Great Ideas For Teachers 2010
Wendy Melillo
American University
Speaking in Class Without Saying a Word
How to use a social media tool like idea-generation software in large lecture classes to
encourage class participation and discussion
Introduction
Each Friday in my Understanding Media class, students listen to four of their
classmates debate topics such as “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” or “Is Wikipedia a
Reliable Source?” Immediately following the debate, students log on to an easily created
idea-generation Web site where they post comments on what they think is the winning
debate argument and vote on all the posted comments. The idea that receives the most
class votes is used to begin a class discussion about the topic.
The idea-generation software used in this class is typically found in business, and
is increasingly being utilized by politicians. Starbucks learned from its
mystarbucksidea.force.com site that its customers want WiFi in its stores and splash
sticks to prevent coffee from spilling while walking or driving. At
openinternet.ideascale.com, President Barack Obama’s administration is using the
software to generate ideas from the public about how the Federal Communications
Commission should bring broadband Internet service to every household in America.
Rationale
In introductory communication classes with 40 students or more, it’s challenging
to motivate and engage students who are reluctant to speak in large, lecture-style classes.
By using idea-generation software, every idea can be heard and discussed even if a
student never says a word in class. The software can also be a way to use technology to
foster a more engaging learning environment for today’s digital savvy students with high
expectations that classes should be both entertaining and educational.
Implementation
Free licenses are available from software companies. I used IdeaScale from
Seattle, Washington-based Survey Analytics. Simply log on to www.ideascale.com to
create the class Web site. Click on “Get Started for Free.” Create your account by
entering an e-mail address and password. Establish your site by generating a unique url –
I used understandingmedia.ideascale.com for my class. Click on “create a community,”
hit the finish button and you’re done. It’s that simple. You can decide if you want to keep
the site password protected or not. I did to protect student privacy.
For those teaching communication research classes, there is a companion survey
tool at www.questionpro.com. This allows you to include surveys on your class Web site.
I used this function to gauge student reaction about how well the software worked with
the curriculum. The free license for IdeaScale allows you to create one community Web
site. The free license for QuestionPro allows you to ask up to 10 survey questions.
 The class meets for 75 minutes twice a week. For each Friday debate class, students
read an article to prepare for the debate. For the Google discussion, I assigned the “Is
Google Making Us Stupid” article by Nicholas Carr, which appeared in the July/August
2008 issue of The Atlantic. For the Wikipedia debate, students read Katie Hafner’s
“Seeing Corporate Fingerprints in Wikipedia Edits,” published in the New York Times
August 19, 2007. Each of the eleven debates held throughout the semester feature topics
designed to teach students how to think critically and learn crucial media literacy skills.
 Immediately following the 30-minute debate, students log on to the class Web site.
They spend 15 minutes posting comments and voting on the ideas of others. At my
university, professors are not allowed to require students to bring a laptop computer to
class. This did not prove to be an obstacle since most students have laptops, and the ones
who do not are able to use their mobile phones. I have yet to find a student without a
mobile phone, but just in case I provide two back-up laptops for the class.
 I would then use the winning comment to start a 20-minute discussion about whether a
Google search provides enough credible material to use for a research paper, or if
Wikipedia is a reliable source at all.
 Students are then assigned a five-page debate paper where they must critically examine
the role new media like Google and Wikipedia play in shaping American culture.
Impact
The impact of using the software is significant. First, the ideas of students who are
reluctant to speak in large groups are heard and discussed.
“I believe a tool like IdeaScale allows all students to have a voice in the
classroom, no matter how timid,” said one student in an online survey about using the
software in class.
Second, using the software during class time combines e-learning techniques with
face-to-face communication in the classroom to create a more engaging learning
experience.
Perhaps the most telling comment came from a student who said, “I believe this
tool is most effective when used in conjunction with in-class discussion, not in place of it.
The tool is a good starting point for class discussion because everyone gets a say, and
each student gets a chance to read a huge number of opinions in a relatively small amount
of time. But without a traditional in-class discussion, students don’t learn skills like
rebutting an opposing point of view. The tool is a great supplement to class discussion,
but not a replacement.”
As a bonus, I have students examine real world case studies about how businesses
and politicians use idea generation software like the Starbucks and Obama examples
mentioned above. Meanwhile, I’m learning about how this type of social media software
can be used in the academic world.
Poster Display Ideas
A screen grab of the main page on the Web site I created for the class would provide a
good visual for a display.