard what was said and how it was said (both being paralanguage cues). At the end of the activity I had the students briefly share how they chose to evaluate the videotapes. A small number created somewhat elaborate models to interpret from while most merely listed a series of sentence fragment statements of what they observed regarding diversity related issues. Still others were at various points of the continuum between these two extremes. This sharing of varied approaches to understanding the phenomena being studied was helpful in exemplifying not only how our perceptions of diversity vary but also how we construct and organize our perceptions. To obtain videotapes, I contacted the Public Affairs Video Archives for a listing of all the presentations made by Limbaugh between 1990-2000. The Public Affairs Video Archives maintains an archive of all C-SPAN broadcasts and has an index continued on pg. 5.......... 4 Using C-SPAN Videotapes continued from pg. 4.......... of individuals who appeared on C-SPAN. Thus, by typing in the name “Limbaugh, Rush” one can quickly retrieve a listing of all holdings (short or long) that feature Limbaugh. C-SPAN can be contacted at www.c-spanarchives.org; 800-277-2698; or C-SPAN Archives, Public Affairs Video Archives, P.O. Box 2909, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 479962909. One can also obtain innovative instructional ideas from the C-SPAN in the Classroom organization at 400 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 650, Washington, D.C., 20001. The website is www.c-span. org.The phone number is 800-523-7586. The C-SPAN archives provided me with a listing of 17 Limbaugh presentations.This listing included speeches, forums, video magazines, roundtables, public affairs events, and in-studio broadcasts of Limbaugh’s radio show. I selected eight presentations that met these criteria: the tapes covered the entire decade at intervals; they conveyed Limbaugh in a variety of settings and speaking on a variety of topics; and they specified the length of his delivery. My students viewed these eight tapes in their entirety and copied any mention of women, minorities, homosexuals and marginalized members of U.S. society onto a separate excerpt compilation tape. The total time of all diversity-related statements was 43 minutes. I took time to explain clearly the aforementioned steps I used and why I did so. As an introduction, I initiated a discussion by telling them what I was hoping to learn and then solicited their views on how a person might study this particular phenomenon. I was able to take elements of most of their suggestions and construct a progression of what I actually had done regarding videotape acquisition and had a clear rationale The Successful Professor™ for proceeding in such a manner. In doing so, I was careful to convey strengths and weaknesses of this approach and the typical limitations that affect development of such research approaches. Gauging speaker sensitivity to diversity poses typical considerations when doing this type of rhetorical analysis. No widely accepted paradigm exists for analyzing a speaker’s sensitivity to diversity issues. What connotates sensitivity? What connotates insensitivity? Playing the compilation tape in class and allowing students to draw their own conclusions regarding Limbaugh’s sensitivity promoted lively discussion among enlightened students on the role of mass media in creating public perceptions. I began by orientating students to the objectives of this classroom activity and the whole notion of diversity in the United States. Then I divided the class into groups of three and had each group come up with two ways the concept of diversity had been a factor in the local community during the past year. For the purpose of this analysis, I stressed diversity boundaries of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Each group then reported the results of its dialogue to the class. I then sought to show how these local concerns are connected to the larger cultural context of the United States. To do so, the same student groupings met again and discussed how their earlier findings were representative of larger diversity themes on a national level. I challenged them to list examples of these themes; and then, as before, each group shared the fruits of its discussion with the class. Results of the Activity The predominant results of this experience led to the conclusion that U.S. society is composed of a wide range of diverse perspectives grounded in a wide range VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 of diverse groups that compose the social structure. These varied perspectives are at times commensurate or remotely parallel and, at other times, conflicting and contradictory. We then discussed how such issues are recognized by the larger culture and typical results of that recognition. The popularity of the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh was acknowledged as a representative issue of both Limbaugh and the views he expresses. Most students had an opinion on where the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh stood in relation to diversity issues, but no uniform consensus emerged. No common standard to gauge if someone is racist, sexist, or homophobic is available because people’s views are highly interpretive and subjective. What may be acceptable to one is unacceptable to another. What may be racist to one is not racist to another. Adding to this dilemma is that we are not only receiving words but also interpreting context, tone of voice, paralanguage cues, gestures, and nonverbal communication cues. In addition, we all have our own frame of reference from which we work. Our minds are not blank slates. A key finding from this study is that, although Limbaugh is well known, a significant disagreement exists regarding how to define the meanings he conveys. The issue is not that the person being evaluated is so enigmatic but that the phenomena being assessed, in this case diversity issues, are difficult to assess in relation to viewpoints expressed by individuals. The U.S. is a dynamic society composed of people of varied cultures, orientations, and circumstances. As the public debate on matters related to this composition continues, the dialogue will be enhanced if we differentiate between our facts and inferences. continued on pg. 6.......... 5 Using C-SPAN Videotapes continued from pg. 5.......... The use of C-SPAN tapes to study this subject is particularly relevant in that the C-SPAN index helps define the sample to be studied and the tapes provide literal verbal meanings, indirect nonverbal meanings, and context for speeches. Transcripts provide literal statements but the videotapes frame the literal statements. This type of inquiry rests on what is said and, equally important, on how it is said. The classroom format described in this article can be applied to other speakers and with a variety of issues in other courses as well. C-SPAN videotapes allow the viewer to interpret public figures in their own words, without journalistic interpretation. Public presentations can be studied in their entirety (or with selected excerpts). Thus, C-SPAN videotapes are an innovative teaching tool that enhance student understanding. Resources Arkush, Michael. Rush! NY: Avon Books, 1993. Condit, Celeste. “The Rhetorical Limits of Polysemy,” Critical Studies in Mass Communication, Vol. 6 (1989), pp. 103-122. Limbaugh, Rush. The Way Things Ought to Be. New York: Pocket Books, 1992. Limbaugh, Rush. See, I Told You So. N Y: Pocket Books, 1993. Muir, Jannette K. C-SPAN in the Communication Classroom: Theory and Application. Annandale, Virginia: Speech Communication Association, 1992. Schnell, James A. “Using C-SPAN to Evaluate Sensitivity Toward Cultural Diversity: The Case of Ross Perot’s 1992 Presidential Campaign.” In Kamalipour, Yahya R. and Theresa Carilli (Eds.). Cultural Diversity and the U.S. Media.Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 1998. ••••••••••••• The Successful Professor™ Using Special Teams for Teaching and Not Team Teaching, Part 1 Roger D. Lee, Ph.D. Professor Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, Utah Roger. Lee@slcc.edu Introduction Undoubtedly, teaching at the college level requires professors to orchestrate and play a diverse set of roles which require the performance of different tasks and which depend on a variety of talents and temperaments. Historically, it has been almost universally accepted that all the diverse roles which a college teacher must play should be assumed by one teacher. James L. Bess and his associates (2000) challenge this long held assumption and suggest that special teams for teaching should be established, whereby the various teaching roles are unbundled and differentiated with separate faculty fulfilling the individual roles. Rather than team teaching in which different faculty teach a particular portion of the course content, Bess argues that different faculty should be used to perform the diverse roles of a teacher in each specific course. Bess suggests seven specialist’s roles that faculty should perform: (1) pedagogue (2) researcher (3) lecturer (4) discussion leader (5) mentor (6) integrator and (7) assessor. An explanation of each teaching role follows. Pedagogue This role refers to the primary, traditional role of a teacher to understand the subject content and become the creator of learning for the students in the classroom. To be effective, the pedagogue must possess not only curricular knowledge but also VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 knowledge of the learners in the classroom. A few of the specific tasks of the expert pedagogue in higher education, as postulated by J. G. Donald (1992, pp. 413430), include the following: ● Explaining the educational goals, purposes and values and their epistemological grounds. ● Clarifying the institutional and faculty educational objectives, governance, and financing with respect to the institutional context. ● Providing an overview of the discipline as to how the subject matter is organized and the methods used to validate this knowledge. ● Instilling within the students a sense of the importance of scholarly learning and providing personal collaborative contact. ● Explaining to the students that their learning depends primarily on the quality of effort they put forth in their work. ● Interpreting critically the baseline knowledge level of students before they enroll in a particular class, designing topics and concepts to be learned, and measuring the results within the context of learning outcomes. ● Using alternative ways to represent concepts and skills to impart the knowledge of the discipline. ● Responding to student questions and needs and adapting the teaching strategy to achieve learning outcomes. ● Aligning the instruction in a manner that enables the instructor to interact with and receive feedback from the students. ● Monitoring and evaluating the students’ competence and understanding of the material during and at the conclusion of the class to assess overall students’ performances. continued on pg.7.......... 6 Using Special Teams continued from pg. 6.......... Researcher The researcher role does not suggest advancing the common body of knowledge of a particular discipline, particularly at two-year college institutions. Rather, this role refers to making content decisions about a particular course. The faculty member assuming this role would survey the same courses taught at other similar college institutions by reviewing the printed material and finding relevant content knowledge to include in the course, given the learning objectives and outcomes of the course. The profile of the researcher, according to Barzun and Graff (1985) is the trait that facilitates creativity. Researchers tend to be focused on an objective world rather than a social world. They possess high levels of cognitive ability and the skill to manage a highly objective world. Their primary concern is to identify topics related to the focal course and to provide recommendations for course content and organization. Lecturer Lecturing as suggested by Bess does not merely mean presenting material and transferring information. This role requires excellent communication skills in order to motivate, inspire, and expand the understanding of the students. A high-powered faculty member would be illustrative of someone fulfilling this role. Thus, of all the factors that have an impact on the manner in which a lecture is delivered, a dynamic, motivated personality is the single most important trait according to Bess (2000). Research by Murray, Rushton, and Paunonern (1990) reveals that extroversion and “liberalism” are also two dominant personality traits associated with successful lecturers. Qualities such as being friendly, lighthearted, colorful, The Successful Professor™ The discussion leader must create an informal climate of acceptance to promote freedom of expression. and charismatic are considered to be manifestations of extroversion, while flexibility, non-authoritarianism, and aesthetic sensitivity are expressions of liberalism. Research has borne out the fact that lecturers who performed well in classes scored high on both the extroversion and liberalism factors. Discussion Leader Students can and should learn from and with each other. Accordingly, a faculty member who is skilled in group learning environments can significantly contribute to the learning process of students. This role of creating, executing, and assessing learning in a group context constitutes a significant set of skills and knowledge beyond merely the course content. The task requirements of an effective discussion class leader, as suggested by Richard Tiberius (1990), are as follows: First, the discussion leader must encourage and maintain class discussion by choosing topics of interest that stimulate the group. The discussion leader must create an informal climate of acceptance to promote freedom of expression. Second, the leader must keep the discussion on the topic by clarifying the goals of the topic and summarizing when appropriate. Third, the leader must promote sharing among the learners in the classroom. Ground rules have to be set to encourage members to listen to one another, hear the viewpoints of others without judgment, and ensure balanced interaction among the students. Fourth, the discussion leader must encourage the awareness of the group process of learning. Pointing out the process issues to the class members is sometimes more VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 important than the actual course content. Fifth, the discussion leader must deal promptly and appropriately with disruptive students. Students tend to be more accustomed to the lecture style, and therefore they must be trained in discussion in order to reduce destructive conflict and competition among the class members. [End of Part 1] Part 2 of Dr. Lee’s article will appear in the November 2003 issue. He will present the faculty roles of mentor, integrator, and assessor and offer a Matrix Organization Structure of Teaching. References Barzum, J. & Graff, H. F. (1985). The modern researcher. (4th ed.). Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace. Bess, James L. and Associates. (2000). Teaching alone, teaching together. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Donald, J. G. (1992). The development of thinking processes in post-secondary education: Application of a working model. Higher Education, 24(4), 413-430. Murray, H. G., Rushton, J., & Paunonen. S. V. (1990). Teacher personality traits and student instructional rating in six types of university courses. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(2), 250-261. Tiberius. R. G. (1990). Small group teaching: A trouble-shooting guide. Toronto: Ontario Institue. Studies in Education. University of Toronto Press. ••••••••••••••• 7 Classroom Oscars: Preparing Students to Accept an Award Eletra S. Gilchrist Communication Doctoral Student and Graduate Teaching Assistant University of Memphis Memphis, Tennessee eglchrst@memphis.edu Introduction I have found the special occasion speech to be an effective means of concluding the semester for courses emphasizing professional speaking. Perhaps ending the course with the special occasion speech is fitting because many students perceive wrapping up a semester as a special occasion in itself. Special occasions—such as christenings, graduations, weddings, retirements, and even funerals— occur throughout one’s life. Although these special occasions have different purposes, they all usually call for speechmaking (Lucas, 2001; O’Hair, Stewart, & Rubenstein, 2001; Osborn & Osborn, 2003; Zarefsky, 2001). Special occasion speaking may involve a close friend proposing a toast to the bride and groom, a coach giving a speech to honor the team’s most valuable player, a loved one delivering the eulogy for the deceased, or the host of a party giving an after-dinner speech. Because special occasions occur so frequently, it is important to give students exposure to this type of speechmaking because at some point they may deliver such a speech. For this assignment, students can prepare a toast for a speaker or their own eulogy that highlights their ideal life. Students can also be paired; and after interviewing each other, each could introduce his/her partner to the class. The speech students like most is the presentation The Successful Professor™ speech and acceptance of an award at a ceremony. Assignment Procedure In the course syllabus, the instructor should have special occasion speeches as the last classroom assignment. Prior to giving the speech assignment, instructors should go over the criteria for speeches of presentation and acceptance. The goal for speeches of presentation is to convey the award’s meaning and to explain why the recipient is receiving the award (Lucas, 2001; O’Hair et al., 2001; Osborn & Osborn, 2003; Zarefsky, 2001). Conveying the award’s meaning involves explaining the title of the award, what the award represents, and the people or organization(s) making the award possible. Second, the presenter must talk about the award’s recipient. This involves explaining why the recipient is receiving the award by describing what makes him/her deserving. After conveying the award’s meaning and explaining why the recipient is receiving the award, the presenter must physically present the award to the recipient by handing over the award with the left hand and shaking hands or embracing with the right hand. Speeches of acceptance serve to express gratitude for the honor bestowed upon the recipient (Lucas, 2001; O’Hair et al., 2001; Osborn & Osborn, 2003; Zarefsky, 2001). First, the speaker expresses gratitude for the award by explaining why the award is important to him/her and describing the value placed on it. Second, the award recipient should thank those giving the award. Finally, the speaker should thank others, such as parents, teachers, or close friends, who helped him/ her achieve the award. The following is an example of an acceptance speech: “Thank you. I am deeply honored to receive this 2003 Distinguished Teaching Award, which acknowledges the inspiration inherent in all educators. VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 I am privileged to be a part of such a unique group of individuals, who are committed to student achievement. I would like to thank the state education board for bestowing such an honor upon me when so many others are just as deserving. I also must thank my spouse, parents, and all the educators who have inspired me to inspire others. Finally, I would like to thank all the phenomenal students I have worked with over the years because without you, this would not be possible. Again, thank you.” After going over the criteria for speeches of presentation and acceptance, the instructor should inform the students that they will participate in an awards ceremony in order to gain experience with special occasion speaking. For classes other than communication, instructors should provide students with a rationale for the assignment by stressing that all good professionals in business, science, education, etc. should be equipped to either present or receive an award. This assignment is typically worth 5% of the course grade. Students must fulfill the criteria covered in class for speeches of presentation and acceptance, as well as have fun with this assignment and display their indivdual personalities. Students are also urged to be creative in their language by employing stylistic devices and varying their rate, tone, pitch, and volume. Every student will both present and receive an award. Students should be paired for this assignment. After one student presents the award to his/her classmate, the award recipient will deliver an acceptance speech. To prepare adequately for this assignment, students should know in advance the award they will present, as well as the one they will receive. When deciding which awards continued on pg.9......... 8 Classroom Oscars continued from pg. 8.......... to give to the students, instructor should carefully assess each student’s performance throughout the semester. Although it is easier to assign an award to some students than it is to others, every student has some good characteristics; and it is imperative that the instructor acknowledge something positive about each student’s performance during the semester. To help with this process, I take notes during the semester on my students’ progress, speaking ability, and personality traits. Thus, when it is time to give the awards, I have a clearer idea of what award should go to which student. Some awards I typically give in communication classes include Most Improved Speaker, Speaker with the Most Creative Speech Topics, Best Dressed Speaker, Most Humorous Speaker, Speaker with the Best Attention-Getter, Most Dramatic Speaker, and Speaker with the Least Amount of Filler Words. Instructors in other courses can employ a similar method. For example, awards for business students could include Student with the Best Marketing Skills, Most Improved Seller, and Student with the Best Management Ability. Awards for education students could include Most Energetic Teacher, Most Inspiring Teacher, and Most Innovative Teacher. In addition to informing the students of the award they will both present and receive, I request that they dress professionally for this assignment. Dressing nicely makes the awards ceremony more real for the students. Prior to the class period reserved for special occasion speaking, I obtain a pack of blank certificate paper from an office supply store. Using a basic Microsoft Word document, I personalize each certificate with the student’s name, award received, course title, university name, date, and instructor’s name. I also sign each certificate. At the The Successful Professor™ beginning of class, I distribute to each student the award he/she will present. I allow students to volunteer for the speaking order. The first pair who volunteers chooses which person will present the award. The selected person presents the award to his/ her classmate by performing the following guidelines: conveying the meaning of the award, talking about the award recipient, and physically presenting the award. Once the award is received, the recipient delivers his/her acceptance speech After the acceptance speech, then the award recipient assumes the role of presenter and bestows an award upon his/her classmate. Following the presentation, the award recipient offers an acceptance speech based on the above guidelines. This process continues until all students have both given and received an award. Strategy Effectiveness and Student Benefit Following the award ceremony, I always engage students in a discussion on their thoughts about the assignment. Students consistently report that they enjoy this speaking assignment. Based on their testimony, students regard this as a fun way to end the semester because it mimics popular award ceremonies, such as the Oscars and Grammies. By having a format similar to that of the Oscars or Grammies, students have more of an opportunity to be creative and imitate some of the things they see their favorite stars do when both giving and receiving an award. Perhaps what students enjoy most is actually receiving a certificate that is reflective of their class performance. After concluding the class, many students have informed me that they keep their certificate in a scrapbook or folder; a couple of students have expressed that they gave their certificate to their parents or grandparents or framed it for themselves. Although I am pleased that students enjoy receiving a certificate and take pleasure in speaking in a more relaxed VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 setting that allows more creativity, I especially am pleased that students actually grasp the assignment’s purpose. This assignment has fewer requirements than many highly structured speeches, and students are permitted to embellish and allow their personalities to emerge in this speech. Yet, students generally do an excellent job of covering the required content, speaking with confidence, and having a positive delivery. Although this speech is given at the semester’s conclusion (a time when students are tired and anxiously waiting for class to end), the speech’s structure apparently motivates students to perform well. As a teacher, I am dedicated to assisting my students in communicating clearly, logically, and competently within the oral tradition. As such, I have found this activity to be an excellent assignment because it gives students practical experience with developing their communication skills in the context of special occasion speaking, which is a skill all professionals can use. Furthermore, it serves as an effective means of celebrating individual student success. References Lucas, S. E. (2001). The art of public speaking. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. O’Hair, D., Stewart, R., & Rubenstein, H. (2001). A speaker’s guidebook. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Osborn, M., & Osborn, S. (2003). Public speaking. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Zarefsky, D. (2001). Public speaking: Strategies for success. (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ••••••••••••• 9 News Updates on Handheld Technology in Introductory-Level Courses Dr. Laura A. Guertin Assistant Professor of Earth Science Penn State University, Delaware County Media, Pennsylvania uxg3@psu.edu Introduction Introductory-level science courses at every university are typically filled with nonscience majors who are trying to satisfy a science general education requirement for graduation. With this in mind, I set my course goals to be more skill-based rather than content-driven. Some of my objectives are to show students applications of the material to their lives, reasons their knowing such material is important, and ways they can explain this information to others. Another goal is to give students experiences using technology in the classroom, specifically handheld technology. Having students read and discuss current scientific news stories from Palm Pilot handheld computers can accomplish these course goals. Why Current News Stories? Current news stories connect students with the latest in scientific research and discoveries. Recent news reports also allow students to explore a subject beyond what is published in their textbooks. I use current news stories found online at websites such as National Geographic News (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/), CNN-Science & Space (http://www.cnn. com/TECH/space), and SeaWeb (http:// www.seaweb.org/). Although these stories do not have the high level of scientific and technical content as primary journal publications, the writing style for more of The Successful Professor™ and students may take electronic notes on certain pages or bookmark pages with a simple tap of the stylus. Conducting the Current News Exercise more of a general audience is appropriate for my non-science majors and satisfies my course goals. In addition, these stories are easily accessible to students outside of class during and after the semester. Why Use Handheld Technology? Handheld technology is being integrated more and more into the K-16 classroom, especially at the college level. Handheld technology exists in a variety of formats. With electronic books, faculty can load their lecture notes and supplemental course materials to share with students (e.g., Simon, 2002). I am fortunate to have a collection of Palm Pilot handheld computers that I have integrated into the field portion of my geoscience courses as data recording instruments. I decided to experiment with Palms in the classroom setting by utilizing them as the tool to distribute current news stories. The main advantages for making the news releases available electronically are to save the paper required for photocopying and the time needed for distributing the stories to the students. I download the current news stories from the Internet and convert them into Palm eBooks through the program Palm eBook Studio which is priced at ~$30. Images may also be included in the eBooks. The software required to read the eBooks, Palm Reader, is available as a free download (some models of Palms, such as the m515 that I use in class, automatically come with the Palm Reader software.). The news articles in an eBook format can then be easily hotsynced or beamed to the Palms. The eBooks are simple for students to navigate through, VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 I introduce current news stories to the students through a method known as the jigsaw technique for student teaching and learning. Jigsaw is a cooperative-learning activity. In a group setting, students teach one another on a given topic. Then the groups are reorganized for the students to teach the material to a new group of students. Although I will be discussing how I implemented this activity in my general education oceanography class, the methodology can certainly be applied to any course in any discipline. In addition, an instructor can de-emphasize the lecture component of a course entirely and implement the jigsaw technique as the course structure (Tewksbury 1995). I use the jigsaw technique during a full class period with students using current news articles on a themed category. For example, in my oceanography course, one set of articles relates to the threats and endangered status of sharks while another theme discussed during a different class period relates how marine animals use Earth’s magnetic field for migration. At the beginning of the class period, my class of 25 students divide into five groups of five students. Each group receives five Palm Pilots, one for each student to read an article contained in its own eBook. Everyone in the same group reads the same eBook, yet the eBooks from one group to the next will differ. The students read their assigned eBook in their groups for content, discuss any areas of confusion, and share what they feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the article, such as, should the author included some additional details in a section. Then the continued on pg. 11.......... 10 Handheld Technology continued from pg. 10......... All students reported that the Palms were easy to use and a great idea to integrate with the current event discussions. students keep their Palms with their original eBook and reorganize into different groups, in which each student in the new group of five has read a different eBook.The students are now held accountable for teaching their peers about the science in their article. Each student engages the group with his or her individual eBook discussion and must be able to answer any questions from the group. At the end of each eBook discussion, I may ask the groups to write their thoughts on the significance of the article to science and to society; in other words, why should science and society care about this topic? At other times, I may have the groups write a two-to-three sentence take-home message. The take-home message is to summarize clearly and briefly the main issue or point of the article. Having the students write something at the end of the discussion ensures that each student is an active participant in the activity and reflects on the larger relevance and applicability of the material. Student Feedback about the Technology and Current News Discussions At the beginning of the semester, students are told that they will be using Palm Pilot handheld computers for a variety of exercises tied in with the course. Many students are skeptical about using the Palms for two reasons. Some students are nervous about using the Palms because they think that they are not good with The Successful Professor™ computers or they are nervous using such a small and expensive piece of equipment they might break. Other students feel that they are not sure how a handheld computer can benefit their learning. Early in the semester, the class receives a half-hour of training on using the Palms. Immediately one of the students who stated she was previously nervous about her comfort level with computers reported that learning how to use a Palm was not “rocket science.” All students reported that the Palms were easy to use and a great idea to integrate with the current event discussions. Comments included that the Palms saved paper and made the overall course seem more professional. Only one student out of twenty-five commented that she felt she did not benefit from their use, that she would rather have a paper copy of an article in front of her to highlight important facts. While the students were not able to take the Palms home with them to read the articles again, links to each article were placed on the course website for students to access outside of class. Although students may not have the opportunity to read articles on Palm Pilots again, the value of reading current news stories did make a positive impact on the students. When asked if the students were more aware of ocean issues around them in their everyday life, 100% of the respondents replied that they were. All the students also answered positively that they now feel that they have a good understanding of the importance of oceans to society and that when a marine science story comes on the evening news or is in the newspaper, they can better understand and follow the story. applicability of the course content they are learning, in promoting scientific literacy, and in showing the global connection and relevance of science to society. Presenting the current news stories on Palm Pilots allows for an innovative method of classroom learning and places technology in the hands of the students. References Simon, E. J. (2002). An experiment using electronic books in the classroom. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 21, 53-66. Tewksbury, B. J. (1995). Specific strategies for using the “jigsaw” technique for working in groups in non-lecture-based courses. Journal of Geological Education, 43, 322-326. ••••••••••••••• Conclusion Discussions of current news events in any discipline can be conducted in groups where the students are active and collaborative teachers and learners of new topics. Integration of current news stories is valuable in showing students the VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 11 Meet the Authors Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D., (Brown University) is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Humanities at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Florida. He is Editor-in-Chief and founder of The International Journal of Applied Philosophy. He is also the author of numerous books and articles on critical thinking, counseling, and practical philosophy. Jim Schnell, Ph.D., is Professor at Ohio Dominican University (Columbus, Ohio) where he is the 2002 recipient of the Booth-Ferris Master Teacher Award. He completed his doctorate at Ohio University (1982) and has authored five books, over 50 book chapters and journal articles, and over 120 conference presentations. Dr. Schnell is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force (Reserve), serving as a cultural analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency. Roger D. Lee, Ph.D., is Professor of Management at Salt Lake Community College. He earned his first master’s degree in public administration from Brigham Young University and two additional advanced degrees from Utah State University, his MBA in business administration and his doctorate in public administration and management. His non-teaching experience includes working as an industrial engineer, a trial court executive, and a research analyst for the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development. Eletra S. Gilchrist earned two degrees in communication studies from the University of Alabama, a B.A. in 1999 and an M.A. in 2001. She is currently pursing her doctoral degree in communication at the University of Memphis . As a graduate teaching assistant, she teaches courses in interpersonal communication, oral communication, public speaking, and media writing. Her research emphasizes instructional, interpersonal, and intercultural communication. Dr. Laura Guertin is an assistant professor of Earth Science at the Penn State University, Delaware County campus. Her primary research area of interest includes the integration of technological tools in teaching and student learning in introductory-level geoscience courses. She is a co-leader of CRISP-G (Collaborative Research in Information Science Projects with Geosciences) at the PSU Delaware County campus where information science & technology students work together with geoscience students to develop data-gathering programs for Palm Pilot handheld computers. The Successful Professor™ VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 12