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
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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..........
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• • • • • • • • • • • •
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™.
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We welcome articles from all
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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
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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
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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