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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

"Like Grasping At Wisps Of Smoke:" Interactional And Educational Challenges For College Students With Invisible Chronic Physical And Mental Conditions, Jennifer A. Butler, Daniel P. Modaff Aug 2024

"Like Grasping At Wisps Of Smoke:" Interactional And Educational Challenges For College Students With Invisible Chronic Physical And Mental Conditions, Jennifer A. Butler, Daniel P. Modaff

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Past research has explored the experiences of college students with chronic conditions from a variety of methodologies; however, student-driven, longer-term qualitative data is needed to explore how students with chronic conditions describe the challenges they face in attempting to manage their conditions and succeed in college. The current study gathered qualitative data in the form of daily journal entries over a 14-day period (pre-pandemic) from 23 college students who self-identified as having a chronic physical or mental condition. The themes were discussed through the lens of communication theory of resilience. We envision the management of student chronic illness as resiliency …


Plot Yourself: An Audience Analysis Activity Modified For Online Learning, Dakota Horn, Shannon Sandoval, Cameron Horn Oct 2023

Plot Yourself: An Audience Analysis Activity Modified For Online Learning, Dakota Horn, Shannon Sandoval, Cameron Horn

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This activity allows students to become visual depictions during audience analysis. The activity can be used in a face-to-face or online delivery, and also used as a post-assessment. The activity uses an interactive Google Sheet to replicate the act of moving around the classroom and provides an active approach to audience analysis. This active approach creates a bonding experience for students to begin exploring audience members’ knowledge and interest in topics to examine what it means to analyze an audience.


Review Of Small Group Communication: Forming And Sustaining Teams, Justin Walton Jul 2022

Review Of Small Group Communication: Forming And Sustaining Teams, Justin Walton

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Review of Small group communication: Forming and sustaining teams (2021) by Jasmine Linabary and Moon Castro found at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/small-group-communication-forming-sustaining-teams.


Review Of Public Speaking: The Virtual Text, Tim Michaels Jul 2022

Review Of Public Speaking: The Virtual Text, Tim Michaels

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Review of Public speaking: The virtual text (2013), by Lisa Schreiber and Morgan Hartranft found at https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Public_Speaking/Public_Speaking_(The_Public_Speaking_Project).


Review Of Humans R Social Media, Alicen Rushevics Jul 2022

Review Of Humans R Social Media, Alicen Rushevics

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Review of Humans r social media by iVoices Media Lab and Diana Daly (2021) from the University of Arizona found at https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/hrsm/.


Review Of Exploring Public Speaking, Sean Te Maulding Jul 2022

Review Of Exploring Public Speaking, Sean Te Maulding

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Review of Exploring public speaking (2019) by Barbara Tucker, Kristin Barton, Amy Burger, Jerry Drye, Cathy Hunsicker, Amy Mendes, and Matthew LeHew found at https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/communication-textbooks/1/.


Review Of Communication In The Real World, Kelsey Denton Jul 2022

Review Of Communication In The Real World, Kelsey Denton

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Review of Communication in the Real World (2016) by the University of Minnesota found at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/communication-in-the-real-world-an-introduction-to-communication-studies.


Request Strategies Used By English Language Learners: Student-Professor Email Communication, Padam Chauhan Jul 2022

Request Strategies Used By English Language Learners: Student-Professor Email Communication, Padam Chauhan

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Recently, email communication between students and professors in the U.S. higher educational institutions where English is the medium of instruction has become increasingly popular. However, ESL students in these educational institutions encounter numerous challenges to write email to their professors because of their unfamiliarity with email etiquette in English, inadequate English language proficiency, and lack of understanding of socio-cultural norms and values. Also, writing emails to professors requires higher pragmatic competence and critical language awareness of how email correspondence takes place in academic setting. Email requests written by ESL students are often seen as inappropriate or informal by their professors, …


The Evolution Of Antiracist Pedagogical Work: Pushing Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion To Undermine Oppressive Structures In Our Communication Classrooms, Kristen P. Treinen Jul 2022

The Evolution Of Antiracist Pedagogical Work: Pushing Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion To Undermine Oppressive Structures In Our Communication Classrooms, Kristen P. Treinen

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this paper, I explore the evolution of antiracist pedagogy. This paper helps to answer for communication educators: How did antiracist pedagogy emerge? Why did antiracist pedagogy emerge? Who does antiracist pedagogy serve? Exploring the historical context of multiculturalism, critical pedagogy, critical multiculturalism, antiracist pedagogy, and Whiteness studies provides a broad range of theoretical perspectives on multiculturalism as well as the how and why antiracist pedagogy emerged as a site for study. After reading this essay, educators should understand the need to push DEI to include antiracist work in our research, classrooms, and educational initiatives with our future educators, graduate …


Public Speaking Tasks Across The University Curriculum, Gina Iberri-Shea Aug 2019

Public Speaking Tasks Across The University Curriculum, Gina Iberri-Shea

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Oral communication proficiency is often highlighted as an outcome of U.S. university curriculum, yet it is often unclear how it manifests in the classroom. This paper presents a series of surveys investigating oral communication tasks across the university. The focus of the analysis is on public speaking tasks occurring across disciplines. Results demonstrate that there is a wide range of tasks found in university syllabi, that group and individual presentations are the most prominent, and that communication studies incorporates task types unique to the discipline. Descriptions of the task types found within disciplines are provided, along with an analysis of …


The Small-College Communication Program: An Assessment Of Communication Program Organization And Curricula At Private Liberal Arts Colleges In The Midwest And South, Brian R. Mcgee, Deborah Socha Mcgee Feb 2016

The Small-College Communication Program: An Assessment Of Communication Program Organization And Curricula At Private Liberal Arts Colleges In The Midwest And South, Brian R. Mcgee, Deborah Socha Mcgee

Speaker & Gavel

The study investigates selected features of communication degree programs at small, private liberal arts colleges in the Midwest and South. Topics covered include how communication programs at such colleges are organized at the departmental level, what courses are most commonly offered in small-college communication programs, and what course enrollment limits are typical for such programs. Our findings suggest that communication programs are now commonly found at such institutions, with most housed in academic units that refer to communication in the unit name. Beyond relatively widespread commitments to restricting course enrollments, these programs are generally marked by great diversity in their …


An Examination Of Students Perceptions Of "Learning" In A Study Abroad Experience And Recommendations For Effective Pedagogy, Scott Dickmeyer, Ronda Knox Feb 2016

An Examination Of Students Perceptions Of "Learning" In A Study Abroad Experience And Recommendations For Effective Pedagogy, Scott Dickmeyer, Ronda Knox

Speaker & Gavel

Undergraduate study abroad programs are becoming more popular in our increasingly global society. Students consider the opportunity to study abroad to be a personally impacting educational experience. This study provided empirical data demonstrating that study abroad experiences are unique as students learn in ways that differ from the tradition classroom. Additionally, the results indicate that students struggle with the interdependent terms study and abroad. The experience of living abroad is exceptionally educational as well deeply personal and impacting. However, traditional classroom study practices (reading textbooks, taking exams, etc.) impose obstacles for the experiential learning (living in another culture). As such, …


Finding An Acceptable Definition Of "Original" Work In Platform Speeches: A Study Of Community College Coaches, Crystal Lane Swift, Gary Rybold Feb 2016

Finding An Acceptable Definition Of "Original" Work In Platform Speeches: A Study Of Community College Coaches, Crystal Lane Swift, Gary Rybold

Speaker & Gavel

The quantitative analysis of this paper was undertaken to discover coach definitions of "original work" in platform speaking in the community college forensics competition. A survey was conducted to determine if there was any consistency to coaching practices when considering a recent rule change requiring that all platform speeches be the original work of the student. Although the literature review indicates that academia has established guidelines for plagiarism and unattributed collaboration, no such consistent definition was found among the coaches surveyed. The discussion of the results revolves around the conclusion that coaches are consistent in their own practices but those …


Revisiting Cicero In Higher Education Cultivating Citizenship Skills Through Collegiate Debate Programs, Annette Holba Feb 2016

Revisiting Cicero In Higher Education Cultivating Citizenship Skills Through Collegiate Debate Programs, Annette Holba

Speaker & Gavel

Higher education is in the midst of a paradigm shift from the Professing Paradigm to the Learning Paradigm approach in pedagogical strategies. The Learning Paradigm privileges a co-producing of learning between the student and the teacher. This essay argues that collegiate debate programs can be one example of the Learning Paradigm engagement that also helps to cultivate the Greek and Roman ideal of citizenship in students. Ciceronian rhetorical theory explains how citizenship skills are developed through collegiate debate practices.


Editor's Special Section-Larry Schnoor: A Celebration Of His Impact On Intercollegiate Forensics, Richard Paine, Karen R. Morris, Daniel L. Smith, R. Randolph Richardson, Joann M. Edwards, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Larry Schnoor Feb 2016

Editor's Special Section-Larry Schnoor: A Celebration Of His Impact On Intercollegiate Forensics, Richard Paine, Karen R. Morris, Daniel L. Smith, R. Randolph Richardson, Joann M. Edwards, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Larry Schnoor

Speaker & Gavel

This panel is honoring Professor Larry Schnoor for his lifelong contribu-tions to Intercollegiate Forensics. National Individual Events Tournaments have continued to flourish under his direction. In addition, his constant mentoring has guaranteed the life of this activity. Panelists will describe Professor Schnoor‘s impact on the AFA-NIET, NFA, IOC and both his mentoring of forensic coaches and programs. Professor Schnoor will help to clarify and add to this oral history.


Experiential Learning And The Basic Communication Course: A New Path To Assessing Forensic Learning Outcomes, Ben Walker Dec 2015

Experiential Learning And The Basic Communication Course: A New Path To Assessing Forensic Learning Outcomes, Ben Walker

Speaker & Gavel

Scholars have often touted the educational benefits of forensics (e.g.: Bartanen, 1998; Beasley, 1979; Brownlee, 1979; Ehninger, 1952; Gartell, 1973; Jensen, 2008; McBath, 1975; Millsap, 1998; Schroeder & Schroeder, 1995; Stenger, 1999; Yaremchuk, 1979). Critics, most notably Burnett, Brand, and Meister (2003), have argued forensics is only a competitive game with the idea of education used as a crutch to uphold the activity in the eyes of schools. While attempting to counter critics, many forensic educators have scrambled to find proof of student learning. Besides theoretical approaches to potential learning methods (e.g., Dreibelbis & Gullifor, 1992; Friedley, 1992; Sellnow, Littlefield, …


Connecting To Students: Self-Disclosure As A Motivational Tool For Collegiate Forensic Coaches, Ben Walker Nov 2015

Connecting To Students: Self-Disclosure As A Motivational Tool For Collegiate Forensic Coaches, Ben Walker

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Forensic coaches spend a large amount of time with their students and often struggle to find effective methods of motivation; however, studies have shown that teachers (Christophel, 1990) and athletic coaches (Turman, 2008) can use immediacy as a way to increase student/competitor motivation. This paper examines how forensic coaches can use a specific interpersonal tactic (self-disclosure) to potentially increase student motivation. The review of literature covers self-disclosure and the link between immediacy and motivation in both educational and competitive settings; next, Petronio’s Communication Privacy Management theory is contextualized with forensic coaches; finally, suggestions are offered to forensic coaches who wish …


Discovering Culture And Communication On The World Wide Web, Jin Xu Nov 2015

Discovering Culture And Communication On The World Wide Web, Jin Xu

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Discussions of intercultural communication mostly center round the interaction of culture and communication concerning differences in values, beliefs, norms and communication styles. However, cultural differences also stem from different cognitive styles, which impact intercultural communication. This article describes an activity that introduces students to cultural cognition theory. Combining research on the Internet, small group interaction, and class discussion, this exercise encourages students to apply theory to practice, to explore cultural differences on the Internet, and to develop their critical thinking skills. It also develops their awareness and skills needed to be mindful of the nuances of cultural differences. The exercise …


Gaining Knowledge: Creating Activities For Students By Students, Annie M. Clement Nov 2015

Gaining Knowledge: Creating Activities For Students By Students, Annie M. Clement

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This article describes an activity suitable for high school and college/university communication courses. Combining outside research with in-class discussions and class interaction give students the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about interviewing in the ‘real world.’ Students research interviewing topics, find articles to support their topic, then create an activity and present this to the class. This allows more in-depth analysis of common topics discussed in an interviewing class allowing students to take control for their learning, deepening the learning process for themselves and others while decreasing common interviewing pitfalls.


Towards Curtailing Speaker Anxiety Via Impromptu And Oral Interpretation, Stacey A. Peterson Nov 2015

Towards Curtailing Speaker Anxiety Via Impromptu And Oral Interpretation, Stacey A. Peterson

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This article outlines a series of short oral assignments designed to help alleviate some of the anxiety that many students face when giving public presentations. The assignments consist of: giving an impromptu speech, giving a spoken performance of a song or poem of their choice, and a short reading from a children’s book. Each of these assignments are seen as building blocks, methods for reducing nervousness, methods for building confidence, while concurrently developing peer support as students are working towards a more formal presentation later in the semester. There should be a class debriefing/discussion after all three assignments have been …


Not Your Average Speech Of Self-Introduction: The "Talking Resume" Alternative, Lauren Mackenzie Nov 2015

Not Your Average Speech Of Self-Introduction: The "Talking Resume" Alternative, Lauren Mackenzie

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The “talking résumé” activity is designed as a creative and useful alternative to the standard speech of self-introduction exercise in the university public speaking classroom. Using Visual Communicator software, this assignment guides students through the process of preparing, orally delivering, and critiquing résumés for themselves and their classmates. This brief article is geared toward public speaking instructors looking for innovative ways to begin the semester and provides suggestions for how to assign, conduct, and evaluate the “talking résumé” activity.


Tomkat!: Linking Theory And Practice In Communication Studies Course Through The Introduction And Application Of Social Exchange Theory, Rita L. Rahoi-Gilchrest Nov 2015

Tomkat!: Linking Theory And Practice In Communication Studies Course Through The Introduction And Application Of Social Exchange Theory, Rita L. Rahoi-Gilchrest

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This article describes an activity suitable for either high-school or university-level communication courses. Combining outside online research, small group discussion, and class interaction, this exercise uses Social Exchange Theory, applied to examples of celebrity relationships generated by students and discussed in groups, to illustrate the process by which individuals decide whether or not to initiate and sustain interpersonal relationships. Although students should be reminded that the reasons relationships do or do not survive are difficult enough to understand when we are involved in them, let alone when we view them from an outside perspective, the activity proves intriguing and involving …


Dusting Off The Trophies: Filling The Gaps In The Forensics Collective Memory, Brian T. Taylor Nov 2015

Dusting Off The Trophies: Filling The Gaps In The Forensics Collective Memory, Brian T. Taylor

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

With any organization or group, certain areas, events, and individuals eventually become forgotten and left out of the collective memory. Forensics, at the institutional level, is no exception. This essay explores the concept of collective memory, with particular attention to how some areas are left out. It examines how and why certain areas of forensics history are lost, and the impact that has on the forensics community. Finally, it offers some suggestions for forensics educations on how to keep desired stories from being left out of the collective memory. Advice includes recording the stories in written or audio/visual format, bringing …


Developing A Senior Capstone And Portfolio Course, Nanette Johnson-Curiskis, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Warren Sandmann Nov 2015

Developing A Senior Capstone And Portfolio Course, Nanette Johnson-Curiskis, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Warren Sandmann

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Our purpose in this essay is to explain how the Speech Communication Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato developed a senior capstone and portfolio course. We describe how this course helped the department improve its curriculum and teaching, and helped its students enhance their learning of the discipline.


Msu Students' Use Of The Msu Web Site, Kristin Ruder Aug 2014

Msu Students' Use Of The Msu Web Site, Kristin Ruder

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

As part of ongoing usability studies of the MSU Web site, survey data was collected from convenience samples of MSU students to evaluate their self-assessed expertise using the Internet as well as their use of and satisfaction with the MSU Web site.


Distinguishing Observed Inattentive Behaviors In The College Classroom As They Correlate To Brain Wave Activity Utilizing A Wireless Electroencephalograph, Christopher J. Aura, Matthew R. Stanton Aug 2014

Distinguishing Observed Inattentive Behaviors In The College Classroom As They Correlate To Brain Wave Activity Utilizing A Wireless Electroencephalograph, Christopher J. Aura, Matthew R. Stanton

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

A significant amount of research has been devoted to the behavioral correlates of inattention in children (A.P.A., 2000; Arnold, 2000; Gordon & Barkley, 1998). It is proposed by the authors that college students, in their several years of experience, are much more capable of masking these trademark behaviors. When a child loses interest they will begin to openly look around the room, shift in their seat, or chat with their neighbors (Sandberg, Rutter & Taylor, 1978; Arnold, 2000). College students however, are proposed to candidly fidget, shift in their seat, or even maintain eye contact with their instructor while “daydreaming”. …


Campus Paper Waste, Joshua E. Randall Aug 2014

Campus Paper Waste, Joshua E. Randall

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The fall of 2004 at Minnesota State University, a new program called MavPrint was introduced. The user submits a document to be printed at a computer, the expense is deducted from their account, and then their document can be retrieved from any MavPrint station. In years past printing had been free, but seeing how according to Bryan Schneider, the director of Technical Services at Minnesota State University – Mankato, from the year 2003 to the year 2004 the printing costs for the University rose 200 percent, they felt it was time to make a change. MSU students printed out over …


Reflections On The Conduct Of Research With Human Subjects Across Two Cultures, Kimberly Maas Aug 2014

Reflections On The Conduct Of Research With Human Subjects Across Two Cultures, Kimberly Maas

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This study examined the potential benefits, challenges, and barriers faced by university students and research colleagues who were involved in international partnerships for cross-cultural research projects between the USA and Russia. In scholarly investigations in the USA, research subjects must be informed of the precautions that will be taken to protect their safety and their privacy (Amdur & Bankfert, 2002). Particularly in Russia, there are no corresponding policies for working with human subjects that compare to the procedures followed by American university Institutional Review Boards. Furthermore, international partnerships have faced new challenges as a result of the restructuring of American …


Roommate Rants: Understanding Roommate Conflicts Among Msu Students, Kimberly Halpin Aug 2014

Roommate Rants: Understanding Roommate Conflicts Among Msu Students, Kimberly Halpin

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Roommates seem to go hand in hand with the college experience. Conflicts are inevitable in life and when a pair or small group of college students live together, conflict is likely to occur. The purpose of this study was to find out what conflicts roommates experience, how they communicate those conflicts, and how they resolve those conflicts. All conflicts would involve a Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) student and their roommate(s). An online survey, consisting of twenty questions, was created and administered to Dr. Kristen Treinen's SPEE 100: Fundamentals of Speech Communication class; twenty out of 750 students responded. The …


Second-Language English Fluency Change In Native-Speaker Context, John Zehnder Aug 2014

Second-Language English Fluency Change In Native-Speaker Context, John Zehnder

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This study examines the influence of social context on oral proficiency change among English language learners on the campus of an American university. Speech samples were taken from 2 rounds of interviews with 9 East Asian women. These were analyzed using the phonetic analysis program Praat in order to determine each speaker’s rate of stressed syllables at the beginning and end of the study. The change in these rates was used as a proxy for fluency change. This was then compared with each speaker’s social context. The results suggested that English language learners improve their fluency when they have at …