Teaching Matters

Students have a variety of motives for communicating with their instructors over the course of a semester or term. In this episode, Dr. Scott Myers from West Virginia University discusses a recent study he published in the journal, Communication Education, titled, “A longitudinal analysis of students’ motives for communicating with their instructors.” Dr. Myers research observes that, in general, students’ motives surrounding the need for information decreases as a semester progresses, but that their motives for relational communication increases.

Virtual and augmented reality are poised to disrupt media consumption in all areas—entertainment, journalism, and education to name a few. Are you skeptical about this influencing your teaching and learning? If so, think about how smart phones and mobile computing has changed the ways in which we consume information. Virtual and augmented reality is the next evolution of mobile media consumption, and will disrupt our uses of media in the same way that the iPhone did less than a few years ago. Eric Williams, Josh Antonuccio, and John Bowditch are the chief architects of the Immersive Media Initiative at Ohio University. In this episode, you will hear how they teach students in a technology environment that changes rapidly, as well as how uses of AR/VR technology is presenting exciting learning opportunities across a wide array of fields, and at all age levels. This is the first in a multi-show series on VR/AR uses in education settings. You can learn more about the Immersive Media Initiative by visiting http:/

On this episode, Scott Titsworth welcomes two members of the Appalachian Peace & Justice Network, a non-profit organization that empowers and challenges groups and individuals to work for peace and social justice, to talk about how the organization helps to embed social and emotional learning directly into schools in the region. Mara Giglio, director of the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, where she she provides training on bully and violence prevention, conflict management and peer mediation. Jennifer L. Seifert, Ph.D., directs the Sexual Assault Prevention Program, an affiliate program within the APJN. For more info on the APJN, visit: http://www.apjn.org/

Dr. Craig Davis and Mr. Chuck Borghese teach courses in strategic communication in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Both Craig and Chuck draw upon years of experience working in the communication industry to integrate real world, problem-based learning into their courses. They emphasize creativity, problem-solving, team-based collaboration, and real-world application. In this episode, Chuck and Craig describe their approaches and how teachers in various settings might use problem-based learning to help students develop transferable skills.

Academic Service Learning is a pedagogical approach to problem-based learning that involves maximizing benefits for both learners and local communities in which educational projects are enacted. This episode describes an ongoing (20-year) project in Ecuador involving faculty from multiple disciplines and multiple universities. Dr. Mario Grijalva, Director of Ohio University’s Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute, and Diana Marvel, Director of Ohio University’s Center for Campus and Community Engagement, describe the service learning project in Ecuador, the philosophy behind service learning, and their approaches to emphasize multidisciplinary work by faculty and student participants. To learn more about this program, visit the ITDI website at: https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/itdi/

This program focuses on the link between educational credentials and future earning potential for students. Guests on the program describe an initiative called, Accelerating Opportunity, which is designed to advance the credentials of underprepared students with the objective of increasing their preparedness for careers that could increase their earning potential. Our discussion is centered on a recently released report, titled “New Evidence on Integrated Career Pathways: Final Impact Report for Accelerating Opportunity,” from the Urban Institute. Guests on the program include: Dr. Barbara Endel, Senior Director of Jobs for the Future, who led the Accelerating Opportunity initiative, Monty Sullivan, President of the Louisiana Community & Technical College System in Baton Rouge, LA, and Peggy Heinrich, Interim Vice President of Teaching, Learning, and Student Development at Elgin Community College.

On this episode of Teaching Matters, Scott discusses the problem, the challenge, and the rewards of technology, specifically cell phones, in the classroom with Dave Panzer, Director of Sales at Pocket Points, Inc. and Dr. Jeff Kuznekoff, Assistant Professor of Communication at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Pocket Points is a new app providing a powerful and innovative solution to a modern day challenge for Educator's across America. Pocket Points rewards students for doing the right thing of staying off their cell phones during class time. For more information on the app, visit: https://pocketpoints.com

On this episode of Teaching Matters, host Scott Titsworth talks with Dr. Renee Middleton, Dean of Ohio University's Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services, about how their college prepares new and experienced teachers for the constantly changing landscape of education.

Teaching students to think creatively about problems is a critical step in promoting metacognition, problem-solving, and even productive collaboration. A lifelong puzzle enthusiast, Eric Berlin has created a variety of resources, including puzzle-based mystery novels and free word puzzles, that can be used by teachers, parents, and students to promote creative thinking. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of using puzzles in a variety of settings, both in the classroom and at home. Through a free subscription to his website, www.puzzleyourkids.com, you can receive a weekly free puzzle.

Colleges and universities sometimes have an “arm distance” relationship with their communities. Alternatively, Dr. Jeffrey Partridge, Director of the Heritage Project at Capital Community College in Hartford Connecticut, offers a more productive approach. In a recent essay titled, “Higher Ed Approaches to Empowering Students,” which appeared on the Getting Smart online community, Dr. Partridge discusses the value of Place Based Pedagogy for student learning, community engagement, and empowerment.

In previous times, students who missed class either ignored the transgression, or were forced to address the issue with their teacher during office hours, or during a subsequent class period. Modern communication tools, however, offer new avenues for accounts, excuses, and apologies surrounding absences. In his recent book titled, Dear Professor: A Chronicle of Absences, Filip Noterdaeme presents over 200 emails that he received from students explaining and apologizing for absences. In this podcast, we explore Noterdaeme’s book, and lessons to be learned about the emotional nature of apologies between students and teachers. Noterdaeme’s book holds a 2016 copyright and is available from Punctum Books at: https://punctumbooks.com/titles/dear-professor-a-chronicle-of-absences/

It's back to school with another season of Teaching Matters! New podcasts will be uploaded every week on Tuesday morning. Thank you for all the support thus far! When students enter college, or undergo other similar transitions during their academic careers, they are at greater risk of academic difficulties. This episode features Wendy Merb-Brown, who is the Assistant Dean of University College at Ohio University. Wendy directs a campus wide learning community program for first-year students, which is designed to support students as they transition to a new stage in their academic career.

Dr. Stephen Hunt is Director of the School of Communication at Illinois State University in Normal Illinois. For several years, Steve and his colleagues have worked with the American Democracy Project, which is a program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, to integrate political engagement activities into college curricular and co-curricular experiences. Dr. Hunt discusses how this initiative has grown at Illinois State, assessment data on its success, and steps that teachers and parents can take to promote political engagement among students. To learn more about the American Democracy Program, visit: http://www.aascu.org/programs/ADP/

Ulrich Boser is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he examines education issues. He talks with Scott Titsworth about his recently published book, "Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything". For more information on the book, visit: http://ulrichboser.com/

As Basic Course Director in the Department of Communication at George Mason University, Melissa Broeckelman-Post is responsible for training and supervising 50-60 instructors who teach 3500-4000 students per year in the required introductory communication skills courses taken by all students, as well as developing curriculum, managing the program, and assessing learning outcomes. Dr. Broeckelman-Post discusses how different course structures and interventions facilitate learning.

Dr. Katherine Ziff is an assistant professor in the department of counseling at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC. Ziff’s recent book, Art Break: A Creative Guide to Joyful and Productive Classrooms, was published in 2016 by Swallow Press. In this episode, Ziff discusses the use of Art Breaks in elementary school settings as a potential therapeutic intervention that can improve students emotional orientation toward learning while at the same time centering them around productivity tasks like critical thinking, problem solving, and positive social interactions. Art Breaks, according to Ziff, are potentially useful for students in any classroom and can potentially be used by parents in home settings. Ziff’s book can be purchased through the Swallow Press website (http://www.ohioswallow.com/search?q=ziff) or through other online booksellers.

Dr. Angela Hosek directs the basic communication course in Ohio University’s School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication. Dr. Hosek discusses how group dynamics play a role in the learning process for millennial students, as well as how education approaches must adapt to the ways in which millennial students tend to learn.

Nathan Carpenter and Laeeq Kahn – Nathan Carpenter is the Director of the Social Media Analytics Lab at Illinois State University, and Dr. Laeeq Kahn is director of the Social Media Analytics Research Team Lab at Ohio University. Carpenter and Kahn discuss uses of social media analytics as a new arena for teaching millennial students a wide range of liberal arts issues, ranging from quantitative reasoning to critical thinking.

Dr. Mayhew is a professor of Music in the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University and Conductor of the Ohio University Women’s Ensemble and Ohio University Choral Union. Paul discussed the role of communication and creativity in the classroom.

Ruthi Engelke, a representative of a national organization called Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed, discusses how the theatre of the oppressed philosophy provides a meaningful learning experience for contemporary learners of all ages.